You have chosen a good school for your child. The teachers are qualified, the facilities are impressive, and the curriculum offers opportunities you want your child to have.
Then one evening, you sit beside your child as they do their homework.
They have written down the method the teacher used. They can point to the example in their notebook. But when you ask them to solve a similar question on their own, they stop.
“I don’t understand it.”
For a parent paying international school fees in Nigeria, those words can be painful to hear. You may wonder whether your child is paying attention, whether the school is doing enough, or whether you should immediately arrange extra lessons.
Start with a more useful question: What, exactly, does my child not understand?
A child who cannot recall a method, a child who has missed an earlier concept, and a child who understands but freezes during a test need different kinds of help. Finding that difference is the first step.
A Good School Cannot See Every Learning Gap Immediately
A lesson can move forward while one child is still trying to make sense of an earlier step. The child may copy correct notes and complete a familiar example with the class, so the difficulty stays hidden.
This can happen in British, American and other international schools in Nigeria. The curriculum label alone does not tell you what your child understands. Look at the work they are being asked to do and whether they can explain their answers independently.
For example, a child might:
- Recite multiplication facts but struggle to decide which operation a word problem requires.
- Read an English passage fluently but find it difficult to explain why a character acted in a certain way.
- Memorise a Science definition but struggle to use it to predict what will happen in an experiment.
- Follow a Maths example in class but become stuck when the numbers or wording change.
These difficulties are specific. That is useful, because a specific problem gives you something you can investigate and address.
First, Ask Your Child to Show You Where They Get Stuck
“Do you understand Maths?” is a difficult question for a child to answer. Maths contains many topics, and your child may understand some parts of a lesson but not others.
Instead, sit with one recent piece of schoolwork and ask:
- “Show me the last step you understood.”
- “What did the teacher ask you to do next?”
- “What would you try if I were not sitting here?”
Let your child talk you through their thinking. Resist the urge to correct every mistake immediately. Their explanation can reveal more than the final answer.
Suppose a Year 6 pupil correctly calculates 3×83 \times 8 but cannot solve a question about three packs containing eight items each. More multiplication drills may not address the difficulty. They may need help connecting the language of the question to the operation.
Or suppose a Grade 7 pupil understands a Science topic during a discussion but writes only one short sentence for a question asking them to explain. The problem may be how to build an answer with a reason and evidence.
You do not have to diagnose everything yourself. Your aim is to collect a clear example you can take to the teacher or tutor.
Look for a Pattern Across Three Pieces of Work
One disappointing score does not tell the whole story. Gather three recent examples, such as a homework task, a class assessment and a test paper.
For each one, note:
- The subject and topic.
- The instruction in the question, such as calculate, compare, explain or justify.
- What your child did correctly.
- The point where the answer went wrong.
- Whether they could correct it after a hint.
This simple review helps you distinguish a one-off mistake from a recurring gap.
If your child repeatedly struggles with fractions in different topics, there may be a missing foundation. If they answer straightforward questions correctly but lose marks on unfamiliar questions, they may need practice applying what they know. If they can explain an answer aloud but cannot write it clearly, written expression may be the priority.
Speak to the Teacher With Examples
Contact your child’s teacher before assuming the problem is the entire curriculum or every subject. Share the examples you collected and ask focused questions.
You could say:
“I’ve noticed that my child can follow the worked examples in class, but becomes stuck when a similar question is worded differently. I’ve attached two examples. Is this something you have noticed in lessons, and which earlier skill should we work on first?”
Other useful questions include:
- Which part of the subject is my child currently finding most difficult?
- Does my child ask for help in class when confused?
- Are the mistakes linked to an earlier topic?
- What would improvement look like over the next four weeks?
- Is there a particular type of question we should practise at home?
A focused conversation gives both you and the teacher a better starting point than “My child is struggling in everything.”
Avoid Turning Every Evening Into Another School Day
When a child falls behind, it is tempting to add hours of worksheets. But more practice of a method they do not understand can make homework feel even more frustrating.
Choose one priority skill to work on first. Keep practice manageable, ask your child to explain their thinking, and revisit the same idea in a slightly different question. When they make a mistake, find out why before giving them another set of problems.
You can also ask your child to teach you the concept. If they cannot yet explain a step, return to a simpler example together. The goal is to build understanding they can use independently, rather than finish as many pages as possible.
When Would One-to-One Support Help?
Consider additional support if the same difficulty keeps appearing, your child cannot identify where they become confused, or homework regularly ends in distress. It may also help when an examination or school transition is approaching and there is limited time to close a known gap.
Before starting lessons, ask how the tutor will assess your child’s current understanding. A useful first session should do more than repeat the latest classroom topic. It should uncover the point where understanding breaks down, agree on a small number of goals, and give the parent a clear way to see progress.
For example, “improve in Maths” is broad. A more useful first goal might be: “By the end of four weeks, solve multi-step word problems involving fractions and explain why each operation was chosen.”
Progress may first appear in how your child approaches a question: they try a method, explain their reasoning, notice an error and correct it. Test scores matter, but these changes can show that understanding is growing.
A Simple Plan for This Week
If your child attends an international school in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt or elsewhere in Nigeria and says they do not understand their lessons, start here:
Day 1: Choose one subject your child finds difficult. Ask them to show you a recent question and the last step they understood.
Day 2: Review two more pieces of work. Look for the same type of difficulty.
Day 3: Send the teacher a short message with a specific example and ask which skill to prioritise.
Days 4–7: Work on that one skill in short sessions. Ask your child to explain each step rather than copy an answer.
At the end of the week, ask: Can my child now do a similar question independently? If the answer is no, you have useful information to share when arranging further support.
Your Child Needs Clarity, Not Blame
It can be upsetting to hear “I don’t understand” when you have invested so much in your child’s education. But those words are also a chance to pause and find the missing step.
Your child may need an earlier concept explained again, more time to practise unfamiliar questions, help expressing their reasoning, or the confidence to say when they are confused. Once you know which problem you are dealing with, you can give them support that fits.
Glareminds offers one-to-one online academic support for learners in Nigeria, including children studying British and American curricula. We begin by understanding the learner’s strengths and gaps, then plan lessons around the areas that need attention.
If you are concerned about your child’s progress, contact Glareminds to book an academic consultation. Bring a recent assignment or test paper so we can start with the questions your child is actually finding difficult.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my child struggling when they attend a good international school?
A strong school can offer good teaching, but a child may still miss a foundational concept or need more time to apply it independently. Review specific pieces of work and speak with the teacher to identify the difficulty.
Should I get a tutor as soon as my child gets a low test score?
Start by looking for a pattern. One score may reflect several things. If the same gap appears across assignments and tests, or your child remains confused after classroom support, a one-to-one assessment may help.
Can an online tutor help a child in an international school in Nigeria?
Yes, if the tutor uses the child’s actual schoolwork and curriculum expectations, checks understanding during lessons, and gives the parent clear progress updates. Ask how the tutor will identify gaps and measure improvement.
What should I send before my child’s first academic consultation?
A recent test or assignment, the topics your child is studying, and any teacher feedback you have received. These help make the conversation specific to your child.