Effectiveness of individualized education program for slow learners
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《美国医学杂志》
1 Department of Pediatrics, Medical College, Calicut, India
2 Medical College, Alappuzha, Calicut, Kerala, India
3 Prasanthi Centre for Developmental Disabilities, Calicut, Kerala, India
Abstract
Objective : To evaluate the effectiveness of an individualized education program for children with scholastic backwardness. Methods : Among the children attending a Child Guidance Clinic for scholastic backwardness, 12 of them who were diagnosed as slow learners based on current level of academic functioning and IQ, and 6 children having mild mental retardation were given individualized education for a period of two months. Independent assessors evaluated the academic functioning at the beginning of the training and at the end. Results : The results showed that the children had significant improvement in their academic functioning and self esteem after the training. Conclusion : The present experiment can be a model to set up a resource room in normal schools to provide individualized education to children who are slow learners.
Keywords: Scholastic backwardness; Individualized education; Resource room
It is estimated that 5-15% of school-going children suffer from scholastic backwardness.[1] One of the reasons for scholastic backwardness is below average intelligence. It was observed that 8-9 percent of primary school children scored below average in standard IQ tests.[2] Children with intelligence level in the low average or borderline IQ range can be grouped together as slow learners. These children do not get sufficient attention in the mainstream education. They usually fail repeatedly in examinations and finally become school dropouts. Establishing special schools for children in this category is not practical and also not advisable.[3] It is ideal to evolve strategies to provide education to these children in normal schools itself.
The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an Individualized Education Program (IEP) for children who are slow learners and to evolve a long-term strategy to provide individualized education to such children in normal schools.
Materials and Methods
The study was conducted at the Child Guidance Clinic (CGC) of the Department of Pediatrics, Medical College, Calicut and the Prasanthi Center for Developmental Disabilities. The Prasanthi Center for Developmental Disabilities caters to the needs of children with developmental disabilities and is managed by a Calicut-based voluntary organization. The study period was two months from 1stApril, 2003 to 31st May 2003 (Mid summer vacation time in Kerala). Eighteen children attending the CGC with scholastic backwardness, who satisfied the inclusion and exclusion criteria, were taken up for the study. Scholastic backwardness for this study was defined as repeated failures in all subjects or academic performance two classes below the class in which the child was studying at the time. The children were identified, based on teachers reports and parents' opinion.
The inclusion criteria were: (1) children should be regular students attending normal school; (2) their IQ level should be between 50 and 90; (3) parents should give consent for inclusion in the study and they should make arrangements to take the child to the training center regularly during the two month training period. Children in the 50 - 70 IQ range were included, because a considerable percentage of children in normal schools with scholastic backwardness fall under this category. These children are potentially educable. Adopting a strict operational definition for slow learners (i.e. IQ level between 70 and 90) will lead to exclusion of many children from the benefit of the individualized education program.
The following exclusion criteria were chosen: (1) children with emotional disorders like anxiety disorders or depressive disorders; (2) children with hearing or visual defects; (3) physical illnesses that will affect the training program.
The IQ level was determined by the 'Seguin Form Board' test[4] and the 'draw a man' test.[5] Only children whose IQ level was in the 50-90 range in both these tests were included in the study. To assess the academic functioning, a four level scale was designed table1. It consisted of assessment of reading ability, writing ability and mathematical ability. DSM-IV diagnostic criteria were used for diagnosis of psychiatric disorders.[6]
The selected children were divided into four groups with 5 children each in the first three groups and 3 children in the group 4. They were given individualized education at the Prasanthi Center for Developmental Disabilities from 10 am to 1 pm, Monday to Friday for two months. Teachers were the special educators at the Prasanthi School for children with special needs, with diploma in special education. One teacher was assigned to each group.
At the beginning of the training, a meeting of the parents was called and problems of each child discussed. Parents of 8 children had primary school education only. Others had education of 10th standard and above. An awareness class about the causes of scholastic backwardness and what should be done at home was taken. The academic functioning of each child was noted. At the end of the first month, a meeting of the parents was called again and the progress discussed. At the end of the two months test papers in reading, writing and mathematics were conducted and evaluated by two external teachers who were blind to the initial level of functioning. The opinion of the parents regarding an overall change in academic functioning was noted.
Paired 't' test was used to assess the improvement in academic functioning after the end of the training program.
Results
Eighteen children participated in the training program. There were 12 boys and 6 girls. The youngest child was 8 years-old and the oldest was aged 12 years. The minimum number of years of normal schooling was three years and the maximum 6 years. Six children had IQ in the 60 - 70 range and others had IQ levels between 70 and 90. Academic functioning at the intake was level 0 in 5 children, level 1 in 8 children and level 2 in 5 children. There were no children in levels 3 and 4 table2. Psychological assessment showed varying degrees of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
67% (12) of children had significant improvement in their academic functioning, as evidenced by the outcome of the final test paper table2. This was also the parents' opinion. 84% of parents said that the children developed more self esteem and that their aptitude for studies had improved table3.
Discussion
The findings of the present study prove that academic functioning of children who are slow learners can improve significantly if they are given individualized education. After the training program, majority of children had improved self-esteem and aptitude for learning. It has been observed that improved self-esteem is the first step towards successful remedial education.[7]
In the present sample, the children gained more from the individualized education program than from several years of normal schooling. This is a pointer to the fact that these children are grossly ignored in the mainstream education. In a class of 40 or 50 students, the teacher will not be able to provide individual attention to those who lag behind in studies. Ideally, facilities to provide remedial education to children who are slow learners and children with learning disorders should be available in all schools. One practical suggestion is to have a resource room in every school, where appropriate remedial education can be provided to those in need.[8], [9]
It was noticed that IQ scores obtained from 'draw a man' test were comparable to those obtained from the 'Seguin Form Board' test. 'Draw a man' test is a simple test that requires only a pencil and paper. The teacher can identify children who need special attention from this test. The usefulness of this test was shown in a study conducted earlier in Kerala.[2] If the scores in the 'draw a man' test are above 90 they can be sent for detailed psychological assessment to rule out other causes of scholastic backwardness like learning disorders or emotional disorders. Children with scores between 70 and 90 can be given individualized education in the school itself.
Ideally, a child with scholastic backwardness needs detailed psychological and educational evaluation by a team consisting of clinical psychologist, child psychiatrist, special educator and other experts. Facilities for such a detailed assessment are not available in majority of the schools in developing countries. The present experiment provides the model for a resource room that can be set up in a normal school with minimum expenditure. The slow learners identified by the class teacher can go to the resource room for remedial education for fixed hours. The resource room should have a special educator who should be able to give appropriate education to the child, taking into consideration his strengths and weaknesses. The special educator can be a regular teacher with special training or a person appointed for the purpose. The expenditure for setting up the resource room can be met, with the help of the parent teacher association of individual schools.
Contributions
P. Krishnakumar designed the study, did the psychological work up of children, collected the data and wrote the first draft of the paper. He will act as the guarantor for the paper.
MG. Geeta helped in designing the study, collection of data and wrote the final draft of the paper
Ramakrishnan Palat organized the training program, supervised the teaching and helped in writing the paper.
Funding Source: Nil
Conflicts of interest: None
Acknowledgement
We thank Mr. Mujeeb Rehman, Mr. Dineshkumar. P and Ms.Swapna. NP (Special educators at the Prasanthi School for children with special needs) who gave training to the children and Prof. CP. Valsala and Mrs. Geetha Karunakar who did the final evaluation.
References
1. Nair MKC, Paul MK, Padmamohan J. Scholastic Performance of Adolescents. Indian J Pediatr 2003; 70: 629-631.
2. Nair. MKC, Pejaver. RK. Child development 2000 and beyond. Bangalore; Prism Books, 2000: 99-107.
3. Nakra, O. Children and Learning Difficulties, 1st ed. New Delhi; Allied Publications; 1996.
4. Bharath Raj J. AIISH norms on SFB with Indian children. Journal of AIISH 1971; 2: 34-39.
5. Phatak P. Draw a man test for Indian Children, 2nd edn. Pune; Anand agencies, 1987.
6. American Psychiatric Association: Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, 4th edn. DSM-IV) Washington, DC; American Psychiatric Association, 1994
7. Brooks RB. Self-esteem during the school years. In Christophersen. ER, Levine MD, eds. Pediatric Clinics of North America. Development and Behavior: Older children and Adolescents. Philadelphia; WB Saunders Company, 1992; 39: 537-550.
8. Senf GM. Learning Disabilities. In Grossman HJ, ed. Pediatric Clinics of North America. Symposium on Learning Disorders. Philadelphia; WB Saunders Company, 1973; 20: 607-638.
9. John P, George SK, Mampilly A. Handbook on Poor School Performance, New Delhi: Central Board of Secondary Education; 2001: 50-56.(Krishnakumar P, Geeta MG,)
2 Medical College, Alappuzha, Calicut, Kerala, India
3 Prasanthi Centre for Developmental Disabilities, Calicut, Kerala, India
Abstract
Objective : To evaluate the effectiveness of an individualized education program for children with scholastic backwardness. Methods : Among the children attending a Child Guidance Clinic for scholastic backwardness, 12 of them who were diagnosed as slow learners based on current level of academic functioning and IQ, and 6 children having mild mental retardation were given individualized education for a period of two months. Independent assessors evaluated the academic functioning at the beginning of the training and at the end. Results : The results showed that the children had significant improvement in their academic functioning and self esteem after the training. Conclusion : The present experiment can be a model to set up a resource room in normal schools to provide individualized education to children who are slow learners.
Keywords: Scholastic backwardness; Individualized education; Resource room
It is estimated that 5-15% of school-going children suffer from scholastic backwardness.[1] One of the reasons for scholastic backwardness is below average intelligence. It was observed that 8-9 percent of primary school children scored below average in standard IQ tests.[2] Children with intelligence level in the low average or borderline IQ range can be grouped together as slow learners. These children do not get sufficient attention in the mainstream education. They usually fail repeatedly in examinations and finally become school dropouts. Establishing special schools for children in this category is not practical and also not advisable.[3] It is ideal to evolve strategies to provide education to these children in normal schools itself.
The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an Individualized Education Program (IEP) for children who are slow learners and to evolve a long-term strategy to provide individualized education to such children in normal schools.
Materials and Methods
The study was conducted at the Child Guidance Clinic (CGC) of the Department of Pediatrics, Medical College, Calicut and the Prasanthi Center for Developmental Disabilities. The Prasanthi Center for Developmental Disabilities caters to the needs of children with developmental disabilities and is managed by a Calicut-based voluntary organization. The study period was two months from 1stApril, 2003 to 31st May 2003 (Mid summer vacation time in Kerala). Eighteen children attending the CGC with scholastic backwardness, who satisfied the inclusion and exclusion criteria, were taken up for the study. Scholastic backwardness for this study was defined as repeated failures in all subjects or academic performance two classes below the class in which the child was studying at the time. The children were identified, based on teachers reports and parents' opinion.
The inclusion criteria were: (1) children should be regular students attending normal school; (2) their IQ level should be between 50 and 90; (3) parents should give consent for inclusion in the study and they should make arrangements to take the child to the training center regularly during the two month training period. Children in the 50 - 70 IQ range were included, because a considerable percentage of children in normal schools with scholastic backwardness fall under this category. These children are potentially educable. Adopting a strict operational definition for slow learners (i.e. IQ level between 70 and 90) will lead to exclusion of many children from the benefit of the individualized education program.
The following exclusion criteria were chosen: (1) children with emotional disorders like anxiety disorders or depressive disorders; (2) children with hearing or visual defects; (3) physical illnesses that will affect the training program.
The IQ level was determined by the 'Seguin Form Board' test[4] and the 'draw a man' test.[5] Only children whose IQ level was in the 50-90 range in both these tests were included in the study. To assess the academic functioning, a four level scale was designed table1. It consisted of assessment of reading ability, writing ability and mathematical ability. DSM-IV diagnostic criteria were used for diagnosis of psychiatric disorders.[6]
The selected children were divided into four groups with 5 children each in the first three groups and 3 children in the group 4. They were given individualized education at the Prasanthi Center for Developmental Disabilities from 10 am to 1 pm, Monday to Friday for two months. Teachers were the special educators at the Prasanthi School for children with special needs, with diploma in special education. One teacher was assigned to each group.
At the beginning of the training, a meeting of the parents was called and problems of each child discussed. Parents of 8 children had primary school education only. Others had education of 10th standard and above. An awareness class about the causes of scholastic backwardness and what should be done at home was taken. The academic functioning of each child was noted. At the end of the first month, a meeting of the parents was called again and the progress discussed. At the end of the two months test papers in reading, writing and mathematics were conducted and evaluated by two external teachers who were blind to the initial level of functioning. The opinion of the parents regarding an overall change in academic functioning was noted.
Paired 't' test was used to assess the improvement in academic functioning after the end of the training program.
Results
Eighteen children participated in the training program. There were 12 boys and 6 girls. The youngest child was 8 years-old and the oldest was aged 12 years. The minimum number of years of normal schooling was three years and the maximum 6 years. Six children had IQ in the 60 - 70 range and others had IQ levels between 70 and 90. Academic functioning at the intake was level 0 in 5 children, level 1 in 8 children and level 2 in 5 children. There were no children in levels 3 and 4 table2. Psychological assessment showed varying degrees of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
67% (12) of children had significant improvement in their academic functioning, as evidenced by the outcome of the final test paper table2. This was also the parents' opinion. 84% of parents said that the children developed more self esteem and that their aptitude for studies had improved table3.
Discussion
The findings of the present study prove that academic functioning of children who are slow learners can improve significantly if they are given individualized education. After the training program, majority of children had improved self-esteem and aptitude for learning. It has been observed that improved self-esteem is the first step towards successful remedial education.[7]
In the present sample, the children gained more from the individualized education program than from several years of normal schooling. This is a pointer to the fact that these children are grossly ignored in the mainstream education. In a class of 40 or 50 students, the teacher will not be able to provide individual attention to those who lag behind in studies. Ideally, facilities to provide remedial education to children who are slow learners and children with learning disorders should be available in all schools. One practical suggestion is to have a resource room in every school, where appropriate remedial education can be provided to those in need.[8], [9]
It was noticed that IQ scores obtained from 'draw a man' test were comparable to those obtained from the 'Seguin Form Board' test. 'Draw a man' test is a simple test that requires only a pencil and paper. The teacher can identify children who need special attention from this test. The usefulness of this test was shown in a study conducted earlier in Kerala.[2] If the scores in the 'draw a man' test are above 90 they can be sent for detailed psychological assessment to rule out other causes of scholastic backwardness like learning disorders or emotional disorders. Children with scores between 70 and 90 can be given individualized education in the school itself.
Ideally, a child with scholastic backwardness needs detailed psychological and educational evaluation by a team consisting of clinical psychologist, child psychiatrist, special educator and other experts. Facilities for such a detailed assessment are not available in majority of the schools in developing countries. The present experiment provides the model for a resource room that can be set up in a normal school with minimum expenditure. The slow learners identified by the class teacher can go to the resource room for remedial education for fixed hours. The resource room should have a special educator who should be able to give appropriate education to the child, taking into consideration his strengths and weaknesses. The special educator can be a regular teacher with special training or a person appointed for the purpose. The expenditure for setting up the resource room can be met, with the help of the parent teacher association of individual schools.
Contributions
P. Krishnakumar designed the study, did the psychological work up of children, collected the data and wrote the first draft of the paper. He will act as the guarantor for the paper.
MG. Geeta helped in designing the study, collection of data and wrote the final draft of the paper
Ramakrishnan Palat organized the training program, supervised the teaching and helped in writing the paper.
Funding Source: Nil
Conflicts of interest: None
Acknowledgement
We thank Mr. Mujeeb Rehman, Mr. Dineshkumar. P and Ms.Swapna. NP (Special educators at the Prasanthi School for children with special needs) who gave training to the children and Prof. CP. Valsala and Mrs. Geetha Karunakar who did the final evaluation.
References
1. Nair MKC, Paul MK, Padmamohan J. Scholastic Performance of Adolescents. Indian J Pediatr 2003; 70: 629-631.
2. Nair. MKC, Pejaver. RK. Child development 2000 and beyond. Bangalore; Prism Books, 2000: 99-107.
3. Nakra, O. Children and Learning Difficulties, 1st ed. New Delhi; Allied Publications; 1996.
4. Bharath Raj J. AIISH norms on SFB with Indian children. Journal of AIISH 1971; 2: 34-39.
5. Phatak P. Draw a man test for Indian Children, 2nd edn. Pune; Anand agencies, 1987.
6. American Psychiatric Association: Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, 4th edn. DSM-IV) Washington, DC; American Psychiatric Association, 1994
7. Brooks RB. Self-esteem during the school years. In Christophersen. ER, Levine MD, eds. Pediatric Clinics of North America. Development and Behavior: Older children and Adolescents. Philadelphia; WB Saunders Company, 1992; 39: 537-550.
8. Senf GM. Learning Disabilities. In Grossman HJ, ed. Pediatric Clinics of North America. Symposium on Learning Disorders. Philadelphia; WB Saunders Company, 1973; 20: 607-638.
9. John P, George SK, Mampilly A. Handbook on Poor School Performance, New Delhi: Central Board of Secondary Education; 2001: 50-56.(Krishnakumar P, Geeta MG,)