Recognizing Learning Differences and Helping Children Build on Strengths and Interests: A Conversation with Dr. Elaine Fogel Schneider, Co-Author of Confidence and Joy

Does your child struggle with homework, seem fidgety much of the time, or look dazed when directed to do something? Perhaps you (and your child’s teachers) need help in figuring out the optimal ways your child learns.   Are auditory skills strong? Does your child learn best with visual cues and demonstrations? Or maybe touching things and going through physical practice (kinesthetic learning) is necessary for success. Are there subject areas in which your child shows a strong interest and learns easily? Then maybe it is time for you and your child’s teachers to pull together to create more opportunities for your child to experience success, both academically and socially. Granted, some children struggling with schoolwork have a learning disability and need (and have the right to) special intervention. But this week’s Mom Enough guest, Dr. Elaine Fogel Schneider, knows there are individual differences among kids who do not meet criteria for a learning disability but who could benefit from extra support and analysis of the ways they learn best. And that kind of support is likely to help them find the confidence and joy they deserve.   Think of a time when you were learning a new and challenging subject. What strategies were most effective for you? How is that the same as or different than the way your partner or a good friend learns? Now think about your children and how they learn best. In what ways do you and your children’s teachers accommodate their differences and build on their strengths? In what ways could you? Related Resources: Confidence and Joy by Dr. Elaine Fogel Schneider Creating a Home Environment that Promotes School Success tip sheet by Dr. Marti Erickson Ways to Help Children Think About Better Solutions for Difficult Behaviors tip sheet by St. David's Center Bright But Different article by Dr. Deborah Ross-Swain & Dr. Elaine Fogel Schneider