How do schools support kids who fall behind academically? 

From the time children are born, they are measured against ‘standards’. What percentile of body mass, height, etc are they in? Is that higher or lower than the average? Are they sitting at the ‘right age’? Are they saying enough words by age 2? These measurements never stop and one place where that becomes obvious is at school, where they are expected to achieve certain outcomes by the end of each grade or stage. 

For a number of reasons, children are extremely varied in their achievement of such. We have already highlighted some factors that come into play with school achievement levels (for example, a child’s school starting age). For the majority of these, the equilibrium of academic achievement will eventually swing their way and they ‘catch up’ to their peers with time and access to specialised programs such as Reading Recovery. But for many, there are circumstances that severely hamper their learning (for example, ADHD or a specific learning difficulty). 

According to the 2005 NSW Government’s Special Education Initiative for students with special needs, a child has a significant learning difficulty if a qualified teacher or other qualified education professional is of the opinion that the child is not, regardless of the cause, performing in the basic educational areas of reading, writing, spelling and mathematics in accordance with the child’s peer age group and stage of learning. According to the NSW Department of Education and Training,  children with special learning needs refers to children with learning difficulties, a behaviour disorder and/or a disability. The NSW DET advises that if you believe your child has special learning needs that require additional assistance, it is best to contact the principal at your child’s school to discuss the options available. The principal will consult with your child’s class teacher and with the school’s Learning Support Team to plan and implement a specialised program for your child. 

There are many options available to the principal, class teacher and LST. These options can be accessed in your child’s regular class, in support classes within his or her regular school, at another school where the specialised program is centrally located, or at a ‘special needs’ school. The NSW funded option for those children whose special learning needs, identified as significant learning difficulties, is meant to be provided through The Learning Assistance Program. This is a program available to all public schools and according to the NSW DET “provides an extensive range of specialist services to support any student in a regular class experiencing difficulties in learning … regardless of cause … [but including] support for those students with significant learning difficulties, mild intellectual disabilities and language disorders.” 

The best place to start, if you are concerned about your child’s learning, is to consult with your child’s class teacher to ascertain your child’s achievement of educational standards and whether or not the lack of achievement, if there is one, is due to anything that can be resolved quickly and with relative ease. And if not, then your child’s class teacher can determine a course of action with you.