What's a good way to help a first grader do good in school?

Question

My daughter is 6 years old and in first grade. She is having problems learning in school and am starting to think maybe she has autism. How can i help her to do better in school?

Answer 1

Silvan it helps kids ALOT

Answer 2

You really should see about having her tested.  Talk to her teacher and present the reasons why you have these thoughts and you are entitled by law to get her tested at the school or at an alternate site.  What is it though that makes you think she is autistic.  Learning dificulties could be a sign of many problems.  Do some research yourself before you go to the teacher and she will take you much more seriously.  I wish you the best of luck in getting a diagnosis and proper treatment.

Answer 3

I use to think what you are thinking now whats wrong with my daughter when she was in first grade she was failing badly,

she grew up and is now a lawyer.

all you can do is actively be interested in what she does while at school and ask questions, and finally encourage her and award her when she has done well.

Answer 4

Be involved as much as possible!! Communicate your concerns, and work out some ideas with her teacher. My daughter is in first grade and is on principals Honor roll. I have her read for half an hour to me everyday when she gets home from school, and I read to her EVERY night for at least half an hour. I also purchased some of those books with assignments that are grade appropriate(wal.mart, Sam's)...they are a bit pricey, but well worth it. I take it on long car trips, to church and on vacation. Make it fun and make a huge DEAL about it when she does well.Reward her. Keep a small pail full of prizes to choose from when she gets an "A" on a test. Make a chart on posterboard(have her help) and put each subject on it. When she brings home an "A" paper, place a sticker on the chart. When chart is full, have a special day with her(museum, aquarium, discovery center, zoo, etc...)  Sit down with her when she does her homework and take inventory of her weaknesses and strengths. Less t.v. I let my girls have 1 hour of educational t.v when they come home from school(cyberchase, magic school bus) Also, be sure she eats a healthy breakfast everyday. It could be that she is just lacking the energy to do her best. She will get better the more you get involved and show concern. Your doing a great job mommy! Good Luck!!

Answer 5

Work with her patiently and as often as you can at home.  Have her formally evaluated for autism.  Also, get her teacher's opinion on both the possibility of autism and the best ways to help her at home. Best wishes!

Answer 6

A good routine is important.  I have a set time every day that I go through my son's backpack and check his graded work and answer homework questions.  I didn't always do it as consistently as I should have, and that resulted in many ruthless attempts that ultimately failed.  Routine, organization and consistency are key.  I learned that if I make it a routine and reserve a special time daily for it, I can stay on top of it.  

Good correspondance with the teacher also helps; it's critical to stay informed.  My son has behavioral issues as well, so the teacher and I keep a notebook, and she gives me a daily report of his behavior.

I don't have any experience with autism, but I would think that the teachers would be more familiar with it because they are around a lot of different children, so they would tell you if they thought that was the case.  However, if autism is a serious concern, you should get her evaluated, (check with the school and her pediatrician.)

Good luck!!

Answer 7

Talk to her teacher.  They should be able to tell you what the problems seem to be.  Is she just not paying attention, does she not do the work, does she not understand the work.  All of these would require a different response.

Does she need glasses?  Does she need to be moved to another spot in the classroom (closer to the board, away from another student)?  There are lots of reasons she may not be doing well.  I think you would have seen signs of autism before now but ask the teacher what she/he thinks and if you need to, get her tested.

Hopefully she is just a busy little girl who needs a bit of redirection.

Answer 8

The most likely explanations for your daughter's problems are (1) a lousy teacher or (2) a unique learning style that the school either can't or won't accommodate.

You can certainly have her tested, but never jump to the conclusion that the problem is your child, especially if she has done fine up till now.

Answer 9

Help her at home.  Ask the teacher to have her tested. Also ask her where he weak areas are and ask her what you can do at home to hlp her. My son has ADHD and he couldn't focus. We did alot of reading outloud to him. For math we did a lot of hands on things instead of making him just sit and learn. I would give him 1 ball and toss him 2 more and ask how much? He would answer and I would say toss me back 1 how many now. There are soooo many things you can do to help becreative. Offer her rewards if she stays on task and is willing to learn with you at home.

Answer 10

i know this is going to sound strange, but i have 2 boys that r autistic  so i guess id have to ask why u think shes autistic, and what symtoms shes is having.

i have a lil girl in the 1st gr, and was having problems too, butwith her we ended up making a game outta her spelling and reading, ect to get her attention and focused. now shes doing great..

but if u will let me know what symtoms i can help you better. my oldest is now a freshman, and my other son whos autistic is going into fifth. so i can definately relate..

Answer 11

I think being directly involved helps allot ....volunteer to do some teachers aid help !