Four signs that your child and class are mismatched.

School has been in session for a couple of weeks by now and the novelty has started to wear off.  Now is the time to think about whether your child is in the right class, and decide what you can do to make a difference.

Children are in the wrong class for three reasons.

1. The work is either to hard or too easy for them.

2. The way the teacher teaches does not match the way the child learns

3.  There are issues with other classmates

Your child might not tell you that he or she is having problems but there are four tell tale signs that all is not well.

1.  Stress

The early days of the new school year should e a time of fun and excitement.  Students are looking forward to what the new year will bring, enjoying the new books that they will be using, meeting new friends. The school itself is looking bright and new after the big summer clean up.

The class has not yet settled into its final routine for the year and it is a time of exploration and renewal for most students.  But for children who are in the wrong class this time of year can be very stressful.  They may suddenly realize that they are going to be struggling with classwork, that classmates are less than friendly, that they are in this for the long haul.

If your child is showing signs of stress about school and schoolwork, signs that do not go away after a day or so, it could be because your child is in the wrong class.

2.  Homework

Homework is always one of the first indicators that something is not right in school.  Students may spend too long doing homework or insist that they have no homework to do.  The homework may be too difficult or too easy for them. Either way issues with homework are signs that your child is struggling to make sense of their classwork and is an indication that your child might be in the wrong class.

3.  Sleep

Change in sleep patterns often signal that your child is stressed or worried about school.  If your child stays up late trying to finish school work, or hates to get up on school mornings – more than he or she usually does!- it could be because something is not going well in school.

Children an often hide signs of stress ( see #1 above)  and a change in their sleep patterns is often the first indicator of the stress they are under.

4. Boredom

No child should ever be bored in school.  Unfortunately many are.  This happens when the work they are given is too easy for them, or when they do not understand what the teacher is telling them to do.  In both cases being bored indicates that your child is in the wrong class.

Many children, especially young ones, will say that they are bored when in fact they are tired or want you to spend time with them.  If your child is bored in school you will notice the signs, lack of interest in doing schoolwork or in telling you about their school day, homework avoidance, not wanting to go to school.

If you notice any of the signs that your child is in the wrong class you need to do what you can to alleviate the problem.  You probably do not have the opportunity to move your child to another class, and there is no guarantee that the next class will be more suitable for your child.

If you do not give your child the support  he or she needs to be able to handle these issues your child could lose a whole year’s learning!