Unit Understanding Problems Of' Slow Learners: Structure

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UNIT 7 UNDERSTANDING THE PROBLEMS

OF' SLOW LEARNERS


Structure
7.1 Introduction
7.2 Objectives
7.3 Concept of Mental Retardation and its Sub-groups
7.3. I Concept of Mental Retardation
7.3.2 Who then are the Mentally Retarded?
7.4 Characteristics of Slow-Learners and their Educational Implications
7.4.1 Who are the Slow-learners'?
7.4.2 Characteristics of the Slow-learners
7.5 Special Problems of Slow-learners and Ways of Coping with them
7.6 The Teacher's Role in Guiding the Children and the~rParents
7.7 Let Us Suin Up
7.8 Unit-end Exercises

7.1 INTRODUCTION
1 am a teacher of class 11. There are about 50 children in my class, all unique in some
way. But they do have a lot of similarities as far as needs and general problems of
growth and development are concerned. Each child, howcver, has hisfher own
individual ways of responding to situations. For example Rnman, a seven year old
is a'bright child. He is very alert to what is going cn around him and is quick to
undersdai~dwhat 1 and other teachers explain, and what is being t a ~ h in t class. He'
auto~rtaticallyrelates present knowledge being imparted to what he has learnt before.
Thus his reasoning 1s very sound. I-Ie is able to retain what he lerlms without much
effort or rote drill. His class work is far superior to that of other childrer~and shows
originality of thought. It is clear that Raman i s a highly intelligciit child. A couple
of other children in the c\ass are also quite bright and their w-irk is of very superior
quality.
The majority of children in the class work at the average.leve1. This group has
children who can be rated as fair, average, good with respect to their school work
when the.y are encouraged to do their best.
On the other hand, Savitri, who is also in the same class, looks lmt 296 upset. She
keeps failing in tests and examinations. Her classwork alsa is of very poor quality.
She finds it difficult to understand anything that is explairred to l~crverbally, unless
concrete examples are given to illustrate the point. T have to use very simple cxamples
from everyday life situations to make things clear to her. She nc;t only Icnms more
slowly than her age-mates, but certain things which she has not seen nor experienced
are also beyond her understanding. This implies that Savitri will not be ready for
formal learning of the 3 R's (Reading, Writing and Arillimetic) at the same age as the
other children. In addition, she wlll not be able to l;;?ln all the things that Raman can
learn, because she seems to have a lower \eve1 oi intcilectual ability. Probably she
falls in the category of the mentally retarded since she is capable of learning at the
concrete level and is able to take care of her personal and social needs under guidance.
It seems that her mental retardation is not severe. She is in that sub-group of the
---
26 retarded category which is generally referred to as the slow-learners.
To understand the concept of 'slow-learners' better, we shall briefly discuss the
concept of mental retardation and its various sub-groups in section 7.4, since the
slow-learners group are likely to be found in schools for normal children. In this unit
we shall htudy about them and learn about their chargcteristics.We hope this knowledge
will help you to identify such children in your class by means of your keen observation,
claw interaction with the children, and personal contacts with their parents. It will,
we expect, also make you more understanding towards them in your behaviour and
expectations.
In addition to the characteristics we shall also be studying the special problems of
this group of children. This will enable us to create such an environment in our
classrooms where they are encouraged to do their very best. After learning what
these children are like, you wiri find it easier to set goals for their education that
can be achieved by them, and can prepare them to face life. On the basis of these
goal7 you could suggest suitable modifications in educational requirements for
them. You could also select and adapt your methods of teaching to their specific
needs.
In addition to gaining an understanding of the problems of slow-learning children and
helping them to minimise the adverse effects of their problems, you can guide the
slow-learners to accept themselves, and also help their parents and family members
to accept them.

7.2 OBJECTIVES
After going through this Unit, you will be able to:
a understand the concept of Mental Retardation,;
a identify the general characteristics of the slow-learners - the dull and the mildly
retarded children;
a visualise the problems that slow-learners are likely to face, and suggest ways of
helping them cope with those problems;
a set realistic goals for the education of slow-learning children and be able to make
suitable modific:rtions and adaptations in the curriculum, teaching methods and
materials to be used with these children;
e provide guidance to the slow-learners, their parents and family members.

7.3 CONCEPT OF MENTAL lW'LARDATION AND ITS


SUB-GROIJPS
Our P L I T P O S ~in this unit is to know how to guide and organise learning conditions
for the slow-learning child. To be able to do this effectively we, first, have to understand
the concept of 'slow-learners'. For this, we need to be clear about the broader term
mental retardation s~:d its various sub-groups. This will help the slow-learning group
in i t s proper perspective,.

7.3.1 Concept of Mental Retardation


In the i~rtroductionwe talked of a class which had 50 children. Among these 50
children we broadly identified three types of children. We did this on the basis of
our observations of the intelli\cttt.,xalchltracteristics and leanaing ability of these children.
We foudd that the irrtellectrxal cbwactetistks wen in R m a n over a period of time
were the ones whichare usnally found in children of very superior mental ability.
Therefore, we got the impression that R,mm was a child of superior intelligence.
There were one or two others in the c,lass who also displayed signs of highly superior
metm! ability.
I'rc~blemsAssociated However, the majority of children in the class were rated as fair, average, good or
with Develnpment
very good. There were considerable differences among these children also, but they
were not of an extreme nature. Such differences are considered to be in the 'normal
range'
On the ather hand, Savitri and a couple of other children were finding it difficult
to cope with the work of the class in spite of their best efforts. Actually they had
failed i s most of the subjects at the class I level, but since the school rules
expected every child to be promoted, they too were sent to class 11. Through our
careful abservations of these children's responses to class teaching, their classwork,
and the kinds of responses they gave to the teachers, we felt that they may
probably be dull or retarded children. To confirm this and to make the
identification more objective, we asked a psychologist to administer an intelligence
test to these children to see if our estimates of their general mental ability were
correct Or not.
Intalligqnce Tests, as you know, are measures developed by psychologists to make
the asse$sment of individual's intellectual ability more objective and scientific. It
is not possible to measure innate potential so these tests sample various aspects of
an individual's developed intellectual behaviour and thought processes to arrive at
an estimate of hislher intellectual potential. So depending upon how well the
particulgr test has been standardized, the results are good approximations. They
can be depended upon for planning children's educational programmes, though
they are not exact measures. Generally the results of these tests are reported in the
form of mental ages, Intelligence Quotients, percentiles, etc. As you have already
read in the unit on Cognitive Development, mental age is the age level at which
the chilq performs the intelligence test. The chronological age is the actual age in
years.
Intelligence Quotients popularly called I.Q. ark calculated in the following
manner

Mental age x 100


1.Q =
Chronological age

In spite of the many criticisms levelled against the concept of I.Q. or Intelligence
Quotient, it has its uses. I.Q. is a convenient way of referring to a person's intelligence
as revealed by tests. It makes it possible for us to compare the intellectual functioning
of children of different age groups. I.Q. scores also make it possible for us to compare
the same child's performance on intelligence tests administered at different ages.
Anotheq useful purpose served by I.Q. is to help us understand the distribution of
intelligence in the general child population. As you have studied in the introductory
unit to these courses, the distribution of human characteristics follow a curve called
the normal ptobability curve. In the Unit on Cognitive Development you learnt
that thedistribution of intelligence in the general child population (and among adults)
also follows this curve. This means that if we take 100 I.Q. score as the mean score,
the majority of children (68.26%) have I.Q. between 85/90 to 1101115, i.e. they
cluster wound the mean. These children are said to be children of average intelligence.
On the higher side, about 14% of children are in the 1.Q range 1101115 to 1251130.
These dhildren are considered to be of superior intelligence. A very small percentage
(3%) of children have I.Q. above 130. These children are considered gifted, highly
gifted, ietc.
On the lower side, a little less than 14% fall in the 1.Q. range 70175 to 85/90. We refer
to this $roup as slow-learners. About 2.14% of the population fall in the I.Q. range
55/60 tb 70175. These children are considered to be in the mildly subnormal or mildly
retarded group.
Understanding the Problems
of Slow Learners

Normal probability curve

'The next lower group in the range of intelligence are the moderately retarded children
who are in the I.Q. range 40155 to 55/60. The percentage of such children in the
~ ~ o r m child
al population is very small, about 1.3%. The severely retarded and the
profoundly 1-etarted come at the bottom of the scale of intelligence. They require
constant help and nursing care. Therefore, they will not be in schools meant for
nonnal children and thus, they will not be discussed here.

7.3.2 Who then are the Mentally Retarded?


From the normal distribution of intelligence we find that children whose intellectual
functioning is markedly below the average (i.e. below 85% I.Q.) for their age group,
are considered mentally retarded. According to their degree of retardation, as discussed
earlier, thcy are classified into sub-groups. This enables us to make suitable provision
for their education and care.
The sub-groups are as follows:
I. The slow-learners are in the I. Q. range 70/75 to 85/90. These children can
study in school for normal children and experience moderate academic success
provided some special provisions are made for them. Strictly speaking these
children do not fall in the category of the mentally retarded, as they are capable
of a considerable amount of learnivg at the concrete, and some learners at the
abstract level.
2. The mildly retarded children are also frequently referred to as the mildly
subnormal and in older texts, as the educable mentally retarded. They fall in the
I. Q. range -- 55/60 to 70/75. This group of children, along with the above
mentioned category of the dull, form the 'slow learning' group. They will be
described in detail later on.
3. The moderately retarded or subnormal group of children fall in the I.
Q. range - 40/45 to 55/60. Children at the upper end of this category are
capable of learning some basic skills. They are also capable of learning
words that we call, ' survival vocabulary' and with help are able to look
after their personal and social needs to some extent. This means that, with
guidance and regular training, they are able to recognise road signs, and
words such as, 'Station', Bus Depot', Restaurant', Toilet', 'Men', 'Women',
etc. This will help them to take care of their needs to some extent.
4. The severely subnormal or retarded group is in the I. Q. range 25130 to 40145.
These children are not capable of any kind of formal learning. However, with
constant help and persistent encouragement they are capable of making a fairly
satisfactory emotional and social adjustment. These children require more or less
continuous supervision, care and guidance.
I'rol~lemsAssociated The profoundly subnormal are below I. Q. 25/30. These children require total
with Developn~ent
nursing care, though with persistent training they can show some improvenlent in
self-care.
Both these groups of the severely subnormal and profoundly retarded have other
severe handicaps as well. These defects can be seen as speech defects, sensory defects,
weakness of muscular coordination, physical dsfonnities, etc. So there is no likelihood
of their being in schools for norn~alchildren,
You need to remember that we have talked of the various categories of mentally
retarded children only to make suitable provision for them. Children can never
be put into neat categories. Morever, each category merges into the other,
therefore. each retarded child needs to be stvdled individually before we make
provision fcr histher education and care.
%'e are mostly concerned with the slow - learners in this unit. These children are
found in our primary schools for normal children, at least at the initial stages before
they drop out of school. Hence we shall pay special attentioil to their needs and
problems.

f !i:ll~:;,illg ;nt2y_:r)rjt::;i:f ietnrdtld childi'dn


13,'hiih ~ ) th; : i j~~ k ~ i > i ~ f:< > ~ i i;~ ~ . i
irl oU: pi'irr~;ilg sch~~olx'!

1 The pr;!i'o~ll~di?\uh~lr:i-til:ji
.
11 i
.,
r!:t:lli,>d<;r:ib>?:<1.1;t~~pj:~~i
....
L;I) The :;evt.rcly r~t~itcfed
I v; 'The slow-ii:arny,rs
v' Thc iriiid!y-retarded
,

!
i ) " r h ~p!.cifoli~idl>suhncrin;~l :arc pcr.s:!li;ill:; ;~ifr'q~~ntt:;
..
1
!
iii 'lhe mildly retiil-tied g;,wp cat? col>i: ~ v i t hthe regular ( c a c i l i r ~or ~ ;
primary schools.
rii! T h t slow-iz:~rner,; can i . c d ~ ht h ~ Ic\~ei
' ;)f slrnpie a b s t r ~ i i rre;tx;!nrirg.
I V ) 'I'ilt: scverejy retarded fall In the I. ( ) . range '?i)/75 ici k5!!:iQ.

: i. Prc~rnth:. r'oiluwir~gitaterrlrnts tick niark ( v ! thc .;::itern-~>t rbl:;t 1.- i


<<?I-I-ec:.
i wc: statcnlcnt Ixiy hi: tick-cd.
X l ~ i ~:l?arr

i i v j . X o n < sf !hc ~:ktc:g~i.i.;'~;


$3: belour zbiii~y.
111'~~1.;19e
-< ~ .- ~ -- -

7.4 CHARACTERISTICS OF SLOW-LEARNERS AND


THEIR EDUCATIONAL IMPLICATIONS
In the previous section we discussed the concept of Mental Retardation and classified
Mentally Retarded into various sub-groups. We also realised that children who are
.-
moderately retarded, severely retarded and profoundly retarded will not be found in Unde*tandingtheProblems
of Slow Learners
schools meant for normal children, because of their very low mental ability and
multiple handicaps. Therefore, we shall not be studying them in detail.
We do, however, have a number of children in the primary classes of schools for
normal children who have serious problems of coping with school work. In a few
cases failure in school may be due to factors other than intellectual limitations. But
in a large number of cases children have difficulties because of their low mental
ability. School programmes are drawn up to meet the needs of the so called average
child. Therefore,-it is natural that children who are in the category of slow-learners
will have problems in academic work. If these problems are not identified and handled
at an early stage, they may affect the child's behaviour in other areas of development.
Many such children drop out of school and develop a hatred for academic work.
The group of retarded children who do get admitted in primary school are the ones
we designate as the slow-learners.

7.4.1 Who are the Slow-learners?


The slow-learners are the children who keep failing in our schools mainly because
of their low intellectual ability. The I: Q. range of this group is 55/60 to 85/90. This
implies that this group has a very wide range of abilities and a wide variety of
characteristics depending upon their background. These facts would have to be taken
into consideration when making educational provision for them.
In physical appearance slow-learners are no different from norn~alchildren. Therefore,
they are likely to get admission into our primary schools. The curriculum of these
schools is drawn up to meet the needs of average children. Thus these children will
find it impossible to cope with the type of education imparted in the ordinary schools,
unless special provisjon is made for them and the currici~lumis made more practically
oriented towards real life activities. This group can experience moderate success in
the ordinary schools, provided teachers are sensitive and understanding enough to
identify such children at an ezrly age, preferably before the age of 7 years. These
teachers should also have the capability and freedom to modify the curricular
requirements to suit the ability level of these children. They would also need to know
which methods and materials would be more appropriate for use with slow-learners.
By using these rnethods and materials, you as a teacherlparents will be able to help
them.
You cannot equate slow-learners with mentally retarded because the former is capable
of achieving a inoderate degree of academic success even though at a slower rate
than the average child.

7.4.2 Characteristics of the Slow-learners


The slow-learners are capable of being educated in the ordinary schools and of
achieving a moderate degree of academic success, provided they are allowed to
proceed at a slower pace, and provided the curriculum is modified to suit their ability
level. Adaptations would have to be made in the school programmes, teaching methods
and materials, and curricular requirements because their intellectual development not
only proceeds more slowly but also levels off at an earlier age in comparison with
normal children. This implies that they will be delayed in acquiring the basic concepts
such as number, vocabulary, concepts of big, small, high, low, hot, cold, time concepts,
space concepts, etc. which form the basis of much of our school work. They will
learn more slowly and they will, at the school leaving age of I 6 years, reach only the
stage of simple abstract reasoning. This means that these childien will not be ready
for formal learning of reading, writing and number work at the same age as average
or above average children. They will also not be able to keep pace with them, and
I'rohlems Asbociatrd they will never be able to learn all the things we expect normal children to master
with Development
by the time they leave school. The dull children will not be able to go in for higher
academic work despite proper guidance and educational facilities. Thus they need to
be educated for useful living. Schools need to provide a variety of experiences and
activities related to everyday life situations for these children. We would have to do
away with theory and abstract work, and instead put more emphasis on the teaching
of skills and imparting of basic information that they will be able to make use of in
later life.
A conckntrated programme of activities designed to make them socially competent
will be useful for them than theory. These children are generally quite alert in
practical things, and in jobs requiring handling of concrete objects and situations.
Therefore, education could be made more effective and meaningful for them by use
of concrete aids, activity methods and practice and application of what is learnt in the
context of real life situations. Some modification of the curriculum to suit the needs
and interests of these children will be necessary. Goals of personal development,
social competence and occupational adequacy, along with profitable use of leisure
time, assume much greater importance for them than in the case of normal children.
Methods found most successful with the slow-learners lay stress on 'doing' and
actually participating in activities. Subject knowledge needs to be presented in an
integrated manner to help these children see relationships. At the primary stage it has
been fmnd very useful to use a centre of interest approach. For example, a post
office project could bring in History, Geography, Language, Number Work in a
related way. However, such methods need to be supplemented by a basic core
programme in developing skills.
The attention span of the slow-learners is short, and they cannot concentrate on one
topic for iong. Therefore, class periods need to be short, or the teacher should be
given the freedom to change the activity on hislher own when the children start
losing i~terestin it.
Learning materials need to be presented in finely graded, sequential steps -- each
step based on the previous one, to ensure learning. For example, in arithmetic we
proceed from addition of one digit numbers, to two digit numbers, and so on.
These children generally have poor memories. Therefore. a great deal of practice and
drill through a variety of interesting activities need to be provided. Play. music,
creative activities and activities designed to promote social competence must be
given an important place in the school programme.
As far as it is possible and feasible teaching has to be individualized and practice
oriented for this group. This means that though they are part of the whole group each
dull child has hislher own programme and is allowed to proceed at hislher own rate.

7.5 SPECIAL PROBLEMS OF THE SLOW-LEARNERS


AND WAYS OF COPING WITH TXIEM
During the process of growing up all children are likely to face certain problems
related to their particular stage of development. In addition to these common problems,
the slcw-learners are likely to face some special problems due to their low mental
ability. The adverse effects of the low mental ability of an individual child is influenced
by certain factors:
1. How noticeable is the child's low mental ability.
2. How do parents and other adults react to hisker being a slow-learner.
3. How do age-mates react to the child being dull or mildly subnormal.
32
4. What extent or in what ways does the child's mental ability limit himlher from
doing what hidher age mates can do.
5. How does low mental ability affect the slow-learner's self-concept.
Our purpose in discussing the problems of slow-learners is to help parents and teachers
realise what they can do to help these children adjust, or cope with these problems.
Let us first discuss the problems of slow-learners. In physical appearance these children
are not different from other children who are considered normal. This is one of the .
reasons why these children are not identified at an early age. This is also one of the
reasons why parents and teachers expectations of these children are high. Take for
example, the case of Manoj:-
Manoj looked as normal and healthy child. He was somewhat slow in learning to
stand, crawl, walk and talk. This delay was not too much so the parents did not take
much notice of it. They attributed it to individual differences. By the time Manoj
wds four or five years old, he was able to talk, walk, play and laugh. The parents
could not see anything wrong with the child. They took him to be a child with
normal intelligence and at the age of six, brought him to a primary school. This
school admitted chlldren to class I and right from the beginning of the school year,
started formal teaching of the 3R's in a traditional way. Manoj was,welcomed by the
teacher who expected him to learn at the same level as other children. After some
time she noticed that Manoj had not learned the alphabets she had been teaching him,
nor had he acquired any of the number concepts, she had tried-to develop. She
scolded him and made him stay back during lunch breaks, to make him learn the
alphabets and number for about a week. Yet there was no visible progress. What
he learnt one day, he would forget the next day. When the teacher tried to explain
things to him he would look at her with a blank expression. Many a times the teacher
would observe him sitting with his thumb in his mouth and a blank, lost look on his
face. She would shout at Manoj, thinking he was not paying attention. At times she
would even slap the child for not doing the class work assigned to him. When she
found that he was lagging behind in the class, she sent a complaint to his parents that
he was not working and was probably lazy. The parents scolded Manoj and also
deprived him of the sweets they were giving him on return from school everyday.
Manoj was very upset and confused. He could not understand why everyone was
getting angry with him. He tried to pay more attention but still could not understand
I what was being taught. The teacher started taunting Manoj and punishing him. His
parents sided with the teacher thinking Manoj was just not interested in school work.
His classmates started to make fun of him. Manoj was very unhappy. He started
; refusing to go to school. He would cry and not eat his breakfast, refuse to get into
the school bus. His parents used force in the beginning. Later the child started to
complain of severe stomachache and would start vomitting before it was time to
leave for school. Manoj was referred to a doctor who did not find anything physically
wrong with the child. The doctor felt that something was troubling the child and
probably it was related to the school situation. Manoj was referred to a psychologist.
The psychologist got as much information as he could on Manoj - from the time his
mother coilceived him up to the time he was referred to him, from the parents. He
also collected information from the teacher which was based on her observations of
Manoj in different situations.
In addition, he supplemented these with objective data obtained by the administration
of a battery of verbal intelligence and performance tests. It was revealed that the
child's intelligence was around 70/75I.Q. Since he appeared physically normal, no
one suspected him of having low mental ability. Therefore, the expectations of the
parents and teachers from Manoj were higher than what he was capable of. Manoj
was not ready for formal wort when he entered school. His language was limited
both in usage and vocabulary and his concepts which form the basis of school
Yrohlems Associated learning had not been formed. He needed time and opportunities to indulge in
with Development
infom~alactivities of the type provided in Nursery Schools. These would have
helped hiln to learn at his own p x e without pressure, and build his basic concepts.
Manoj's problem got aggmvated because it was not identified earlier and his educational
programme was not chaikd out on the basis of a proper diagnosis. The harsh behaviour
of th: parents and tewhers towards the child and the pressure they put on him to
achieve what be wals not capable of achieving were atleast partially responsible for
Mnno-i's dr-:.elr;ping hthsvmur difficulties. Since the child's basic needs of acceptance,
reefdg!iitn~>nv , ~ a f i beiongingnrtss were not adequately met by the parents, teachers or
the 1:rci $;.OLP, he developed school phobia.
I-"oitvn;atelyit was not too late when the child's problem was identified and a suitable
programme was worked out for him. So he was able to recover from the harmful
effects of the past to a considerable extent.

In this case study we notice a number of things:


I . In physical appearance Mano-i was like normal children. So parents and teachers
did not expcct him to have low mental ability.
2. Instead of finding out why the child was not succeeding in learning what other
children were able to learn, he was scolded and punished both by the teachers
and parents.
3. His class mates made fun of him.
4. The child wns utterly confused because he did not understand what he did wrong
to get severely punished.
5. His basic needs of being loved, accepted, recognised, etc. were not met so he
developed emotional problems and behaviour difficulties.

Thus, we can conclude that problems anst:


1. When the child with low intellectual potential is not identified at an early age,
say before 7 years.
2. When hislher educational programme is not geared to hidher rate of learning and
leveI of intellectual development and the goals set for hislher education are
unrealistic leading to failure and resultant frustration.
3. When the parents r e f u ~ eto accept the fact that their child has low mental
ability in spite of hislher being diagnosed as such, they may spend a great deal
of time and money in getting the child 'treated' by doctors, quacks. miracle
men, elc. The emotional situation in such a tense home will make the child feel
more insecure. Moreover, the child also will not he able to accept and adjust
ro hislher low ability wk~enit is not accepted by hisher parents.
4. Some times parents of slow-learner develop guilt feelings and either over-
protect or reject the child or are inconsisterit in their hendlinp of tbr. child so
that he doesn't know what to expect. T h ~ sagain leads lo feelings of Snsearrnly
in children.
S. Trachrrs by their insensitive behavlous and sarcastic and hsrsh treatment rney
cause prohiems for the slow-learner. Helshe is likdy to become resentful,
agprd-eisriveor deQluctive. Or, on the other hand, he!she m;ly withdraw into himself.!
h{:bx.;elf
anti refuse to expmss RlmseIf!her,wlf in any form. In s u m extram case*
a slow-~lewmmay start playing tmnnt, get mixed up with children having
witisr&~i@hxac#ri~~cs md under IS influence carry mt & C ~ u e n twts. They
m y hi1 prey t.0 dm5 rtbuse and other vices kwse r k y lack the power c~f
critical thinking.
6. The dull ch~ldrcnlack foresight. This means that they cannot foresee or visuaiise Urrdemtorrding the ProMems
uf stew Leamers
the conscquenccs of their actions, and since they are also easily influenced by
others, they get into trouble. Our schools and homes have a great responsibility
towards meeting the psychological needs of these children, so that they feel
secure. Then there will be less chances of their being ~nfluencedby more intelligent
delinquent children. We also have to help these ch~ldrenbecome aware of' their
duties, rights and privileges as citizens of a democratic country, so that they are
prepared against exploitation by unscrupulous people.
7. The slow-learners generally develop feelings of being inferior, perhaps, because
of the attitude of parents and teachers, and the remarks of their classmates.
Other children must be guided to develop an understanding of the problen~s
these children face, and taught not to make fun of these children. These children
with low mental ability tend to have a low self-concept. This may be partially
due to their limited experiences of success, and partially because of the low
opinion expressed by parents, teachers and others about their work and
achievement.

There are many other problenis that slow learners are likely to face, which are not
described here but which you can visualise on the basis of their characteristics and
the environment in which they have to adjust.
I
Our school:;, therefore, have a great responsibility for meeting the psychotog~cal
needs of the dull and the mildly retarded children. Teachers must show more
understanding and provide them with work in which they would be sure to experience
success frequently. They must be involved in creative work, sports, games, finger
painting, water play, etc. to provide outlets for their tensions. Education for good
citizenship is essential for these children. In addition, we need to train then1 to
respoad appropriately to social situations, and be made as independent and as socially
competent as possible.

( check 170ur Progress 1


Notes: Cornp,~rcyour answci- with those given at the rnd of thc block.

4. In the t'ollow~ngstatcmsnts, tick Inark ( 4 )the statements that arc c o ~ ~ c c t .

I More than m e statement rali be correct Shw-learners I


I
I
i) have thc sclmc ptoblerns oi adjustment as othcr children.
i ~ ) have addit~onalproblems because they are emotionally unstable from
birth.
I
(
1
i i i ) have additional problerns because they have many experiences of failure.
havc additional problems because rhey are often scolded for not bei~lg
I
iv,
I ablc t o dn well as other children.
1
I
ii have tendency towards deli~lquency.
I
1 Y I ~

vllr
have no mole problclrii of delinquency tha~lnormal children.
are I~ke!y to be m ~ < l e dbecause they do not understand the
I
consecluences of their actions.
v ~ i are
~ ) likely to pet ~ n t otrouble because they are unhappy ill schclul
,uid often play t~uant.
I'rohlems Abbociatcd
wit^^ Developntent 7.6 THE TEACHER'S ROLE IN GUIDING CHILDREN
AND THEIR PARENTS
The role of the teacher and what can be done in a school for normal children to meet
the personal, social and educational needs of the slow-learners have been discussed
in the above section. Here we will put it together in summary form to lay emphasis
on things that you can do even if classes are large and programmes are highly
structured.
1. Teaahers, along with parents, can be of great help in identifying the slow-learners
at an early age. If they are keen observers of children's behaviour and development
and have a fairly good idea of how the 'normal' child's development takes place,
they will be able to notice the delayed attainment of developmental milestones.
They will be able to notice the language usage and vocabulary of the child in
comparison to that of other children. If they are interested in each child, they
will be making mental notes of their ways of reacting to various classroom
situations; their responses to her questions; their performance on, or handling of
the tasks assigned to them. Since the intellectual development of the slow-
learners is slower than normal children, they will stand out. The teacher can then
observe them more closely than others in the course of her work. Children
whom she notices having problems of coping with the classwork expected of
them can then be referred to the counsellor, or psychologist for testing their
capabilities.
2. In a number of schools cumulative records are maintained by teachers. Even if
the teacher does not have the time to maintain detailed records on each child, she
coulld make a note of any significant behaviour, incident, fact or speech pattern
of ahy child that she feels, is important in helping her to understand that child
- better. These are called anecdotal records.
Information gained through deliberate and casual contacts with parents also could
help the teacher to come to know the children. If parents have faith in their child's
teacher, and there is a good relationship between them and her, they will cvnfide ia
her more than in anyone else, regarding the child's problems.
3. Knawing about the child will help the teacirer in being more understanding
and accepting towards him or her: S'he will then treat him more affectionately
rather than being harsh and sarcastic. Nor will she resort to physical
punishment.
4. Not only is the teacher expected to accept the child herself, she also has to help
the parents to accept the fact that their child has intellectual limitations. This is
not at all easy. Parents are deeply and emotionally upset. They feel some how
they are responsible for the retardation. Their guilt feelings combined with a
feeling of failure makes it difficult to accept the fact. They need to talk with
someone who will understand their problem and keep it confidential. If the teacher
can explain to the parents in a positive way, what their child is capable of doing
rather than telling them what helshe is incapable of doing, it will help. The parent
would also be guarded against over-protection or rejection of the child. Here
again positive suggestions regarding how they could more effectively help the
child in becoming personally adequate, socially competent and develop good
work habits, are more likely to be accepted by the parents. Their suggestions will
be more effective when parents find the teacher making special efforts to do the
same for their child.
5. It has been found in certain cases that the slow-learners may develop deep-seated
emotional problems, when parents do not accept the fact that their child is retarded.
They keep putting pressure to achieve more than helshe is capable of, punish
him/her severely when he/she does not come up to their expectations; continue Unde"t~"d'"%th~Pro~l~m~
d S l a w Learners
to make unfavourable comparisons with other children in the family and make
life intolerable for the child. In one case a highly qualified doctor was not willing
to accept that one of his two sons was retarded. The other son had superior
intelligence. He expected this child to achieve academically at the same level as
the other son, and he put so much pressure on him that the child became completely
withdrawn. He would sit with a suspicious, angry look on his face, but refuse to
utter a single word. It took the psychologist and remedial teacher a long time to
get the child to communicate, and much longer to get him to cooperate in working
on the skills the teacher wanted him to learn.
I 6. Although the teacher has to gear most of her class programme to the teaching of
the so called average child, she will have to make some provisions for those at
the upper end - i.e. those with superior intelligence, and those at the lower end-
i e. the slow-learners. The number of slow-learners in an ordinary class of a
primary school will not be very large since generally only the children belonging
to the dull group would be there. A few children at the upper level of the mildly
subnormal group may also be in the primary school. In spite of having a large
number of children in her classes to teach, the teacher has a responsibility towards
these children also.
The first task of the teacher would be to plan her work with the above mentioned
group in mind, and adopt a flexible .approach. This is usually possible at the
primary stage where one teacher is incharge of teaching nearly all the subjects.
Knowing that the slow-learners would never be capable of higher academic work
she could set suitable goals for education and plan activities and experiences
through which children could progress towards the achievement of those goals.
These children in class I, could be allowed to indulge more in 'readiness activities'
of the types as they are still not ready for formal learning of the 3R's. More
emphasis could be placed in making them more independent, buildtng up their
confidence; motivating them to learn and join in group activities; deliberate,
teaching appropriate responses to different social situations, in addition to building
or at leabt laying the foundation for good work habits - like teaching or
encouraging them to pay attention by introducing interesting stories and play
activities; gradually enlarging their attention span; developing habits of
concentration, habits of persisting till the task is completed, habits of punctuality,
of being able to listen carefully and follow orders, of being able to cooperate with
others, to share and to take turns etc.
In addition the teacher should be able to modify the curriculum requirements for
these children. Since the majority of children of this group will only be capable
of simpl..: abstract reasoning hy the time they leave school, only things that will
form prtrt of their experience or will be useful to them for making satisfactory
adjustrueat In later life shocrld be taught.
Teacher could work with these childrer, i3dividually. Teacher should also know
h o r ~LO :,ddpt her method$ and materials to sult the needs of these children.
Age, xbllity and interest levei of each child has to be considered when selecting
mater:al.
7. Prov~sionof a variety of activities and ~xperiencesto let the slow-learners taste
s!.:cd.:s S C 3f the teacher's responsibilities. Thus music, art, handwork,
i h ~ S ~ part
gnrnes, -ports, drzrna, e x . must form an important part of the curriculum.
8. The teacher of primary school children cf any level of inte!lectual functioning
has to be a parent-s~bstitute,a friend, a counsellor and an educator if she has to
succeed in m&mg children work to the maximum of their potential to became
useful citizens and well-adjusted Individuals.
+ . .~.
. ... " ., ,
l'roblems Associated
with Development f.to.,.c+ , *-a t : , , 3 $
7-...

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i.ri:-:l i : : ~i:eli:i~,g 1
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:$.,* t:;:~ ..,(.t:< r:ir1;ier;+ iiboiir his i n t l ~ i .in his presen-c.5. 1
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5:?'1:pI<i{>:$S.
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!- iimong the cl?ildren.
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Baa 82 ;::,c r:~~mi?!ancein si~nilntshapes of different thirrgc. Fcr' :
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L:i!k c:c[!$<]$-!!~;*
i

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1 ii) i ry tc? write a liilc hettcr th:m you did yeiterday

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. NOWyou can do sornetl?iag e!sc.

7.7 LET US SUM UP


We have used the term 'slow learning children' here to denote the children who fall
in the IQ range 70/75 to 85/90. In simple terms we can describ,: the slow-lemcrs as
children who fail in school work, mainly due to limited or low intellectual potential,
though many other factors may also contribute to their failure.
The mental development of slow-learners proceeds more slowly than that of normal
children. Therefore they are not. ready for schooling -:the age when other normal
children are ready for it. Moreover, they are unable to complete a years work in a
year's time. Therefore, formal work would have to be delayed for them and they
would have to be allowed to proceed at their own pace. Since their mental ability
eases to develop at an earlier age, most of them may never reach the stage of abstract
reasoning. Only those at the upper end of the scale with IQ's about 80 will be capable
of ~ i m p l eabstract reasoning.
However, it must be remembered that there is a wide range of abilities among slow-.
learners. Therefore, instruction needs to be individualised for these children. Special
methods and material are needed to make education meaningful to those children.
35 .. *s --
When selecting these materials, the age, ability and interest level of the child would Understanding the Problems
of Slow Learners
have to be kept in mind. These children require to be motivated and stimulated to
learn. This could be done by the provision of a variety of interesting and exciting
situations and experiences.
Slow learning children are capable of receiving minimum education in the academic
areas, becoming socially competent and developing food, work habits and skills for
later life. They can profit from school work provided adaptations are made in the
school programme.
Special education in special appropriate schools and special classes is required for the
mildly retarded and it is not desriable to treat slow-learners at par with mentally
retarded. Early detection of the slow-learners is most essential for planning a suitable
programme for them. A programme that would meet their needs. Otherwise failure
may lead to frustration and other behaviour difficulties. The teacher has an important
role in detecting children who display symptoms of having low mental ability. These
children can then be referred to counsellors or psychologists for testing and diagnosis
on the basis of both objective and subjective data. This kind of diagnosis will help
teachers and parents to draw up suitable educational programmes for each slow-
learner. Teachers and parents have to work in cooperation to help these children make
a satisfactory adjustment in life.

7.8 UNIT-END EXERCISES


I . Observe your class carefully for atleast two weeks, and
i) make notes of children's responses to the situation.
ii) evaluate the quality of their classwork and make note of any behaviour
symptoms that may make you suspect that a child is a 'slow-learner'.
2. Observe the child carefully for a month, in formal and informal situations. If your
observations still show that helshe is having learning difficulties mainly due to
low mental ability, refer himlher to the school counsellor or Educational
Psychologist (in a training college) for testing and diagnosis.

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