The causes of slow learning are linked to many factors that are both social, psychological and physical. The remedial steps are adopted accordingly.
There are many types of slow learning. The first thing is to identify them. Teaching a slow learner in class is not as hard as it is misconceived.
Slow learners in Class: identify, improve, and motivate them
The parents and the teachers can help the slow learners improve themselves by following these simple tips.
What is Slow Learning?
Learning is mainly dependent on the activity of your senses and how your mind conceives the ideas. Slow-learners are the students who cannot understand concepts as rapidly as others.
However, this is not any kind of disability or flaw. It has some causes and can be remedied in different ways.
Most of its causes relate to the psychological and social factors surrounding the life of slow-learners. Educational psychologists are often given the task of finding ways to deal with such students.
We have divided this article into two parts. In the very first part, we will try to identify the usual causes of this problem. In the second part, some effective ways to deal with it will be suggested.
Causes of Slow Learning
As said earlier, slow-learning is primarily caused by psychological and social factors.The psychological factors are related to the mental state of a slow-learner. While the social factors are enforced on him by parents, peers or teachers.
1. Psychological Causes
1. A Wrong Presupposition: It is usually seen that most of the slow-learners have a wrong presupposition about some subjects. Mostly they perform slowly in these subjects.It is for the reason that has already created a bad-image of that particular subject which does not allow them to learn it properly. This case is widely identified for Mathematics and English.
2. Lack of Interest: Another significant psychological cause of slow-learning is lack of interest. If a student is forced to study the subject he is not interested in, he will more likely be a slow-learner in it.
2. Lack of Interest: Another significant psychological cause of slow-learning is lack of interest. If a student is forced to study the subject he is not interested in, he will more likely be a slow-learner in it.
Since ‘interest’ acts as the necessary force in learning. Without it, no student can study anything.
3. Mental Stress: Many people in our society do not consider the severity of mental stress. Teachers and parents mostly fail to understand that mental illnesses are to be addressed as real issues.
3. Mental Stress: Many people in our society do not consider the severity of mental stress. Teachers and parents mostly fail to understand that mental illnesses are to be addressed as real issues.
Some slow-learners are found enduring psychological stress. That is why they are having insufficient mental power to grasp the concepts.
2. Social Causes
1. Parental Victimization: This heading seems to be horrifying because it holds parents responsible for showing apathy to their children regarding their academic choices.Many slow-learners are the students who are forced to study the disciplines they have no interest in. Since parents do not take into consideration the likes and dislikes of the child before enrollment.
And the child, eventually, starts feeling numb in studies.
2. Teacher’s Disinterestedness: Many learners take longer-than-usual time in understanding concepts because the teacher is not connected to them psychologically. For many reasons this happens.
2. Teacher’s Disinterestedness: Many learners take longer-than-usual time in understanding concepts because the teacher is not connected to them psychologically. For many reasons this happens.
Sometimes, the teacher’s misbehavior slows the process of learning. And in some cases, the teaching approach of the teacher is so dull that it fails to get the attention of some students.
3. Humiliation, Mockery, and Bullying: These are the worst social causes of making someone a slow-learner and have until now taken the lives of many students. Teachers, fellow students, and even parents are found guilty of discouraging slow-learners in any of these three ways.
3. Humiliation, Mockery, and Bullying: These are the worst social causes of making someone a slow-learner and have until now taken the lives of many students. Teachers, fellow students, and even parents are found guilty of discouraging slow-learners in any of these three ways.
In modern education systems, the authorities keep a strict check on these three types of abuse. Unfortunately, such acts are commonly seen in Pakistani schools, colleges, and even universities.
How to improve and motivate slow learners in class
We are suggesting some of the ways for teachers and parents to deal with slow-learners.1. Ways for Teachers
1. Be Hopeful about Them: The foremost thing that the teacher needs to do with slow-learners is to be hopeful about them. He/she should have a plan for improving the learning of such students. In this regard, he should never mock or ridicule any slow-learner in the class. In addition to this, he ought to treat them with kindness and politeness. This certainly has a lasting effect on such students.
2. Correct the Basic Concepts: Teachers are supposed to correct or build the basic concepts of the slow-learners.
2. Correct the Basic Concepts: Teachers are supposed to correct or build the basic concepts of the slow-learners.
Most of them are unable to understand complex things because they are ignorant of the very foundations of a subject.
A teacher must try fixing the conceptual foundations of a subject in the mind of a slow-learner.
3. Focus on Slow-Learners: The teacher should also be concerned about the condition of slow-learners. He/she ought to make extra efforts for bettering such students. An extra focus of the teacher can easily transform a slow-learner into an average-learner.
4. Give them Appreciation: As said earlier, slow-learning is also a psychological issue, the teacher, therefore, should give extra credit and appreciation to slow-learners.
3. Focus on Slow-Learners: The teacher should also be concerned about the condition of slow-learners. He/she ought to make extra efforts for bettering such students. An extra focus of the teacher can easily transform a slow-learner into an average-learner.
4. Give them Appreciation: As said earlier, slow-learning is also a psychological issue, the teacher, therefore, should give extra credit and appreciation to slow-learners.
Even their ordinary efforts must be praised by the teacher as extraordinary ones. In this way, their confidence can easily be raised. By doing so, they will start performing well in a very short period.
5. Don’t Overburden Them: Keeping in view the issue, the teacher ought to consider slow-learners as special students. Besides focusing more on their growth, the teacher should avoid the things that can worsen their condition.
5. Don’t Overburden Them: Keeping in view the issue, the teacher ought to consider slow-learners as special students. Besides focusing more on their growth, the teacher should avoid the things that can worsen their condition.
Therefore, the teacher should not overburden slow-learners with hectic and stressful tasks. Rather, he should give them quite easier, interesting tasks.
2. Ways for Parents
1. Understand the Problems of the Child: As a parent, one has to be in a relationship of understanding with a slow-learner child. Both father and mother try to engage in friendly discussions with the child.They should try to understand the problems of the child and to find ways to resolve them. In this way, the child is not likely to be hopeless and will start improving gradually.
2. Respect the Choices of Children: Parents are needed to realize that children are not supposed to be treated as objects; children are subjects having their own choices.
2. Respect the Choices of Children: Parents are needed to realize that children are not supposed to be treated as objects; children are subjects having their own choices.
Parents should consider what the child wishes to study. Instead of forcing the child to study something, they should respect the choices of their children.
3. Motivate the Slow Learner Child: It is recommended for the parents to keep motivating the child who shows the symptoms of slow-learning.
3. Motivate the Slow Learner Child: It is recommended for the parents to keep motivating the child who shows the symptoms of slow-learning.
Since parents are the person from whom a child wants acceptance. The parents are, therefore, advised to never scold or abuse the child for learning slowly. They should, rather, motivate the child.
4. Help the Child Doing Homework: Besides the responsibility of the teacher to not overburden a slow-learner, it is the responsibility of the parents to help the child complete his assignments. This would be helpful in two ways.
4. Help the Child Doing Homework: Besides the responsibility of the teacher to not overburden a slow-learner, it is the responsibility of the parents to help the child complete his assignments. This would be helpful in two ways.
One is that it will develop a relationship of cooperation between the parents and the child. Second is that it will give extra relief to the child.
5. Provide Slow-Learner Child with Opportunities: Opportunities are very necessary for every person to express his abilities. So is the case with slow-learners. It is seen that slow-learners rarely find opportunities to use their positive qualities.
5. Provide Slow-Learner Child with Opportunities: Opportunities are very necessary for every person to express his abilities. So is the case with slow-learners. It is seen that slow-learners rarely find opportunities to use their positive qualities.
Contrary to that, they usually face mockery and disgrace by the teachers, peers, and parents. Therefore, parents are advised to create opportunities for the child to use his potential.
6. Stimulate the Child’s Mental Performance: The mental performance of a child plays an important role in his learning process.
6. Stimulate the Child’s Mental Performance: The mental performance of a child plays an important role in his learning process.
The parents should try to engage the child in activities that can stimulate his mental performance. For seeking recommendations about this, we have a separate article on our website. Give it a read.
7. Keep a Check on Your Child: If you know that your child is a slow-learner, carefully overlook his activities at home and school. Be concerned about his condition and its improvement.
7. Keep a Check on Your Child: If you know that your child is a slow-learner, carefully overlook his activities at home and school. Be concerned about his condition and its improvement.
For doing so, you can visit his teacher every week to know whether he is showing any sign of improvement or not.
Do you have other tips or solutions? Please share it with the world in the comments. Thanks.
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Do you have other tips or solutions? Please share it with the world in the comments. Thanks.