Reading, Writing, and Math Concerns: What to Ask Your Child’s Teacher
You know something feels hard for your child. Reading takes tremendous effort. Writing ends in frustration. Math homework requires you to sit beside them for every problem.
But how do you explain those concerns at a parent-teacher conference?
Start by asking which specific skills are difficult, how they are being taught, and what information shows whether the instruction is helping.
“Struggling with reading” is a starting point. We need more detail to understand the next step.
What should I ask about reading?
Consider asking:
Can my child connect letters and sounds and blend them to read unfamiliar words?
Are they reading words accurately or frequently guessing?
How are word reading, fluency, and comprehension assessed?
What does reading instruction look like?
What targeted instruction is available for the skills they find difficult?
You might also ask whether your child understands a story more easily when someone reads it aloud. That difference can guide further questions, although it does not establish a diagnosis.
What should I ask about writing and spelling?
Writing brings together many skills. Ask:
Is the difficulty handwriting, spelling, sentence construction, organizing ideas, or a combination?
Can my child explain ideas aloud more easily than they can write them?
Which writing and spelling skills are being explicitly taught?
What support helps my child get started?
Can you show me an example of improvement?
“Needs to write more” gives you less direction than knowing which part of writing needs instruction.
What should I ask about math?
Try:
Does my child understand the quantities and relationships behind the calculation?
Can they explain their strategy?
Can they use that strategy on a different problem?
Is the difficulty understanding the concept, recalling facts, reading the question, or keeping track of steps?
These questions help you explore why math is difficult before deciding that more worksheets are the answer.
Leave with a focused plan
Identify the priority skill, the instruction planned, and how progress will be checked. Ask what manageable practice at home would connect with that teaching.
How My Learning Farm can help
At My Learning Farm in Penryn, I provide individualized support in reading, writing, spelling, and math. My approach draws on Orton-Gillingham structured literacy and Making Math Real, with instruction guided by the student’s current skills and needs.
I want children to feel capable and proud of their learning. Understanding the actual difficulty helps us choose instruction that can support that growth.
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