INTELLIGENCE AND SCHOOL PERFORMANCE

Sometimes parents think that their child is very intelligent, but his school performance is disappointing. Perhaps the child is not as intelligent as his parents think. It is at this point tension begins to develop between the parents and the child for the first time. Parents think of mental growth in terms of school grades. Often they scold, nag or punish the child until they blunt his desire and interest in learning. This is damaging. The child may avoid learning or showing schoolwork and homework to the parent lest they punish him therefore he does not do well in examinations. Sometimes teachers do not take pains to explain every point and the child hesitates to ask the teacher questions. If your child has not understood something, explain it without making him feel ashamed of his inability to understand at first. In fact, you should tell him that many children don’t understand things the very first time.