Child Stressing over Spanish Class/homework???

Hi S., I feel your pain. My daughter was very much like your son and it was quite frustrating at times but this is what I can share from my experience and hopefully it will provide you with some insight. First most children can learn to read and write up to 5 languages by the time they are 5 years old but research studies show that as they pass that age and start to get a little older it gets a little bit more difficult for them to grasp the concept of a second language. Now the key word here is difficult not impossible. Secondly not all teachers are capable of adapting to the way different children learn. In my case my daughter is very artistic and artistic children tend to lose their focus and want to look at everything that is going on around them. If you do not provide a more structured environment for them with lots of visuals you will lose them early on in the learning process. When they lose them early on they become frustrated with the class and feel as though the other kids are so much farther ahead than them that they actually feel inadequate and lose interest and do not want to participate. My recommendation is that you talk with your son about it ask him why he suddenly becomes ill on days when he has a spanish class. My gut is that he will open up and share why he is feeling the way he is feeling. You want to be sure that it is actually the spanish class that he is avoiding and not something more serious. Once you determine the true root of the problem then you will be armed with the right tools for conversation with his teacher. I wish you luck as you try to work through this I know personally that it can be a challenge.

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hi S. ,
I hated ' art' class ... could not get 'it' , could not understand it , could not draw a thing , could not paint a thing ... to this day ; I hate all crafty things [ coloring books and all] any art tutors out their ...??????????????????????
then I grew up .. I love art on my walls .
My children hated plain old mondays .... [does your child have alot of weekend activities?]
*** 5 th grade still justifies mommys help ...
1- yes, talk to teacher
2= organize your childs homework
3= reward child
4= set goal low , so child becomes motivated [ try to get a grade c]
5= look interested .. tell him the advantages of any knowlege of a language , etc . and
6= perhaps child will LOVE GERMAN instead ...
7- good luck .

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This is just personal, I was about to suggest the material may be difficult or the teacher may seem tough and then I saw your response to inquiries.

I think it's great he's being subjected to a little Spanish. I'm so frustrated that our American kids don't automatically learn a second language in their natural learning window of age preschool thru 5th grade like in other countries, rather than just having it as a "special" in small amounts. But I'm so glad he has it.

As for asking the teacher to modify the program due to strictness, I would embrace the change and let your son know that not all teachers (or people in life) are the same. He should do his best and not be over sensitive. Unless of course you find out the teacher is out of line or abusive, which I doubt. It's just a challenging subject that isn't all fun and games.

I would embrace the challenge for your son rather than asking the teacher to change. It's only once a week! It will help him with future challenges. Good luck!

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I distinctly remember stressing over my math hw in 5th grade. I had just been moved up a level & it was so hard I would get frustrated & cry. One night my mom sat next to me & said "Its just hw for one class, its not the end of the world. As long as you are trying your best, that's all I care about. You don't need to get so upset." It was the greatest gift she could ever give me. Up to that point in life I was a perfectionist. After that I really relaxed. I started viewing everything form the "is just..." perspective. I still try my hardest at everything, but I don't stress about things. (I graduated HS in the top ten, so it wasn't a license to slack off, just to not be so hard on myself.) You may want to try something like this.

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Have you talked to your child about what might be bothering him? Maybe it's the teacher, maybe another child is harassing him. Maybe he finds the class to hard. There are a lot of reasons why he might be stressing out over the class. It might seem silly to you, but it's apparently not to him.

Definitely don't ignore this. Talk to the teacher right away. Try to find out what the problem is and what you can do to solve it.

HI S., It really does sound like he is stressing out over something! Sure kids do this, I used to get sick every friday because of spelling test when I was in third grade! Talk to his teacher, but don't let him know in advance (that could stress him out even more). Maybe it's not just spanish. Best wishes.

Not everyone is good at a language. Does he have to take Spanish?

Just thinking....It may not be 'the class.' It might be the teacher...or another kid giving him a hard time.....To start I'd email the Spanish teacher and ask him/her to call you. Good luck!

Hi S.,

Get your child a spanish tutor.

Hope this helps. D.

I would try and get more details from your son as to what is he specifically stressing over. Is it another student in that class? Is it the teacher? Is it the actual work? Then, I would follow up with the teacher to correct the specific problem. If it is the classwork, I would find all resources to help him-another student who excels in Spanish, some audio tapes,tutor,etc.

Obviously this class is a new and different experience, and it isn't going so well . . . maybe you can get a word list, and label things at home in Spanish, and maybe you and Dad can 'play' with the language, too. I happen to like languages, but my 15 yr old is learning German, and I took French in school. I had hoped to learn some German with her, but she's way past teaching Mom anything at this point -- and it's her first year. Meanwhile, my sister is a nurse and goes to the Dominican Republic for 1 to 2 weeks a year on a medical mission trip. She's trying to learn Spanish so she can talk to her patients better when she's there, so around her kitchen are Spanish labels for everything -- when I teased her about it, she said, "I just can't learn this language !" I thought it was really funny, because she learned all that medical latin lingo so easily !!!

Language in any culture, shapes the way we think, because once we have words, we use them to think. That said, different cultures think differently, so it may be that the thought process is what is making it hard for him. But children at that age like secret codes, so maybe if you can make it like a spy game or something, you can find way to make it fun. And when it's fun, it's easier to learn. There are some really nice dictionaries that are pictorial, and organized by topic ( like food, sports, bodies, etc.), and you might be able to play with the words, like milk, water, etc., at the dinner table. If Mom and Dad are trying and failing at times, and laughing about it, and trying again, maybe that will make it easier ??

Definately check in with the teacher, tho. It's kind of wierd to have it be a high pressure thing at that age.

Do you think it's possible there is a child in that class that is mean or picks on your son?