How to Decide What Support Your Child Needs
When a child begins to struggle in school, many parents face the same question:
Should we send our child for tuition? Do we need therapy? Or is there another type of support?
The difficulty is not always about effort. Many children work hard. Some even attend tuition regularly, yet progress remains slow or inconsistent. In such situations, increasing practice alone may not address the root issue. Understanding how learning is breaking down is often more important than simply adding more lessons.
It is common for parents to feel unsure, frustrated, or even guilty when they are not certain what type of help their child truly needs.
STEP 1
Identify Where Learning Is Breaking Down
Before choosing support, observe patterns. The issue may not be content knowledge alone. It may involve retention difficulties, application challenges, executive functioning weaknesses, or gaps in learning strategy.
These patterns are often misunderstood as laziness or lack of effort, when in fact they may signal deeper learning process breakdowns.
Careless Mistakes
Understands concepts but makes many errors despite knowing the material
Poor Retention
Forgets what was learned after a short period, requiring constant revision
Application Struggles
Struggles to apply knowledge in new question formats or contexts
Test Anxiety
Panics during tests despite thorough revision and preparation
In such cases, simply increasing tuition hours may not address the root issue.
STEP 2
Understand the Difference Between Support Types
Different types of support address different needs. There is no single “best” option for every child. The right choice depends on understanding where and how learning is breaking down.
Tuition
Best suited when:
- The child understands how to learn
- The issue is limited to content gaps
- More structured practice is needed
Tuition reinforces curriculum content and question familiarity.
Therapy
Best suited when:
- There are clear developmental concerns
- Professional assessment has identified clinical needs
- Communication, sensory or behavioural regulation significantly affect learning
Therapy focuses on developmental foundations.
Learning Intervention
Best suited when:
- The child struggles despite effort
- Tuition has not produced consistent progress
- Learning breaks down across subjects
- The child appears capable but inconsistent
Learning intervention focuses on strengthening the learning processes that support school performance.
What Learning Intervention Strengthens
Learning intervention does not replace school. It strengthens how the child copes with school by addressing fundamental learning processes.
Information Processing
How information is received, organised, and understood
Knowledge Retention
How knowledge is stored and recalled when needed
Concept Application
How concepts are applied across different contexts
Assessment Execution
How results are delivered in assessment settings
STEP 3
Consider Your Child’s School Stage
Different patterns emerge at different ages. Understanding stage-specific demands helps narrow support options.
Early Years
- Difficulty following instructions
- Weak language comprehension
- Limited readiness for structured learning
Primary School
- Comprehension struggles
- Weak written expression
- Poor retention
- Inconsistent exam performance
Secondary School
- Overwhelm from workload
- Difficulty with inference and higher-order thinking
- Poor exam execution despite revision
STEP 4
Avoid the “More Is Better” Trap
The Common Mistake
A common response is to increase tuition when results do not improve.
The Reality
If the issue lies in a breakdown of the learning process, adding more practice may increase fatigue without improving results
Support should match the point of breakdown.
Key Insight: More practice doesn’t help if the underlying learning process is compromised. Quality of intervention matters more than quantity.
Decision Framework: Choosing the Right Support
Use this framework to determine which type of support best addresses your child’s needs.
If there are developmental concerns
If your child has been assessed or you suspect developmental delays, communication difficulties, or sensory processing issues that significantly affect daily functioning, therapy may be the most appropriate starting point. Therapy addresses foundational developmental needs.
If the issue is limited to content gaps
If your child understands how to learn but simply needs more practice or has missed specific curriculum content, tuition may be sufficient. This works best when the child knows how to study effectively but needs reinforcement in particular subjects.
If learning breaks down across multiple subjects or areas
If your child works hard but struggles consistently across subjects, forgets material quickly, or cannot apply what they’ve learned in new contexts, learning intervention may be needed. This is especially true if tuition has not produced lasting improvement.
Signs Your Child May Need Learning Intervention
Learning intervention becomes necessary when traditional support hasn’t produced consistent progress. Watch for these patterns.
Effort Without Sustainable Progress
Your child studies hard, attends tuition, yet improvement does not last.
Difficulties Across Multiple Subjects
Challenges appear in English, Mathematics, or Science, suggesting a process issue rather than isolated content gaps
Inconsistent Assessment Performance
The child appears capable but performs unpredictably under test conditions.
Repeated Re-Teaching Required
Concepts must be retaught multiple times before they stick.
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Clarify the Breakdown
Identify precisely where learning is breaking down for your child
Differentiate Gaps
Distinguish between content gaps and process gaps
Suggest Next Steps
Receive appropriate recommendations based on your child’s specific needs
Important: The goal is not to label the child, but to understand how learning is functioning so you can provide the right support.
Get Clarity About Your Child’s Needs
If you would like clarity about what type of support is appropriate for your child, you may book a consultation to discuss your concerns.
A structured consultation will help you understand where learning is breaking down and what intervention will be most effective. You’ll receive practical guidance tailored to your child’s specific situation.
Personalised Assessment
Understanding your child’s unique learning profile
Clear Recommendations
Practical next steps based on evidence
Ongoing Guidance
Support as your child progresses through different school stages