Highly strung DS?
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Highly strung DS?
Just looking for some advice really.
Have a DS (Yr 5) who everyone says (teacher / tutor) he is more than capable of getting through the entrance exams from Trafford Grammars IF he focuses. He does want to do well, and he wants to please teacher / tutor /us etc, loves it when he gets good marks. We praise the effort as well as the score.
He seems to fluctuate between not seeing the link between work & getting good scores, and then (I presume if someone has mentioned it at school) coming home desperate to do school homework or tutor work, putting pressure on himself to get it right so that he rushes, or thinks he can't do it and then has a strop.
I am really trying to keep it low key, we are doing 30 mins of tutor work 4 days a week. He has 1 hr with tutor and then school work (usually 2 hrs a week) and reading (20 mins a night maybe). It doesn't feel like too much, but just looking for some advice really. Just how to get him to focus, make the link, but key it low key too so he doesn't feel the pressure.
Have a DS (Yr 5) who everyone says (teacher / tutor) he is more than capable of getting through the entrance exams from Trafford Grammars IF he focuses. He does want to do well, and he wants to please teacher / tutor /us etc, loves it when he gets good marks. We praise the effort as well as the score.
He seems to fluctuate between not seeing the link between work & getting good scores, and then (I presume if someone has mentioned it at school) coming home desperate to do school homework or tutor work, putting pressure on himself to get it right so that he rushes, or thinks he can't do it and then has a strop.
I am really trying to keep it low key, we are doing 30 mins of tutor work 4 days a week. He has 1 hr with tutor and then school work (usually 2 hrs a week) and reading (20 mins a night maybe). It doesn't feel like too much, but just looking for some advice really. Just how to get him to focus, make the link, but key it low key too so he doesn't feel the pressure.
Re: Highly strung DS?
Mandy - Sorry to hear about your DS. Its very normal during Year 5 and you should be thankful that its happening in March, not in August .
I don't think your DS doesn't understand link between hardwork and scores. He may be taking himself bit too seriously and fear of failure or meeting the expectations is becoming too much for him.
My general advice is that when he gets low scores, try to do the questions that he got wrong and give him a "revised score" to make him feel better. He will start focusing to get better scores once he can see that silly mistakes cost him so many marks.
Sometimes, taking one week break to recharge and come back to studies also works.
Edited to add :
Have you started doing some difficult papers that has shaken his confidence? If yes, going back to easy bit may help him regain his interest.
Is it only 1 subject were he is fluctuating ?
I don't think your DS doesn't understand link between hardwork and scores. He may be taking himself bit too seriously and fear of failure or meeting the expectations is becoming too much for him.
My general advice is that when he gets low scores, try to do the questions that he got wrong and give him a "revised score" to make him feel better. He will start focusing to get better scores once he can see that silly mistakes cost him so many marks.
Sometimes, taking one week break to recharge and come back to studies also works.
Edited to add :
Have you started doing some difficult papers that has shaken his confidence? If yes, going back to easy bit may help him regain his interest.
Is it only 1 subject were he is fluctuating ?
