My Child Is Struggling With English: Why It Happens and What to Do
When a child struggles with English, there is usually one of four reasons: a gap in letter sounds or reading, too little contact with the language, fear of making mistakes, or a rough start that left holes. The first step is finding out which one, because each needs different help. Most often you go back one step, close the gap with short regular practice, and confidence returns with success.
By TutorNest · Updated 5 October 2026
Why do children struggle with English?
Struggling with English is almost never about ability. In most cases a child missed one step along the way, and the class moved on without them. From then on, every lesson is built on something that is not yet solid.
In teachers' experience, most difficulties with English come down to four causes, and sometimes two of them show up together.
A gap in letter sounds or reading: the child recognizes letters but cannot join them into a word.
Too little contact with the language: one or two lessons a week at school, and no English in between.
Fear of mistakes: the child knows more than they show, but would rather stay quiet than be wrong in front of others.
A rough start: a hard first year, a change of teacher or a long absence that left holes in the basics.
How can we tell which reason it is for our child?
You do not need a test to see why a child is struggling with English. Ten calm minutes together are enough. Ask your child to read a few short words, ask a simple question in English, and watch their face and body as well as the answer.
What you see at home
What it probably means
A teacher every week, practice every day
TutorNest joins a weekly one-to-one English lesson to about ten minutes of practice at home each day.
Guesses words from the first letter or the picture
A gap in sounds and reading
Understands when it is explained, but forgets by next week
Too little contact with the language
Answers correctly at home, stays silent in class
Fear of mistakes
Says they are bad at English before even trying
A rough start that turned into a belief
It is also worth asking the English teacher at school what she sees in class. Sometimes the picture there is different from the one at home, and the difference itself tells you something.
What helps when the gap is in reading and sounds?
When the gap is in reading, go back to the beginning, with no shame attached. A child who is unsure what sound each letter makes cannot read words, and no number of worksheets will get around that. Steady work on letter sounds and on blending short words like cat and sit closes a gap that looks much bigger than it is.
The material should be easy enough that your child succeeds most of the time. Repeated success is what convinces a child that they can do this.
What helps when there simply is not enough English in the week?
A language is built from short, frequent contact. Ten minutes a day does more than one hour on the weekend, because the words do not have time to fade between sessions.
A song or a short video in English on the way to school.
A simple picture book at bedtime, even if you read and your child only listens.
Five words from the last lesson, said aloud at the dinner table.
Attach practice to something that already happens every day, such as right after dinner. A habit with a fixed place in the day lasts far longer than a general decision to practice more.
What helps when a child has already decided they are bad at English?
When a child is convinced they are bad at English, the problem is less the English and more the story they tell themselves. A child who is afraid of mistakes stops trying, and without trying nobody improves.
What helps is lowering the cost of a mistake. Do not correct every word. When your child says something that is not quite right, say the sentence back in its correct form and carry on with the conversation. Praise the attempt and not only the right answer, and give small tasks your child is sure to manage.
When is a private teacher worth it?
A private English teacher is worth it when the gap is too large for home practice to close, when you are not sure what exactly is missing, or when working together at home keeps ending in an argument. A good teacher starts by checking what the child does know, goes back to the point where things came apart, and builds from there.
One private lesson a week is enough in most cases, as long as there is short practice between lessons. Without practice, much of the next lesson is spent remembering the last one.
What if the difficulty is not only in English?
If your child has ongoing difficulty with Hebrew reading, writing or other subjects as well, it is worth raising with the homeroom teacher or the school counselor. They see your child across subjects and can say whether something broader should be looked at. It is an ordinary conversation worth having, not a reason to worry in advance.
How does TutorNest handle a child who is struggling?
TutorNest starts with a short starting-point check, so practice opens at the child's own level and not at the level of their class. Once a week there is a 45-minute private lesson with the same teacher, and between lessons about ten minutes of daily practice in an app, built from what the teacher is working on.
In TutorNest practice, a wrong answer is explained and comes back later in another form. Every teacher also speaks Hebrew, so a child can start from zero.
Questions parents ask
Will the difficulty with English pass on its own?+
Sometimes, but usually not. School material is built layer on layer, and a gap that is not closed tends to grow. The earlier you deal with it, the easier it is to close.
How long does it take to close a gap in English?+
It depends on the size of the gap and how regular the practice is. A change in confidence usually shows before a change in grades, and a gap built up over a year or more takes patience.
Our own English is not strong. Can we still help?+
Yes. The most important help is not teaching but keeping the routine: sitting nearby, listening while your child reads, and showing interest. The teaching itself can be left to a teacher.
Should we talk to the teacher at school?+
Yes, and the sooner the better. She can tell you what she sees in class and what is being taught now, so help at home is aimed at the right place.