“A Pediatrician’s Perspective”
The following quote is from the Foreword of The Shut-Down Learner: Helping Your Academically Discouraged Child. I have always loved this quote and feel that it timelessly captures the impact that school struggling has upon the child and the family.
“I have been a practicing general pediatrician for more than thirty years and in the course of that time have gained some understanding of children. Every child is different. Every child has their own personality, temperament, strength, and cultural background. I know that children love to learn and look forward to different learning experiences. When things are going well, they love to go to school. If a child in kindergarten or first grade is not enjoying school, this is a problem that needs further investigation immediately.
The work of childhood is navigating the waters of school. For many reasons, not all children do well in school. When children struggle in school, their whole family system is affected. From my perspective as a pediatrician, the child’s health is affected by their negative school experiences. Increased incidents of depression, anxiety, and family turmoil are the common side effects of school struggling. By the time the child is in their teens, it is often too late to break the downward spiral.”
(William Sharrar, Professor of Pediatrics, UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School)