Five different situations behind “struggling”
The same phrase can describe very different things depending on the child. Rather than assuming one cause, start by separating where it happens.
| Situation | What a parent may notice | What to check first |
|---|---|---|
| Following lessons | Says the teacher was too fast. Misreads homework instructions | Can she restate the instructions in her own words? |
| Reading | Reads slowly. Finishes a passage but cannot explain it | Is she decoding fine but unable to explain the content? |
| Writing | Stays on a blank page, or writes very little with no structure | Are the ideas missing, or is it putting them into English? |
| Vocabulary and grammar | Chats easily but stalls on subject words or longer sentences | Does she know the academic vocabulary of the unit? |
| Speaking up | Understands the content but rarely raises a hand or joins group work | Is it comprehension, or confidence and familiarity? |
Five questions to tell whether this is mainly an English problem
“Not keeping up” is not always about English. A few questions put to your child can help separate an English issue from one of content understanding or a change of environment.
| Ask | If yes | If no |
|---|---|---|
| Can they explain the lesson or task in Japanese? | The idea may be understood; reading, writing or speaking in English is the gap | Check the subject understanding itself, not only English |
| Do they follow the teacher but struggle to answer? | Speaking or writing may lag behind listening | Check listening and vocabulary in class first |
| Can they read the textbook but not write the assignment? | Writing in academic language may be the gap rather than reading | Check reading (vocabulary, reading speed) first |
| Did the problem start after a school move or a change of year? | Curriculum differences, workload and adjustment may be part of it | Look for reasons unrelated to the move |
| Is it one subject or all subjects? | Subject vocabulary or content may be the cause | General English or the learning environment may be the issue |
These questions do not establish a cause. Use the answers as material for a conversation with the school or tutor. If the school has a description of English levels, ask to see it: tools like WIDA’s Can Do Descriptors describe what learners can do in listening, speaking, reading and writing, which makes the conversation more specific.
Fluent conversation is not the same as classroom English
At international schools it is common to see a child who talks easily with friends but finds lessons and written work hard. That is not unusual: everyday conversational English and the English of lessons, textbooks and essays ask for different skills.
Language educators generally treat academic language as separate from conversational fluency, and it usually takes longer to build. Fluency matters, but it does not by itself guarantee strong reading and writing for school.
The WIDA English language development framework, used to support English learners in schools, treats social and instructional language (talk with friends and teachers) separately from the academic language of each subject area: language arts, mathematics, science and social studies. A National Academies resource likewise says that reaching grade-level performance in core subjects in English takes time and spans several grades.
The New South Wales Department of Education's What are BICS and CALP explains the same distinction between everyday conversational language and the language of learning: conversational fluency tends to develop sooner, while academic language takes longer.
On support, the UK’s Education Endowment Foundation lists explicitly extending spoken vocabulary and structured questioning to build comprehension among its oral language approaches. At home, asking a child to explain key subject words, in Japanese or English, is a practical version of this.
| Everyday conversation | Lessons and assignments |
|---|---|
Gestures, expressions and the situation help. Short sentences and familiar words. A mistake does not stop the conversation. | Little context beyond the text itself. More abstract vocabulary and longer sentences. Reasons and comparisons have to be written in an order. |
Signs you can observe, and what may be behind them
Looking at homework or a handout together shows where a child stalls. The table pairs an observable sign with a possible cause and a check you can do at home. It is a guide for sorting, not a way to pin down a cause.
| What you see | A possible cause | A check at home |
|---|---|---|
| Reads slowly and retains little | Limited vocabulary, or not used to the reading pace | After each paragraph, ask “What was that about?” in one line |
| Writing is blank or very short | No ideas yet, or no structure to follow | Ask her to say her point and reason aloud first, in Japanese if needed |
| Only subject words are a problem | Little exposure to academic vocabulary | Pick five key words from the unit and ask her to explain each |
| Same grammar slip every time | No habit of checking sentences against a rule | Pick one recurring slip and have her rewrite the sentence |
| Does not speak in class | Low confidence, or fear of being wrong | Say the answer aloud at home first, then try it in class |
Pick one handout or reading from school and ask your child: “What is this about, and what do you have to do?” Japanese is fine.
What the answer tells you
If your child can explain it, understanding may be there and the hurdle is putting it into English. If the explanation stalls, check reading and vocabulary first.
The extra load that comes with a transition
Right after transferring schools, or when moving up a grade or curriculum, pace and homework volume can feel overwhelming even without any change in actual English ability. This sometimes settles within weeks or months, though it can also leave a specific skill (reading, or writing) needing continued attention.
If the change is sudden, such as “she was managing fine before, and now suddenly isn't,” that pattern often points to the transition itself rather than to English ability.
What to watch at home for one week
No special test is needed. During ordinary homework time, these observations give you something concrete to bring to the school or a tutor.
What tutoring can do, and what needs another conversation
| What tutoring can work on | Better raised with the school or a specialist |
|---|---|
Finding where meaning breaks down in reading. Building a structure for writing. Organising key subject vocabulary. Rehearsing before speaking up. Building confidence through small wins. | How the school grades and gives feedback. Adjusting lesson content or homework load. Concerns that go beyond academics. Tutoring does not complete assignments on a student's behalf. |
This article is an educational lens for sorting out learning difficulty. It is not a clinical assessment and does not diagnose ADHD, dyslexia, a learning disorder or an anxiety disorder. If continued English support does not help, or something beyond academics keeps standing out, raise it with the school, a school counsellor or an appropriate specialist.
Questions worth asking the school
Rather than judging from home alone, the school's view usually fills in the picture.
- Among comprehension, reading, writing and speaking, where does the teacher see the main difficulty?
- Which tasks or subjects are hardest, and is it the same across subjects?
- What length and structure of writing is expected at this year level?
- Is there English or language support in the school, and if so what does it involve, how often, and for whom?
- Which scaffolds are already used (word lists, sentence frames, reworded instructions)?
- Is there recent assessment or teacher observation that shows the current picture?
- Which parts of the assessment or comments matter most?
- If we support her at home, which materials or tasks should we focus on?
A realistic order of next steps
Deciding an order tends to work better than adding more to do.
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| This week | Use one handout to see which of the five situations she stalls in |
| Two weeks | Narrow it to one situation; spend 5-10 minutes on it before homework |
| One month | Look at the change, then consider talking to the school or trying tutoring |
Related articles and tutors
If writing is where it stalls, see what to check when written homework stalls; to move from summary to analysis, IB summary to analysis; and for Japanese-language support, when Japanese support helps. Tutors who support IB and international-school work include Tina, Cian and Dominic; see international school support.
How Petra Tutors approaches this
When a family raises a “struggling with English” concern, we start by checking where the difficulty actually sits: classroom comprehension, reading, writing, or confidence speaking up.
Where the issue looks more like confidence or unfamiliarity than raw ability, we sometimes start by building a few small wins. We can work with school materials too, once we confirm the content and a suitable tutor.
