The following is brought to you by the Georgetown Huntington Learning Center
Some might argue that there’s never been a harder time to be a child, and the same can be said for being a K-12 student.
Ajith Varghese, Director of the Georgetown Huntington Learning Center says that the multitude of challenges facing today’s students can seem daunting.
“There are plenty of issues that students have to navigate, but there are effective ways for parents to confront these issues too,” says Mr. Varghese.
He shares a few of the greatest challenges that parents need to be aware of along with tips on how to deal with them:
Distractions – Growing up in the digital world has many advantages, but one of the bigger disadvantages is the number of digital distractions. With a majority of children today having their own smartphones, they have access to everything from social media to games at many hours of the day. It’s easy for students to get sidetracked when they should be studying at home or listening in class. And smartphones aren’t the only issue. Most students do a lot of work on the computer, and with the internet just a few clicks away, this too can prove distracting.
Parent tip: “You can’t control your child’s every move, but you can set screen time and study rules at home, “says Mr. Varghese. “Create a screen-free study space at home. Have your child schedule study sessions and put their phone away for 20 minutes at a time before taking a short break. Most of all, don’t rely solely on phones’ screen time limits to keep your child in check. Have an open dialogue about the importance of having a routine, not procrastinating and focusing on school work when needed.”
Increased academic stress – School stress is a growing problem among children. The number of pressures that today’s student’s face is high, and some students understandably become overwhelmed. You can help your child minimize school-related concerns and fears by embracing the right attitude about school at home and helping your child set up good habits.
Parent tip: “When talking about school, parents should be supportive listeners who believe in their children,” Mr. Varghese explains. “School has ups and downs, and parents can really help their children decrease stress by sharing that effort matters more than end results, that mistakes are opportunities to grow and learn, and that many stresses can be avoided with reliable routines.”
Lingering learning gaps – Learning gaps are a common problem that happen during extended breaks from school, like summer. When the pandemic forced students into online learning, those typical gaps became bigger for many students—and many are still behind. The problem: the longer learning issues are left unaddressed, the harder they are to correct. Each lesson and each unit that passes in a subject becomes harder, with children struggling to stay on track.
Parent tip: “Parents who notice their children’s grades slipping might be seeing the signs of learning problems exacerbated by the pandemic,” says Mr. Varghese. “Huntington can perform an academic evaluation of their child to determine what skills are missing and develop a plan of action to correct those gaps sooner than later. This will get their child back on track and boost their confidence again.”
While the problems that today’s students are facing might feel different or even bigger than the problems parents faced growing up, the good news is that there is help available. Huntington works with thousands of children to help them overcomes difficulties in school, get better grades and increase their confidence. Our individualized tutoring programs for children of all ages in all subjects help students get back on track quickly and acquire the study skills and techniques they need to continue to do well in school. Call (512) 886 0101 today.
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