Why Children Lack Confidence

Confidence and Learning

Confidence is an attribute in children which has to be built slowly over time, but can be knocked quickly. If in a day a child receives 50 positive comments and one negative, you can guarantee it will be the negative that they remember and which has the greatest impact.

For some children confidence comes more naturally than others, although the reason for this is difficult to pinpoint.Why Children Lack Confidence

One hypothesis suggests that summer babies exhibit low self-esteem. Although this remains a theory, it is something that both parents and teachers claim to have noticed and is reinforced by research studies such as the one carried out by Cambridge Assessment in 2009. This proposed that pupils with birthdays in June, July and August are more likely to do worse in school than their peers.

Children who suffer with Dyslexic tendencies can also lack confidence in areas of academic prowess. It is a frustrating condition and this is often reflected in a child's self-belief. It can affect their feelings, behaviour, work and general progress at school. Additionally, building the confidence of a dyslexic child can be increasingly difficult as the child ages and becomes aware of the difference between themselves and their classmates. Their attitude becomes defeatist as they expect it to hold them back, and as a consequence (without the proper input from teachers and family) it often becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

An additional frequently overlooked problem is the middle-placed child. While those who are extremely bright receive regular praise for their achievements, and those who struggle are given extra support and attention, those that are well-behaved, and neither excel nor fall behind can be unintentionally neglected. This lack of attention can affect their confidence as they become used to coasting, unchallenged, through the curricula.

Once a child's confidence has been knocked, the damage can have long-term effects for their learning and school work.Effects associated with a lack of confidence

Pupils that lack confidence find pressurised situations difficult. In a school setting, the ability to handle pressure is vital as students will be placed under stress throughout their education (more so now than ever before). Consequently they may struggle in a number of areas. For example, exams such as Mental Maths taken during Year 6 SATS can cause anxiety, and students often end up fighting panic instead of answering questions.

If a child suffers from a lack of confidence, their situation shouldn't be considered hopeless. There are a number of methods which can be used to help them cope with the demands of schoolwork.

Self-help tools, designed to boost confidence outside of the classroom, are readily available. Programmes like BBC Bitesize can easily be accessed online and offer mock exams to prepare students for the real thing. Revision guides, whether on, or off-line, are extremely helpful and allow students to take in information at their own pace.

Patience is essential. Support your child when they're doing their homework, by explaining concepts and answering their questions patiently and calmly. Most importantly, try not to lose ones temper if your child is struggling to get to grips with the task. Regularly getting angry puts your child at risk of entering a negative, downwards spiral. Try and gain an understanding of the method your child has been taught at school and then use the same method. Alternatively, if you find teaching difficult or you're pressed for time, consider hiring external help: TLC LIVE tutors are all fully qualified and CRB checked and available for online tuition 7 days a week.

All TLC LIVE tutors know the importance of building a relationship with everyone they teach. Students need to have the confidence to say ‘I don't understand' and ‘can I have help with…' which is the first step to making a difference.