The first few weeks of a new school year involve a lot of adjustment. Students are getting used to new teachers, different classroom expectations, new schedules, and, in many cases, more demanding coursework. By the time October arrives, parents may begin to notice patterns that were not obvious during the first few weeks of school.

This is also a useful point in the year to check whether your child’s initial adjustment is turning into a longer-term struggle. According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), public school leaders estimated that 31% of students were behind grade level in at least one academic subject at the end of the 2024–25 school year. That figure shows that academic struggles are not unusual, and recognizing them early can give families more time to determine what kind of support a student may need.

The goal is not to assume that every challenge means a child needs tutoring. Instead, parents can look at several areas of their child’s school experience and ask whether the difficulties seem temporary or whether they are becoming a pattern.

A noticeable drop in grades can be one of the clearest signs that a student may need additional academic support. This might look like lower test scores, missing assignments, difficulty completing classwork, or a sudden change in a subject where your child previously felt comfortable.

A single low grade does not necessarily mean there is a problem. Students can have an unusually difficult test, misunderstand an assignment, or need time to adjust to a new teacher. The more important question is whether the same difficulty is appearing repeatedly. If your child is struggling with several assignments in the same subject, receiving repeated low grades, or telling you that they do not understand what is being taught, it may be worth looking more closely.

Parents should also remember that grades are only one part of the picture. A student may be working extremely hard and still have difficulty demonstrating what they know. In other cases, a student may have strong grades while spending an unreasonable amount of time completing homework because they have not yet developed effective study or organizational strategies.

According to NCES, 85% of public schools reported providing some form of tutoring during the 2024–25 school year. Tutoring has become a common form of academic support in schools, reflecting the fact that students may need additional instruction or practice beyond the regular classroom setting.

For some students, that additional support can happen directly through their school. Nourishing Minds Tutoring has partnered with school districts across the Capital Region to provide customized tutoring services for students in a variety of settings, including in-school, virtual, and in-home tutoring. These partnerships allow tutoring to complement existing school programs while giving students more individualized attention based on their academic needs.

Nourishing Minds works with districts to provide support across subjects and grade levels, as well as specialized services such as homebound instruction, test preparation, special needs support, and tutoring aligned with IEP and 504 goals. Their tutors can also collaborate with classroom teachers and use existing lesson plans or create customized materials to reinforce what students are learning in school. For families and school districts looking for additional academic support, this type of individualized approach can help address challenges before they become larger obstacles later in the school year.

How your child approaches homework can tell you a great deal about what is happening academically. If homework that once took a reasonable amount of time is suddenly taking hours, regularly ending in frustration or requiring extensive help from a parent, there may be an underlying issue that needs attention.

Sometimes the problem is a gap in subject knowledge. A student who missed an important math concept, for example, may find that each new lesson becomes more difficult because it depends on skills they have not fully mastered. Other times, the challenge has more to do with organization, time management, reading comprehension, or knowing how to break a large assignment into manageable steps.

It can also be helpful to pay attention to what happens before the homework even begins. A child who repeatedly procrastinates, becomes upset when schoolwork is mentioned, or tries to avoid certain assignments may be communicating that the work feels overwhelming.

Parents do not need to wait until homework becomes a major source of conflict before seeking help. A tutor can help identify where the difficulty is occurring and work with the student on strategies that make assignments more manageable.

When a child repeatedly says they do not understand something, it is worth taking the comment seriously. Students do not always have the vocabulary to explain exactly what is confusing them, so “I don’t get it” may mean several different things.

They may have missed a foundational skill, be confused by the way a teacher is presenting the material, have difficulty keeping up with the pace of a class, or understand the concept but struggle to apply it independently. The problem may also be connected to reading comprehension, attention, organization, or another learning skill that affects multiple subjects.

NCES reported that 26% of public school leaders said a lack of focus or inattention among students had a severe negative impact on learning during the 2023–24 school year. This does not mean that inattention is the cause of an individual child’s academic difficulties, but it does highlight how factors beyond simply knowing the material can affect a student’s ability to learn.

One of the benefits of individualized academic support is the opportunity to slow down and figure out exactly where the disconnect is happening. Instead of simply reviewing the same material again, a tutor can work with a student to identify the specific skill or concept that is causing difficulty.

Academic struggles do not always show up on a report card. Sometimes the first noticeable change is in how a child talks about school.

A student who once felt confident may begin saying things like, “I’m bad at math,” “I’m just not a good student,” or “I’ll never understand this.” They may stop volunteering answers, avoid challenging assignments, or become unusually upset after receiving a low grade. Some students respond to frustration by working harder, while others begin avoiding the subject altogether.

A change in confidence does not automatically mean that a child needs tutoring. Students can have difficult periods for many reasons. However, when a decline in confidence appears alongside ongoing academic difficulties, it is worth considering what support could help the student feel capable again.

Academic support should not be focused solely on getting through the next test. For many students, rebuilding confidence comes from having an opportunity to work at an appropriate pace, ask questions without feeling embarrassed, and experience progress with material that previously felt difficult.

Sometimes the academic problem is not the material itself. A student may understand the lessons but struggle to keep track of assignments, remember deadlines, organize materials, prepare for tests, or manage a busy schedule.

These skills become increasingly important as students move into middle and high school. More classes often mean more teachers, different assignment systems, and competing deadlines. A student who was able to rely on parents or teachers to keep track of everything in elementary school may suddenly find that those systems are no longer enough.

Look for patterns such as regularly forgetting assignments, starting projects the night before they are due, losing materials, having trouble estimating how long homework will take, or becoming overwhelmed by several assignments at once. These challenges can interfere with academic performance even when the student understands the actual coursework.

For some students, executive functioning support can be just as important as subject-specific tutoring. Learning how to plan, prioritize, organize, and break assignments into smaller steps can make it easier for students to manage their schoolwork independently.

Parents do not have to wait until a child is failing a class to seek academic support. In many cases, tutoring can be useful before a problem becomes significant, particularly when a student is showing a consistent pattern of difficulty.

A good starting point is to look at the whole picture. Has your child’s performance changed? Are homework sessions taking longer than they used to? Is your child avoiding a particular subject? Are teachers communicating concerns? Has your child become noticeably less confident or more overwhelmed by school?

It can also be helpful to talk with your child’s teacher. Teachers may be able to identify specific skills that need reinforcement or explain whether the difficulty appears to be limited to one subject or affecting multiple areas.

For students who need more individualized attention, tutoring can provide an opportunity to work directly on those areas. The right type of support depends on the student. Some children may benefit from help with a specific subject, while others may need support with executive functioning, study skills, test preparation, or a combination of academic skills.

When difficulties appear across several subjects, it can be useful to look beyond individual assignments or grades. A student who is struggling with reading comprehension, following multi-step directions, organizing assignments, and preparing for tests may need support with underlying academic or executive functioning skills rather than simply more practice in one subject.

This is one reason individualized assessment and communication are important. The goal is to understand why a student is struggling rather than simply adding more work to an already stressful routine.

At Nourishing Minds Tutoring, academic support can be tailored to a student’s individual needs. Depending on the child, that may include subject-specific tutoring, executive functioning support, test preparation, or other individualized strategies designed to help students become more confident and independent learners.

The most important thing to remember is that struggling does not mean a student is incapable of succeeding. Students can fall behind for many different reasons, and the earlier a family identifies what is getting in the way, the more opportunities there are to address it.

If your child is consistently struggling with grades, homework, understanding new material, confidence, or organization one month into the school year, it may be worth having a conversation about what kind of support could help. Even when a student is not significantly behind, targeted support can help strengthen skills and establish better habits before academic demands increase later in the year.

The beginning of the school year is a good time to check in, ask questions, and pay attention to patterns. Academic support does not have to be a response to failure. For many students, it can be a way to build the skills and confidence they need to feel more successful in school.

If you are concerned about your child’s progress, Nourishing Minds Tutoring offers individualized tutoring and academic support designed around each student’s needs. Contact us to learn more or schedule a free first session.