10 Warning Signs Your Child Is Struggling at Primary School

JP Gulliver Primary School Tutoring

As parents we want nothing but the best for our kids, and sometimes it’s hard for us to accept they may be struggling with primary school. It can be difficult to see our kids having a hard time, but the good news is primary school tutoring could be just what your child needs to get back on track.

Here’s a list of 10 signs that your child may be struggling at primary school:

Self-Confidence Decreasing (Oh No!)

Self confidence plays such a huge role in your child’s school life, as well as their other activities and relationships. Children need to be encouraged to give things a go, safe in the knowledge that it’s ok to make mistakes. Mistakes help us to learn, not just as kids, but also as adults. Children who are confident enough to ask questions and know they’re allowed to get something wrong will usually learn quicker and more effectively than a child with low self-confidence.

Child Not Enjoying School (School Should Be Fun)

Almost all kids have a day here and there where they just don’t want to go to school. We’ve all been there, and we probably still have those days in our work life! While it can be like getting blood from a stone asking how a child’s day at school was, it’s important to make sure they’re enjoying their days. If they are, it means they’re probably enjoying learning. If you notice your child frequently not wanting to go to school, or their enthusiasm is decreasing, make sure you talk to them. It could be as simple as not grasping some of their work, and primary school tutoring could do wonders for them.

Bad Report Cards and Feedback (Here We Go Again)

This probably sounds like an obvious one, and it’s sometimes a parent’s best source of information about how their child is doing in primary school. As a parent, report cards give you vital information about how your child is going in an academic sense, but also about their behaviour. Both are important and are often inter-connected, so keep an eye out for drastic decreases in their marks, or even consistently decreasing marks over a number of terms.

Avoidance and Excuses (You’ve Heard It All Before)

When a child enjoys learning, they will usually show some enthusiasm for what they’ve learned, and keenly look forward to certain parts of their school week. On the other hand, if your child is avoiding homework, making excuses for why they aren’t going well, or even telling you everything is fine when you can tell there’s something troubling them at school, it could be a sign they are having a tough time. It’s important to talk to your kids and try to get to the real reason their report cards may be slipping.

Behaviour Deteriorating

At primary school age, a child’s deteriorating behaviour could be attributed to a number of things, however school is definitely one of them. When a child struggles with school work, they can often start acting out, distracting others, or getting into trouble with their teachers. It doesn’t mean they’re a bad kid, it could simply be their way of avoiding things they’re struggling with. Primary school tutoring could be a way to fill those knowledge gaps and get them back into trouble-free learning.

Optimism for New Year Quickly Disappears

In primary school, while kids certainly enjoy their summer holidays, they are usually pretty excited to get back to school among their friends. Depending on how your child’s report card looked for the previous year, you may have had discussions with them and built some optimism about starting the next year on a better track. If you notice that optimism fading away quickly, it could be a sign they are struggling to keep up.

A Parent’s Intuition

Just like the avoidance and excuses, often a parent will just know when something isn’t quite right with their child. You’ve got that natural instinct, so make sure you listen to it. Most of the time, finding out what the problem is can be the hardest part, and then the solutions come pretty easy. If you feel like your child is falling behind and struggling with parts of their school work, quality primary school tutoring can help to rebuild their confidence and get them back enjoying school.

Child Frequently Sad or Upset

School is a big part of a child’s life – they spend around 30 hours there every week, so if your child is frequently sad or upset, it’s very likely the cause of the problem could be occurring at school. If you notice them being down in the dumps, try to find out where it’s coming from. Even something simple like not understanding their current maths work can lead to a drop in self-confidence and feelings of isolation from their peers, so try to catch it early.

Too Much Screen Time

The good news is, this one is pretty easy to fix. If you find your child is retreating to excessive screen time such as TV, games and other devices, it could be a sign they’re struggling at school. Although it may be met with some early opposition, try limiting your child’s screen time and replace it with other activities. Primary school tutoring is a great use of time if they have some gaps in their learning, or even sitting down with them to show an interest in their homework may help generate more positivity around their learning.

Changes in Demeanour

As a parent, you know your child better than anybody. If your usually happy child starts coming home from school miserable every day, it is probably a sign something isn’t going well for them at school. The changes may be more subtle than that, but if you notice your child’s demeanour changing, they may be struggling at school so it is worth nipping it in the bud early.

At Big Improvements Tutoring we aim to provide a supportive, confidence-building environment for children to discover a passion for learning. If you think your child would benefit from positive, individualised primary school tutoring, click below to book your free session today!