Whether your child is about to enter kindergarten or getting ready for a middle-school trasition, you may suddenly see signs that they don't want to go to school. Help your student develop social strategies in response to one or more of these possible reasons for reluctance:

  • Kindergarten
    • Fear of being abandoned at school by a significant adult and missing fun family activities
    • Fear of wetting themselves
    • Fear of punishment/reprimand from teacher and discipline in school
  • First Grade
    • Fear of riding the bus
    • Fear of wetting in class
    • Fear of poor student-teacher relationships and discipline in school
    • Fear of being ridiculed by class peers or other types of bullying
    • Fear of receiving first report card and not passing to second grade
  • Second Grade
    • Frequently missing a particular parent
    • Fear of not being able to understand a given lesson
    • Fear of not being asked to be “teacher helper”
    • Fear of discipline in school (symptoms include refusing direct eye contact in a teacher-student activity)
    • Fear of being different from other children in dress and appearance
  • Third Grade
    • Fear of being chosen last on any team
    • Fear of having your parent talk to the teacher
    • Fear of peer disapproval and fear of not being liked by the teacher
    • Fear of test taking and fear of not having enough time to complete work expectations on any and all test assignments
    • Fear of staying after school
  • Fourth Grade
    • Fear of being chosen last on any team
    • Fear of peer disapproval of dress or appearance
    • Fear that a particular friend will select a different friend or share “their” secrets
    • Fear of student ridicule
    • Fear of not being personally liked by the teacher
  • Fifth Grade
    • Fear of being chosen last on any team
    • Fear of losing “best friend” or that friend will share “secrets”
    • Fear of being unable to complete schoolwork
    • Fear of peer disapproval
    • Fear of not passing into middle school
  • Sixth Grade
    • Fear of being chosen last on any team
    • Fear of unknown concerning own sexuality
    • Fear of peer disapproval of appearance
    • Fear of being unpopular
  • Seventh Grade – Eighth Grade
    • Fear of being selected first (having to lead) and fear of being picked last (interpreted as being disliked or unpopular)
    • Fear of the unknown concerning own sexuality
    • Extreme concern and worry about emotional happiness and unhappiness
    • Fear of not being able to complete homework/schoolwork/task assignment
    • Fear of school calling home
    • Fear of activities that require exposure of the body (physical education, etc)