A fifth grade teacher at Roosevelt Elementary School in Janesville, Michael Smrekar talks in this articleabout how expectations on today’s kids have become much higher than even a few years ago. He says today’s fifth graders are learning even pre-algebra skills which is a lot more than the parents of today’s kids did when they were young. Not just math, but even where reading levels are concerned, children are expected to read earlier and better than their predecessors.

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What can a parent do in this scenario? Here are some ways in which we can help our children cope with the stress, as well as understand it a bit better ourselves: Communicate: This is the base skill most important for all parents. Try your best to set aside a part of each day, when you just “talk” to your child. From the happenings in school, and among friends, you will learn a lot of what goes on in your child’s day. As time goes on, if she feels that there is always a non-judgmental time she can share with you, you can hope that she’ll open up about anything that bothers her. Keep track: Have regular discussions with your child and occasionally with his teacher if possible, so that you have an accurate idea of what is happening at school. This way, you can try to approach difficult subjects in advance to make your child more comfortable with them. Get rid of preconceived expectations: In the same vein, do not form an opinion based on a report from school. Discuss with your child to understand what exactly the problem might be, and why he might not be doing well in a particular subject. This is the best approach to decide on whether extra coaching may be necessary, or even in a few cases to diagnose a learning disability. Parents are the best observers of their children, and can make a decision accordingly. Extra-curricular activities: Set aside some time each week for an activity that would help your child to blow off some stress. Remember that this should not be just something that you would like her to learn, but something she loves as well. In this context, if you can find some games for children that emphasizes fun over competition, that would be the best option. With these small tips, you can do your bit towards enabling your children in a high-pressure environment, and to help them perform to their best abilities. Our Math and English classes at Aloha are tailored to coincide with the learning content at school, to help your child gain confidence in all subjects. Do have a look at our website for more details: http://www.aloha-usa.com