My Child Learns Differently! So, Now What?

You’ve just left another parent-teacher meeting, hearing the same heart-wrenching comments as the previous meetings, “not meeting age-related expectations”, “extra support needed to catch up” and “just learns differently from the other children”.

Despite agreeing with the teacher, you don’t understand what can be done.  Especially, if your child is falling behind because of their learning differences. 

If this sounds all too familiar, read on and I will give you 3 important points that address the ‘now what?’ when you’re a parent of a child who learns ‘differently’.  

Firstly, EVERYONE learns differently from one another. 

FACT!  We don’t all wear the same size clothes, have the same prescription in our glasses or react the same way to medications. So, why then do we assume that we all learn in the same way?

The fact that we all learn and think in different ways is a good thing.  Our greatest inventions and discoveries can be credited to people who have embraced learning differently (Elon Musk and Albert Einstein come to mind.)

Before worrying about how your child is going to catch up, it is IMPERATIVE that they first understand that people’s differences extend beyond what you can see  from the outside.  Children must NOT be allowed to develop limiting beliefs that something is wrong with them because they are not learning in the same way as other children in their class.  Once a child begins FEELING worried or anxious about how they learn, this will become a bigger barrier to their progress than anything else. 

Secondly, it is important to consider the difference between teaching and learning. 

Teaching is when you are given information either visually, orally or kinaesthetically (by offering a particular activity).  Learning is what happens inside your brain whilst you are receiving the information that you are seeing, hearing or doing. 

Teachers will often tell parents that they provide multi-sensory teaching and learning.  The truth is, it is only possible for them to be in control of the teaching part.  What happens behind the eyes of all their pupils is much more out of their control.  But there is something YOU can do as a parent to help your child take greater control of THEIR learning.

So, here is my final point that answers, what can make the DIFFERENCE to our learning DIFFERENCES?

We think and remember by creating pictures or ‘films’ in our mind.  This is known as MENTAL IMAGERY.  For example, if someone was to ask you how to make a cup of tea, you would describe for them in WORDS what you are seeing in your mind as IMAGES.  The more detailed the images, the more information you will be able to give them.  Similarly, when children are asked to explain their learning or write a story, they will do this by bringing into focus the mental images that will help with the task.  I’m not telling you something new.  We are ALL doing this ALL of the time.  

However, when it comes to teaching children no one talks to them about HOW they can create good quality images to help them to think better, learn deeper and remember more. 

It is very easy for parents to help their child practise this skill. Simply getting children to become aware that they are doing this naturally is the first step. Then you can spend some time getting your child to describe details of their mental images.  

Reading stories to them is a good way to instigate this kind of conversation. You can share with each other what images you created from the words you heard.  What extra detail did you add or even miss out?  How different were your mental images from each other?

There are so many FUN and CREATIVE ways to practise mental imagery and it can be a superpower when used for thinking and learning.

I offer programmes that support families with literacy learning. In my programmes, I place a big emphasis on the use of mental imagery. Children discover how to use their mental images so that they work FOR them and are used as a tool for learning.

If you would like to find out more how I can support you and your child, please check out my programmes or contact me through my ‘Contact me’ button below.