A new school year can feel like a fresh start. So, if your child struggled last year, should you let their new teacher start with a clean slate—or tell them what happened?
Should you tell your child’s new teacher about problems they had last year? In most cases, yes—if the information will help the teacher understand how your child learns, recognize when they are struggling, or know which strategies have helped in the past.
The goal isn’t to label your child or recount everything that went wrong. It’s to give their new teacher useful information that can help your child succeed.
A Fresh Start Doesn’t Have to Mean Starting From Scratch
Children can struggle at school for many reasons. ADHD, learning disabilities, anxiety, autism, executive functioning difficulties, friendship problems, family stress or simply a particularly difficult year can all affect how a child functions at school.
Parents sometimes hesitate to share this history because they don’t want a new teacher to form expectations about their child before getting to know them.
That’s understandable. But withholding information about your child’s learning needs can also mean waiting for problems to happen again before helpful strategies are put in place.
Instead, think about what the teacher needs to know to understand and support your child.
What Should You Tell Your Child’s New Teacher?
1. What helps my child learn? Do they benefit from written instructions? Extra processing time? Fewer distractions? Breaking larger assignments into smaller steps?
2. What makes learning harder? Perhaps your child becomes overwhelmed by multiple instructions, has difficulty getting started independently, struggles with transitions, or becomes anxious when they aren’t sure what is expected.
3. What might you notice when my child is struggling? This can be especially important when behaviour is easily misunderstood. A child who appears unmotivated may actually be overwhelmed. A child who doesn’t ask for help may be anxious about drawing attention to themselves.
4. What has worked before? If a previous teacher discovered a strategy that helped, share it. Your child’s new teacher shouldn’t have to rediscover everything from scratch.
How to Tell a Teacher About Your Child’s Learning or Behavioural Needs
How we describe children matters.
“He’s lazy and won’t do his work” creates a very different expectation than:
“He sometimes has difficulty initiating larger assignments and does better when someone helps him identify the first step.”
The second description gives the teacher something they can actually use.
Whether your child has ADHD, anxiety, a learning disability, autism or another learning or behavioural need, try to describe what the teacher may observe, what your child needs, and what strategies help rather than defining your child by a diagnosis or difficulty. And don’t forget strengths. Tell the teacher what your child enjoys, what motivates them and where they shine.
Ask Your Child What Their Teacher Should Know
As children get older, they can increasingly be part of the conversation.
Try asking: “What do you wish your new teacher understood about you?”
Their answer may tell you something important about both their previous school experience and what they need this year.
A new school year is an opportunity for a fresh start. But a fresh start doesn’t require forgetting what we’ve already learned about a child.
Sometimes the best way to help a child start differently is to make sure the adults supporting them understand them a little better from the beginning.
