.png){kind=small}
So...your child comes home from school right? You of course are being a concerned parent and ask, "What did you learn today?" Your child may hit you with a, "I don't remember...." Or, if you call them out on it enough, they may start to say things, but you can really tell that they are just rambling and they really don't remember, or they are just saying something.
Or, you may ask them: "How was school today?" And they hit you with the one word response of, "Good" or "Fine," without giving any sort of details.
When your child does this, a variety of thoughts may come up in your mind, such as:
Are you not paying attention in class?
Does my child have ADHD?
Is the teacher teaching anything?
I wonder are the other kids struggling.....
Does my child have a learning disability?
What's not clicking?
And the list could go on....
And these thoughts and feelings are valid, and yes to some degree, it is a good thing if these thoughts come to mind because they can definitely spark emotions that require us to take action.
Now that I have validated your feelings and thoughts, I want to invite you to shift your perspective some on what the problem may actually be.
If your child is not remembering what they have learned after being taught, that is a sign that the lesson was just not engaging or relatable for them. If a subject is taught in a way that is boring to a child, guess what they probably hear as the teacher is teaching: "blah...blah....blah....blah." (I'm sorry you all, but I am keeping it real here in this blog as you see.)
And to be honest, the hard truth that you must accept parents is that it's not fair to judge and be mad at your child for not grasping information that is boring to them. We are the same way as adults if we are honest. Don't believe me? Well, go in the living room and turn on a boring TV show or open a boring book and come back and share how much you remember from it, or better yet how much you "wanted" to remember.
Now you may be thinking, if my child has a boring teacher, I have no control over that...so what am I suppose to do about that?
That is a valid concern, and here's my advice, go ahead and screenshot the list of websites I have below that is good for any subjects that are fun and engaging. I know lessons may still be boring at school, but them being able to see it presented in a fun way at home can at least lighten their perspective.
List of websites:
If your child is struggling to enjoy Reading Comprehension or Writing and they are in 3rd-8th grade, I can most definitely shift their perspective in just the 1st two sessions. Over time, I can also help them better understand and grow a tolerance for "boring" lessons or "boring" teachers. (because lets face it it's hard to remember and find interest in things that are not at all engaging!)
What is your child's least favorite subject? Why is it their least favorite? (I would love to hear from you in the comments!)
XOXO,
Angela with LCB Tutoring