Full Circle Digital Magazine August 2013 | Page 60

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Developing learners with barriers to learning
Academic achievement is a priority for most parents. The pressures of today’s society are immense and the expectations on young academics are high. So what happens when your child is faced with a challenge at school, a barrier to learning?
by Fiona Frylinck

Barriers to learning can be internal or external. For a child to function optimally they must be content in their environment. Primarily they should have their basic human needs met. Food, water, and shelter. But externally this goes much deeper. A child can develop a barrier to their learning if they do not feel they have a support system. Being a positive and motivating factor in your child’s life can go a long way to overcoming barriers to learning. Many children also suffer from intrinsic barriers to learning, some more severe than

others. The list of learning difficulties is vast; ADD/ADHD, dyslexia, dyscalculia (mathematics), dysgraphia (writing). No matter the barrier, every child has the capacity to grow and develop. If you had diabetes, would you just sit back and do nothing? No, you would go to a specialist and seek treatment and live a full and successful life. I feel this is no different to having a barrier to learning. If your child is struggling at school, seek advice from professionals. Teachers are resources of connections to linking with other professionals that can support your child and work towards overcoming their barrier. As a parent it is imperative to your child that to are involved in their learning, and that barriers to learning are identified and addressed as soon as possible. School is a happy place, a safe place, and a place of growth and development. For a child to really flourish they have to be in control of their learning. The earlier a barrier is addressed, the easier it is to overcome, and essentially the emotional distress of a child is greatly reduced.

FULL CIRCLE DIGITAL MAGAZINE AUGUST 2013