Identifying and Correcting Blocked Learning Gates
;e
Struggling
Homeschooler
Dianne Cra;
Are you working at home with a bright, hardworking child or teenager who has to work too hard to learn? ;is is the
child who does not respond to all the
other curricula or materials and teaching strategies that have worked so well
with your other children. In fact, you
may be on your fourth reading/phonics
program, your third math program, and
on your fourth spelling program, if you
have not already given up on spelling
with this child. If it is your ;rst child
who is struggling, you may now have a
younger sibling who is yelling out the
words from the corner of the room.
;at’s when you decide that “something
is up” with this child. You wonder if this
Are you working at home with a bright, hardworking
child or teenager who has to work too hard to learn?
Conversely, a child does not need to display all of the characteristics to qualify as
a struggling learner.
1. Visual Processing Gate
;e act of moving the eyes over a page
from le; to right is not a naturally devel-
oped trait. For example, in Israel they read
right to le;, and in Japan they read in a
column. ;is is a process that we teach
when a child is ;rst learning to read, usu-
ally by having him track with his ;nger
across the page to train his eyes to move
in this fashion. A;er some practice, this
should transfer to the child’s automatic
hemisphere. How do we know if this pro-
cess has not transferred and is taking too
much energy? ;ese are some of the char-
acteristics this child will exhibit:
child has a processing problem, a learn-
ing disability, or dyslexia. You are puz-
zled, because orally, he/she is so good in
many things and loves to listen to sto-
ries. What is going on?
•;Reading reversals (on = no; was =
saw . . . a;er age 7)
•;Skipping of little words, but can read
longer word
• Reading begins smooth, but soon
becomes labored
•;Older child who can read, but tires
easily . . . yawning shortly a;er be-
ginning reading
www.; eHomeschoolMagazine.com
