We at Mrs Sam’s have been teaching slow learners who have learning difficulties for a very long time. Slow learners need special attention and must be taught in a different way compared to other students. There are various learning disabilities out there, from Autism, Attention Disorder, Dyslexic etc. Whatever the problem, we have successfully help these students over the challenges of learning. Here are some of the tips when teaching slow learners.


1. Repeat each learning point more than you normally would

Slow learners need to hear information a few times more than other students in order to understand it.
• Keep the other students interested by asking them questions and having them answer. Echo back their answers and explain how they relate to the point you are trying to teach.
• For instance, in a lower elementary class, you might say, “Saranda says 2×2 is 4, and she’s right. We know this because 2 and 2 is 2 + 2, and that’s 4.”
• With older classes, you can reinforce learning points by leading discussions that encourage students to repeat the learning points. Ask questions about the subject matter, and ask students to explain their reasoning when they answer you.

2. Use audio and visual aids

Slow learners may struggle with basic skills such as reading, so movies, pictures, and audio can help them learn things that they would not pick up from reading alone. Use various media to repeat the information you want them to learn.
• For instance, if you are teaching conjunctions to elementary students, you can supplement your explanations and worksheets with the classic “Conjunction Junction” cartoon from Schoolhouse Rock!
• When teaching a novel to high school students, help slow learners by passing out worksheets and supplementary materials with visuals, such as family trees of the characters involved, timelines of the plot, and images of historical maps, costumes, and houses from the period of the novel.
• You may even have all your students take a learning style quiz to find out what types of learners you have and what approaches would be the most effective.

3. Guide students to the main points of lessons and tests

Slow learners may struggle to identify the main points of a lesson or a test, and may be overwhelmed by supplementary information. When teaching, make sure to identify and emphasize the learning points. Don’t overwhelm your slow learners by moving on too quickly or asking them to learn many details beyond the main points.
• Before you start a lesson, summarize the main points so all your students know what they should be paying attention to.
• Provide study guides for tests so that slow learners know what information they need to concentrate on.
• Assign quicker learners supplementary reading and worksheets that fill them in on supplementary details about the topic.

4. Use real-life examples when teaching math

Introduce new math concepts by applying them to situations that your students can relate to. Use drawings and props, like pennies, beans, or marbles, to help students visualize the numbers.
• For instance, to introduce division to elementary students, draw a circle on the board and tell students it is a cake that has to feed 6 people equally. Then draw lines to divide it into 6 slices.
• For older students, some concepts may be more confusing using real-life scenarios. For concepts such as solving for an unknown variable, teach the form directly.
• Slow learners may be missing math information from previous years. If a slow learner is struggling with a new concept, check to make sure they know how to do more basic skills.

5. Teach reading skills

Slow learners may struggle to read “automatically,” the way their peers do. To help them catch up, teach reading skills to your whole class, or to a small group of slow-readers while other students work on supplementary projects.
• Encourage struggling readers to follow the words with their finger across the page as they read.
• Teach students to recognize phonemes and to sound-out unfamiliar words.
• Help your students with reading comprehension by training them to ask questions, such as “How does this character feel?” “Why did the characters make this decision?” “What could happen next?”
• Older students who are slow learners may also be helped by learning how to summarize chapters and otherwise annotate their reading.

6. Give your class lessons on study skills

Slow learners need to go over material more than other students. Help them speed up their study time by teaching them efficient methods of outlining, note-taking, and memorizing.
• Give your class demonstrations of note taking and outlining.
• Teach students to break down big tasks into small pieces so they aren’t overwhelming.
• Teach them how to memorize using mnemonic devices. For instance, “Never Eat Shredded Wheat” is a way to remember the directions “North, East, South, and West.”