Learning problems is a worldwide phenomenon, prevalent in all cultures, races and throughout the economic and social spectrum. About 7% of all learners experience a form of learning problems. It can thus be estimated that in a school of 800 learners ±56 learners will experience a learning difficulty. About 50% of learners with a learning problem also tend to have problems with attention.
Early signs of Learning Problems
(5 symptoms are indicative)
Pre-school – 9 years (Gr. R- Gr. 3)
- Difficulty in mastering writing skills
- Struggles with reading and sounding
- Reversal often occur – numerals 2,3,5,7 or 12; Letters b/d/p, m/n/v/w/u, t/j/f
- Switching letters in words for example no/on, blue/bleu
- Incorrect direction when writing letters and numbers (formation), for example starts b/7 from the bottom
- Difficulty with right/left discrimination
- Size of letters differ and confusion exists with capital/small letters
- Spatial organization of written work is weak for example learner skip lines, spacing is poor/starts writing away from the margin
- Perserveration/cannot start working without repeating for example m m ma ma man
- Motor planning problems-once the learner has started, he or she cannot stop
- Does not leave spaces between words or writes one sentence into another
- Attention difficulties
- Problems with sequence learning for example counting in 2’s/3’s, days of the week etcetera
- Difficulty with word and sentence construction
- Struggles with ball handling, hopping, criss-cross and crossing of the midline during writing activities
- Low frustration threshold, often fights with others
- Difficulties with spider sums
- Emotional insecurity
- Psycho-somatic symptoms for example does not want to go to school due to headache, stomach ache, nausea and dizziness
- Has little motivation or perseverance