Every child learns in their own way, and parents and teachers are there to help a child learn. Adults can provide all the materials and experiences we can, but it takes a child’s active engagement for the lesson to take hold in their brain. Every child also has a preferred way to learn, though this may only become apparent over time. In this week’s article, we’ll look at some common struggles children can have during their education and look at some ways parents and teachers can help their kids overcome these issues. We are Prosperity Day School and provide caring and educational care for children from 6 weeks to preschool, and summer camp for children up to age 11. Call us today to schedule a tour of our facility.

Is Focus an Issue?

Some children have problems focusing on one task at a time. This may be an early sign of ADHD, it’s true, but it could also be something else. Is your child too energetic to sit and learn a desk-based lesson? Some children are just high energy people and need to have more activity than others. If this sounds like your little one, try giving them a before-school recess. Either at home or at the local park, give them 30 minutes of time to get their proverbial jelly beans out. If you suspect they many need more intervention, get a professional assessment. You can try other coping mechanisms such as using lessons based on physicality. This type of learning is called kinesthetic and is very helpful in engaging children with attention challenges. One example of this is having them write their letters with macaroni or using spray bottles to have them write on the sidewalk. Another method is to find out what does get them to focus and start there. Not all children are great book learners. Some are more hands-on learners and love to take things apart or build things. A common characteristic of people with ADHD is that they can hyper focus on something they are interested in. Keep an eye out for what they get hyper-focused on and use that to teach another subject. For instance, if your child is obsessed with Pokemon, get them beginner level books about Pokemon. Reading is reading and as long as they learn to decode it doesn’t matter if they are reading about bugs, trains, or Pokemon.

Delayed Reading

Not all children are ready to read at the same time. Some are busy developing gross motor skills such as climbing and running, while others many have unseen hurdles. If you child is struggling with the rudimentary skills of reading, especially connecting letters to their sounds, it would be a good idea to have both their hearing and vision checked.

Sensory Issues

Our entire experience with the world comes from our senses, and just like other aspects of our bodies, every person has their own sensory system. Some individuals have a highly sensitive nervous system, and this can become a hurdle to learning. Some of these people have what is called sensory integration disorder which manifests itself in different ways. Some people are hypersensitive to tactile input: they might find shirts unbearably itchy, have little tolerance for loud sounds or have trouble sensing the correct pressure to use for writing with a pen. It can also manifest in under sensitivity, causing the child to seek sensation. If you see these behaviors in your child, you can deal with them yourself to a certain extent. If they seem to be disrupting your child’s ability to lead a normal, happy childhood ask your pediatrician for advice. Be sure to let your child’s teacher know what is going on with your child so they can understand and make allowances for your child.

If you are looking for quality day care in the Palm Beach Gardens area, call us to set up a tour and to meet the staff.