Dealing with Learning Difficulties of Students: A Challenge for Teachers

This article focuses on creating awareness about learning difficulties among teachers, educational administrators, and all those involved in the field of education. Children with learning difficulties are found across all ages, socio-economic levels, and races. Individuals with learning difficulties find it very difficult to learn new skills. Most of them are excluded from the education process due to their presumed inability to learn. Learning to read and write is more of an expectation than an exception in today's society. However, achieving competency with reading and writing skills are challenging for many students, especially for those with learning difficulties who often lack foundation in reading and writing. Teachers who are involved in this area should continue to invest efforts to seek more knowledge about the nature and interventions of learning difficulties to enhance academic success for children with learning problems. Teaching reading and writing is also challenging for many teachers, as they often experience many students who fail to acquire the basic skills. It is a necessity to acquire the basic foundations of academic skills. However, it has been observed over time that individuals with learning difficulties of all ages and types are not able to learn to some degree. Because of their reduced ability to read and write, they find it very difficult to keep up with their academic performance. Hence they need constant support in reading and writing skills. In this article, the authors explain some of the instructional strategies that a regular teacher can use in the classroom to help academically challenged learners. Some joyful activities to make learning easy and more interesting for the students are also emphasized.