Who is a slow learner? | B.Ed Hons Notes - UoB

Who is a slow learner?

A slow learner is a child or pupil who is able to learn educational skills but a rate and depth below average as compared to the child’s peers or average learners in the class.

Normally, learners have an IQ of between 85 or 115. Nevertheless, learners who have an IQ below 70 are termed as having intellectual disability. A slow learner has not reached the level of being termed as having intellectual disability (mental retardation).

Slow learners do not need special education because they do not have a medical problem. It is only they do not perform well in school, in a given project and their learning progress is very slow.

Students with below average cognitive abilities whom we cannot term as disabled are called slow learners. They struggle to cope with the traditional academic demands of the regular classroom. Actually slow learners are normal students but the problem is that they are simply not interested in studying under traditionally accepted system of education. Slow learners should not be confused with students in need of special education or reluctant learners who are non-cooperative. A student may fail to excel in some classes or in some subjects but it does not imply that he or she is a slow learner. The teachers and guardians may resort to some of the teaching aids available to special education students that may enhance interest of slow learners and help them get involved in the learning process. Every child is special. As every child is different, there is every possibility of improvement, sooner or later. 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 and improve their quality. Several students in a class fall under this category, but most parents or guardians prefer to remain in mute mode, which worsens the situation. The objective of my paper is to understand the characteristics of a slow learner and the role of teachers and guardians to improve them in achieving new heights. Children learn at different rates, and, according to some published research, children learn only when they are ready. Other research gives importance to intrinsic rewards, differentiated curriculum, and motivation by personalizing lessons. However, the bottom line for most educators is that some children are slow to learn, but don’t have a learning deficiency. Perhaps the greatest challenge to an educator is a child who is a slow learner. These children do not fall into the category of special education, they do well outside the classroom, and show no evidence of having a medical problem. They simply do not do well in school or a particular subject. Slow Learners may have problems not only with math and reading but also with coordination such as penmanship, sports, or dressing. Often they are quiet and shy, and they have trouble making friends. They may have a poor self-confidence. They have trouble with abstract thinking such as in social studies or doing math word problems. They often have a short attention span. All of these problems cause them to have a poor self-esteem. In the days before formal schooling, these students would carry on productive lives working at tasks that did not require extensive reading, writing or math. However, nowadays the emphasis is less on occupational learning and more on academic preparation. Thus, to provide them the best possible opportunities in a changing world there is a growing need to help remediate these children. There are basically two commonalities emerge with slow learners. First, they need more or extra time to complete tasks. This means parents or guardians must be willing to augment what happens at school regardless of the fact how fruitless it might appear. Secondly, the child must be offered appropriate incentives. Depending on the child, the best incentives are family projects or activities, such as building a model or attending a concert or game. The incentives should require delayed gratification, so the child learns patience. The next area which is very important is proper nutrition, like children need good breakfast. Research suggests a quality breakfast and proper sleep are the two best ways to improve student performance. Finally, a teacher or parent must seek lessons and other resources that make it easier to differentiate the curriculum and make learning more vital and relevant. To this end, special education sites on the Internet have some great ideas. Although slow learners do not qualify for special education classes, the concepts teachers use with special education students are ideal for helping a slow learner once the student’s weaknesses have been diagnosed. Having a slow learning child is not unusual, about 10 percent are slow learners in a classroom.

Characteristics of slow learners

In general, slow learning students may exhibit some or all of these characteristics, depending on their age and degree of problems acquiring knowledge at school.

· First, slow learners are recurrently immature in their relations with others and do poorly in school.

· Secondly, they cannot do multifaceted or complex problems and work very slowly.

· They lose track of time and cannot convey what they have learned from one task to another well.

· They do not easily master skills that are academic in nature, such as the times tables or spelling rules.

· Perhaps the most exasperating trait is their inability to have long-term goals. They live in the present, and so have considerable problems with time management perhaps due to a short attention span and poor concentration skills. One thing which we should remember is that, just because a child is not doing well in one class does not make that student a slow learner. Very few children stand out in all subject areas unless there is great deal of grade inflation at that school. So it’s fundamental that the parent or teacher examine in depth standardized tests scores to look for trends. Also, slow learners vary from reluctant learners. A slow learner to begin with wants to learn, but has a problem with the process. A reluctant or hesitant learner is not motivated and can also be passive aggressive, creating more problems for teachers and parents through non-cooperation. Reluctant learners seldom have learning disabilities.

·                    Slow learners have limited cognitive capacity. They fail to cope with learning situations and to reason abstractly. Rational thinking becomes practically difficult. They have capacity to succeed in rote-leaning. These children show interest in leaning where relationships are clearly demonstrated. With regards to retentive memories they require more practice and revision in comparison with normal children.

·                 One of the relevant characteristics of slow learners is poor memory. It occurs due to lack of concentration. It is impossible to say how much a child can lean and retain although he is motivated eternally and internally. Experimental evidences reveal that very often the dull children can recall facts about their local cricket team as we as its players.

·                    Classroom situation include distraction and lack of concentration of slow learners. This typical behavior is also associated with poor motivation. Again different studies also report that when the learning materials are presented through concrete situations, the slow learners’ concentration and attention don’t differ significantly from that of a normal child.

·                    The slow learners learn at a slow rate and they face difficulty in retaining what they learned.

·                    The slow learners prefer concrete learning to abstract learning.

·                    Transfer of learning becomes difficult for slow learners.

·                    They lack judgment and common sense and they are highly distractible.

·                    They gain from direct teaching and do not acquire skills incidentally.

·                    A slow learner is an underachiever and has a very short span of attention.

·                    Their ability to deal with abstract and symbolic materials (i.e. Languages, numbers and concepts is very limited and their reasoning in practical situation is inferior that of average students.

·                    Research works reveal that the attention span of slow learners is relatively short they are also unable to deal with relatively complex games or school assignment. They need much external stimulation and encouragement to do simple type of work.

·                    Capable of competing in school in most areas, except in strictly academic areas in which performance is below average.

·                    Social adjustments that is not noticeably different from the larger population.

·                    Although in the lower segment of adequate adjustment, occupational performance satisfactory in non-technical areas with total self-support highly probable.

Proven ideas to help slow learners

·        High school opens the door to vocational training where they often excel. Work study programs give them a purpose for going to school.

·        Work with your school’s M-Team (Management Team) to develop an IEP (Individual Educational Plan) for the child.

·        Do not spend the entire time making the child’s study. Don’t nag. Let them have a life outside of school with activities they enjoy.

·        A Slow Learner might repeat one grade level for academic or social reasons. Repeating more than one grade is a disaster for their self-esteem.

·        Some schools will place these children in a “slow track” where the work is easier. However, the other students may make fun of them. And the concepts in math and social studies may still be too difficult for them.

·        The least desirable alternative is a non-graded program where the child works at their own pace and is graded for their effort.

·        Another way is to use their IQ to compute a passing grade. For example if passing is 70% and their IQ is 80 then a passing grade would be.8 x 70 = 56%.

·        The child deserves pre-vocational training in social skills and independent living. These children should be taught life-related courses like shopping, managing money, and job preparation.

·        Look at their problem areas and focus on them with extra tutorial help. This could be during the last period of the day or after school. Allow by-pass strategies such as calculators, or let them do oral or visual reports.

·        Provide a quiet place to work, where the child can be easily observed and motivated.

·        Keep homework sessions short.

·        Provide activity times before and during homework.

·        Add a variety of tasks to the learning even if not assigned, such as painting a picture of a reading assignment.

·        Allow for success.

·        Ask questions about the assignment while the child is working.

·        Go over the homework before bed and before school.

·        Read to the child.

·        Some researcher use “Three Transfer” form of learning, in which the student must take information and do three things with it besides reading. For example, read it, explain it to someone else, draw a picture of it, and take notes on it.

·        Be patient but consistent.

·        Do not reward unfinished tasks.

Challenge the child

Have the child do the most difficult assignments first and leave the easier ones to later. Call it the dessert principle. Parents/Guardians should not be overprotective. Parents who frequently intercede at school are teaching that they do not respect their child’s abilities. If any parents do call a teacher, they should make sure that they seek a positive outcome. Because we should not forget most teachers have worked with numerous slow learners and have plenty of experience. However, sharing one’s child’s strengths and weaknesses could make the school year more beneficial for all concerned. Parents may contact the teacher if there is a concern. Calling an administrator solves nothing, as the teacher is the sole legal judge of academic success. The parents should take their child to exciting places where they can see academic success is important. A trip to a local university or community college, a walking tour of city hall, a visit to the fire station or a behind-the-scenes tour of a zoo is highly motivating.

Examples of interventions for slow learners

·        Environment: Reduce distractions, change seating to promote attentiveness, have a peer student teacher, and allow more breaks.

·        Assignments: Make them shorter and with more variation, repeat work in various forms, have a contract, give more hands-on work, have assignments copied by student, have students use “three transfer” method.

·        Assessment: Use shorter tests, oral testing, redoing tests, and short feedback times, don’t make students compete.

·        What to avoid: Don’t use cooperative learning that isolates the student and places him or her in a no-win situation or standardized tests. Definitely don’t ignore the problem.

·        What to encourage: Grouping with a patient partner. Learning about the child’s interests. Placing the student in charge. Mapping, graphic organizers, and hands-on work. Using Bloom’s taxonomy of tasks to make the assignments more appropriate.

Slow learners want their teachers to know…

1. WE NEED MORE TIME TO FIGURE THINGS OUT

·        Give more practice problems in a particular area.

·        More time may be needed on speed drills or reading comprehension than is allowed for in the curriculum

·        Show patience! Tutor after school in help classes, if necessary.

·        Create emotional security by not embarrassing them in front of their peers.

·        Modify curriculum, if necessary—i.e. Shorten spelling list

2. WE NEED MORE EXPLANATION AND DIRECT INSTRUCTION

·        Be sure that instructions and expectation are given clearly.

·        Define the terms—read, circle, count, find, define, copy, list, discuss, summarize, compose, identify, etc.

·        Have them repeat the instructions, if necessary. Point to the area on the paper that you are explaining; see it, say it, cover it, say it.

·        Explain material in creative ways.

·        Teach them to listen for key words in explanations.

3. WE NEED HELP IN ORGANIZING OUR WORK, OUR DESK, AND OUR PRIORITIES

·        Provide a homework sheet or planner with a checklist format.

·        Show what an organized desk looks like.

·        Work closely with the parents to check completed work.

4. WE NEED TO KNOW WHY WE HAVE TO KNOW WHAT YOU ARE TEACHING US

·        Motivate with practical reasons to learn material.

·        Set short range and attainable goals.

·        Give many encouraging words and praise often.

·        Say “I love you” often and write it in personal notes.

·        Pray for students and tell them that you are praying for them.

5. WE HAVE DIFFICULTY FOCUSING OUR ATTENTION ON LEARNING TASKS

·        Eliminate as many distractions as possible.

·        Seat them in the front of the classroom.

·        Be punctual and prepare materials well before class.

·        Expect accuracy and neatness in work.

·        Model correct behavior in front of students.

·        Stay as consistent as possible in classroom management and expectations.

6. WE SOMETIMES HAVE A HARD TIME SITTING STILL

·        They need an active recess.

·        They need organized sports at recess to learn social skills.

·        Pair them with brighter students who will help the slower student and be humble about helping.

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