“Do not train children to learn by force or harshness; but direct them to it by what amuses their minds, so that you may be better able to discover with accuracy the peculiar bent of the genius of each.” – Plato

I had known all along that my four children are unique in their own right. My three sons and youngest daughter have different learning styles. In the traditional way of schooling, they performed differently and varied speed of learning.

Each child is a unique individual, different in cognitive and affective development, social maturity, ability, motivation, aspiration, learning styles, needs, interests and potential. Apart from this, there are other factors underlying child differences. These include innate differences in intelligence, differences in social and economic background, variations in past learning experiences, and perhaps variations in the level of congruence between the learner and the curriculum. In view of these factors, catering for individual differences is intended neither to narrow the gap between individuals nor to even out their abilities and performance. It should aim for understanding why children are able or unable to learn well and finding appropriate ways to help them learn better.

Each child has different learning strengths and preferences and the abilities to focus and learn. It is advisable for parents to research more about other schools or modes of learning if faced with frustration on their child’s learning pace. Nowadays, it is fortunate that there are many schools to choose from.

By: Lolly B. Ravago | Teacher III | Bonifacio Camacho National High School | Abucay, Bataan