With Sats exams, GCSEs and A Levels round the corner, the push for success is in overdrive. But what if your child is struggling like mad because he/she:
- Feels useless in a bottom set
- Is home schooled with learning gaps
- Has no self esteem and is anxious
- Can’t cope with a learning difficulty
Here at Lemon Tree Tutors, we speak to many parents across the Surrey and Chichester areas whose children live with this never-ending anxiety every day.
Often at their wits end, they reach out to us… So troubled by their child’s learning issues, many have lost hope that things will ever change for the better.
It’s not too late
When one mum called me recently saying her child was punished at school for not completing enough in the lesson, it reminded me that teachers have little time to dig deeper and work out WHY there is a problem.
As a former teacher myself, I can tell you that teachers are pulled in every direction – and simply don’t have the energy to juggle every responsibility equally.
With the current teacher recruitment crisis, TA redundancies and funding shortfalls, teachers will continue to be stretched. Accepting that teachers do their best is a good first step. The second is to be proactive yourself:
- Because children often feel overwhelmed by learning problems, it helps if you handle one issue at a time. Gently easing your child to take a baby step forward can start them on a more positive path ahead.
- Read with them for 10 minutes a day to reduce the fear of reading alone. Enjoy the story with them… Get them to ask questions.
- Tackle a homework together without telling them to get on with it. Support them with the first few minutes and let them have a go.
- If your child hates school, try empathy. ‘I didn’t like school sometimes too. But do you know what helped?… What do you think would help you to find it easier?’
Share the load
Finally, another option is to arrange one-to-one tuition. As a support system, many parents are relieved to be able to share the load with a trained tutor.
Plus because tutors work with struggling youngsters every day, they have techniques and tools ready to use at a moment’s notice.
Without a doubt, in my teaching and tuition career I’ve been amazed at what a different – kinder – approach can do for a child’s wellbeing.
So please, don’t struggle on hoping things will just change. Get in touch with me, Nikki de Villiers, for a free, no-obligation chat about your child’s needs… Even if I can offer some advice in the first instance, you’re welcome to get in touch.
Currently our Surrey tutors work across:
- Hersham, Walton-on-Thames and Weybridge
- Guildford to Cobham
Our Chichester tutors span:
- Chichester
- Bracklesham Bay and The Witterings
