The important thing is not so much that every child should be taught, as that every child should be given the wish to learn. ~John LubbockChildren are naturally very fast learners, but differ in learning styles, ability to focus, self confidence and personality. It is seen that the school environment of today does not accommodate all learning styles and all personalities. Learning in a big group sometimes creates an environment that supports one child, but neglects another, to some degree. There are significant numbers of children in mainstream schools who have difficulties with all sorts of learning. As a parent, there isn’t a thing much more heartbreaking than watching your child struggle in school. If your child is a slow learner, chances are he has a learning disability and needs a bit of help to survive in the mainstream classroom.
Slow-learners are those who fail in school because of their low intellectual abilities. Their IQ ranges from 55 / 60 to 85 / 90. They have a wide range of abilities and a variety of characteristics depending on their background. The teachers have their big headache over these children. Handle them in homework & class work, understanding the topic, etc are the areas concerned with the slow learners. We try to advise them or we try to get result by hook or crook through putting negative enforcement by punishing them. It is estimated that due to that problem many slow learners are being termed as weak students & thrown out of the school. But that is not the solution. The result of the action of the throwing out the child out of the school paves the way to create a dark spot in the life of the victim child. Then, where are the solutions? If the teachers will give time to think over those children, definitely the solution comes in their hand. It is also the proof in history that many slow learners have become qualified themselves as the scientists & writers in their life. So, why not we experiment with these slow learners who are with us? Have we thought over it? Have we tried to understand the life of a slow learner? The characteristics of a slow learner are: * Functions significantly below grade level. * Is prone to immature interpersonal relationships. * Has difficulty following multi-step directions. * Lives in the present and does not have long-range goals. * Has few internal strategies (i.e. organisational skills, difficulty transferring and generalising information.) * Scores consistently low in achievement tests. * Works well with “hands-on” material (i.e. labs, manipulative activities.) * Has a poor self-image. * Masters skills slowly; some skills may not be mastered at all. Accumulating evidence seems to indicate that slow learners may not have received proper intellectual stimulation in their very early years. There appears to be a critical period during the first three to four years when the potential for intellectual growth must be seized. There are enzyme systems in the brain that must be activated during this brief window. If the opportunity is missed, the child may never reach his capacity.Children who grow up in deprived circumstances are more likely to be slow learners. They may not have heard adult language regularly. They have not been provided with interesting books and puzzles to occupy their sensory apparatus. They have not been taken to the zoo, the airport, or other exciting places. They have not received daily training and guidance from adults. This lack of stimulation may inhibit the brain from developing properly.Many slow learners suffer from a feeling of learned helplessness, which occurs when children convince themselves that they will not be successful and therefore stop trying. You can prevent your child from developing learned helplessness by giving your child opportunities to be successful. If your child struggles with schoolwork, mix easier activities in with hard activities so that your child increases his or her confidence.How should the teacher behave? Is the routine normal? Should one adopt special techniques? Where should the focus be? Here are some tips on how to work with slow learners: * Reduce distractions by providing a quiet, private place to work. * Emphasize strengths. Use lots of praise and reinforcement frequently. * Make lessons short. Limit the working time and have several short work periods rather than one long one. * Add variety to the academic routine. Do active things and use educational games, puzzles, and other techniques as much as possible. * Work on material that is somewhat challenging but allows success.* Make learning fun and comfortable. Your positive attitude is very important. * Go over his/her daily work to reinforce the learning. Slow learners need repetition. * Provide meaningful, concrete activities rather than abstract ones. * Give short, specific directions and have your child repeat them back to you. * Encourage the student to explore an area of interest to him/her.* Identify and honour their unique learning styles and passionate interests.Actually, slow learners need empathy, not sympathy. A bit of extra attention from the teachers will see them through. Let us not forget that every child is special. As every child has a soul, there is every possibility of improvement, sooner or later. The goal of the soul is to develop. The source of energy is lying within them but the only thing is to stretch the hand of confidence towards them which will solve their problem & improve their quality. The history has proved the slow learners such as Thomas Edison & Gandhi as the world class Scientist & Leader respectively.      ( Yoga Classes )