The first few weeks of school raise a lot of questions for parents, especially if last year had some rough patches. Below are the ones we hear most often this time of year, along with practical answers.
“My child seems anxious about going back. Is that normal?”
Yes, and it’s more common than most parents realize. A new teacher, new classmates, and a new routine are a lot to process at once. Rather than reassuring your child that “it will be fine,” try asking a specific question instead: “What’s one thing you’re looking forward to, and one thing you’re nervous about?” This gives your child language for the feeling instead of just sitting with it, and it gives you something concrete to help with.
“How do I know if my child is actually keeping up, or just quiet in class?”
Grades and report cards often lag behind reality by weeks or months. A better early signal is how your child talks about schoolwork at home. If they can explain what they learned in their own words, they’re likely keeping pace. If most answers are “I don’t know” or “we didn’t really do anything,” that’s worth a closer look, not because something is necessarily wrong, but because you’ll want more information before a problem has time to grow. A short conversation with the teacher in the first month, before formal reporting periods begin, is one of the most useful things a parent can do.
“My child says homework is ‘too hard.’ How do I tell if that’s true?”
Ask your child to show you the part that’s hard, not tell you. “Too hard” often means one of three different things: the instructions are unclear, a specific skill is missing, or your child is simply tired and doesn’t want to do it. Watching where they get stuck tells you which one you’re dealing with, and each one needs a different response.
“Is it too early to think about extra academic support?”
If concerns are showing up in the first month, it’s actually a good time to act, not too early. Early gaps are usually smaller and easier to close before they compound over the term. This is different from waiting until report cards confirm a problem, by then, your child has often been struggling quietly for months.
“What if my child just needs more practice with English, not a full tutoring program?”
This is a common middle ground, and it’s one reason LMLA offers targeted support such as English language arts instruction and English support for ELL students, so families can address a specific gap without committing to something broader than what’s actually needed.
However this school year starts for your family, most early concerns are manageable if you catch them while they’re still small. The goal isn’t to have every answer in September, it’s to know which questions to keep asking.