| This is one of the most important things to | | | | study successfully at university to become an |
| understand when teaching children. The | | | | engineer. |
| development of concepts is the linking together of | | | | The problem for children who are slower to |
| ideas in a child's mind, so that they can process | | | | develop concepts, is that by the time the light |
| more complex lines of thought. | | | | turns on, they've gone up into the higher grades |
| A concept will develop when it wants to and the | | | | and don't get the opportunity to go over the |
| child has no control over it. It's not that they're | | | | basics again. If they were able to do this, they'd |
| being lazy, not concentrating or misbehaving. | | | | advance rapidly. As it is, they often convince |
| Encouragement is the most important thing for | | | | themselves that they're 'dumb', stop trying and |
| these students. They need to be constantly told | | | | don't realise that they are now capable of |
| that they're doing their best and that you're very | | | | succeeding. |
| pleased with them. Don't overdo it. Children are | | | | When children were held back to repeat a grade |
| quick to see through false praise. Pay attention to | | | | if they didn't understand the work, we didn't have |
| every little success they have and draw it to their | | | | the rate of failure that we have now. That's why |
| attention. 'You couldn't do that a month ago and | | | | you hear older people say, 'In my day it was |
| now you can. You're learning more and more.' | | | | unusual for children not to be able to read and |
| Concept development and level of intelligence are | | | | write.' It was unusual, because students with |
| not linked. A student may have slow concept | | | | slower concept development were given the |
| development, but go on to do very well at school. | | | | opportunity to relearn the basics. I realise, of |
| I've had a student who struggled with | | | | course that being held back caused other |
| understanding mathematical concepts until grade | | | | problems for the student - nothing is perfect -but |
| five. He was tenacious and never gave up, | | | | they did learn to read, spell and write. |
| committing many things to memory without really | | | | In my next blog, I'll give ideas for parents whose |
| understanding how they all came together. | | | | children do have slow concept development in the |
| Suddenly, almost overnight, a light clicked on and | | | | reading and writing area. Please feel free to ask |
| using the information he had memorised, he shot | | | | any questions you want to, and I'll attempt to |
| to the top maths group within six months, did | | | | answer them. |
| exceptionally well in high school and moved on to | | | | Lets encourage our kids to succeed. |