Building Momentum in the New School Year for Your Child with a Learning Disability

The first few weeks of school are a critical "settling in" period. The initial excitement will fade, and the reality of new routines, teachers, and academic demands will start to feel "real" and possibly "overwhelming." For a child with a learning disability (LD), this is a crucial time to observe what's working and to address challenges early to help form a foundation for a successful year. This guide provides actionable advice for supporting your child as they navigate these important first weeks and build momentum for the year ahead.

Part 1: The First Few Weeks – Setting the Tone for Success

Now that school is underway, your focus shifts from preparation to active partnership and observation.

1. Establish a Strong Parent-Teacher Connection.

• Schedule Your First Check-In: If you haven't already, reach out to the teacher to schedule a brief 10-15 minute introductory call. The goal is to establish a positive, collaborative relationship. Frame it as, "I'd love to connect briefly to see how [Child's Name]'s transition is going and how I can best support your efforts at home."

• Share a "One-Page Profile" (It's Not Too Late!): This is still one of the most powerful tools you can use. If you didn't create one before school, do it now. It gives the teacher a quick, holistic view of your child. Include:

  • Strengths & Interests: (e.g., "Amazing artist," "Loves science experiments," "A very loyal friend.")

  • Challenges: (e.g., "Gets overwhelmed by multi-step verbal directions," "Writing is physically tiring for him.")

  • What Works Best: (e.g., "Visual checklists," "Prefers to show what he knows rather than write it," "A quiet 'heads-up' before transitioning to a new activity.")

2. Observe and Review the Plan in Action (IEP/504).

• Review the IEP or 504 Plan with Fresh Eyes: Now that your child is in their new classroom, read through their plan. Pay close attention to both the interventions (the specialized instruction designed to build skills) and the accommodations (the tools and supports that provide access). Ask yourself and the team:

  • Interventions & Services: Is my child receiving their specialized instruction as scheduled (e.g., sessions with the reading specialist, small group math, speech therapy)? Does the frequency and duration of these services match what is written in the IEP?

  • Accommodations: Are the daily supports being implemented consistently in the classroom (e.g., extended time on tests, access to a quiet space, use of a computer for writing)?

  • Effectiveness: Are these strategies helping? What is the teacher observing? What is your child saying about what helps them learn? Early feedback is critical for making adjustments.

3. Fine-Tune Your Home Routines.

• Troubleshoot the Morning Rush: Are mornings chaotic? Identify the biggest bottleneck (e.g., choosing clothes, packing the backpack) and create a visual checklist or do that task the night before.

• Fine-Tune the Homework Zone Together. Your child's environment can make a huge difference. Partner with them to make their homework spot a place of focus, not frustration. Instead of just creating a space for them, create it with them.

  • Ask for Their Input: Check in with your child: "How is this spot working for you? What’s one thing we could change to make it feel better for getting work done?" Giving them ownership makes them more likely to use it.

  • Check for Distractions: Is it too noisy when a sibling is playing nearby? Is the TV in their line of sight? Work together to find solutions, like moving the space, setting new family rules for homework time, or using focus-friendly headphones.

  • Power-Up with Supplies: Create a "homework toolkit" together. Is everything they need—pencils, erasers, paper, a specific calculator—within arm's reach? This prevents the "I just need to find a..." delay that can derail focus before it even starts. The goal is to make it easy to begin and stay on task.

• Protect Downtime: The first weeks of school are mentally and emotionally draining. Ensure your child has unstructured, relaxing time after school to decompress before tackling homework or other activities.

Part 2: Sustaining Success Throughout the Year

A strong start provides the foundation. Now, the focus shifts to the ongoing strategies that will help your child maintain that momentum and thrive. These practices are designed to support your child's confidence and learning from now until the last day of school.

1. Focus on Strengths and Effort.

• Focus on Effort and Build Academic Self-Esteem

• For a child with an LD, school can feel like a place where they are constantly reminded of what they can't do. Your role is to be the voice that reminds them of what they can do, how hard they are trying, and how much they are growing. This builds the resilience they need to tackle challenges.

• Be Specific with Your Praise to Celebrate the Process. Go beyond a simple "good job." Pinpoint the exact effort or strategy you saw them use. This validates their hard work, not just the outcome.

  • Instead of: "You finished your math." Try: "That math was tough, but you stuck with it and didn't give up. I'm so proud of your persistence."

  • Instead of: "Your project looks nice." Try: "I saw you use your checklist to organize your ideas before you started writing. That was a really smart strategy." Try: "It takes courage to ask for help when you're stuck. That was a great choice."

    
    

• Help Them Become the "Expert" to Build Confidence. Find ways for them to feel competent and knowledgeable, even within school subjects.

  • Teach the Family: If they learned an interesting fact in science or history, ask them to be the "teacher" and explain it to everyone at dinner. This flips the dynamic and positions them as capable.

  • Showcase Their Strengths: If your child is a talented artist but a struggling writer, encourage them to create a comic strip summary of a chapter or draw a detailed diagram for their science project. This allows them to demonstrate their understanding in a way that aligns with their strengths.

  • Track Their Personal Growth: Create a visual chart of their progress that isn't tied to grades. This could be a list of sight words they've mastered, a graph of how many minutes they can read independently, or a portfolio of their best work. This helps them see progress by competing only with themselves from yesterday.

• 2. Master the Homework Hurdle.

• Use a Timer: Break down homework into manageable chunks. Use a visual timer for 15-20 minute work periods followed by a 5-minute break.

• Act as a "Learning Guide," Not the Problem-Solver. Your role during homework is one of the most powerful teaching tools you have. As a parent, you are uniquely positioned to provide the "scaffolding" your child needs to build new skills. The goal is to operate in their "just-right learning zone"—where a task is challenging enough to promote growth but not so difficult that it leads to shutdown.

  • Your job is to provide just enough support to help them bridge the gap between what they can do independently and what they can achieve with guidance. This builds true competence and confidence.

• Instead of giving the answer, try asking guiding questions:

  • To Clarify Understanding: "Let's read the directions together. Can you tell me in your own words what you need to do first?"

  • To Prompt a Strategy: "You seem stuck on that problem. What's a strategy the teacher showed you in class? Should we look at the example at the top of the page?"

  • To Break Down the Task: "This looks like a big project. Let's just focus on finding the three main ideas for the first paragraph. What's one thing you know about this topic?"

  • To Encourage Self-Correction: "That's an interesting answer. Can you walk me through how you got there? Let's double-check that step together."

• Know When to Stop: If homework is consistently leading to tears and taking an excessive amount of time, communicate this to the teacher. It's important early-year feedback that may signal a need for adjustment.

3. Empower Your Child to Self-Advocate.

Give Them the Language: Practice simple scripts they can use at school."Can you please explain that in a different way?""I need help getting started.""May I take a short break?"Starting this in elementary school builds a crucial skill for life.

The Power of Consistency

The common thread weaving through all of these strategies is consistency. Children with learning disabilities thrive on predictability. It reduces anxiety and frees up mental energy so they can focus on learning.

When your homework routines are consistent, your praise for effort is consistent, and your communication with the school is consistent, you are building more than just good habits. You are creating a safe, stable, and supportive foundation from which your child can confidently take risks, tackle challenges, and truly begin to thrive.