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1. Rarely turning in or completing assignments

2. Poor quiz/test results

3. Might work longer than others on material but still make very little progress

4. Is easily frustrated by material

5. Avoids being called on if they don’t understand the material

6. They don’t take good notes or have trouble keeping things organized

7. Distracting others, or the teacher, to get out of doing the work

8. Does a good job on specific problem-sets or pieces of material but often stays there to avoid moving onto material they don’t understand

9. Irritation and anger (towards teacher, students, even friends)

10. Using the bathroom for extended periods of time (to get out of whatever the work is)

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How do you know when a student is struggling? Better yet, what are ways that we as educators can support them? In this article, we'll dive into some of the common - and uncommon! - signs that a student might need an extra hand, as well as some potential ways to navigate these situations.

Does any of this sound familiar? A student is consistently struggling to receive good grades. In the classroom, they often act out or get easily irritated with your or their peers. Or, a normally straight-A student suddenly has a drop in performance that continues without improvement. They don't seem like their normal, bubbly self in class, and they don't seem to talk to their friends as much like they used to.

So what does it mean? There can be a myriad of reasons for this kind of behavior - not understanding material, problems at home or in social life, mental health challenges - but it's important to learn the signs so you can recognize, and intervene, before it escalates.

Have suggestions, comments, or questions to improve this post or others? Please use this Google Form!

Academically, a struggling student might exhibit the following signs:

1. Rarely turning in or completing assignments

2. Poor quiz/test results

3. Might work longer than others on material but still make very little progress

4. Is easily frustrated by material

5. Avoids being called on if they don't understand the material

6. They don't take good notes or have trouble keeping things organized

7. Distracting others, or the teacher, to get out of doing the work

8. Does a good job on specific problem-sets or pieces of material but often stays there to avoid moving onto material they don't understand

9. Irritation and anger (towards teacher, students, even friends)

10. Using the bathroom for extended periods of time (to get out of whatever the work is)

Emotionally, or in regards to mental health, a struggling student might exhibit the following signs:

These signs should be seen as a change from normal behavior.

1. Rarely turning in or completing assignments

2. Skips class, or is routinely late

3. Puts hoodie on, sleeps in class, or has head down on desk

4. Significant apathy or tiredness, even when material previously interested them

5. Exiting the classroom abruptly and coming back later

6. Anxious behaviors (tapping feet, biting nails, playing with hands, hair, or clothes, not from boredom)

7. Change in tone and affect (monotone voice, flat facial expressions)

8. Wearing the same clothes repeatedly, unwashed or unkempt hair

9. Irritation and anger (towards teacher, students, even friends)

10. Using the bathroom for extended periods of time (avoiding socializing, having trouble with emotion regulation, etc.)

More often than not, students don't tell their teachers they're struggling. They might feel like the teacher doesn't care, they're afraid they're going to be pitied (or bullied), or maybe they worry about putting pressure on friends and family about their struggles. They might not want to seem uncool or vulnerable in front of their teacher or others. That's why it is so important to recognize early signs of struggling, before there are escalations that can lead to more intense disciplinary actions or expulsion.

What can you do as an educator?

One option? Ask your student to meet with you privately after class, or during a time when you're both available to chat. Start the conversation off with an ice-breaker: how their week is going, if they saw the football game, if they're excited for an upcoming event.

Next, you'll want to gently ask them about what's been going on.

You might want to use statements like the following:

I noticed you hadn't turned in your homework on Wednesday. You're usually on top of those kinds of things. Is everything okay?

I saw that you've been getting into more arguments with your classmates. This isn't behavior I would expect from you. Is there something going on we should talk about?

I haven't gotten my assignments back from you, and I noticed you weren't too interested in answering questions today in class. Is there something about the material that isn't making sense to you?

You want to give the student room to feel safe and heard if something is going on. If the student does open up to you about something going on - maybe they're going through a break-up, or they are really lost in the current academic unit - this is your opportunity to be empathic, and to potentially offer solutions.

Solutions depend on what the problem is. For example, if it's an academic issue and the student isn't grasping particular material, or gets confused with a new unit, this might be the time to offer one-on-one guidance, refer to a tutor, or ask for another, older student to tutor them. Remind them kindly of your expectations: completed, quality, on-time material - and remind them that they can come to you at any time if they struggle in the future.

Utilizing the counselor's office, or offering one-on-one chats, would be appropriate for individuals who are suffering with mental health concerns. Just remember that it isn't your job to fix what they're going through, but to be a support and figure they can turn to for guidance - somebody who is on "their side." Usually, mental health problems are bigger than one person, and that's when using discretion and informing parents/guardians as well as higher level faculty members can be important.

Ideally, having "check-in" times with these students, even when they seem to be doing better, is helpful to remind them of their goals and that they have you as a support figure. Stay cognizant, be compassionate, and don't be afraid to pull somebody aside to say, "Hey, what's going on?" as a means to help them in the moment, and as a way to prevent things from escalating down the road.

Sources:

Bates, A. (2022, March 10). Spotting the signs that pupils are struggling. Optimus Education. Retrieved October 7, 2022, from https://my.optimus-education.com/spotting-signs-pupils-are-struggling

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How To Spot A Student Who Is Struggling | Gorick

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In this article, we'll dive into some of the common - and uncommon! - signs that a student might need an extra hand.

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Language Acquisition vs Learning Disabilities

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Language Acquisition vs Learning Disabilities

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Distinguishing Language Acquisition from Learning Disabilities | PaTTANpod [S3E4]

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Learning disabilities are differences in a person’s brain that can affect how well they read, write, speak, do math, and handle other similar tasks. Different groups may define “learning disability” differently, often depending on the focus of the organization.

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Learning disabilities are differences in a person’s brain that can affect how well they read, write, speak, do math, and handle other similar tasks. Different groups may define “learning disability” differently, often depending on the focus of the organization.

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Lo sentimos, la página que usted busca no se ha podido encontrar. Puede intentar su búsqueda de nuevo o visitar la lista de temas populares.

What is language disorder?

Language disorder is a communication disorder that can affect kids. Children with language disorder have trouble understanding and speaking language. They may struggle with written language, spoken language or both. Kids with language disorder often use short or simple sentences, mix up the order of words, or say "um" a lot. These challenges can cause problems at home, at school and with other children.

Language disorder is different from speech sound disorder. In speech sound disorder, the child has problems making sounds. In language disorder, the child can make sounds but has trouble using them to communicate.

What are the symptoms of language disorder?

Signs that a child might have language disorder include:

Trouble learning and using spoken and written language

Struggling to learn and use gestures

Difficulty with vocabulary, sentence structure or having a conversation

Having a hard time following directions or organizing thoughts

Using short, simple sentences

Putting words in the wrong order

Using the wrong tense (like saying "I go to school" when they mean "I went to school")

Leaving words out of sentences

Saying things like "um" a lot while trying to remember the right word

Repeating parts of questions or entire questions before answering them

Avoiding talking to people they don't know well

Not knowing a lot of words

How is language disorder diagnosed?

To diagnose language disorder, speech and language therapists will give the child a few tests. These tests will show how well the child can understand and speak language. A child is diagnosed if they cannot communicate as well as other children their age and they struggle with:

Knowing a lot of words

Speaking or writing long sentences

Sharing information

Having a conversation

A doctor should also test for other issues that could affect their language skills, including deafness.

What are the risk factors for language disorder?

Language disorder often runs in families. A child is more likely to have language disorder if they have a parent or sibling who also has it.

How is language disorder treated?

Language disorder is best treated with speech and language therapy.

Language disorder can also lead to other challenges, such as depression or social anxiety. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can help children with language disorder who experience emotional or behavioral problems.

Children with language disorder may have a hard time making friends. This can cause them to feel depressed or have social anxiety.

This guide was last reviewed or updated on February 23, 2023.

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Quick Guide to Language Disorder - Child Mind Institute

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Download our free guide to language disorder in kids. Children with language disorder have trouble understanding and speaking language. This can cause problems at home, at school and with other children.

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It is important to implement strategies that address the needs of the individual. We recommend that you apply these strategies across home, school, and community contexts.
Go to the Site Map for a full list of resources and activities!

Language

Focus on interactive communication.

Use active listening.

Incorporate the student's interests into speech.

Ensure that the student has a way to appropriately express their wants and needs.

Reinforce communication attempts (e.g. their gestures, partial verbalizations) when the student is non-verbal or emerging verbal.

Paraphrase back what the student has said or indicated.

Use storybook sharing in which a story is read to student and responses are elicited (praise is given for appropriate comments about the content).

Ask open-ended appropriate questions.

Use linguistic scaffolding techniques that involve a series of questions.

Use language for social interaction and to resolve conflicts.

Emphasize goals and tasks that are easy for the student to accomplish.

Work at the student's pace.

Present only one concept at a time.

Have speech therapist present language units to the entire class.

Use computers in the classroom for language enhancement.

Encourage reading and writing daily.

Use tactile and visual cues (e.g., pictures, 3-D objects).

Incorporate vocabulary with unit being taught.

Provide fun activities that are functional and practical.

Be aware of the student's functioning level in auditory skills, semantics, word recall, syntax, phonology, and pragmatics (and how they affect academic performance).

Speech

Develop a procedure for the student to ask for help.

Speak directly to the student.

Be a good speech model.

Have easy and good interactive communication in classroom.

Consult a speech language pathologist concerning your assignments and activities.Be aware that students may require another form of communication.

Encourage participation in classroom activities and discussions.

Model acceptance and understanding in classroom.

Anticipate areas of difficulty and involve the student in problem-solving.

Provide assistance and provide positive reinforcement when the student shows the ability to do something unaided.

Use a peer-buddy system when appropriate.

Devise alternate procedures for an activity with student.

Use gestures that support understanding.

Model correct speech patterns and avoid correcting speech difficulties.

Be patient when student is speaking, since rushing may result in frustration.

Academics & Behavior

Reduce unnecessary classroom noise as much as possible.

Be near the student when giving instructions and ask the student to repeat the instructions and prompt when necessary.

Provide verbal clues often.

Provide a quiet spot for the student to work if possible.

Speak clearly and deliberately.

Provide visual cues - on the board or chart paper.

Redirect the student frequently and provide step by step directions - repeating when necessary.

Allow students to tape lectures.

Allow more time for the student to complete activities.

Modify classroom activities so they may be less difficult, but have the same learning objectives.

Allow more time for the student to complete assignments and tests.

Design tests and presentations that are appropriate for the student (written instead of oral).

Divide academic goals into small units, utilizing the same theme.

Provide social and tangible reinforcers.

Focus on the student's strengths as much as possible.

Have the student sit in an accessible location to frequently monitor their understanding.

Allow extra time to complete work because of distractions, slow handwriting, or problems in decoding text.

Have routines that students can follow.

Use a visual reminder of the day's events to help with organization.

Establish communication goals related to student work experiences and plan strategies for the transition from school to employment and adult life.

Physical

Be aware that because of the way thebrain develops, it is easier to acquire language and communicationskills before the age of five.

Be aware that if children have muscular disorders, hearing problems, or developmental delays, their acquisition of speech, language, and related skills may be affected.

Use augmentative communication systems to ensure that nonverbal students and students with severe physical disabilities have effective ways to communicate.

Ensure that the student has access to their (portable) communication system across all contexts, all of the time.

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picture exchange communication system cards

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Do2Learn: Educational Resources for Special Needs

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picture communication cards, songs, games and learning activities for autism, aspergers, fetal alcohol syndrome and disabilities

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Accommodations for learning disorders in the classroom

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Accommodations for learning disorders in the classroom

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Language disorders make it hard to understand and use language. (The main types are receptive and expressive, and some kids struggle with both.)

The challenges show up in different ways. Kids might struggle to complete sentences and learn vocabulary. They might tell people about personal experiences in the wrong order. Understanding directions in class can be hard.

But schools can provide accommodations to help with these disorders. Here are common supports students might get.

Classroom materials and environment

Give students extra time to process classroom directions.

Use visual supports such as highlighted written directions, photos, or picture symbols.

Seat the student toward the front of the classroom to reduce distractions.

Provide graphic organizers to help students include details and organize ideas in writing assignments.

Provide lists of key vocabulary words for topics or units.

Completing assignments and tests

Adjust the length of written assignments.

Reduce the number and complexity of questions on worksheets.

Provide two-choice options for helping students answer open-ended questions.

Break directions into short, manageable steps, and present them one at a time.

Check for understanding by having students repeat instructions.

Provide vocabulary lists related to the topic of the writing assignment.

Check with the student during the first few minutes of an assignment to ensure they understand the task.

Provide a sample of the finished assignment when appropriate.

Teaching strategies

Supplement lectures with videos, demonstrations, pictures, and hands-on activities.

Explicitly teach the parts of a complete sentence and provide sentence frames if needed.

Expand students' statements, restating them as complete sentences or adding more detail.

Allow extra wait time for students to ask and answer questions.

Give examples of how to answer or ask questions, make requests, or solve problems during non-academic times, like morning meetings or recess.

Use games to help students learn and practice new vocabulary.

Provide opportunities for students to talk about personal events and to retell stories. Help them with sequencing and providing key details.

Students usually get accommodations through an IEP at school. Make sure to check these supports to make sure they match the child's needs. You can also talk to the speech-language pathologist.

Educators: Get the facts about language disorders.

Families: Explore more resources about language disorders.

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Classroom accommodations for language disorders

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Language disorders can have a big impact on learning. Accommodations through an IEP can help. Explore supports for language challenges.

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1. Referral/Screening to discuss concerns

2. Outcome of meeting = no educational disability, implement formal or informal interventions and review in a specified time period, additional information is needed or sufficient information or determine educational disability

3. Evaluate and assess if additional information is needed

4. Review Assessment after 60 days

5. Develop and implement IEP if student is eligible for education services