Being Patient When Your Child “Doesn’t Get It”

Being Patient When Your Child “Doesn’t Get It”

As your child progresses through school, there may be times when he just doesn’t understand a concept.  He may have difficulty sounding out words, comprehending what he just read, or knowing how to borrow in subtraction.  There are a few points to remember when this happens.  Primarily, know that your child’s rate of learning is different from those of every other child.  Some children grasp new concepts immediately and need new challenges.  Others, however, need a lot of explanation, practice, and repetition before that light bulb brightens.  When your child has that difficulty with learning, practice patience.  Continue to work with your child on challenging concepts by finding alternate ways to teach that may better fit your child’s learning style.  For example, your child may be a visual or tactile learner, so use pictures or hands-on materials to teach those harder concepts.  Technology may also be a great tool to employ with the use of reading and math websites that have numerous learning games and activities.  Most importantly, talk with your child’s teacher about your concerns and ask for guidance in what you can do at home to facilitate learning of those hard concepts.  All teachers will gladly provide extra practice activities or have suggestions and tips that make learning easier for your child.