How to Deal with Slow Learners

Last week I went to Camp David Training College to conduct a survey on the effect of social networks on our societies. I found the students already seated waiting for me. I gave every student a blank paper and explained to them what they should write down for me. I started collecting my papers after thirty minutes. As I was collecting, I realized that three students had barely written anything on their papers. After consulting with their teacher I realized that they were slow learners. I learnt there are special ways of dealing with slow learners. These are:

Rule out any learning disability

Disability is not inability. If you find out your learner has an intellectual disability or a sensory impairment or even dyslexia, speak to your supervisor and also parents to get way forward. Therefore, as a teacher you need to be careful in order to be able to note such disabilities in your learners. Condemning such learners is very much uncalled for.

Rule out any other problems

A learner may not only be a slow learner but also may be shy or even not motivated at all. You should be able to tell under group your learners fall i.e. if shy involve them in many activities to kill the shyness. If not motivated engage them fully. Engaging each student individually will ensure that you understand strengths and weaknesses of every one of them. This will enable you to attend to every learner satisfactorily.

Celebrate every bit of their success

Since slow learners learn at a slow pace and sometimes taking longer to understand, celebrate every bit of their success i.e. praise them for every improvement they make. This will build their self-confidence enabling them to put extra effort.

Pair them with brighter learners

You may need to divide your class in to several teams/groups. When doing this, pair the slow learners with bright ones who can guide them. This challenges them to put more effort in their studies. It also encourages them to study on their own and asking their friends where they didn’t grasp hence more understanding.

Be patient

Slow learners don’t learn well with the normal teaching pace. When dealing with them you need to take time to ensure that they understand. Show them that they are equal to the other learners.

Arrange for extra coaching

Extra coaching sessions can do slow learners good. When handling learners with different needs sometimes the slow learners may ‘’float’’ at normal teaching pace. Teaching them at their own time will enable them to understand different concepts.

Give them learning materials

Giving them learning materials improves their memory. Materials and tools related to certain learning concepts will enable them to grasp the concepts. Live demonstrations are not easy to forget. Ensure that you understand which materials works for every slow learner.

Slow learners need to be shown love and also given special attention. This ensures that they do not feel alienated. Always ensure that all your learners are at par in terms of understanding, won’t you?