4 Behaviors to Watch for This Summer That May Signal Learning Struggles
As you spend more time with your kids over the summer, there are some signs to watch for that may look like behavior issues but are actually often rooted in cognitive deficits. Identifying these areas now and being proactive about addressing them can save you and your kids some stress and overwhelm in the fall! Here are a few of the most common behavioral signs to keep an eye out for outside of school:
Challenges With Transitions
If your child has trouble leaving one activity to start another, that’s a red flag that this difficulty with transitions will probably also carry over into the classroom. Transitioning or switching relies on strong cognitive processing, including skills like divided attention, processing speed, and logic, as well as executive functioning skills.
If every transition is met with a meltdown this summer, what can you do? Create a predictable system of warnings and reminders. Whether it’s a visual timer, a verbal 5-minute warning, a hand signal, or some other method you and your child agree on, giving them time to process the change that’s coming may help mitigate the behaviors that arise.
But in the long term… Kids need to be able to pivot and change plans. If this is a sticking point in your parenting or in their ability to learn, it can be helpful to identify which cognitive skills are weak in their brain so you can know the root of the issue and how to best help them.
Struggling to Follow Directions
Are your instructions met by blank stares? Frustration when you have to remind your kid for the hundredth time what they’re supposed to be doing? Or stress when the task is left half-done (or done incorrectly)?
Kids struggle to follow directions for a variety of reasons, and digging a little deeper can help you figure out where the hiccup is for your family:
- Did they not hear you?
- Were they not paying attention?
- Did they forget key details?
- Did they do the task incorrectly or lack the problem-solving skills to know how to complete the task?
It’s easy to see a struggle to follow directions as defiance or misbehavior—and sometimes it is. But if you can give your child the tools to do well, it’s so worthwhile both for home life and school performance! Each of these areas is rooted in cognitive deficits that can be addressed and remediated.
Disorganization and Lack of Planning
When you’re heading out the door to go to the beach or the pool or to camp, is your child able to gather all the materials they’ll need? Do they keep their rooms (age-appropriately) organized?
The ability to plan ahead, know what materials are needed, and assemble them efficiently is a foundational aspect of both learning and life. If your child struggles with this during the summer (presumably on tasks they’re excited about), you can imagine how hard it will be for them to organize their school materials, plan for completing a project, and keep themselves on task.
Read More: How Cognitive Skills Impact Organization >>
Disengagement and Lack of Motivation
Finally, a lack of motivation may look like laziness during the summer months, but it’s important to dig deeper. Often disengagement from activities or struggling to get started are rooted in executive functioning or cognitive deficits that impact many areas of learning and life. If your child struggles to engage, it’s important to consider both mental health and cognitive goals you have for them ahead of a new school year.
Kids Will When They Can
As we’ve said, it’s easy to dismiss behavior struggles like these as defiance. However, in most cases, kids will do well if they can. If you consistently notice patterns of struggles in areas like these, it’s important to dig deeper to figure out why so you can give their brain the tools it needs to process the world more effectively.
