Remember IHC work

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 6, Issue 231, 16 February 1988, Page 6

Remember IHC work

Tena koutou katoa, In this week when we are being asked to remember the excellent work being done by the I.H.C. Society it may be timely to think about the needs of those children within our community who have difficulty in learning, whether it be in reading, m a t h s , handwriting, written language or oral language. Two of our local primary schools, Ohakune and Raetihi, provide special classes, with specialist teachers who run programmes especially designed to meet the needs of these children. Children are placed in these classes after assessment by a school psychologist and discussion with parents, who then give written approval for such a placement. The concepts of mainstreaming and concensus education currently being put in place mean that these placements are changing somewhat in that these children now spend more time working with others in ordinary classrooms and also that parents are being asked to have input into the programmes being set for them. After all, parents are the children's first and often their best teachers.

Strategies which help the special class child fulfil their potential in a school setting can also be applied in the home situation. These strategies apply to all children to a greater or lesser degree. Simply, they involve routine, structure and guidance, which is firm and consistent. More specifically, they may be stated like this: 1. Expect your child to learn. There is dignity in being a learner. We can all learn all our lives. 2. Think small. Without attention, motivation or understanding from the child all our efforts are wasted. 3. Be enthusiastic about the world we and they live in. Touch, taste, colours, textures, sizes,. smells. Talk to children about the environment - te maunga te awa, the bush, the birds. 4. Repeat often. Repeat statements, repeat directions, repeat stories, be sure your child understands what you mean. Ask them to repeat what has been presented. 5. Make learning rel'evant and rewarding ... not with lollies but with excitement, with the idea "What's in this for her?", "Is it worth his while to know this?"' 6. Make a big deal about them being right. When possible ignore mistakes, when it is not possible help them to understand that if we didn't make mistakes we wouldn't know what to learn. 7. Move slowly in steps which build one upon the other. Small chunks o f knowing are easy to grasp and hold on to. 8. Fail gracefully - if your child is not successful, expect less. Wait ... try again as soon as possible. Don't give up. Teachers are working continually to improve their skills, to increase learning and to prevent handicapping conditions. We know it is an ongoing process and we know that we will work best with parents in achieving these goals for children. Kia ora koutou katoa

Ann

Vincent

Ohakune Special Class Teacher