Teaching the 'Unteachable' Child!!!

Children are endowed differently and each has a unqiue way of learning. In a normal school setting, some may learn faster than others. There is also an unfortunate group that is often labelled as unteachable by educators. Labelling a child as unteachable is detrimental to the development of a child. It affects the child's self-esteem, self-confidence and, hence, ability to learn.

I have a son who had problems in coping with schoolwork. His teachers said that he was not attentive in class and was slow in grasping what was taught in class. So, I sent him for extra coaching in private tuition centres. However, his grades improved only marginally. At the end of each school term, I would get feedback that my son was uninterested in his studies and that his progress in school was not satisfactory. He failed in some subjects in his school examinations.

Naturally, I was concerned but did know what to do to help him. To me, did not appear to be intellectually inferior. He was like any normal child who would play computer games, read comics, go cycling etc. In fact, he is quite good in drawing. In searching for a solution, I talked to parents, teachers and even professional counsellors. There was no breakthrough though.

To stimulate his interets in his studies, I decided to draw pictures (since he was what he liked to do) in explaining concepts for his Mathematics and Science subjects. I discovered that by using drawings and pictures, he could concentrate longer and I was delighted. I would encourage him to organise new concepts and ideas that were taught in school in the form of pictures, if that was what he would like to do. There was progress although a slow one. I praised and encouraged him whenever he did well in his school work. After many months, his school grades began to improve. He is no longer at the bottom of his class and has been securing above average results in his school examinations.

I think, it is important to identify what a child already is interested in and activates that while teaching something else. Do not allow 'labels' to take away the joy of learning from children with special needs.

Alfred

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