Teaching the slow learner: if your child is a slow learner in school, these suggestions may help. A child can be considered an underachiever in school and can be grouped under a generalized classification much too easily. One child cannot be grouped with a group of underachievers and be placed under one certain classification and this happens much too often in our schools. A teacher needs to be able to be aware of very specific and very personal problems that can cause a child to t o be considered an underachiever or a slow lear ner. The confusion on this topic needs to be re duced in our schools. Some teachers are just too quick to identify and also t o attempt to correct learning lear ning disabilities without the proper training or knowledge on the subject. There are general categories into which most teachers will tend to group eac h child who is a slow learner. The classifications will be made according to the likeness of a child with each group. First, we need to rea lize that all children who are performing under their grade level are not necessarily underachievers. A lot of schools feel that all childr en should be exactly at the t he same level in each class and this is not true. Sometimes they will think that the children in this classification of slow learners are not capable of achieving achi eving at their chronological grade level. Sometimes, from the first grade on to other higher higher grades, a child just hasn't mastered the basic skills of learning. These children can get frustrated and even convince themselves that they cannot learn. In this instance teachers need to wor k with these students to teach the basic skills necessary for learning at the rate of normal student for his age. a ge. There are some children that have problems with language development. development. A lack of language development can cause a child to be a slow learner. It is of much importance to see if a child has grown in the art of language and reading achievement, if not teachers need to work with these students to bring up their language levels so that t hey can reach maximum achievement in their class. Some children have cultural disadvantages as they may come from homes where, for example, the parents are not speaking English and are speaking another language. They can be known as culturally disadvantaged as they do not have essentials necessary for learning. In this instance teachers need to work with the students so that they can achieve and not be doomed to a failed and frustrated attitude. If this is left undone, then as the years pass there will be more and more problems in learning coming from cultural disadvantages in the home. There may not be enough challenges in the particular classroom to hold some chhildren's interest and they become bored and don't reach their potential. A lack of challenge can bring a child down to below the level of the classrooms. Teachers need to be on the alert for this type of classification of underachiever as they will need to provide work that will stimulate them. Other children may be of average capacity and be expected expected to achieve achi eve at a higher level of learning in the classroom. These children at ti mes are incapable of achieving past past a certain c ertain
level for a child t heir age and this can lead to frustration and failure in the classroom. Teachers need to be aware of these children and not try to push too much on them in the way of learning in the classroom. Children sometimes can be considered and classified as reluctant learners as these children will make good grades on tests but cannot function daily in the atmosphere of the classroom. Sometimes these children will not be motivated to learn and teachers need to be able to draw out these children and just get them motivated. Remedial help is sometimes used to get them motivated and to learn to the level of the others in their grade level. Students needs to be identified that ca n profit from remedial and corrective teaching. Sometimes teachers will not provide this remedial and corrective teaching in their classroom and this needs to be changed. If professional judgment indicates that this special remedial and corrective teaching is necessary then a child should have this provide to help him. www.essortment.com/ teaching -slow-learner -
Slow Learners Teaching students, children and adults alike, who learn fast, is fun and gratifying. However a large number of people just can't cope in class. We can call them "slow learners", "people with learning problems", "people with different learning abilities", .. In the past they would be bluntly labeled as "dumb" and drop out. Luckily, the attitude of teachers worldwide is changing. Slowly, we recognise that people learn at an individual speed , in various ways and have many-fold interests. Leo is one of those many teachers who has made a difference to people who have problems learning the traditional way. With over 30 years of teaching experience with both adults and children in Belgium, Sri Lanka, India a nd Saudi Arabia, he is now spear-heading a movement to change teachers' attitudes who teach slow learners. With nothing but practical advice, he conducts seminars for new as well as for advanced teachers. His way of teaching has already inspired others. And what he preaches, he also practices daily in his class-room of adult learners. Leo's teaching method makes (slow) learners learn more efficiently. All this is lo-tech. No need for expensive gadgets.
Tasks and Regular Teaching His teaching style involves a healthy balance between tasks and "regular" teaching allowing him and the students to work at various speeds in the classroom. The healthy balance means that those who want to do more tasks, are given the opportunity to do so where as those who need more guidance are also given what they need.
Permanent Assessment
His system of permanent assessment is also different from what most teachers do. Students either pass or don't pass and students r e-do exercises and tasks which they have previously failed to do to satisfaction. For him, exams are a thing of the past and should be locked firmly in the deepest cellars, never to see daylight again. T he easy-to-handle assessment schemes work. Leo has done away with exams for good and has adopted a system of permanent assessment for writing, reading, listening comprehension and for speaking. This benefits not only the students, but also the teachers.
Multi-Discipline Leo's way of teaching and his permanent assessment, needless to sa y, can also be extended to fields other than languages and needn't be restricted to t eaching slow learners: his approach is one that can benefit regular and fast learners and can be applied in other disciplines (as in history, geography, science, ...). He conducts half- and full-day seminars and ca n be contacted on http://www.teach2teach.org/index.htm
Special
Curriculum
The curriculum in the schools for slow learners should be based on their needs and abilities. The curriculum should be such that it involves all the children and helps them in developing their instincts and basic skills. While designing the curriculum for slow learners, teachers should be aware of the individual needs of every child and the IEP (Individual Education Plan) designed for the student. Curriculum should involve more practical things in design so that slow learners can grasp concepts more easily by direct observation and hands on performance. A teacher can make effective use of models, charts and pictures in explaining concepts to slow learners. Teachers can take these children on picnics to teach them about the nature. Teachers should avoid teaching academic subjects with simple oral instruction to students who may need additional time to process learning. They should use a diversity of instructional strategies. Some children may not understand concepts in a group. Teachers should identify children with special needs and give them individual time and differentiated instruction. By organizing special curriculum depending on the requirement of slow learners and the student's IEP, teachers can make learning easy a nd comfortable for students.
Home Visits by the Teachers In providing additional help and support for slow learners, teachers can visit t heir homes. Teachers can talk to their parents and can discuss the problems and adjustments with t heir learning in the classroom. Teachers can ask t he parents about the student relationships at home. Healthy environment in the family is also r esponsible for creating better learning opportunities for the child in the classroom. Unhealthy relations among the family members may contribute as one of the causes of slow learning in the class. Teachers can ask about the behavior of the child at home. Teachers can give suggestions to the parents relating to
providing a good learning environment at home. They can tell the parents how to deal with slow learners at home in doing homework and helping students process subject information. Teachers should tell the parents not t o put unnecessary pressure on the child. Par ents should avoid making comparisons between the slow lear ning child and other children in the classroom. With the cooperation of teachers, parents can get help in understanding the impact of the learning disability of their child in the home and in the school and provide support in helping their student build learning capacity.
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ips for Gaining Knowledge Easily and Effectively Children who need additional time to understand concepts can benefit from different study and organization techniques. To increase positive experiences, people who are historically slow learners should begin their studies with easy a nd favorite subjects. Beginning with a subject that is more interesting will allow the person to spend more time on that task. When their energy level starts to take a dip, they can get the juices flowing again by taking a break, relaxing, getting some kind of refreshment and then coming ba ck to the table with a fresh outlook. To achieve mastery in a subject that they are deficient in, they should find alternate ways to make it more interesting. If they feel stuck in some particular subject then they should approach their tea cher and ask for help. It can be constructive if they can take initiative and be motivated about selfmonitoring and self evaluation for better achievement in the areas of deficiency. By self evaluation they can come to have a c lear understanding about what is challenging for them in a particular subject. Once they know what their weaknesses are, they can plan on spending more time practicing in those areas as compared to other subjects. During study time they should revise the lesson done in the classroom. With daily review of the work done in the class they can retain things better. All the instructions given by the teacher in the class should be organized into integrated notes. Written notes will help them to study for examinations. Slow learners can also make use of computers and related accessories to make learning more interesting and enriching. Many data based programs, graphics and multimedia programs available with educational importance have made learning easy. Multimedia programs that combine text, video, sound and pictures can help slow learners gain knowledge easily and effectively.
Reading in the Classroom Many students with special needs ha ve a hard time reading. This can make them feel like they will never be able to do the work.
As para-educators and teacher's aides, it is our job to sometimes think on our feet. Often times we don't have a chance to view t he material before the class begins. Here are some strategies that can help students feel more successful. If it can be done, see if you can divide the class into small groups. Put the children that are slow readers and slow learners in one group. This will give you the opportunity to read the material out loud and stop to ask questions to make sure they are understanding the text. You will also want to make sure that if there are discussion questions after the reading is finished and that you have a copy of the questions from the teacher in the classroom. This is another way our children feel successful as they can participate more fully in the discussions with their classmates. If your student has a really hard time decoding, you can sit next to him or, better yet, partner him with a good reader that can quietly help him when it is his turn to read. I think it is always a good idea to give this child small bits to read and as he feels more comfortable, he will read more in a classroom setting. It is very helpful for you to make an outline of important facts from the material. You can then go over the material with the student later. Sometimes the child is so focused on failure that he has an even harder time paying attention. It also helps when one of the children is absent to have the material to go over with them. Another good strategy is to provide verbal prompts like "Look here" if you notice them not following along. You can also just point to the spot on the page. Sometimes this is enough to remind the student to pay attention. Sometimes the teacher¶s guide is a good resource for extra help in simplifying the subject matter. When the reading is done, ask the student to tell you the main idea of the material. Make sure they understand before the discussion in the class begins. I feel that one of the most important jobs of a para-educator is to help the child feel comfortable in being included in the regular education classroom.
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