Every morning, when your child gets ready to go to school he or she is miserable, afraid and anxious. What wrong with this picture?
The school, teachers, and even his or her peers decide your child can’t measured up against a preordained, standardized model of intelligence. Standardized tests measure only a fraction of the skills and cognitive abilities that the human brain can use to learn new information. These tests determine what makes one child smart, and another child stupid. These tests determine who will thrive and who will fail. If you find that your child, try though he or she might, is pulling up the rear, you’ve probably noticed how miserable he or she feels. It may be confusing because at home your little buddy is a sweet, insightful, little person, who is perhaps a little quirky, but full of imagination and energy. Does he or she enjoy making up funny stories at home?Drawing? Building? Learning new things? So why is school such an ordeal? If all kids have to go to school, does it really seem fair that only a small set of children should actually enjoy it? Learning disabilities, LD, learning difference, neurological deficit, what ever they call it, does it have to mean your child must struggle to keep up or stay out of trouble everyday just to get by?
Why should only children who are able in learn in a certain way, have a system in place that perpetually supports their abilities? Supports their their strengths? When a child is different, if he or she doesn’t fit the norm, learn differently, the school system sets this child up to never amount to anything. In no uncertain terms the school system says these kids are too lazy, too out-of-control, too stupid to do well.
The schools are wrong. Every child has the right to learn, the right to enjoy learning, and they deserve the support in an academic environment that prizes and nurtures cognitive diversity!
Anyway, sorry about the rant, but it brings me to my point. I want this to be a space to explore new ideas of how libraries and librarians can help people with LD of all ages become enthusiastic, life-long learners.
Who cares what they say, learning is fun! And everyone has the right to learn, not just the people who fit the so-called “norm”
To learn more about LD and find a number of reliable sources of information on LD, check out the various sections. Feel free to write with any questions!
Cate
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tagged: add, Add new tag, adhd, attention deficit disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, dyslexia, individualized education program, learning difference, learning disability, learning disorder, learning style, libraries, processing speed
