Compensatory education was designed to overcome learning deficiencies in students who

The Equal Educational Opportunities Act (EEOA) guarantees English Language Learners equal educational opportunities. That promise, however, has not been realized. One factor contributing to this failure appears to be that courts have yet to recognize the full scope of relief permitted by the EEOA. In particular, courts have not recognized that the EEOA permits awards of compensatory education—a powerful tool for remedying deficits that develop when a student’s educational rights are infringed. That the EEOA allows compensatory education awards is confirmed by (1) courts’ approach to compensatory education under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and (2) the EEOA’s school-desegregation roots. Given the litigation history of the EEOA, courts’ delay in recognizing compensatory education is understandable. But moving forward, compensatory education should be a mainstay of EEOA litigation.

Doyle, Michael.

Contemporary Education

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PUBLICATION DETAILS

Scholarly Journal

Contemporary Education

Indiana State University School of Education.

Citation/Abstract coverage: Jan 1, 1929 (Vol. 1) - Jul 01, 1995 (Vol. 71, no. 4)

; Terre Haute, Ind. Vol. 42, Iss. 1,  (Oct 1, 1970): 39.

Remedial education (also known as developmental education, basic skills education, compensatory education, preparatory education, and academic upgrading) is assigned to assist students in order to achieve expected competencies in core academic skills such as literacy and numeracy.

Remedial Teaching

Students who have temporarily fallen behind in their studies or otherwise need short-term support in their learning have the right to get remedial teaching. Remedial teaching should be started immediately when the difficulties in learning or school attendance have been noticed, so that the students would not stay behind permanently in their studies. Remedial teaching can counteract difficulties beforehand. Remedial teaching should be organized according to a plan and as often as is necessary.

Characteristic to remedial teaching are individually planned

• tasks,
• time management
• and guidance.

Diverse methods and materials are used in remedial teaching, with which new ways can be found to approach the subject that is to be learned. In proactive remedial teaching the new things that are to be learned are introduced beforehand. Remedial teaching can also answer the need for support that arises from absences.

Schoolwork is planned in such a way that every student has a possibility to participate in remedial teaching if need be. Remedial teaching is given either

• during the lessons to which the need for support is connected, or
• outside lessons.

Various flexible groups are used in remedial teaching.

The initiative about giving remedial teaching is primarily done by the teacher. It can also be done by the student or guardian. The task of each teacher is to monitor the learning and growth of the student and the possible needs for support that may arise. Remedial teaching is organized in mutual understanding with the student and the guardian. They will be given information about the forms of remedial support and its importance to learning and school attendance. Students are obligated to participate in the remedial teaching that has been organized for them.

Remedial teaching is given at all levels of support.

What is a remedial instruction?

The Remedial Education Program is an instructional program designed for students in grades 6-12 who have identified deficiencies in reading, writing, and math. This program provides individualized basic skills instruction as mandated by Georgia Law in the areas of reading, mathematics, and writing.

Objectives of Remedial Teaching

Each pupil is different in terms of learning ability, academic standards, classroom learning and academic performance, and each has his own in learning. The aim of IRTP is to provide learning support to pupils who lag far behind their counterparts in school performance. By adapting school curricula and teaching strategies, teachers can provide learning activities and practical experiences to students according to their abilities and needs. They can also design individualized educational programmes with intensive remedial support to help pupils consolidate their basic knowledge in different subjects, master the learning methods, strengthen their confidence and enhance the effectiveness of learning.

Throughout the teaching process, teachers should provide systematic training to develop pupils' generic skills, including interpersonal relationship, communication, problem-solving, self-management, self-learning, independent thinking, creativity and the use of information technology. Such training can lay the foundation for pupils' life-long learning, help them develop positive attitudes and values, as well as prepare them for future studies and career.

Principles of Helping Pupils with Learning Difficulties

 Teaching preparation

  Before preparing for their lessons, remedial teachers should identify pupils' diverse learning needs as soon as possible so that they may design appropriate teaching plans to facilitate pupils' effective learning.

Devise various learning activities

  Since pupils have different characteristics in learning, teachers must devise different learning activities with the same teaching objective to develop pupils' varied abilities and skills in problem solving. It is more effective for teachers to adopt a series of relevant and simple teaching activities than assigning one long teaching activity since pupils may acquire the required knowledge and skills through diversified activities.

Design meaningful learning situations

  Remedial teachers should specifically design meaningful learning situations, language environments(especially for English subject), games or activities so as to provide personal learning experiences for pupils and stimulate their interest and initiative in learning.

Teaching approaches

  Teachers should give concrete examples before proceeding to abstract concepts by way of simple and easy steps at a pace in line with the learning abilities of students. Teachers may teach new concepts from different perspectives by various approaches so that pupils can grasp the ideas through meaningful and repeated illustrations. Teachers should encourage pupils' active participation by more frequent use of teaching aids, games and activities. They can also make use of information technology and all the teaching resources available to help pupils understand the main points.

Provide clear instructions

  Pupils with learning difficulties are less competent in understanding written language. Therefore, remedial teachers should give pupils short and clear instructions to avoid confusion. They must explain clearly the arrangement of each learning activity. If necessary, they may ask pupils to repeat the steps of activities so that every pupil may understand the instructions.

Summarize the main points

  At the course of teaching, teachers should always sum up the main points in teaching and write the key phrases on the board to enhance pupils' audio and visual memories. Teachers can guide their pupils to link up the knowledge they learn from class with their life experiences so as to enhance the effectiveness of learning. Besides, guiding pupils to repeat the main points in verbal or written form is also an effective way of learning.

Enhance learning interest and motivation

  Suffering from frequent frustrations in their work, pupils with learning difficulties may gradually lose their interest in learning. Therefore, teachers should adapt the curriculum to meet the needs of pupils. With less pupils in the IRTP, teachers can design interesting activities coupled with reward scheme to stimulate pupils' interest. It is most important to help pupils overcome their learning difficulties so that they may gain a sense of achievement and recover their confidence and interest in learning.

Encourage pupils' active participation in class activities

  Pupils with learning difficulties usually lack self-confidence and are more passive in class. They seldom ask questions or express their views. Remedial teachers should patiently encourage active participation in class. Pleasurable learning experiences may help enhance pupils' interest in learning.

Focus on the learning process

  Teaching should not only focus on the transmission of knowledge. It is also important to see that pupils are benefited from the entire learning process. Teachers should provide ample opportunities in class for pupils to practise and think what they have learnt, and allow them to solve problems by different means. Teachers should also carefully observe the performances of pupils and give them appropriate assistance, feedback and encouragement so as to help them acquire the learning skills, solve their problems and understand their own capability, thus enhancing self-confidence and improving their learning skills.

Show concern for the performances of individual pupils

  Pupils may encounter different problems in their studies, therefore, teachers should carefully observe the learning process of individual pupils in class. Whenever necessary, they should provide individualized remedial teaching before and after class, during recess or lunchtime, so that they can remove their learning obstacles as soon as possible. When marking assignments, teachers should take note of the common errors of pupils and deliver the correct concepts and knowledge to them promptly.

The Process of Remedial Teaching

 Curriculum Adaptation

 Remedial teachers should adapt the curriculum to accommodate the learning characteristics and abilities of pupils. They should set some teaching objectives which are easy to achieve to ensure that pupils may acquire the knowledge as desired after the completion of each module.

Teaching should not be directed by textbooks which should not be taken as the school curriculum. There is no need to cover all the contents in the textbooks as well. Schools can classify the teaching content into core and non-core learning aspects according to the teaching objectives and pupils abilities. Core learning aspects require in-depth studies and application whereas materials in the non-core or advanced learning aspects may be streamlined or appropriately selected for teaching.

Teachers are encouraged to adopt recommendations on cross-curricular teaching by linking up related teaching areas flexibly so that more time can be spared for effective activities and learning.

Teachers should make good use of all teaching materials. For example, they may select and use the materials in textbooks to meet the teaching objectives, or compile their own supplementary teaching materials. They may also design materials of different standards. Materials from the internet, newspapers, magazines and references provided by the Education Department may help teachers design interesting and enjoyable activities to enhance pupils’effectiveness of learning.

Homework Policies

 Schools should formulate clear policies on homework which should be reviewed regularly. The assignments should be targeted at the teaching objectives and serve the purposes of learning. Exercise books available in the market should only serve as a reference. Schools should choose these exercise books carefully and make appropriate adjustments to the category, quantity and quality of homework.

Teachers should take note of the following points when designing homework for pupils:

  i. the homework should have clear objectives and can accommodate the level and needs of pupils;

  ii. the form and contents of homework should be of a great variety so as to develop pupils’ creativity, self-learning and collaborative skills;

  iii. the homework should match the content taught in class;

  iv. teachers should give simple and clear instruction;

  v. assign appropriate amount of homework each day;

  vi. ineffective and mechanical drills should be avoided; and

  vii. teachers should make good use of the homework as a tool for evaluation and feedback to enhance the motivation and effectiveness of learning.

Formulation of Teaching Plans

  When formulating teaching plans, teachers are advised to take the following two aspects into consideration:

On the one hand, teachers should formulate practical teaching objectives that meet the learning characteristics and weaknesses of pupils so as to foster a sense of achievement. On the other hand, teachers should decide whether the learning items should be taught in details or in brief. Moreover, the items should be classified into different levels and taught through small and simplified steps to facilitate comprehension as well as to strengthen pupils’ confidence in learning.

With reference to the common difficulties encountered by pupils, teachers should set down the main points for remedial teaching and make adjustments promptly according to the performance of students.

Teachers should make a brief record of the learning aspects, teaching objectives/aims, key learning points, activities, use of teaching aids and evaluations for future reference.

Teachers may deliver the teaching content by means of modules, themes, learning aspects or teaching items and work out the teaching plans accordingly.

Post-lesson reviews should focus on the teaching process and pupils’ performance, with specific and critical evaluations made. Examples of main points for review are as follows:

  i. the common difficulties of pupils;

  ii. the effectiveness of teaching strategies and class activities to help pupils understand the teaching contents, grasp the main points and apply what they have learned; and

  iii. issues of concern (e.g. basic knowledge that requires enrichment, the need to break down or re-arrange teaching steps, etc.)

Teaching Activities, Aids and Supporting Materials

 Teachers should design appropriate learning activities in line with the focus of teaching. On the basis of low starting point, small steps, diversified activities and instant feedback, teachers should encourage pupils to participate actively during the learning process to help master the skills and methods of collaborative learning. Diversified teaching activities such as situational teaching, competitions, collation of information, discussion, oral reporting, games, topical research, production of graphs/figures/models, role play, recording, visit and experiments may help pupils enhance their interest in learning, stimulate their thinking and reinforce the effectiveness of teaching.

Teachers should exercise their discretion in the appropriate use of teaching aids. Appropriate teaching aids not only help to enhance pupils’ interest in learning, but will also consolidate the knowledge they learned, thus achieving the objective of teaching. Common teaching aids are concrete objects, figures, models, word cards, number cards and audio-visual equipments such as tape recorder, headset, wire free induction loop system and multimedia teaching aids, etc. When designing and using teaching aids, teachers should first consider their practical use and assess whether the aim of remedial teaching can be attained.

The design and organization of teaching materials should be pupil-oriented. They should be selected and collated systematically to serve the purpose. Teaching materials provided by the Education Department or other academic institutions may also serve as a reference for teachers (A list of references can be found at Appendix 10).

The Setting of Learning Environment

  Well-designed learning environment helps to maintain pupils’ attention and interest in learning and facilitates the achievement of teaching aims. In this way, it is more easy to achieve the aim of teaching. The teaching environment should be designed to support remedial teaching and group activities. Seat arrangements of pupils should be flexible to meet the specific teaching purposes of each learning activity. For example, teachers and pupils may form of circle when holding discussions; and the two pupils or group members involved may sit together during peer group or small group learning.

Teachers should prepare a rich, pleasant and comfortable learning environment for pupils. For example, they may set up a self-learning corner, book corner, toy corner, science corner, prize corner or stationery/learning resources corner, etc. to enkindle pupils’ interest in learning. An example of classroom setting is shown at Appendix 9.

Teachers may display the teaching materials of the week or the learning outcomes or products of pupils at prominent places to stimulate their motivation in learning.

Remedial Teaching Strategies

 Individualized Educational Programme (IEP)

  Geared to the learning needs of individual pupils, the Individualized Educational Program me aims to reinforce the foundation of learning, help pupils overcome their learning difficulties and develop their potentials. Individualized Educational Programme should include short-term and long-term teaching objectives, learning steps, activities and reviews to ensure that the programme is implemented effectively. Teaching can be done in small groups or for individual. If necessary, remedial teachers, other teachers, student guidance officers/teachers, parents and pupils alike are to participate in designing the program me. Remedial teachers hold meetings regularly to evaluate the effectiveness of work and gather opinions for refinement.

Peer Support Programme

  Remedial teachers may train up pupils who perform better in a certain subject to become ‘little teachers’ and who will be responsible for helping schoolmates with learning difficulties in group teaching and self-study sessions as well as outside class. Peer support program me helps pupils reinforce their knowledge, and develop their communication and cooperation skills as well as good interpersonal relationship. To enhance the effectiveness of the program me, remedial teachers must provide training to the pupils concerned beforehand and make regular reviews on its effectiveness. Generally speaking, this program me is more suitable for pupils of higher grades.

Reward Scheme

  The reward scheme has positive effect in enhancing pupils’ motivation. It aims at guiding pupils to set their own objectives and plans, and positively reinforcing their good performance. No matter what reward is provided, the most important thing is to help pupils cultivate an interest in learning and gain a sense of satisfaction and achievement during the learning process . When designing the rewards offered, remedial teachers should take note of the following:

  i. set clear and specific targets (for example: requirement on the score of dictation and number of assignments submitted);

  ii. set achievable objectives;

  iii. give diversified rewards (including verbal commendation) or prizes to accommodate pupils’ interest; give rewards instantly;

  iv. review and revise the reward scheme regularly; and

  v. invite parents to help children improve their work.

Handling pupils’ behaviour problems

  Remedial teachers should observe the following when dealing with the behaviour problems of pupils:

  i. always observe the performance of pupils in class and their behaviour in groups;

  ii. establish close relationship with pupils, develop mutual trust and listen carefully to what they say;

  iii. help pupils understand the effect of their behavior on the other as well as their own selves;

  iv. keep in close contact with parents to find out the cause of pupils’ behavior problems;

  v. help pupils build up self-confidence and a healthy self-image;

  vi. give positive reinforcement to pupils’ good behavior, and do not pay undue attention to their misbehavior;

  vii. do not try to change all the deviant behavior of pupils at once. Teachers should list out the problems and set the priorities with an aim to improve one or two of them at a time;

  viii. refer the cases to Student Guidance Officers/Teachers for follow-up action if the behavior problems of pupils continue or become serious. If necessary, student guidance officers/teachers may refer the case to the Psychological Services Section of the Education Department for individual assessment and remedial services.

Development of Generic Skills

 Remedial teachers should help pupils develop good learning habits and attitudes, such as complete the assignments tidily, keep their promise and be responsible and disciplined. A constructive attitude is the foundation for life-long self-learning and it helps enhance pupils’ learning effectiveness.

Pupils should be helped to master basic self-learning skills and abilities. For example, teachers may teach them how to set appropriate learning objectives and priorities, time management, note-taking, reading skills and examination taking skills, etc.

Remedial teachers can also make use of information technology to motivate and teach pupils to learn according to their own pace, help them cultivate the habit of self-learning, so that they will benefit from such training for their whole life.

Pupils can be taught to solve problems by different methods, tools or by drawing insight from their past experiences. For example, teachers can teach them the use of dictionaries, as well as the skills of seeking and handling information obtained from the school and public libraries. These are ways to develop students’ flexibility, creativity and independent thinking.

Teachers should train pupils to establish good interpersonal relationship so as to facilitate effective communication and collaboration as well as to enhance the team spirit of students.

Assessment and Record on Learning

  Assessment plays a very important role in teaching and learning. By means of assessment, remedial teachers can know the learning progress as well as strengths and weaknesses of pupils; hence, they may design different teaching activities accordingly to help pupils learn in an effective manner. Besides, it is also a means to measure the discrepancy between IRTP pupils and ordinary pupils so that teachers may decide whether it is desirable for the pupil(s) concerned to withdraw from IRTP.

The two most common assessment methods are listed as follows for teachers’ reference:

  i. Formative Assessment

    Teachers can understand and assess the learning abilities of pupils from their daily classwork and homework as well as individual or group projects, such as model making, drawing, information collection, measuring activities and the way they relate daily events to the topics they learnt in class, so that they can revise the teaching content accordingly.

  ii. Summative Assessment

    With reference to the progress of teaching, teachers may assess the performance of students by means of examinations/tests. The examination/test papers must cover all the main points in teaching where the levels of difficulty meet the pupils’ abilities. The weighting of questions and marks should be balanced. Different types of questions should be included.

Schools may have different forms and weightings of assessment.

Remedial teachers should keep a detailed personal record for each pupil under IRTP. They should assess the progress of pupils regularly and systemically. A comprehensive record provides information on the learning progress of pupils and serve as a reference.

Teachers should pay attention to the response of pupils during classroom learning and make a record in the “Evaluation” column of the teaching plan (Appendix 7) to facilitate follow-up actions or changes in teaching strategies. In addition, teachers should make reference to the teaching objectives in evaluating the effectiveness of teaching, and revise their teaching plans according to the learning needs.

 Liaison with Parents

 In order to help pupils with learning difficulties, schools must liaise closely with parents. Apart from providing guidance on homework to their children, parents also handle pupils’ problems either by the same way or similar ways in line with the requirements of the school and their schoolwork.

Some parents may have unrealistic expectation of their children’s performance. In such cases, remedial teachers have to explain to the parents about the characteristics and abilities of pupils so that they may help their children to learn in a pleasurable manner. On the contrary, some parents’ expectation may be too low. Teachers must then keep in contact with parents to help them understand their children and to provide appropriate guidance to develop the pupils’ potentials.

 Co-ordination with Other Teachers and Professionals

 Remedial teachers must keep in close contact with other teachers. They are encouraged to discuss or share their experiences with others to find out ways to improve pupils’ learning and behaviour. For example, they may discuss on the teaching plans, learning progress of pupils, test and examination questions, pupils’ problem behaviour and partial or total withdrawal of pupils .

Remedial teachers should also liaise with other related professionals to seek for professional support with a view to helping pupils solve their problems.

What is a remedial class?

REMEDIAL CLASSES are classes that some students must take in order to build up math, reading, or English skills BEFORE they are allowed to take regular college courses. Why You Don't Want to take Remedial Classes: You can't take regular college courses until you complete the remedial classes.

emedial education, also known as basic skills development, is instruction provided to students who need more support in core areas such as reading and math. These students qualify for remediation because of their poor performance in those areas. This instruction can be provided in different ways.

Pull Out or Push In?

Remedial education can be provided in a few different ways. Pull out remediation is given by pulling the student out of the classroom and providing instruction in a small group in a different environment. This type of instruction can be beneficial to students who get distracted by other students or frustrated when there is a lot going on in the classroom. However, it can also make students feel isolated and separated from the rest of their class. Some students can feel like they are being left out when they are pulled from classroom instruction.

• Push in remediation is provided by the remedial teacher coming into the classroom to provide support to the students who need it during a lesson. This type of instruction is helpful when the student only needs minimal support and can also focus well in a whole group setting. However, this type of remediation can be difficult for students who have more critical needs and are easily distracted by others. For example, Joey does better when his remediation teacher comes into his classroom during lessons. He can ask questions in a small group while remaining in the classroom with his peers and teacher.

What is a remedial reading program?

The term remedial refers to correcting or improving deficient skills in a specific subject. Thus, remedial reading is a change in instruction that helps remedy a weakness in the area of reading.

What Should You Look for in a Remedial Reading Program?

Remedial reading programs should be research-based and implemented with fidelity by teachers who have received sufficient training. The instruction should be explicit and should move sequentially from the simplest concepts to the more complex. Instruction should be consistent and intensive with teacher modeling, guided practice, and independent practice.

What is Remedial Reading?

The term remedial refers to correcting or improving deficient skills in a specific subject. Thus, remedial reading is a change in instruction that helps remedy a weakness in the area of reading.

How Should Remedial Reading Be Taught?

Here you can find information on the research, implementation strategies, teacher training, and the suggested instructional framework for the Reading Horizons remedial reading program:

Strategies for Teaching Remedial Reading

Suggested Instructional Framework 

Once you are empowered with effective strategies for teaching remedial reading, here is Reading Horizons suggested instructional framework for introducing each strategy to your students:

1. Review (2-4 min.)

Give a quick review of the skills taught the day before, and connect it to the new information.

2. Teacher Modeling (5-10 min.)

Model the new concept with explicit, visual instruction. Think out loud.

3. Guided Practice (10-15 min.)

Guide students through concrete, hands-on practice that reinforces the new concept. This can be accomplished through dictation, the use of RLCs, and other group activities.

4. Summarize and Reflect (2-4 min.)

What have we learned? How can we use this?

5. Independent Practice (5-10 min.)

Students practice the skills learned, independent of teacher or peer guidance. This can be accomplished through RLCs, Student Workbook pages, and/or software lessons.

6. Application

Remind students to pay attention to words that follow the skill(s) taught as they read.

What does remedial help mean?

formal A remedial action is intended to correct something that is wrong or to improve a bad situation: to take urgent/immediate remedial action. The bill requires owners to undertake remedial work on dilapidated buildings. formal Remedial exercises are intended to improve someone's health when they are ill.

What is remediation in the classroom?

Two Types of Remediation. Short-term remediation is designed to get students ready for the summative assessment. Ongoing remediation focuses on long-termed skill development to address large gaps in background knowledge or basic skills. All remediation usually occurs outside the classroom.

How do you teach a slow learner?

10 Tips to teach slow learners

1. Be patient with slow learners. ...
2. Seek school management's help. ...
3. Engage fellow classmates in your efforts. ...
4. Provide minimum homework. ...
5. Let a buddy teach. ...
6. Encourage and Teach the right things. ...
7. Give them special takeaways. ...
8. Praise and raise them.

Encourage constant Parent–Teacher Association

10 Tips to Teach and Improve Slow Learners

Slow learners – Isn’t this clinical term deplorable for children with below average IQ levels? Seems like a lifelong tag suggesting that such children are non-achievers. On the other hand, slow learners are being a part of regular schools, thus only proving that they are not physically or mentally disabled but only pace disabled. The only problem with them is that they learn concepts and achieve developmental milestones at a pace slower than their peers if they do not suffer from any other disabilities.

Teachers and parents play pivotal roles in a slow learner’s life. Their support and motivation go a long way to help such children overcome their hurdles. This duly signifies that teachers and parents have added responsibility from schools and society toward them.

Creating a healthy and conducive environment for a slow learner is of utmost importance to improve their pace. Often teachers who have a slow learner in their class face grave problems: keeping up with the term syllabus, fear of losing empathy toward such students, and many others. We have put up a few motivation tips for teachers alike to help them cope with at least the basic issues.

1. Be patient with slow learners

The foremost aspect of teaching a slow learner is that the educator should be patient and consistent throughout the entire process. The core problem of slow learners’ education is their weak cognitive skills coupled with the slow speed learning. A teacher has to be understanding and patient toward their ability to get distracted easily and having a low attention span. Moreover, teachers must find creative ways to cope with this situation so that the entire class is not affected. One of them is patient repetition. Try repeating every basic instruction, keyword and concept time and again without being boring. Do not over speak, but over teach.

2. Seek school management’s help

Request the school to arrange special classes for slow learners after/before school. Also, check whether you can get a co-teacher or an assistant teacher for your class. This will help you concentrate better on them.

3. Engage fellow classmates in your efforts

Teach the other students to empathize with the special students. Specially ask them not to bully or tease slow learners. Inform them about their condition and how they could make a difference. Ensure you have these timely sessions in the slow learner’s absence.

4. Provide minimum homework

We all agree that homework although with its benefits is more of a burden for a child and her parent. Slow learners, in particular, find it difficult to be attentive throughout the school day, let alone coming home and completing homework assignments. For such children, quality matters over quantity. Having minimum homework would help them understand learning and reduce their anxiety. This, in turn, would maintain their enthusiasm toward school. An educator can assign and alter homework personally and leave out small details that may be of little importance. For example, a homework of writing an essay on an English chapter could be modified to reading the chapter twice, and telling the summary to the teacher would be a better idea.

5. Let a buddy teach

Peer tutoring works better for slow learners. When their teachers are of the same age, they get encouraged. Let them select 1 or 2 of his friends to form a study group. Assign the study group the task of reiterating the new teachings of the day and assisting with homework.

6. Encourage and Teach the right things

Invite them to come forward during art classes, school activities, or volunteering. Recognize and reward their participation. This would do wonders to their self-confidence. Teach special skills rather than unnecessary skills. This may include following the correct instruction words (count, color, circle, etc.) or listening and focusing on keywords. Remember the main goal is to make them self-sufficient.

7. Give them special takeaways

Hand out special cheat sheets, mini dictionaries, or visually graphic information sheets. One good idea is to give lesson pamphlets for pinning them to their soft boards so that they are surrounded by constant reminders of lessons and activities. Do check out our stash of Math tips and tricks to help motivate them.

8. Praise and raise them

Always praise every tiny effort of a slow learner in front of the class or in public. This would raise their self-esteem and confidence.

9. Encourage constant Parent–Teacher Association

Work very closely with their parents. Ensure the homework and tasks assigned are successfully completed on a daily basis. Be accessible and open to communication. Make sure to listen out to parents’ problems and help to solve them. Conduct special meetings for their parents of apart from the general PTA meets.

10. Lastly, a few don’ts:

• Do not reprimand in front of the class. You may do that in private.
• Do not emphasize on writing, concentrate on reading. Oral education is more beneficial for them.
• Do not let them quit trying. Encourage them to continue their hard work to complete their tasks even if it means postponing it.
• Do not be overprotective. Let their slow learning not become their introduction.

 We all need to remember and timely remind ourselves while teaching slow learners that it is okay to let them learn things slowly than not learn at all. If you find this post beneficial, please leave me a comment. Best of luck!

What is the typical attitude of teacher education students toward children?

Which philosophy emphasizes teaching strategies to promote students contributions to society?

What is liberated education?

Which of the following was the underlying argument for the Kalamazoo case ruling in 1874?