Your child has gone through elementary school successfully and they are growing up fast. However, even if they’ve done well up to this point, they may start to struggle when they get to fifth grade. Preparing for middle school is one of many changes on their mind at this point, so they can show signs of being overwhelmed.
By the time they get to fifth grade, your child should have learned how to work with other students to complete their projects and assignments. They also should know how to write coherent, logical sentences and paragraphs. They need to be able to read a variety of texts effectively. Even further, your child should be able to remember and make sense of factual information, give reports, or even just informally speak about what they have learned. All these things can be a lot for any student, and your child might not have everything perfect just yet.
Signs of Struggling
There are a few things to watch out for to find out if your child is struggling in or out of the classroom.
- Signs of learning differences. If they haven’t already, by the time they get to fifth grade, your child may be showing signs of learning differences. Making mistakes or receiving bad grades aren’t good indicators on their own. There are specific things to look for, like being unable to listen, having a poor sense of direction or time, being unable to understand graphs and picture prompts, incomprehensible handwriting, or being unable to take notes while their teacher is speaking.
- Poor writing. Even if your child is excelling in other areas, their writing skills may still be lacking. Fifth grade is a time when students are required to write multi-paragraph reports and creative writing assignments and this can be challenging. If your child isn’t writing enough or isn’t giving enough details, it may be time to figure out how to improve their writing skills.
- Social pressures. Your child’s social life has been expanding since day one, but now things are getting more and more complex seemingly by the moment. Peer pressure is a much bigger risk now as they become more independent from you. They may start engaging in risky behaviors or even try pushing boundaries. They may even be experiencing bullying at school or with their peers. It’s important to talk to your child about their social life to make sure they aren’t being harmed or prevented from succeeding.
How You Can Help
There are several ways you can help your child get back on track in fifth grade. If you suspect your child has a learning difference, you should take them to a doctor. They can only be diagnosed by a professional, and that needs to be the first step before you make any changes.
A good first step is to talk to your child’s teacher. Their teacher’s feedback and insight are invaluable, whether their grades are suffering or not. They have a window into your child’s social life and academic struggles you don’t usually get to see, and can be essential in helping solve the problem.
The next person you should talk to is your child. They may not know exactly what the problems are, but they can give you the most valuable information. If they’re having problems in a specific subject or in school generally, they may tell you they “hate” it (or even their teacher), or they may tell you they’re bored in that class. Being bored is a sign they are missing some information because they can’t understand new ideas without a foundation to build on.
A big help would be to enroll your child in Math Genie. Wherever your child is struggling, the teachers at Math Genie can help your child succeed. The program is helpful and enriching, and the teachers give you and your child kind and constructive feedback. They can learn what they need in a safe and fun environment, making connections with other students at the same time.
Wherever they may be struggling, each child learns at their own pace. Needing some extra help in fifth grade is normal, so there’s no need to worry.
Source: https://www.verywellfamily.com/signs-of-trouble-in-fifth-grade-620947
