Who are Slow Learners? Tips to Help Slow Learners

Who are Slow Learners? To think that slow learning is a disability is absolutely wrong. It is used for students with the capability to pursue academic skills at a rate below the average student. No child is bright or weak by birth. It is the w how we give them knowledge and how they take it in. A slow learner requires more time to learn. It is done through repetition and by using more resources. Such children do not have intellectual issues but it takes a longer time to get thorough with the concepts.

In most situations, parents are worried about their child’s slow pace of learning and therefore they put pressure on them. Instead, parents and teachers should not give negative feedback to the child. This affects their learning process and they start believing in their inability to grasp things.

Characteristics of Slow Learners:

The most obvious characteristics of slow learners are as follows:

• Limited Attention Span
• Deficiency in basic skills (reading, writing, and coloring
• Difficulty in comprehending abstract ideas
• Unsystematic and careless work habits

Slow Learners and Their Everyday Challenge:

It is very hard for slow learners to face everyday challenges but things can be managed if a positive environment is kept all around.

• Regular classroom learning focuses on attaining new skills based on previously learned concepts. When other students are learning at a quicker pace, slow learners are left behind. This results in a knowledge gap and lessens the comprehensive ability.
• A slow-learning child does not face only academic challenges but personal and social challenges as well.
• Due to their inability to match with their peers, they start thinking of themselves as lesser than others. This lower their self-confidence and self-esteem
• They find it difficult to create a bond with the children of their age group and are thus excluded from sports and extra co-curricular activities.
• The problem aggravates as this leads to anxiety and negative self-image.

Instructional Arrangements for Slow Learners:

Slow Learners are taught in two instructional arrangements, check below:

• A class of average students with a 20% strength of slow learners
• A class designed especially for slow learners.

Tips to Help Slow Learners:

It is important to help slow learners rather than label them ‘Slow’. Here are a few tips to help slow learners:

• Praise and Reward: Motivate slow learners; it helps them to continue learning. Offer them a reward or a praiseworthy comment on every small milestone.
• Set Realistic Target: As a parent or teacher, it is crucial to understand their abilities, and what is achievable. Once you are clear about this and then set the target for the child.
• Lend Support: Educators and parents should be supportive to slow learners. They should teach through oral assignments.
• Encourage Group Tutoring: This is an effective strategy for slow learners. They should be encouraged to study in groups. This way they get a chance to interact with children of their age and become more confident.
• Utilize their Multiple Intelligence: If the child is inclined toward any co-curricular activity appreciate them. This will boost their confidence and they start feeling socially accepted.
• Interaction: Parents should talk with slow learners. They should ask child’s day at school and conduct discussions on their favorite TV show, sports, etc.

Parents and teachers focus on increasing their child’s comprehension ability. You may repeat those short directions and maintain a level of confidence. Slow learners require extra support from educators as well as parents. In case you do not provide support to the child, they start feeling neglected and start hating the school. This will develop a pessimistic attitude and this could also affect their studies. Therefore, it is essential to maintain a positive attitude and support slow learners to eliminate many factors that hinder learning, such as distractions, annoying peers, a fast classroom pace, and a competitive atmosphere.

Parents Responsibility:

If your child is labeled as a slow learner that does not mean that he/she is less than others. If they have an interest in dance or music or swimming then allow them to learn. As a parent, you can do the following with your child:

• Provide a quiet work/study area and avoid distractions
• Keep short homework sessions due to attention span
• Help your child with assignments by giving clues, and repeating the process and concepts with similar questions.
• Ask questions from them. For instance ‘what do you know about the process?’, why did you choose this answer?’, how do you read this word?’ Ask questions such as ‘what does that word mean?’
• Read the lesson for your child
• Be calm, patient, and consistent
• Do not allow them to give up a specific task. If required take a break and again carry on with the task till it gets over.
• Be in touch with your child’s teachers and ensure that your child doesn’t fall through the system.
• Don’t be overprotective if your child is a slow learner. Instead, help them to find their own way.