
Catching up: How to cope if your child is ‘falling behind’
By Eoghan Fitzgerald
Every child has a variety of strengths and weaknesses, and it is totally normal for students to perform better in some subjects than others. Given that students have different interests, it is inevitable that they will be inclined to practice and research subject areas they enjoy more, are more inspired by, or have more of a natural proficiency for.
However, there may come a time when you notice a pattern to your child’s academic difficulties that can cause concerns. Perhaps they are displaying reticence to complete work in that subject area, or even have an anxiety about it. They may say things like “I hate writing” or “I’m not good at Maths”. You may even have noticed lower grades on their school report and their teacher is likely to have commented on or specifically mentioned their struggles. I want to tell you a little about those warning signs and what you can do to make sure they are getting the support that they are entitled to in school and suggest some ways you can support them outside the classroom.
Firstly, this advice will be most useful to parents of students who are struggling to meet curriculum objectives. If this is the case, the sooner you or your child’s teacher reacts, the quicker your child can ‘catch up’ and get back on track in that subject area. I should also mention that if your child is doing reasonably well in this subject area or subject areas and you aim to push your child to excel beyond grade level expectations, this advice may not be as relevant to you.
Secondly, I ought to mention that this advice is most relevant to parents who have spoken to their student’s teacher about their ‘learning gap’. What a parent may perceive as a ‘learning gap’ may not meet a professional’s definition. A ‘learning gap’ occurs when a student is not meeting grade level expectations, based on a national or global standard, such as a curriculum. Some children may mention that they hate a subject area but remain proficient at it and maintain success in the subject area academically. Some parents may consider a ‘B+’ average to be a ‘learning gap’ if they are hoping or aiming to achieve an ‘A’ but this would not be considered a ‘learning gap’ in the professional sphere. If you have noticed your child has a reticence for a subject area or shares with you that they are struggling, speak to their homeroom or relevant subject specific teacher first. If it is indeed the case that their teacher agrees they are struggling to meet grade level objectives, then here are some questions you could ask:
How is my child currently being supported to access the curriculum?
Would a formalised intervention programme be beneficial?
How do you monitor student progress and how can we monitor the success of current learning supports?
Do you suspect any special educational needs? If so, why?
What can I do to support their learning at home?
Questions to avoid:
Where would you rank my child in the class?
It is never useful to directly compare a student with their peers individually or collectively. The curriculum objectives are there to establish a standard across the board and all attainment and progress should be judged against this data and data like it. In this case, comparison is very much the thief of joy.
I never understood Maths, so, to be honest, I’m not surprised my child doesn’t either.
There is usually no link whatsoever between a parent’s proficiency in a subject area and their child’s. Maintain a realistic expectation for your child, regardless of what your own strengths and weaknesses are/were academically. Even if your proficiency in the subject area limits how much you can intervene in your child’s learning, there are in-school intervention programmes and tutors available outside of school to help your child ‘catch up’ if necessary.
What can you do?
-If, after speaking to your student’s teacher directly, you are unable to find a way forward to help close the learning gap for your child, you may want to consider speaking to a member of middle or senior leadership to see if there is anything else the school can do to support your child.
-Although not the first port of call, you could engage the services of private tuition. Some students, especially those with special educational needs or suspected special educational needs work much more proactively in smaller groups or one to one, which is not always achievable in a classroom environment. Crucially, this environment allows a student extra time to process the information and gain confidence in a subject area.
It is for these types of issues that a parent consultancy platform like ‘Collab Education’ can be invaluable. Talking to an experienced teacher will be invaluable in understanding what you can do, what you should do and what support your child is entitled to.

meet Eoghan
Eoghan is an accomplished international schoolteacher and middle leader with 8 years of international teaching experience. A graduate of Queen’s University Belfast in July 2015, Eoghan has taught across all year groups in Key Stage 2, educating students aged 6-12 years. His leadership roles have included Year 5 Leader, Year 3 Leader, and Primary Mathematics Coordinator, demonstrating his versatility and commitment to educational excellence. Eoghan has gained extensive experience working in diverse educational settings, spending 4 years in Malaysia, and accumulating valuable insights from his time in Kuwait, Japan, and Ireland.