Is my child a slow learner? It is a difficult question asked by some parents. When dealing with slow learners, grace and patience are crucial virtues to follow. Instead of being ashamed, parents must help their child to reach his/ her true potential.
As per the best IB school in Beirut, here are some strategies to nurture and encourage their intellectual development:
- The child has a short attention span
Be patient. Speak to them when they are relaxed and not anxious. Provide opportunities for active play. Mostly, a distracted child needs to run around before beginning to listen. You can also break learning material into small, manageable modules for making the child attentive.
- The child has a poor memory
SOLUTION: Slow learners may struggle to retain new information. The key is repetition. Also, be consistent. Though some may have memory issues, it is not impossible to help them remember.
For example, you can help them visualize what they have learnt and repeat lessons back to you. You can stimulate learning by enhancing their visual memory.
- The child cannot follow simple instructions
For a slow learner, even simple directions are tough to follow. Offer specific, short instructions and ensure you give one instruction at a time. Permit them to process everything. Crucially, make sure tasks are developmentally and age appropriate. All kids will struggle with directions at some point in time.
- The child finds it tough to distinguish between numerals and alphabets
Slow learners may not be able to identify shapes of numerals from alphabets. You can use illustrated and fun-filledflash cards, which will help them recognize numbers. Just because slow elarner cannot read well, it does not mean that they do not have the capacity for visual learning.
- The child struggles with writing and reading
Lagging behind in writing and reading are obvious signs that a child has to catch up. For learning to read, provide them with interesting books. Read along with them. There is nothing better than good old ‘story time’ to help kids love the act of reading as also to nurture a bond with you.
Learning to write can be made fun by playing word games or solving crossword puzzles. You caninterchange between crayons, pens, pencils, paint or chalk to make writing enjoyable.
- Poor hand-eye coordination
Hand-eye coordination is important not just for sports. It is a basic skill required in reading, writing and drawing. It is also connected to social skills.
The solution is to offer children tactile toys to play with such as Playdough and Lego. Thecrafts such as creating macaroni necklaces, colouring, and puzzles are excellent ways to boost coordination. Not only do they boost motor skills but also help nurture resourcefulness and creativity. Simple arts, crafts, writing tasks can help enhance hand-eye coordination.
- Child is disorganized
Slow learners find it tough to keep tasks and items in order. They are prone to make a mess or leave toys all around the place.
The solution is to offer consistent daily routines. You can try coming up with a colour coding system for organizing their things. Well marked shelves and drawers at home or school can help and encourage them to keep their things in order.
These are some useful tips to help slow learners catch up with the rest of the kids.
