Heartbroken Teachers

While in Colorado recently, one of our Distance Learning parents invited me to speak to a group of parents and teachers.  There was a kindergarten teacher in the group who was literally moved to tears by the plight of smart but struggling students.

She shared that, as a classroom teacher she could see when a student was having difficulty but felt powerless to do anything that would really make a difference.  She was heartbroken knowing that while she was an excellent kindergarten teacher, she didn’t have the knowledge, the skills, or the time to help her smart but struggling little learners correct their learning challenges.

She could love them and guide them as best she could, but at the end of the year, they were moving on to the next grade with their learning challenges in tow.

Why Schools Cannot Fix Learning Challenges

As a parent, the last thing I want to hear a teacher say is, “I have too many students to focus on just one.”  I figure, it’s their job to teach my child and so they should figure it out.  But the reality is, that even the most dedicated and caring teacher, has to spread his/her attention around to 20 – 30 students and the struggling learner is not likely to get as much help as he probably needs.

The other reality is, that it is the job of the schools to teach curriculum – subject areas:  reading, writing, spelling, math, social studies, geography, science, history, foreign language, and the list goes on and on.  Thank goodness it’s their job, because who else is going to teach all of that!

Even in special education, in most cases, teachers are bound by state standards and the need to support students in their regular curriculum.  So as unfair as it probably seems, the job of actually correcting or eliminating a learning challenge is generally going to fall outside the doors of the school.

Stop the Cycle of Frustration and Failure!

There is a whole set of underlying processing/learning skills that need to be in place in order to learn comfortably and efficiently in school.  These include such skills as memory, auditory and visual processing, language comprehension, processing speed, and body and attention awareness and control.

It’s not a quick fix and it’s not likely to occur at school, but these underlying skills can be developed so that students with average to above average intelligence suffering with diagnosed or undiagnosed learning disabilities or dyslexia can stop struggling.

As a colleague said recently, “Changing these underlying skills 

changes the trajectory of students’ lives!”

JOIN US for a Parent Information Meeting to understand these underlying skills and your child’s learning better.  stowellcenter.com

Quick Answers

Why can’t my child’s teacher fix a learning challenge?

It is the job of the schools to teach curriculum. Even in special education, in most cases, teachers are bound by state standards, so the job of actually correcting or eliminating a learning challenge is generally going to fall outside the doors of the school.

What underlying skills support learning in school?

These include such skills as memory, auditory and visual processing, language comprehension, processing speed, and body and attention awareness and control.

Can students with learning disabilities stop struggling?

These underlying skills can be developed so that students with average to above average intelligence suffering with diagnosed or undiagnosed learning disabilities or dyslexia can stop struggling. It’s not a quick fix and it’s not likely to occur at school.