Q: My 10 years old son is healthy and at this age he is uncomfortable with learning English and Hindi words and though he can remember an incident that happened a few days ago he can't remember words taught an hour ago. He doesn't concentrate on studies. He is in fifth standard but just got passing marks even after day and night efforts during exams. He has few friends, he is shy in gatherings and low in self esteem. Please help.

A:You may need to consult the teachers in school on your child’s level of achievement. It is likely that he is trying, but cannot do much better. It is also possible that he sees too much TV and has forgotten what it is to concentrate on school work. In any case, I think you as his parent should be concerned about his school work every day, rather than only at the time of exams. His self esteem should be built up by doing activities in which he can succeed. He should be taking part in active games. If your child has always been slow in walking, talking, holding a ball, playing with blocks and so on, you could get him assessed to see if he needs additional help with his school work.