Why are some children weaker in learning? Take these signs seriously

Not every student who is slow on homework or falling behind in their studies is necessarily lazy. A psychologist says persistent problems in reading, writing or math, distraction and anxiety can affect children's academic performance and the cause of these problems should be investigated before making any judgments.

Parisa Arjamandi, a psychologist, said about the signs of learning weakness in children: learning weakness means persistent and more than expected problems in one or more educational skills, according to the child's age and educational level. This challenge can involve different areas such as reading, writing, mathematics, reading comprehension, memory or concentration.

According to Ambassador Arjan's report, he added: There are several signs to identify this situation, including learning new things very slowly, frequently forgetting previous learning, difficulty in basic skills (reading and writing), constant errors in calculations, spending too much time doing homework, avoiding academic activities, and the constant need for help from adults. Of course, it is emphasized that observing one or more of these signs alone does not mean the existence of a learning disorder, and the final diagnosis requires a specialized examination.

Referring to when parents should take academic failure or learning problems seriously, this psychologist stated: When the problem persists, is seen in several situations, or there is a noticeable change compared to the child's previous performance, it is better to investigate. For example, if a child has performed well before, but suddenly drops or does not improve in a specific skill despite proper training and support, it is better to take the issue seriously. It's important for parents to look at the cause instead of labels like lazy.

According to him, it is not always possible to tell whether a child is really "lazy" or struggling with deeper challenges by simple observation. However, there are clues that help us differentiate between apathy, poor concentration, and learning disability. Lack of motivation usually shows itself when the child is not interested in a particular lesson, but has a completely different and positive performance in his favorite activities. On the other hand, the main problem in poor concentration is maintaining attention; In this situation, the child may know the beginning of the task and do it well, but he quickly gets distracted.

He continued: Finally, learning disorder is different from the previous two cases and appears as a specific and stable problem in a specific skill such as reading, writing or math. This problem persists even when the child has received proper training, so to gain a proper understanding, it is always better to ask ourselves what is causing this child to be unable or unwilling to do this.

This psychologist explained about possible signs of learning disorders: these disorders can show themselves in different ways. In the field of reading, disorders are often associated with issues such as slow reading, difficulty in distinguishing or combining sounds, deleting or moving letters, as well as challenges in understanding the content of the text. In the field of writing, symptoms such as persistent spelling mistakes, difficulty in writing fluently, difficulty in organizing the writing, or having a very messy and difficult handwriting can be seen.

He added: In mathematics, the child may be challenged with concepts such as understanding the concept of number, performing basic calculations, learning the multiplication table or solving problems. The important point here is that if these problems are stable and significant and do not match the general level of the child's capabilities, a specialized evaluation becomes vitally important to accurately identify their root.

According to Arjamandi, learning is not only dependent on intelligence, and factors such as insufficient sleep, anxiety and stress, attention problems, vision or hearing problems, inappropriate teaching methods, emotional problems, family pressure, many absences from school, excessive use of screens, communication problems with the teacher or classmates, as well as specific learning disorders can affect academic performance.

He said about the role of anxiety, fear of making mistakes and parental pressure in reducing the child's concentration and ability to learn: A child who is constantly worried about making mistakes spends part of his mental capacity on worrying and controlling fear, and as a result, his attention and working memory can be affected. Sentences like why don't you understand, look how much better so-and-so is or if your grades are not good usually do not solve the problem and may increase anxiety and avoidance of lessons. It is better for the parent's message to be, "Making mistakes is part of learning, and let's see where things are difficult for you."

The effect of insufficient sleep and the use of technology on children's learning

He pointed out that lack of sleep, excessive use of mobile phones and computer games have an effect on children's concentration and learning. He said: Sufficient sleep is necessary for attention, memory and learning, and lack of sleep can cause fatigue, irritability and reduced concentration. Excessive and unplanned use of cell phones, social networks, and games can also reduce sleep time, physical activity, study, and family interaction. It's not just about the phone being bad, but the amount, time of use and type of content is important.