And what can I do to help?

It is of course a very common thing to find something hard. Who doesn’t know that feeling? No one really likes it; everyone in some ways knows it.

But it is a different thing altogether when it is not a single, isolated thing that you find hard. What if it is almost everything that seems difficult?

That unfortunately is how some children feel in school. School itself is hard. It almost feels like they do not fit the mould that school expects. And is that their fault? School’s fault? No one’s fault?

These are of course massive questions to deal with and they often come with lots of emotion and sometimes pain. So there are no simple answers. However, as teachers we have some insights into what goes on for pupils in school who find things hard. And we can offer some thoughts and tips to help you deal with your situation.

1. Firstly, it is important to know that your child is not ‘wrong’. School does not fit everyone and that is just the way it is. In the same way that not everyone can be experts at maths, geniuses at writing or Picasso’s at art, some children find school and the way it is set up difficult. This is not the child’s fault and it is helpful to be able to accept this.
2. Going on from this, it is also interesting to think about the way schools are structured. They are, in essence, still in a Victorian way of working. They expect pupils to sit and listen, and then to do and learn. This is of course the normal way that we think of education working but it is not the only way. Just because it has always been this way for us does not mean it is the ‘right’ way. This method of education tends to suit girls better than boys (generally – not always) and tends to give little room for children who find sitting and listening hard.
3. Thinking about this, it is important not to blame schools for the way they are but also to understand that they are not perfect. The suit some people and not everyone. If your child does not find school easy, it is not their fault and nor is it probably school’s fault. It is just the way it is. So… does that mean that there is no hope in the situation
4. NO! There are lots of things you can do to improve the situation. The first step however is accepting the situation as it is, refuse to blame the child or the school, and then put together a strategy to move forward.

Interested to continue with this line of thinking? That is what we are for! Get in contact for information about how we help children who find school hard. We are teachers and we know what we are talking about.

Want to do some more reading? Great! We have lots more to share. Ideas on how to help your children at school or at home. Underlying issues that might be worth looking into. Fun games to play at home. Educational resources to use for a bit of extra homework. There is lots of it on our site.