Some children learn at a naturally faster rate than others. There is no need to be alarmed if your younger homeschool student seems to pick up lessons faster than the older one. However if the child has a problem retaining what has already been taught and reinforced, if he seems to have difficulty processing familiar material the second and third time, you may have a struggling learner on your hands.
How do you identify the struggling learner?
There are four primary ways that learning takes place. These include hearing, watching, writing and paying attention to what is being taught. Identify if your homeschool student has trouble with any of these processes. Some struggle with one, others with more of these processes.
The child is unable to understand what is taught in the first class, may have problem recollecting it in the next class or even have trouble building on an existing concept. Please remember that some topics may need to be explained more than once to a normal learner as well.
However if repeated attempts to teach the homeschool student the same material are failing, you may have to consider identifying the learning blocks. This can be done by teaching the child something using a single method. If that is easily grasped, move onto the next method, till you find where the problem lies.
Don’t add more stress to the situation
A natural reaction when faced with a struggling learner is to feel some panic about how to cope with the situation. don’t communicate your anxiety to your homeschool student. Try and stay focused and calm when you teach him. If you feel that no progress is being made in the lesson, switch to a less stressful activity for the time being.
It is important to correctly identify the learning disorder which is present. Most homeschool parents are unaware of dyslexia, dysgraphia, or other learning disabilities. They need to either educate themselves about the problems, or find professional help to diagnose the child. This allows the homeschool student to receive the help required in a stress free and friendly environment.
