Niece really struggling at school: how to help?

[Sallyssss]

My niece is really struggling with school work, she is behind all her class mates and has very little confidence. I believe she is soon to be assessed for dyslexia. She is yr 4. How can we help? Where can we find tutors? ANY advice at all would be very appreciated?

Thank you

If confidence is the problem then all the hot housing in the world wont help.

Some children just arent academic,with the right support she will find her place.

Until then work on her confidence encourage her to do things she likes ballet/bikerides/colouring in/swimming anything- then little by little encourage her to do academic stuff maybe make up a times table rhyme,practice handwriting in a funky new notebook.

If you are desperate to 'encourage' her buy some school type workbooks from wh smiths and go through them at leisure with her and praise praise her.

School can be a miserable place if you struggle.

Bloody he'll nickschick. Why do you draw the conclusion she isn't academic?

There are multiple reasons why children don't do well at school. She may have a low IQ. Or she may have been badly taught or she may have undiagnosed special needs or a hundred other reasons.

If you suspect dyslexia here are a few thing to try:

first of all buy the book the gift of dyslexia

if Reading is a problem check out phonographic ans Easyread. Easyread is very good but also expensive

if you like gift of dyslexia you can then check out davies method

other interventions include sound learning centre, dore method , selfvoice

don't give up. Keep researching and trying.

Good luck

I gathered she wasnt academic in the school educated sense by the fact the op suggested shes struggling and way behind her peers .

Some children just dont learn the way school teaches them,and with confidence she will learn the way she finds she learns best.

At no point did I say anything offensive - shes probably just 9 -10 years old still learning about the world and its ways and school can be a very intimidating place for a child that struggles.

Maybe just maybe its not dyslexia,dyspraxia or anything like that - maybe shes just 'young' for her chronological age and will 'catch up'.

Dont jump on me for suggesting how to help.

Sorry. I guess 'not academic' can be interpreted in two ways. To me 'not academic' means 'thick' i.e. a low IQ. But you meant just that she was struggling at school.

And I guess I disagree with your advice. If she is not doing well at school, encouraging her with things she is doing good at is a good idea - but it won't help her school work.

I have just seen so many bright kids failed by our schools, often because there is the belief that if the kid is not doing well it must be because they can't do well i.e. are not academic - as opposed to any responsibility on the educators part.

To me 'not academic' is a terribly negative statement which implies that the kid can't do well at school.

Sorry for my rant. I guess we have had different life experiences up to this point

Indigobell - I don?t understand how describing someone as non academic is offensive nor do I agree with your interpretation of what non academic means. It certainly doesn?t mean ?Low iq? or ?thick? although of course those that you refer in this category will almost certainly struggle academically. There are children who are behind across the board ie with global developmental delays who struggle at school but there are others whose problems are confined to school but who are not globally delayed. Both in my eyes would be described as non academic (at least for now if young)

Apart from being ?thick? or having a low IQ how would you describe somebody like my son who is behind their peers and struggling in school? Describing him as non academic doesnt concern me in the least because thats what he is at the moment. Describing him as think would most definitely not be correct

Indigobell - I don?t understand how describing someone as non academic is offensive nor do I agree with your interpretation of what non academic means. It certainly doesn?t mean ?Low iq? or ?thick? although of course those that you refer in this category will almost certainly struggle academically. There are children who are behind across the board ie with global developmental delays who struggle at school but there are others whose problems are confined to school but who are not globally delayed. Both in my eyes would be described as non academic (at least for now if young)

Apart from being ?thick? or having a low IQ how would you describe somebody like my son who is behind their peers and struggling in school? Describing him as non academic doesnt concern me in the least because thats what he is at the moment. Describing him as thick would most definitely not be correct

I think nickschick's response is very good - suggesting steps to build up confidence and then introducing the 'academic' stuff. I think what was meant by some kids not being 'academic' is that some of them don't take to school work and the structures of learning in the classroom - perhaps especially in the early years - and this can contribute to a less confident child feeling and performing in an unconfident, less 'achieving' way, so that's why her suggestion was to build up confidence first.

We should all know that 'academic' is not synonymous with 'intelligence' surely?! The waters get muddy, of course, because intelligence tends to be measured by academic performance, but given that we're talking about education, that happens. So... build up the child's confidence, get them to 'play the game' in doing their academic work as best they can, and who knows, you may just have a 'late bloomer' on your hands, or someone who's intelligence will find expression in a creative or canny way when they're older!

Sally,
I'm a remedial reading tutor.

Please read the following web page and pass the information on to your sister:

Should I have my child assessed?
www.dyslexics.org.uk/should_I_have.htm

HTH

I dont think our experiences are that different tbh.

I am a NNEB having had vast experience in school I thought my own dc would adore school......

ds1 was bullied by a teacher ended up being tutored at home for 3 years has never really enjoyed school despite him being a very intelligent lad - he got over it hes currently studying 4 A levels and hopes to become a lawyer.

Ds2 loves school just isnt academic hes a hands on learner let him watch you do something and he can do it-ask him to write a story and hes doomed - can add up any amount of money etc but has no interest in angles or fractions etc......(he was H.E because of ill health and the general 'shitty' school)

Ds3 - after our experiences of primary ed,has neverbeen to school is entirely HE and is thriving.

schools do fail some children.

thanks goldndiamonds.