Today I worked with an elementary age child who struggled with tears part of the time. This child is trying and he is going to fail anyway. He just cannot keep up. He wants so much to learn and pass.
He is behind most of the other students in his class in his times tables. Therefore he does not understand much of his math lessons that the other students are doing. The work he has to do for schoolwork is the same as the other students. He is not ready for the work as his foundation is weak.
He is so overloaded with trying to understand what the teacher has taught him that he was too tired to understand a different way to learn the material. That is the way the teacher said to do the work. Something must be wrong with him if he cannot understand the work the way she taught the material.
He has a good and caring teacher so something must be wrong with him. He has caring parents and grandparents. He also struggles with reading.
My heart hurts as I write this. It hurts me to see someone hurt when they are trying as hard as this student and his family are trying. Can I help? One of the things this child needs is time and he does not have the time. The state tests are coming and if he fails the tests he will fail. If he is passed will he just struggle next year also.
We worked on the balance boards and on some basic skills. The child was so concerned about his homework that we stopped and worked on it. He does not understand math families. I think he understood his reading and gave his family member who came with him some ideas on how to help him with math at home also.
I will share a plan to help him with my next post. I have to work on a plan first.
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