Have the comments that a teacher makes about your child at a parent-teacher conference ever seemed like more than what was being said? Have the concerns that the teacher raised seem vague?
Sometimes, teachers are not as straightforward with parents as they could and should be. This can be said for any number of topics, including any differences in thinking and learning that your child may have.
If you feel that there is something more to what a teacher is telling you, then you’ve come to the right place. Let’s decode some of the things your child’s teacher is saying.
“I love that your child has a lot of energy, but they seem to struggle to sit still. This can sometimes bother their peers.”
Your child’s teacher is trying to tell you that your young one needs a lot of ‘redirection,’ which can halt learning progress for all learners, including your child. The teacher may even wonder if your child has ADHD.
Ask your child’s teacher about the strategies they have tried and whether or not those strategies have helped. Request that they write down their classroom observations so that you may discuss them with both your child and with your child’s doctor.
“Your child isn’t shy, but they get anxious when I ask them to read aloud or call on them in class. I’d like to add them to the school’s RTI program.”
For those that don’t know, RTI stands for Response to Intervention. Here, your teacher is trying to tell you that the discomfort your child has when asked to present in front of the task could have to do with reading problems they may have.
The teacher might wonder if your child has anxiety or if dyslexia has something to do with it. You should ask them to go into more detail about the RTI program so that you can assess whether or not it would benefit your child.
It would help if you also asked about your child’s performance when reading one-on-one and whether or not their reading scores are typical for children their age.
“Your child is always well-behaved and polite, but they seem to have trouble following directions, and I’m not sure why. Are you seeing this at home?”
Here, your teacher might be wondering whether or not your child has ADHD or if they have difficulty with their listening comprehension skills. Ask them when they see this behavior happening and if specific directions are more difficult for your child to follow than others.
Also, inquire about what your child is doing instead of following the instructions. Is it affecting their learning?
Concluding Thoughts
Taking with teachers is the best first step to getting your child to succeed at school. Be sure to ask the questions mentioned above.
