Slow learners are the children below average intelligence whose thinking skills have developed significantly more slowly than normal for their age. They have the ability to learn the academic skills but at rate and depth below average of the same age peers.
As a Grade 1 teacher handling a lower section, I am dealing a lot of these kinds of learners in my everyday teaching. Part of teacher’s duty is to deal with these slow learners patiently and help them improve their ability.
This is really a great challenge for teachers. And here are some of the ways which I had proven effective in helping the slow learners
The first thing we should do is to be patient and considerate to them. Remember that patience is a very important virtue to practice in dealing with them. In order to grasp the concepts slow learner need more time and more repetition as well as more resources from you as their teacher. Having enough patience and consideration will really be of great help to them.
Do not reprimand, humiliate, scold or yell at them in front of the class. This could lower their self-esteem. You will never win his trust by doing so. Remember that slow learners should feel an emotional security so that he will be open to be helped by you. And if this happens, it will be a lot easier to improve his abilities.
Give more practices and modify the exercises if needed. Slow learners find it hard to catch up with different lessons. To make it easier for them, prepare exercises which are within the range of their abilities. In this way, it will be easier for them to complete their task thus having that feeling of fulfilment on themselves. This will add up to their motivation to do better.
Encourage them to take part in activities they like the most in school. Focusing on the things they are good will boost their confidence. Slow learners may not be that fast in picking up the concepts as their peers, but they have their talents and this is for you as their teacher to discover.
Another strategy is to pair them with brighter pupils who will help the slow students. But you should encourage the brighter students to be humble in helping and their classmates to deal with them and interact in a proper way.
It is also very important to look at their problem areas and focus on them with extra tutorial help. Remediate these children. This could be done during our remedial class hours. Devote extra time in teaching them. Add variety in your remedial teaching by using strategies like puzzles and games which could catch their attention and enjoy learning a lot
Every child is a unique and special individual. There is always a possibility for improvement. As their teachers, we could make a difference.
By: Annacel A. Tolentino | T-I | Casupanan Elementary School
