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This article was downloaded by: [University of Kiel] On: 24 October 2014, At: 18:10 Publisher: Routledge Informa Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registered office: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK The Slow Learning Child Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/cijd18 HOW WE HELP SLOW LEARNERS AT EMDRUPBORG EXPERIMENTAL SCHOOL Anne Marie Norvig a a Headmistress, Cand. Psych. , Emdrupborg Experimental School , Copenhagen Published online: 06 Jul 2006. To cite this article: Anne Marie Norvig (1959) HOW WE HELP SLOW LEARNERS AT EMDRUPBORG EXPERIMENTAL SCHOOL, The Slow Learning Child, 6:1, 8-13, DOI: 10.1080/0156655590060103 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/0156655590060103 PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the “Content”) contained in the publications on our platform. However, Taylor & Francis, our agents, and our licensors make no representations or warranties whatsoever as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose of the Content. Any opinions and views expressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors, and are not the views of or endorsed by Taylor & Francis. The accuracy of the Content should not be relied upon and should be independently verified with primary sources of information. Taylor and Francis shall not be liable for any losses, actions, claims, proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages, and other liabilities whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with, in relation to or arising out of the use of the Content. This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing, systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http://www.tandfonline.com/page/terms- and-conditions

HOW WE HELP SLOW LEARNERS AT EMDRUPBORG EXPERIMENTAL SCHOOL

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This article was downloaded by: [University of Kiel]On: 24 October 2014, At: 18:10Publisher: RoutledgeInforma Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registeredoffice: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK

The Slow Learning ChildPublication details, including instructions for authors andsubscription information:http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/cijd18

HOW WE HELP SLOW LEARNERS ATEMDRUPBORG EXPERIMENTAL SCHOOLAnne Marie Norvig aa Headmistress, Cand. Psych. , Emdrupborg ExperimentalSchool , CopenhagenPublished online: 06 Jul 2006.

To cite this article: Anne Marie Norvig (1959) HOW WE HELP SLOW LEARNERS AT EMDRUPBORGEXPERIMENTAL SCHOOL, The Slow Learning Child, 6:1, 8-13, DOI: 10.1080/0156655590060103

To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/0156655590060103

PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE

Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the“Content”) contained in the publications on our platform. However, Taylor & Francis,our agents, and our licensors make no representations or warranties whatsoever as tothe accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose of the Content. Any opinionsand views expressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors,and are not the views of or endorsed by Taylor & Francis. The accuracy of the Contentshould not be relied upon and should be independently verified with primary sourcesof information. Taylor and Francis shall not be liable for any losses, actions, claims,proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages, and other liabilities whatsoeveror howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with, in relation to orarising out of the use of the Content.

This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Anysubstantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing,systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. Terms &Conditions of access and use can be found at http://www.tandfonline.com/page/terms-and-conditions

HOW WE HELP SLOW LEARNERS AT EMDRUPBORGEXPERIMENTAL SCHOOL

Anne Marie Norvig, Headmistress, Cand. Psych., Emdrupborg ExperimentalSchool, Copenhagen.

How far and in what manner we can help slow learning childrenis a very complicated question depending on genetic and environmentalfactors and on factors of mental hygiene.

Classes of Slow Learners

We know, or we believe we know, that some children are slowlearners for hereditary reasons, because we find slow learners in thefamily. We then jump to conclusions from assumptions which may ormay not be true. Even when the assumption is true, we never canknow to what degree steady work, intense interest and deep motivationcan make up for lack of intelligence. No effort will help the pupil ofvery low intelligence to great intellectual achievements, but even thevery deficient child can be helped to good human relationships, if wehave enough insight, love and tolerance.

We know that other slow learners suffer from handicaps ofdifferent sorts due to bad physical conditions, traumatic experiences,and chronic illness. But should we really call them slow learners, ifthey work up to their abilities, mental as well as physical? If we calleveryone who cannot reach a certain standard of achievement at acertain age, a slow learner, we are in fact producing slow learners byour attitude and our expectations. If we can let every handicappedchild set his own standard in his own time, the problem will no longercreate, complications of mental hygiene, but will be a purely technicalproblem to solve—how to get enough teachers with the right attitudeand time enough to help in the right way.

Other slow learners belong to the social group moving around fromplace to place, never settling for long; or to the group with broken,criminal or emotionally disturbed homes. They are not well taught;they are not well brought up. For children from these groups, the firstcondition for quicker learning is some emotional stability in relation toteacher and class-mates; the second, especially good teaching accordingto their needs and warm appreciation for every little achievement. Ifwe succeed in giving them some self-confidence and some trust in theirteacher, they often go ahead in a miraculous way, especially if theschool can obtain good co-operation with the parents.

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There is a large group for which reasons for slow learning are byno means as obvious as in the groups mentioned above. Every casehas its own reasons some of which may be learned by careful observa-tions and pedagogico-psychological research methods. Some reasonscannot be ascertained.

Requirements of the Various Groups

What can we do for such pupils who are learning considerablymore slowly than might be expected from their I.Q's?

Experience has shown us that precisely the same attitude and thesame workmanship from the teacher, as were used for the mentally,physically or socially handicapped children, will help many of thisgroup even though our diagnosis of the reasons for slow learning isvery incomplete. It seems to us from eleven years' experiments thatslow learners of all categories will improve their learning as soon asthe teacher has succeeded in creating an atmosphere of friendliness,self-confidence and sympathetic co-operation in the classroom.

The first step in a campaign for better conditions for the slowlearning children will therefore be a fight against the normal conceptof a good teacher as one who can manage to have all his pupils reachthe normal standard of that age grade. No one can do this withoutconstant pressure on the larger number of the pupils. We must considerthe really good teacher as one who can motivate all or nearly all hispupils to work according to their own capacity, whether this be highor low.

MotivationHow can we have schools without very precise norms for achieve-

ment? Mature teachers and mature parents with insight into thedevelopmental process can work without stereotyped achievementnorms. They establish norms or rather expectations for every child, andtry to discover the way in which each child can be motivated to go onwith his own development, intellectual, social and emotional.

The very best motivation for learning is the pupil's feeling thathe is really learning. Children have a deep need of the "I can" feeling.As norms in schools are standardized and the children are not, a certainfraction of the pupils in each class room will always be hampered,because we give them tasks for which they are not yet ready, with theresult that they feel "I can not".

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To Segregate or Not

The easiest, and by many teachers, frequently the preferred wayout of this difficulty is streaming, and segregation in special classes ofall those who learn considerably more slowly than the average child.We have in Scandinavia gone too far along this easy and dangerousline.

It must be admitted that some children benefit very much bybeing taught in a smaller group by teachers who are specially trainedand often especially interested in their pupils' progress. But let us alsorealize the disadvantages connected with the system. Many of thesechildren feel the segregation in a special class to be a disgrace. Oftenthey are moved to another school and feel root-less, and pupils whofeel root-less often become ruthless. The system, moreover, is veryexpensive. Children in special classes are the most expensive children:money can be used better in other ways.

Emdrupborg Experimental School

Emdrupborg Experimental School is a municipal school serving acertain area. Since 1948 we have worked out a test programme whichallows us to follow the development and achievement of every childfrom seven to seventeen. Before entering school, each pupil is given aschool readiness test. If the test indicates that the child is not yetready for school, the parents are informed, and most of them take theschool's advice. The responsibility for the decision is left to the parents,and this seems to be a good policy creating more feeling of responsi-bility in the parents.

In the first grade, every child is tested with a Danish revision ofStanford-Binet. Throughout the school, pupils have group andindividual achievement tests. Reading ability is converted to readingage, this facilitating comparative studies. Each year teachers areobliged to complete five-point rating scales, appraising each child onsixteen variables, for example, ability to concentrate, initiative,independence, interest in school work, orderliness, politeness, creativity,ability to make contact with others and so forth.

Three psychologists, two full-time and one part-time, work, at theschool which has 870 pupils. They are staff members and carry out thetesting and co-operate in planning and control of experiments.

When we examine the registration cards which follow every child,we find that although intelligence and achievement correlate roughly

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in the statistical sense, surprisingly many individual deviations occur.We find gifted children who are slow learners: we find children withlow I.Q. who can read better than much more gifted children.

In our reflections on slow learning and backwardness, we are forcedby the facts to give considerable weight to a number of factors otherthan intelligence measured by intelligence tests. Quality of teachingplays an enormous role. The quality of the teacher1 himself, as thepupils experience him, is immensely important for the pupils andespecially for slow learners. The atmosphere in the school, the form ofdiscipline, rules and tradition, mean that children either feel happyand free or that they feel unhappy, bored, anxious for more teachersor for only one. In extreme cases, where a class has had bad teaching,and then has a better teacher, results are obvious. The children becomemore eager, quicker, happier and busier. In such a case a mother said,"I never saw children work so hard and be so happy to work hard asthese children who were considered dull and un-interested last year."

Another very important factor is class size. For each child we havebeyond 28-30 in a class, it gets more and more difficult to followdesired lines, to find the right balance between work in common andindividual work where the pupils themselves set the pace.

Visual aids, books suitable for age and ability, teaching material,and material for creative activity also play a role in the final result.

Remedial Reading Programme

Two years ago we started a remedial reading programme. Afternine years of experiment we were able to help backward readers withintheir own school. We have a very able and interested teacher trainedto give special care to backward readers. Children are chosen for specialhelp through co-operation between class room teacher, psychologist andspecial teacher. For a period of seven to ten weeks, a child gets twoor three lessons weekly either alone or in a very small group of threeor four. The special teacher has many very easy and attractive books.He has by nature and training a very complacent^ attitude towards thechildren. This kind and positive attitude combined with easy readersand some technical assistance gives the child the possibility of havingthe well-known "Aha" experience, "I can read!" From the teacher thechild obtains confidence, "You can learn to read well. You go ontrying", and so on. With poor readers we find that technical aid is lessimportant than the mental hygienic factors. If the emotional side ofthe problem is solved, "miracles" often happen, and a child learns in

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two months as much as he has not been able to learn throughout awhole year. Two most important requirements are,

1. Co-operation of the parents in showing interest in the child'sprogress and in giving him sympathetic acknowledgment.

2. Co-operation of the class room teacher, who must take his partin the plan and uphold the positive expectations concerning thechild.

Emotional Factors

To each slow learning child's inner resources, there is a special key.We can only try all keys which release necessary forces, good humanrelationship, kindly interest, understanding of the child's situation andpersonality, and confidence in him. The child who has lost his self-confidence will give up. The teacher, however, must be honest. Hecannot help the child by pretending interest. Even slow learners sensethe difference between real human interest and oral pretending. Onlyhonest, real confidence in the child can be transferred from teacher tochild.

During the child's special course, he must never have defeats inthe class room; the class room teacher must be discreet and tactful anduphold the feeling of "I can!" It seems for many children to be thegolden key to their hitherto unused resources.

Results of the Experimental Programme

What is the result of the experiment here described? The parentsare happy and confident because backward readers stay on in theschool and get special help. The pupils are rather proud of havingspecial lessons, and we take care never to have any feeling of disgraceconnected with the special lessons. They like to go to the little roomin the library where the special lessons are given. The authoritiesfavour the programme as it is much cheaper to give one teacher 12hours a week for special lessons than to transfer children to smallspecial classes. The measurable result is that the average reading age isnow two months forward compared with 1955. Fewer children, readbelow the normal standard for their age and intelligence.

Another consequence seems slowly to become apparent. Younginexperienced teachers profit from the co-operation with the special

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teacher and themselves teach better, because they are supported bythe material and experiences at their disposal. And last but not least,the spirit in which the experiment has been carried out seems slowlyto penetrate throughout most of the school.

Although we began with backward readers, it is obvious that slowlearners in other subjects have profited. We have more and morechildren with I.Q's below the normal dividing line for transfer to specialclasses for slow learners, who work happily with more gifted classmates in an atmosphere of good fellowship.

To Train Brains or People

In a book "The Rise of the Meritocracy" by Michael Young, theauthor speaks of a time when psychologists will be able to segregatethe gifted from the defective at the age of three years. He stresses thatwe. must take care of the gifted brains and not let them waste time. Iam entirely his antagonist in this respect. I agree that we should takebetter care of the resources of any nation by having better trainedteachers with a stable and intelligent understanding of each child. Upto now we know so little of the connection between the human brainand the human heart. I do not believe in the value of training onlybrains, and I think people with highly trained technical brains withoutgood human relationships are most dangerous. We should therefore letslow learners and quick learners work together at least until they are12-13 years, and first and foremost create an atmosphere of tolerantunderstanding of people different from oneself. It is a slow and longprocess to get teachers, pupils, parents and public* opinion into closeco-operation, not only for the sake of the slow learners, but also forthe sake of human fellowship and true democracy.

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