Me EEN EEENS Oe Do You KnowIf Your Child Needs Help In School? (NAPSA)—When it comes to picking up on signs of school difficulties, parents usually have good intuition. While some parents worry unnecessarily about their child’s progress, other parents can discover signals from their children that may point to learning problems. Statements such as “Math is boring,” “I hate reading,” or “The teacher did not explain this to me” sometimes mean, “I don’t understand”or “I have problems with.” Children rarely admit that they are having trouble at school. “Do your children look forward to attending school?” asks Andrea Pastorok, Ph.D., education specialist with Kumon Math and Reading Centers, a supplemental education program. “Sometimes children who have difficulty getting out of bed on weekdays may not feel confident about their ability to be successful at school.” Early intervention is important. Parents should ask about their child’s grade levels and progress at parent-teacher conferences. Research shows that without intervention, reading problems in third grade are likely to persist into high school. The key indicator of school difficulties is whether or not students are working at their grade level in reading, writing and mathematics. Children vary in their development of academic skills, but they should be in the same range as their classmates. “When students are full grades behind their peers in the core academic skills, there is cause for concern,” says Dr. Pastorok. lf a child is not working at grade level, early intervention is very important. For some students, this delay in progress may indicate the need for additional practice to strengthen a skill, while for others, it may point to educational gaps or learning disabilities. Speak to your child’s teacher about your child’s response to classroom routines. Children can be quite creative when it comes to avoiding schooldifficulties. Important information can also be gleaned from athletic coaches, music teachers, and supplementary education instructors. Each of these educators brings a unique perspective to understanding your child’s response to learning. If parents feel that their child is not reaching his or her potential, they can ask about tutoring programs at school or consider enrolling their child in an after school learning program. For more information about supplemental education, contact Kumon Math and Reading Cen- ters at 1-800-ABC-MATH.
