As a parent the discovery or realisation that your child is not performing at an acceptable level in key learning areas can be challenging. The challenge can stem from many things including, not being aware of just how much your child is struggling or under performing, not knowing what to do or where to get help.

Kate the parent of a seven year old in Grade 1 at primary school understands what it feels like to be told that her child is not performing at an acceptable level in the key learning areas of reading and writing.

"It came as a shock because we thought that she was doing alright. We completed assigned homework and read with her or to her every day and have done so since she was a small child. When we were told in a parent teacher interview that importance of year 1 and that there were problems with her reading and writing skills we were surprised."

"Our child had also started to lose confidence in her self and verbalised that she didn't enjoy reading and writing stories because she wasn't good at it. It was her lack of confidence and unhappiness that we found the most difficult to deal with. To see your child struggle and to not know how to help or what more to do is hard. We needed help to be able to help our child!"

Regardless of the age of your child or the level of schooling, communication is the most important and effective way of managing issues. Below are some hints on how to develop an effective communication strategy for a child struggling or experiencing challenges at school.

1. If you feel that your child is struggling or experiencing challenges at school make an appointment to see his/her teacher as soon as possible. Prepare yourself for the meeting. If needed take samples of work, take notes or questions for discussion. Be open and honest about any observations or concerns you have about your child. If you feel comfortable have your child with you for some or part of the meeting.

2. Discuss and develop a clear “action plan”. Before you leave any meeting or interview ensure that you know what actions need to be taken to help your child. Remember the best action plan will involve all parties, including you, your child, school and teacher.

3. Agree on a set time frame. For example, if your child is going to receive extra or special help for the next 10 weeks, make an appointment to see the teacher at the end of that time.

4. Speak with your child - Ask them how they feel about the situation, assistance or help that they are receiving. Take the time to ask to your child questions when you feel that it is appropriate or the right time for both of you to talk. Be aware of focussing too much on their learning difficulties and ensure that you also talk about other positive aspects of their life e.g. sport or activities outside of school.

5. Maintain regular contact and follow up - Stay in regular contact with the teacher or school to ensure that your child is progressing. If you feel that your child is not progressing or you notice changes in his/her confidence or lack of willingness to complete tasks or go to school etc, let the teacher know. Alternatively you will also need to discuss how the school or teacher will notify you of changes or concerns. If further testing or assistance is required ensure that you and the teacher discuss how you will be notified of the event, results or progress.

6. Be patient - All children are different and will respond to situations and learning in varied ways. Some will take more time than others. Some children will require more than one type of assistance or learning intervention to help them.

7. Discuss your child's future learning with your teacher or school - If you child has made progress through the year discuss with the teacher or school ways to ensure that your child either continues this progress or you are informed of problems early the following year. This may involve arranging to speak with your child's new teacher early in term 1 of the new school year. If possible, ask the previous years teacher to attend the meeting or to provide a de-brief. A final suggestion may also be to consider speaking with the Principal, Year Master or Infants/Primary Co-ordinator about suitable teacher options for your child. For example, If possible, you may ask for your child to be placed with a teacher that is more suitable to your child's learning style or who has previously taught or assisted your child. It may not be feasible or possible in all cases but it is certainly worth asking about.

For Kate and her child the year was full of ups and downs, hard work and progress. The school arranged to have her child assessed internally and to begin an intense reading program. Kate and her partner took the time to attend the school to understand techniques to help their child improve her reading and writing. Her parents also spoke with their GP who suggested that their child have a hearing and eye sight assessment to ensure that there were no medical problems that might explain the learning difficulties.

Kate met and spoke regularly with the teacher and they exchanged short progress notes. "It was great to see her progress and to hear her say how proud she was of her own achievements."