Slow learner

Have you ever wondered why some people do not comprehend things easily? Or why some people just naturally have trouble with abstract thinking? Or have a short attention span? This is because this group of people are slow learners.

In learning, there are basically three sets of people:

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1. The fast learner
2. The average learner
3. The slow learner

Our interest will be centred on the slow learner. Slow learning is not a learning disability. It is natural for one to be a slow learner. A slow learner is one whose intelligence quotient (IQ) is below average. A slow learner is a child who learns at a pace a little behind others of their age grade. Slow learners may have normal and ordinary lives outside of the classroom but finds academic subjects as a major challenge. It goes with the saying, “No child is weak or bright by birth, it is the way we feed the knowledge and how they imbibe it which makes them so.” A slow learner needs more time, more repetition and more resources to be successful. To help slow learners, a variety of approaches is put to play both inside and outside the classroom and it is also very important for parents and teachers to refrain from giving negative feedback to them but instead work with them patiently and celebrate their little successes.

There are numerous ways to help a child who is a slow learner, and they include:

• Repeating each learning point more than you would normally do.
• Using audio and visual aids.
• Using real life experiences as examples.
• Assigning of peer tutors and home work buddies.
• Praising and rewarding their little successes.
• Making their learning part of the family life as a parent.
• Getting the child tested for learning disabilities.
• Giving such child the opportunity to succeed in non-academic arenas.
• Being patient with them always.
• Encourage interaction and oral communication.

Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison and Winston Churchill were all slow learners, yet they achieved greater heights in their different fields and are known globally. Therefore, a slow learner shouldn’t be seen as a non-achiever, because this is not the case in reality. They only need extra support, time and resources from both parents and teachers to be successful.