I have noticed that my child is not keeping up with the other children

My child is struggling with his homework and I feel he might need some extra help

My child is worried he is not keeping up in class. 

Firstly try not to panic. It can be upsetting to see that your child is not progressing as you (or they) might have hoped or expected but it is good that you have seen this and if there is a problem it might be resolved with a little extra support from the school. There are lots of professionals available to help you and your child if any help is needed, you do not have to resolve this on your own. The school will talk to you about this. The best outcomes for children happen when parents and schools work together. So, the first thing you should do is make an appointment to speak to your child’s class teacher. This is an opportunity to share what you both know about the child and how they are getting on. You may be worrying unnecessarily but the teacher is the best person to answer this.  Following this meeting it might be decided that the teacher will keep an extra eye on your child over the following weeks. If this is the case then you could do the same at home and maybe keep a note of his/her mood and attitude to school and homework generally. You could ask for a follow up meeting in about 3-4 weeks.

The NPC Helpline can be contacted via email to helpline@npc.ie or via phone Tel: 01 8874477 Monday to Friday 10am to 4pm if you would like to talk to someone.