What To Do When Your Kid is a Slow Learner

First, it must be made clear that slow learners are not children that suffer from autism or are clinically mentally retarded. These kids are just those that have trouble keeping up with their peers academically. They can be said to be below-average or borderline pupils who find it difficult to grab abstract thought and may need more repetition before fully understanding a concept. They are not eligible for special education and should not be treated as kids suffering from any mental illness. All they need is patience and grace which is needed to thoroughly deal with them.  Instead of being ashamed, parents must help them reach their full potential because they are capable of excelling in many other things but only when they are motivated.

But how does a parent know that their kid is a slow learner? It is important that parents know if their kid is a slow learner so that the kid does not go through emotional or psychological pain when he or she is unable to grab certain ideas quickly. These are outlined below:

• Kids who are slow learners quickly reach their development milestone right on time than others. If your kid struggles in school, look for clues in his early childhood. Ask yourself if he was sitting up at 6 months, reaching for objects at 8 months, speaking a couple of words at 1 year? Look for anything that will give you a clue like his potty training, shoe-tying or another kind of education that gave him or her. If you noticed that he struggled mightily with these tasks compared to his mates then he might be a slow learner.
• This is easily detectable as your kid gets to advance stages in his education. In the primary grades, the type of learning becomes more abstract and slow learners tend to find it difficult to keep up. Read with your child and test their memory and understanding. Also get your child’s point of view about what is going on and you may be surprised to discover that something is worrying her to the point of distraction which can interfere with anyone’s learning ability. Keeping up with current subject areas may be very difficult.
• You can conduct a formal assessment so that you are completely sure and rule out specific learning or physical disabilities that may be causing problems. Many successful adults have been considered slow learners before because of a condition such as dyslexia, ADD or impaired vision or hearing. This evaluation will probably include an IQ assessment, test for specific problems and interviews with both you and your child. An IQ score that is average (100) or higher in a child who struggles to learn often points to a learning disability.
• Your kid has a problem concentrating can also be a sign. All children have limited attention span but those who have trouble concentrating for more than two or three minutes at a time and are unable to recall what they did in that time and repeat what they did without intrusion or prompting, later on, will likely be in need of specialized attention and be labeled as ‘slow learners’
• You will discover that your kid may lack self-confidence and is socially immature or reclusive. Children who are seen to be slow learners will find it hard to go along with other kids and this can be quite embarrassing and humiliating and demeaning to a child. Thus, their confidence will drop seriously and they will withdraw in an effort to protect themselves from the pain.

When a parent knows that his or her child is a slow learner, it is their duty to make sure that they help them to be the best and not feel isolated or useless. They are as capable as any other child.

Tips On How to Deal With Your Kid

The first thing to do when you discover that your kid is a slow learner is to slow down things for them. Give them the grace and time they need and deserve to reach their full potential. This will mean that you will have to provide them with the environment and tools need to excel. See your kid as a special child that has a gift and give him or her everything they need to develop that gift.

1. The first step is to create a healthy and conducive learning environment for him or her which will be free from any kind of distraction. They are able to focus and put all attention into what they do thereby improving their peace when they fully understand the concepts.
2. Be patient with your kid. The most important aspect of teaching your kid at home is the ability to think and acts like him. If you cannot exercise patience then you will end up getting angry and even yelling. Remember that your kid is going to get the concept but this will take time and that is what you need to put in with consistency. Keep repeating what you have taught him or her previously and help them get the basic instruction keyword.
3. You could request the school’s management help arrange special classes for slow learners after and before school. If this is not possible then try to get a teacher that will help tutor your kid privately at your home or theirs.
4. Always praise any tiny effort they make because this boosts their confidence and makes them believe in themselves that they can do it. With this, they will put in more effort and also believe in themselves.
5. Keep assignments and homework sessions short.
6. Always be there to help your child. This means that you have to be accessible and available when your kid needs help. Do not do the work for them but instead give them clues and have them repeat the process or apply the idea to a new problem so that you are sure that they have understood the concept.
7. Ask questions to test their understanding like ‘What does that word mean?’ ‘Do you see how this work?’ and ‘Why did you choose the answer?’
8. Read to your child and when I say read, I mean all kinds of books and stories.
9. Be patient and consistent
10. Do not allow them to give up on their work and themselves. You can allow for a break if need be but always come back to the task and see it through to completion.
11. Do not be overprotective of labeling your kid as a ‘slow learner’. This only makes them fell slower and don’t ever tell them they can achieve something.
12. Be their advocate by staying connected with their teachers and making sure that your kid does not fall through the cracks of the system.

In conclusion, every kid has the potential of being someone great in life. Even though they might not be a doctor, nuclear scientist or a lawyer but that does not mean they may not be gifted in other things. Just because your kids a slow learner does not mean that they are not able to create other things or do other physical activities. So, do not give up on them, keep helping them and supporting t