Traversing the true learning curve

Children who seem to be doing well suddenly start scoring less when issues remain unidentified, writes Reena Ryall

It is often thought that subject-based learning is independent of other skills like language, communication, motivation, attention and sitting tolerance. However, on a linear continuum, along with learning, non-academic skills that support and contribute to learning have been found to be crucial.

This would explain why a gap in learning often leaves the child lagging behind. Due to the pandemic, this was clearly observed by both parents and teachers as they watched the child attend online classes helpless, clueless and restless.

The question now is, what should be done when children return to the classroom? Should the teacher proceed with the syllabus as if nothing has happened? Or should she find out if children are lagging behind in any of the subjects?

Why do children who are seemingly doing well suddenly start scoring less?

Skills develop from basic to higher level skills. For example, along with remembering information, it is also important to understand it and link it to different concepts. If we can link, associate and relate different things, it indicates a level of understanding which would lead to the ability to apply a skill learnt in one subject to another subject.

For example, the ability to understand mathematical graphs may support map learning in geography. Math skills may facilitate analysing certain concepts in physics that require calculation etc.

Higher level skills like analysing a poem or paragraphs lead to the skill of evaluating. For example, knowing which part of the lesson is important/comparing the sub contents within a lesson/estimating the demands of a question in a test—how much should one write etc. Often this is where children show inadequate skills. This occurs around the middle school level when a fair amount of work has to be independent. It comes to everyone’s notice that the child is unable to do it.

The highest skill level is creativity which is a skill that is born out of a conducive learning environment. It is a combination of many factors like motivation, encouragement, free-thinking or thinking out of the box as well as the ability to interconnect diverse knowledge.

It’s important to identify a child that displays confusion, starts failing in some subjects or appears to lack study skills as soon as possible. This situation needs the teacher to intervene to teach the child the techniques of learning.

Skills develop in sequence. It is possible to assess or check the child’s level through a skill-based sequence rather than a syllabus-based test. This takes the pressure off the child, the parent and the teacher by allowing the child to learn at his/her own pace but retaining the focus on crucial learning skills necessary for subject-based learning.

If the child is failing in some subjects, educators need to extend a helping hand. Refer the child for an assessment to ensure the child has no underlying undiagnosed learning difficulty or advise learning support where the teacher ensures the child is referred to a remedial teacher.

The teacher identifies what learning skills the child lacks with regard to stage-wise learning (not age or grade-wise) and accordingly puts in some amount of additional individual time each day with the child to give the child practice in study skills, such as identifying main points, summarising, making mindmaps etc.

All these steps will enhance learning. If the school has a resource room with a special educator then the child will greatly benefit. Formal education can wait, learning skills cannot.

(The author is a freelance writer)