How to Help My Child Catch Up in School and Build Their Confidence

Dec 2

By Julie Diamond, Founder & CEO Diamond Teachers Group

If you’re a family member asking, “How do I help my child catch up in school?” you’re not alone. Many children fall behind in one or more subjects for various reasons, including learning gaps, classroom pace, or confidence struggles. But with the right strategies, you can help your child catch up academically and grow their confidence in learning.

In this blog, I’ll share practical, teacher-approved tips to help your child close learning gaps and thrive at school.

1. Identify Your Child’s Learning Gaps

Before you can help your child catch up in school, it’s essential to know where the gaps are.

I recommend:

Review recent assignments, quizzes, and report cards to spot areas of difficulty.
Ask focused questions like, “Which math problem did you find tricky?” or “What part of reading felt confusing?”
Observe their study habits. Sometimes challenges are about focus, organization, or understanding instructions rather than content.

Ask their teacher for their insight and see if they have suggestions for how you can support their learning at home.

For more guidance, check out our blog on testing your child’s literacy and math levels for Grades 1, 4, 7, and 9.

2. Set Small, Achievable Learning Goals

Children feel less overwhelmed and gain confidence when learning is broken into small, manageable steps:

Focus on one skill at a time, like mastering multiplication before moving on to division.
Celebrate small successes, such as finishing a single chapter or mastering a concept is progress.
Use checklists to help your child see their accomplishments.

For more ideas, check out a post I wrote with strategies to help your child set academic goals that target learning gaps and build confidence.

3. Create a Consistent, Focused Study Routine

A common obstacle for children catching up in school is long, unfocused study sessions.

Instead I recommend:

Short, daily study sessions: 20–30 minutes is often more effective than long stretches.
Consistent schedules: Children thrive with predictable routines that create structure.
Movement breaks: 5 minutes to stretch or move can improve focus and retention.

For some effective test prep strategies, check out these study tips for high school students.

4. Make Learning Engaging

Learning is easier when it’s fun and interactive.

Ways to make subjects enjoyable include:

Turn math or reading into real-life games or challenges. Around the holiday season, you can get your child to use geometry to wrap gifts by having them measure the length and width of the box and then estimate how much wrapping paper to use. Or, have them create patterns with the ornaments on the tree, or use fractions to double or half the recipe for kugel. Or read the recipe aloud and measure out the ingredients using their understanding of volume.
Encourage your child to teach back concepts which reinforces their learning. Get them to show you which gifts fit within the designated budget.

5. Focus on Effort, Not Just Grades

Confidence grows when children know effort is valued.

Parents can:

Praise perseverance: “You kept trying, and that’s fantastic!”
Normalize mistakes: Errors are part of learning and help build resilience.
Encourage reflection: Ask, “Which strategy worked well today?”

6. Consider Tutoring Support

Sometimes children need personalized guidance to catch up in school.

Tutoring can provide:

Individualized instruction targeting learning gaps.
Flexible online sessions that fit your family schedule.
Reinforcement of classroom lessons and practice to boost confidence.

At Diamond Teachers Group, our tutors are teachers who help students close learning gaps and prepare them to go into class feeling confident.

7. Partner With Teachers

Maintaining communication with your child’s classroom teacher is key.

Ask:

“Which skills should we focus on at home?”
“Are there strategies you recommend for reinforcement?”
“How can I support classroom learning?”

Teachers’ insights ensure home support aligns with school expectations and accelerates learning.

Helping your child catch up in school isn’t just about grades. It’s about building confidence, resilience, and a love of learning. By identifying learning gaps, setting achievable goals, creating routines, making lessons engaging, praising effort, and seeking support when needed, you can help your child succeed academically and emotionally.

Julie Diamond