School is in full swing which means tests and assignments are on the horizon.

An expert says it can be difficult to tell if a child is doing well in school before report cards, as children can be secretive or may feel ashamed to share problems with a parent or guardian.

Vanessa Fakharia, founder and director of The Math Guru tutoring service based in Toronto, said there are ways to help children in their learning that will make them feel safe to open up about their tasks, without affecting their motivation or causing unnecessary worry.

There are warning signs to watch for to help determine if the child needs help with their school education. The first is poor test grades. However, it is not always clear if the child has been tested or not, she said. Fakharia said, "I promise you, if you are watching this now your child has taken a test."

She said there is another indicator to look for, which is if the child shows signs of frustration or breakdown when doing their homework.

"Do you see them hitting the table out of frustration? Are they crying? We see math homework breakdowns all the time," she said. "It's not just that kids don't want to do their homework, it could be a sign that something is happening – they really don't understand what is going on in class."

Fakharia explained that parents or guardians can intervene by pausing their child and asking why they are upset. She added that it is important not to get angry at them.

"The more you talk to them, they might say 'I just don't understand how to do this,'" Fakharia said. If you hear from your child that they are struggling to complete their homework, it may be time to talk to their teacher about possible solutions.

"There is often a big disconnect between how the child feels and how the teacher feels," she said. From her experience, Fakharia said she found that the child may actually be doing well in class, but struggling with one concept. She said it is also important to ask children more probing questions about how school is going.

Fakharia said, "So I'd start saying things like, 'What are you learning now?' and see if they can come up with an answer." Parents can also ask if their children have undergone any assessment or testing so far in school.

She explained, "Maybe your child hasn’t actually had a test yet, maybe they had a project." She said if your child is not providing information to you, sending an email to the teacher will help you.

Fakharia said children who want to skip school and complain of stress or stomach aches or headaches may already have anxiety about the classroom, which needs to be addressed directly, she said. "I even recommend saying, 'Do you know there's a connection?'" Fakharia explained that if we feel stressed or scared, it can show in our physical body. Since it is still early in the year, she said there is plenty of time to improve concerns about children’s grades. Edit: Yusra Bamatraf