The Surprising Reason Why Some Kids Struggle in School

When we see our kids struggling in school, it’s easy for us to think they’re not studying hard enough, not paying attention in class, or simply not practicing enough. While these factors can certainly play a role, there’s often a deeper reason: a lack of confidence.

This is especially true for younger learners. Confidence can significantly impact a child’s ability to succeed in school. When kids lack confidence, they hesitate to try new things because they’re afraid of failing. But the truth is, failure is an essential part of learning. Without failure, our kids will miss out on opportunities to learn, grow, and succeed.

Why confidence matters

A child who is afraid of making mistakes often avoids trying altogether. This fear can come from various sources—fear of disappointing parents or teachers, comparing themselves to peers, or simply being afraid of the unknown. In school, this can turn into a vicious cycle: because if they don’t try, they don’t learn, and their lack of understanding reinforces their lack of confidence.

The good news is that confidence can be built! With the right approach, you can guide your child to be braver in their learning journey.

Here are 4 practical ways to help your child become more confident when learning:

1. Focus on what they know first

Building confidence starts with identifying and understanding what your child already knows. When they successfully complete a task, it boosts their self-esteem and encourages them to take on more challenges.

For example, if your child is struggling with reading books, start with sentences. If sentences are hard, break it down further into individual words. By breaking down bigger challenges into smaller, achievable tasks, children feel less intimidated. Over time, they’ll feel more comfortable tackling larger challenges because they’ve already seen they can do it!

2. Identify activities that balance ability and challenge

The key to building confidence is finding the right balance between their current ability and a challenge. If something is too easy, your child won’t be engaged, but if it’s too hard, they may feel overwhelmed and give up.

The goal is to identify activities that are just challenging enough to push your child out of their comfort zone but still within reach of their abilities. For example, if your child is good at blending individual words but having trouble with reading a whole sentence, help them by showing them one word at a time on a whiteboard or piece of paper. Once they’re comfortable with that, piece all the words together to form a sentence. This way, you know they definitely have the ability to read the sentence themselves.

3. Celebrate when they overcome challenges

Every time your child overcomes a challenge, celebrate it! Even the smallest victories are significant. By celebrating their efforts and achievements, you’re reinforcing their belief in themselves.

Remember, we’re not just celebrating their success; we’re celebrating their willingness to overcome their fear, try new things, and do things independently.

4. Give them a safe space to fail

It’s essential to create a supportive environment where your child feels comfortable taking risks and making mistakes. Let them know that it’s okay to fail and that learning from mistakes is a valuable part of the process.

Avoid using negative language like “no”. Instead, try phrases like “why don’t we look at the word again?” or “good try! Let’s try again!” This creates a more positive and encouraging atmosphere.

To wrap up

This is why in our classes, our teachers build up confidence in our students because we realise how crucial it is–not only in their learning, but in their life. Once they know and believe that they are able to overcome challenges in learning, they will start to be brave to face any challenge that they encounter outside of the classroom as well.