My Child Attends an International School in Tokyo. They Needs Constant Reminders to Get Their Schoolwork Done.

Does this sound like your child. They are bright, well liked by their classmates, enjoy school but they need constant reminders to start their schoolwork. They have trouble staying with it and often need you to tell them what to do next. Assignments often get forgotten, homework is left unfinished, and you find yourself repeating the same instructions every day.

Before we talk about what to do, it helps to understand why this is happening.

Starting, managing, and completing schoolwork it not as easy as it looks. Some students have no problems with organizing their work and completing it and others have a hard time. International schoolwork requires students to remember instructions, organize what they need, get started without repeated prompting, stay focused, manage their time, and work out what to do when they get stuck.

These are executive function skills.

When these skills are weak or still developing, a child may rely heavily on an adult to keep the work moving.

• You need remind them to start.

• You have to remind them what they need.

• You remind them to keep going.

• You remind them to check their work.
  

This does not necessarily mean your child is lazy or not trying their best. It may mean they have not yet developed the skills they need to manage these demands independently.

This is why telling a child to “try harder,” “pay attention,” or “remember your homework” often does not solve the problem.

The reminders may help your child get through the task today, but they do not necessarily help them build the skills they need to manage the task themselves tomorrow.

What makes our approach different is that we look at which executive-function skills are getting in the way and then teach strategies that help your child manage those tasks more independently.

We use the Unstuck and On Target Training for Elementary Educators and other practical tools to support children with executive-function difficulties. Kinota Braithwaite - Learning & Assessment Specialist

More Than Just Tutoring Tokyo

kinota@morethanjusttutoringtokyo.com