How to Promote Independent Learning at Home: A Guide for Parents of Learners with Disabilities.
Creating a supportive environment is essential for fostering independent learning, especially for students with disabilities. This article offers practical strategies to establish a productive home learning station tailored to encourage independent learning for children with disabilities.
A beautiful space that promoted independent learning (ChatGPT)
"It's the learning environment that determines the success and motivation of the student to achieve.” Susan Brooks.
The usual classroom setup prepares learners physically, mentally and emotionally to learn. In the classroom, there are structures - desks, tables, blackboard, timetables and a way of being. Teachers have also mastered how to keep learners behaving, intrigued, learning and all else necessary.
A story of Alex, a learner with Autism, in any different environment, Alex can't sit down for more than 10 minutes, leave alone concentrate and write. However, in class, Alex is settled and calm, writes numbers 1-7, counts, colours, plays with others, among other activities on his own or with little supervision.
A frequent question that Alex's mother asks is, how can I have him more engaged after school?
Here are some tricks that parents may try to encourage independent learning for a learner with disability during after school sessions.
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1
Just like in the classroom, environment and ambience is everything. How the space looks and feels, the vibe it gives can either encourage or discourage independent learning. Create a space away from the family public spaces like dining table, organize the space with a small table and chairs, books & bookshelf on the side, small blackboard or soft board, markers, sticky notes, crayons, pencils and cute stationery which can be compile as the home learning station.
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2
Creating a learning station should not be an extreme sport or it will not be effective. Discussing the matter with the learner with a disability to endorse and ensure 100% input. Design it beautifully with drawings, quotes, learning materials and a reading timetable. Ensure that the learner with disability is prompting and fully participating in the creation of the learning station.
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3
Time for learning can be elusive for learners at home, There's time for everything else. In the learning station, the learner with the parent or teacher set down a timetable. When will I be reading? Which subjects? How & What will I use? This helps the learner with disability to have routines and habits that encourage them to do some work. Parents know their children best should order the learners timetable along with the family timetables and activities to avoid clashing and segregation due to learning.
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4
Encourage use of diverse learning techniques. This can be introducing the learner to visual learning (videos, documentaries), practical learning (experiments, tests) or any other technique that could be recommended by the teachers and learner.
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Having an effective reward system for the learner with disability. This can range from large rewards like lunch/dinners, fun outings, trips to small rewards like a favorite snack, toy, star stickers, according to the learner's preference and personality. The biggest reward is constant appreciation and appreciation as simple as “Thank you for taking time to study English today.” Thank you for following the timetable.” This will boost the learners’ confidence and encourage more initiation of learning.
Remember, Ensuring the learner with disability is motivated by everyday cues. Encourage the desire to learn and explore the learning materials about everything, not just school stuff. Creating a lifestyle and safe space allows them to retreat into independent learning.
All the best in the learners' journey.
Article by: Maria Njeri