How to Do Distance Learning for Children With Learning Disorders

Even minor challenges such as technical difficulties are enough to distract and frustrate children to the point of giving up.

As educators and parents, merging your efforts is essential to help children navigate these challenges.

At Positive Action, we believe in taking action towards making positive change. So, we’ve devised a program that helps educators and parents promote a healthy learning environment.

In this guide, we’ll focus solely on children living with learning disorders and how teachers and parents can help them through virtual learning. We’ll guide you through the major challenges they face and how to overcome them.

For instance, you’ll learn how to:

• Improve their ability to concentrate
• Help them process and retain information
• Improve their organizational skills
• Help improve their confidence and self-esteem

We’ll also discuss how Positive Action is impacting learning both in schools and at home.

Step 1 - Adapting Lessons for Virtual Learning

The Positive Action program empowers teachers with the flexibility to teach physically or online successfully. With strategically guided steps, they’re able to switch from one method to another with ease.

According to recent studies, most children experience anxiety or temper issues, and are unable to focus when distance learning.

Engaging children with learning disorders is even tougher for teachers when the classes are virtual.

To overcome this challenge, teachers can take the Adapting Lessons for Virtual Learning program.

The Adapting Lessons for Virtual Learning program focuses on the key learning areas where educators can genuinely engage the students to help them improve their ability to concentrate in class.

It also helps the teacher assess their progress by giving the students an opportunity to express what they’ve learned.

The virtual learning program guides the teachers in three major steps:

Step 1: Reviewing the guide to succeeding with Positive Action.

Step 2: Reviewing the best practices for teaching with Positive Action.

Step 3: Applying the guide to succeeding with Positive Action and the best practices for teaching with Positive Action to the classroom model.

When the teachers are equipped with these skills, they can easily instruct and assign activities to the students virtually. They are also able to play games with their students using approved media platforms to make the class more engaging and fun.

Teaching children with learning disorders requires focus as a super skill. This is easily achieved by empowering the teacher with practical skills to help the children thrive academically.

Step 2 - Incorporating Learning Kits

With the inclusion of learning kits in the curriculum, children living with learning disorders are able to effectively absorb, process, and retain knowledge.

At Positive Action, we have learning kits designed for learners from kindergarten all through to high school.

The learning kits have activity sheets that you can use to implement the virtual adaptation guide.

Using these materials can benefit children with learning disorders by:

• Improving their organizational skills
• Helping them work on time management
• Encouraging them to take charge of their learning
• Helping the parents track the progress of their child

Schools and parents need to work together to make the kits available to the teachers and students so as to improve their virtual experience.

To order learning kits for children of all ages, go to our Positive Action curriculum page and click on the grade of the child. You can then select the items you want and self-checkout easily.

Step 3 - Individualized Education

Individualized education means that teachers and parents can create learning materials based on the child’s capabilities.

Accommodations and modifications can be done to help improve the learning environment for a child with a learning disorder.

The importance of making the education based on the child’s capabilities is to help the child in becoming self-reliant even later in life.

The plan for individualized education needs to be formulated by the school or teacher in conjunction with the parent or guardian.

As said, children with learning disabilities get distracted easily. This means even the change of a schedule could negatively impact their learning.

Modification of the learning process can be done to ensure the process does not frustrate or stress the child.

Accommodations that can be made include:

• Timing and schedules: Ensuring they’re consistent and are planned when the child is most attentive.
• Learning environment tweaks: Creating a comfortable learning space without distractions.
• Learning curriculum: Creating a learning curriculum that’s based on the child’s capabilities.
• Choice of learning materials: Allowing the child to take part in the choice of learning kits and projects.

This individual focus that's afforded to a child with learning disorders ensures academic excellence that progresses into the child’s future.

Expert Tip: Children struggling with learning disorders are as capable as any other children. The best way to help them succeed is by adapting learning models that highlight their strengths.

What is Positive Action?

Positive Action is a research and science-based program that is aimed at promoting healthy learning environments.

The program provides online resources for teachers and parents to help aid in achieving academic excellence for their children.

Positive Action is grounded in action that can help achieve goals or change in the learning process. We believe in action rather than just believing in the possibility of change.

In the Positive Action program, we have devised:

• Learning kits
• Training for teachers
• Support in terms of research and surveys

All these materials are available for schools and teachers who would like to make a positive change for their learners.

Impact of Positive Action vs Basic Learning for Children With Learning Disorders

Learning disorders cannot be cured. However, they can be managed to allow your child to lead a successful life.

In the table below, we look at the difference in impact between Positive Action and basic learning in a virtual learning environment.

• Skills

• Focus

• Basic Distance Learning

• Children get easily distracted and frustrated due to anxiety and stress

• Distance Learning With Positive Action

• Encourages adaptations to the curriculum to accommodate the child’s challenges

• Skills

• Information retention

• Basic Distance Learning

• Does not provide a scenario that helps the child grasp concepts and retain knowledge

• Distance Learning With Positive Action

• The whole-school reform model provides manuals and materials that help struggling students transform

• Skills

• Self-esteem and confidence

• Basic Distance Learning

• Children struggle with tasks that their peers find easy, making them feel bad about themselves

• Distance Learning With Positive Action

• Allows the child to take charge of their learning with projects and kits, hence promoting self-confidence

• Skills

• Organization

• Basic Distance Learning

• Focuses on grades which does not favor a child with learning disorders

• Distance Learning With Positive Action

• Focuses on preparing the child to be self-reliant even later in life

Many schools, parents, teachers, and students have experienced the positive impact of the program in their learning environment. Here’s the response of a teacher when asked what went well after implementing Positive Action.

“Student interactions, students’ willingness to volunteer, students reading out loud and gaining confidence.”

New York Teacher

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know that my child has a learning disorder?

According to experts, you should seek evaluation for learning disorders if you notice the following signs in your child:

• The child has difficulty following instructions
• Has temper tantrums and gets emotional when asked to do schoolwork
• Has trouble remembering things just told to him or her
• Can’t master reading, writing, math, or get anything near expected grades
• Does not understand the concept of time

Is online school harder for children with ADHD?

Children living with ADHD find learning harder when it’s online. Without the actual physical interaction with their teachers, they get easily distracted and lose focus.

Are there any benefits of distance learning for children with learning disabilities?

Even though it’s harder, online learning can benefit children with learning disabilities.

This is because parents can get involved directly, which may make the child feel more relaxed.

School environments also cause anxiety and stress for children with learning disabilities. This can be fixed by distance learning at home in a friendlier environment.