Many children and teens struggle with the expectations of their schools. In my counseling practice, I see academic difficulties such as inability to read, write, spell and do math at grade level. I see children who lack focus. They are unable to keep up with assignments, deadlines, guidelines for projects, and supplies. Some have difficulty with classroom behavior. They disturb other students, get out of their seats, and daydream.
And, of course, if they are not meeting the expectations of their school and teachers, they “hate” school. It is normal to hate being in a situation where success is elusive.
The frustrating part of this dilemma is that many of these children are very bright. They often excel in out-of-school activities. Parents noticed outstanding abilities even when they were still preschoolers. Perhaps they had large vocabularies and exceptional verbal reasoning abilities. Or, maybe they were doing mathematical calculations in their heads while others were still learning to count. Some were gifted in the arts. All the evidence pointed toward high intelligence. However…
What happens to prevent these children and teens from being successful in school?
Many factors affect school success. We know that preventing problems is easier than correcting them. However, we don’t always know what needs to be prevented until we are embroiled in the middle of the resulting problems.
Let’s get a dialogue going about the school problems our kids are facing. Maybe together we can find answers.
March 4, 2011
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