Here are some questions parents ask support specialists in schools.
I have created a special section at the end of most of the chapters in the book I am writing for parents. Currently the book is called EDUCATING PARENTS to keep me focussed. It will probably change once the book is completed.
The reason for the real life scenarios and questions/answers is to make the book as practical and helpful for mums and dads as I can. Throughout my 30 years in schools I was asked many questions from worried parents just wanting answers. It was an important part of my job to ease their worry by giving information.
I am sharing two questions and answers from the chapter called "Why Learning Does Not Flow." Yes, I am putting my fear to one side.
I appreciate any feedback, it is always so helpful to hear what others think. It can only make my book better.
I am told that my child has a learning difficulty. So how come he can play games on the PlayStation so well?
This is a curly one and I can completely understand your confusion. How a child interacts with academic learning in the classroom is very different to playing the PlayStation.
Electronic games like the ones children play on PlayStation and X-Box use a non-language approach; they use a visual repetition of shapes and colours. There is also immediate visual feedback for players when a button is pressed and there is no talking or listening required. Therefore children with learning difficulties can and do play games on PlayStation successfully.
To acquire new ideas and information children need to be on task to listen to the information, understand what they hear and then add this information into their memory that is called short-term memory. Then the children very quickly have to add more information to short-term memory and maybe then understand a direction or maybe two to three directions about completing an exercise related to all the information. If there is a child who has trouble focussing, understanding what the teacher is saying and a problem with storing information in his short-term memory, the child is not learning so well. I suggest that you talk about your concern to the school.
Why can’t my son remember is spelling words and times facts the next morning? It is such a nightmare!
Most probably your son is having a problem with memory and in particular an aspect of memory known as Rote memory. Rote simply means the constant repetition of learning something until learned. The involves the use of short-term memory and long-term memory. Spelling and tables have been traditionally learned through a rote approach and it is not unusual for adults with good rote memory to instantly recall their timetables decades after those daily drills of chanting in the primary school classrooms. However, not everyone has a skill with the rote memorising technique so it does not make a lot of sense to keep on using this method when a child’s rote memory does not work.
Approaching the class teacher to talk about your concerns is a good first step, with maybe the next step involving some investigations with a learning support teacher and maybe a psychologist to look at your son’s learning profile. They will be able to provide an explanation about your child’s problem and best of all some strategies to help him with learning spelling and tables. It is really important for your son’s learning style to be understood and supported.
Cheers and Blessings
@angiemitchell, It's really unfortunate that many times people compare the ability with totally non related aspects. If one kid is not able to learn then he/she don't want to learn in that specific way, if we can make learning and education more fun way then the results will be wonderful. The school life is nothing less than a hell because students have to go through from many traumas, like, teachers feed fear of future and job, parents feed fear of future stability, family member's criticism, facing favouritism and baised situations, it expands different complexes. So learning should give excitement and not depression.
Hi @chireerocks, many parents whose children's learning did not flow smoothly were upset comparing them to the successful students. This is why I used learning styles and talked about the many positive of these kids. It is a big quagmire of fear with some teachers etc, but thankfully there were and are good teachers around. My book is to ease parent anxiety helping them communicate successfully as they can with schools.
Keep up the good work and it's important to come up with those efforts which can give the ease essence to people. Stay blessed.
Good morning @chireerocks and thank you, I am not one to give up. Blessings.
Welcome and great to hear that. Thank you so much.
Howdy angiemitchell! This has to be so helpful to parents when they read these answers to their real life situations!