Learning with a Difference…..
“Kites rise highest against the wind; not with it”
The same can be said about children with learning disorders, disability or learning difficulties such as Autism, Dyslexia, Dysphasia, Dysgraphia or Dyscalculia.
The system of education is founded on the theories of academic perfection which reflect the instrument of study. It is more likely to hamper and impair intellectual growth than to produce a perfect and perfectly equipped mind.
The above mentioned problem can only be curbed by finding a system of teaching which is natural, effective and easy to understand which is based on three principles of education.
These principles are:
1. Nothing can be taught.
2. The mind has its own pace of growth.
3. Free and natural growth is a condition for genuine development.
“We should not forget that the darkest hour has only 60 minutes”
It is said that children with learning difficulties also have significant impairment of intellectual, adaptive and social functioning. This means that a child will have difficulty in understanding, learning and remembering new things.
Learning difficulties fall into six broad stages:
1. Reading Skills- Affects the reading accuracy, fluency, recognition and rate of reading. This is known as Dysphasia.
2. Writing Skills- Affects the handwriting, spelling and composition. This is known as Dysgraphia.
3. Math Skills- Affects the concepts of mental math, memorization, logical and reasoning facts. This is known as Dyscalculia.
4. Non-verbal Skills- Affects the visual and spatial skills.
5. Verbal Skills- Affects the speech, vocabulary and eloquent self-expression.
6. Auditory skills- Affects the auditory processing and retention, difficulty in comprehension and the inability to multi-task.
The above mentioned disorders are a hindrance in the sound development of a child which further widens the gap between their potential for learning and their achievements.
Dyslexic children have special talents and if their talents are recognized, praised and encouraged, they will excel in their fields of interest.
One in every two students in a class could be suffering from this problem.
“God brings children into deep waters not to drown them but to cleanse them.”
Remedial measures:
1. Oral Drilling- Use of songs, rhymes, multi-sensory activities boost the child’s self-confidence.
2. Reduction of Syllabus- ‘Teach less but teach thoroughly’. A great amount of practice becomes a boon for them.
3. Reading- Reading story books with lots of pictorial illustrations acts as a wonder.
4. Giving special attention- Additional time should be given to the child to copy from the board. Coloured chalks/bold markers will be of great help in this situation.
5. Opportunity for acting and Dramatization- Role play and peer learning with formation of groups prove to be very effective.
6. Reading with a pointer- Sight words and repetition of writing fosters the skill of reading dynamically.
7. Audio-visual teaching aids- Flash cards/ Smart Boards/ apt videos helps in increasing interest
These fun loving activities make the students explore new dimensions of learning in the class room. It becomes more realistic by providing these lifelong learning skills in children. Praising them time to time and giving incentives brings a radical change and reinforces their confidence.
“To be a champion you have to believe in yourself when no one else will.”
The teaching method applicable to one and might fail for another. It requires a great deal of patience and determination. Both the student and teacher need to develop a mutual strategy that works best for each individual learner. It is only through motivation and hard work that success can be achieved. A dedicated teacher can remove the web of a learning disorder.
“If you get off to a bad start, don’t worry, it’s the finish that counts.”
Remember that all children are created equal. It is only that some are blessed with their own individual uniqueness. It is up to us how we handle their differences, whether we frame it as a learning disorder or frame it as ‘Learning with a difference’.
