WHEN TEENS STRUGGLE TO LEARN Students who struggle in school
typically have a learning difference. A learning difference doesn’t mean a learning disorder or a learning disability. It simply means that they have adifferent way of learning academic subjects. Unfairly, many educators and parents have interpreted “different” to be negative or somehow wrong, rather than what it is: different! Students with learning differences are typically bright and can excel in other academic areas, but struggle or fail with
By Dr. Deborah Ross-Swain and Dr. Elaine Fogel Schneider
foreign languages, reading, writing and math. The problem most of the time is that schools’ teaching methods and
HIGH SCHOOL YEARS ARE TOUGH FOR ALL
styles aren’t modified to mesh with a
TEENS, BUT FOR ANY WHO STRUGGLE TO
teen’s specific learning style. That’s
LEARN, THESE SCHOOL YEARS CAN BE A
when they end up struggling so hard to
NIGHTMARE BOTH ACADEMICALLY AND
learn.
SOCIALLY. By the time these downtrodden young people
The stakes are even higher for middle
hit middle school and high school, they’ve
and high school students because of
already had several years of learning struggles.
academic and social pressures. After
They’ve also had a number of years
years of academic struggle, teens with
experiencing frustration, embarrassment,
learning differences may appear to
academic defeat and disappointment related
parents and educators to have a bad
to their learning struggles. And if that wasn’t
attitude or lack motivation. This often
enough, they often have low self-esteem, low or
isn’t the case. These are students who
no motivation for learning and feelings of
haven’t experienced enough academic
despair. They’ve had too many years of defeat
success to have confidence in learning.
with little or no success.
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