Keeping Your Child on Track this School Year
Starting school can be a big change from the relaxation and fun of summer for many students. It may be hard to get back into the routine so it's important that caregivers monitor any changes that could have happened during the summer months. One should also keep in mind that every child adjusts to school at a different pace. The struggles a student may face upon their return can be vastly different between students but this is normal. These hurdles are especially common at the beginning of a new school year. It’s important to notice patterns and changes in communication, behavior and routines as they make this return. Monitoring these changes can lead to better detection if the student is struggling. Identifying concerns early may help a child receive support sooner.
1. Communication Skills
This will vary by age range and grade level but there are ways to monitor your child’s communication in the school year. Difficulty following classroom directions, trouble retelling a story, frequent difficulty finding the right words or frustration when speaking may be signs of language delay. These are signs that your student may need additional language support or strategies. There may be an increase of these signs in the beginning of the school year because they may need to rely on communication skills more in school than they are used to in the summer. Checking in with your child’s teacher can help determine if these signs are also occurring during the school day.
2. Academic Progress
When thinking of your child’s academic progress, it’s important to look beyond the grades, but be mindful of skill development over time. Their skills should be building over time and strengthening, which is why it's important to monitor their work itself instead of their grade. Beyond the content of their work, signs additional support may be needed include avoiding homework of a particular subject, difficulty retaining content from school, trouble organizing information, taking significantly longer than expected to complete an academic task and large gap between the student’s efforts and academic results. These are just indicators that your child may need more support, not definites or observations that warrant drastic change.
3. Attention and Participation
Your child's willingness to participate can be an indicator of their engagement at school. For some students, interest in learning is a catalyst for development. In consequence, if school is too challenging for them, some students may withdraw and attempt to “block out” school entirely. This is different from your child being distracted. This is an ongoing difficulty that may affect their learning.
4. Social and Emotional Progress
Building relationships with teachers and peers is a large part of school age development. There are many factors that may make this intimidating or difficult for students. It’s important to monitor your student’s feelings towards school, not just their academic performance. Possible signs of social or emotional stress are routinely not wanting to go to school, out of character irritability or outburst, physical aches before school, social withdrawal and sudden changes in personality. Your child’s emotions are a large piece of their overall development.
5. Fine Motor and Occupational Skill
Throughout the day at school, your student will be tasked with various fine motor tasks. Some of them will be for academic purposes like writing or cutting, while others will be self directed like unzipping a backpack. These skills may help your child foster independence in a school setting. If a caregiver observes difficulty holding scissors or writing utensils, very hard to read handwriting and trouble opening and closing bags or containers, seeking support may be helpful. You can direct questions about these observations to an occupational therapist for more guidance.
Across all of these areas of observation, a trend is that it's important to look at patterns, not isolated incidents. No one situation alone points to a delay or needed support, but repeated observations mean caregivers may want to look into additional support. Additionally, discussing with your child’s teacher and school supports may help you gain insight into how they are progressing inside the classroom, especially with the transition back into school.
Being “on track” does not mean performing well in every area. It simply means developing in a way that is suitable for the student. As caregivers, it's important to pay attention to their growth and development as it happens and celebrate their strengths with them. Caregivers know their children best. Their knowledge makes them a key to development by asking questions in moments of uncertainty and developmental change, especially starting a new school year!