Go back to the
main page. Children who struggle with their schoolwork show three patterns in their learning: they learn inefficiently, inconsistently, and incompletely.
Some experts believe that the brain actually changes physically as we learn.
The neurons, or cells in our brain, are long, thin structures with finger-like extensions on the end called axons and dendrites. Magnified many times, two neurons might look somewhat like this: [graphic]
If these experts are correct, the more we use what we learn, the more permanent the neural pathway, and the knowledge, becomes.
This preliminary research barely scratches the surface, and we can't say with confidence that the human brain really works precisely this way. Still, imagining a path through the brain that becomes more permanent in time is a useful way to visualize how we learn.
However memories are formed, we know that repeated, successful use strengthens them. The completion of these supposed paths through the brain would be what we think of as learning. The more solidly we establish learning, the more easily we'll do the task or recall the knowledge.
Sooner or later, most of us have to work hard to learn something. We don't always realize it, but instant learning rarely takes place. If we "cram" for a test, for example, we may squeak through on the exam only to find that we have forgotten the material within a few weeks. That's because we didn't learn it solidly to begin with.
Children who learn inconsistently or inefficiently seem to build fragile pathways to the information they need. It's possible that one time their brain takes one route and another time chooses a different route. They use several partly-built paths to the information, but none of them consistently enough to be able to get to the information quickly, easily and confidently. Or, they may fragment the information, and store it incompletely in several places instead of establishing one reliable site.
Complete learning, learning that stays with us for long periods of time, takes place in steps, or stages. At each of these steps, which we'll call the Four Stages of Learning, we master a task a little more thoroughly, until we finally know it extremely well. For this book those stages have been named Exposure Stage, Guided Learning Stage, Independence Stage and Mastery Stage.
We all go through these stages as we learn, but some of us move through them faster than others, and we all learn some kinds of knowledge more easily than others. When we're learning something we're good at we may not be aware of these four stages, but we still move through them, perhaps very rapidly. To explain these four stages, we're going to use a skill nearly everyone struggled to learn: long division.
Stage one is the Exposure Stage and is encountered any time a concept is completely new to us. Using our example, when our teacher first explained long division to us, most of us got confused. If we could examine the pathway for this information, we might (if the preliminary research is right) find that at the beginning, in the Exposure Stage, the nerves are completely unconnected, with visible gaps between cells.
We call stage two the Guided Learning Stage because we still can't do the problems without help and guidance from our teacher. We are beginning to catch on though, and with support, encouragement and clues from the teacher, we can attempt the problems. But it's hard work, and since we make a variety of mistakes we still need the teacher's help often. We are still dependent on the teacher for success, so complete learning hasn't taken place yet.
During the Guided Learning Stage the connection between the dendrites might look something like this, not yet strong or dependable. Knowledge "learned" only to the Guided Learning Stage is learned inadequately and incompletely. If a student stops at this level and doesn't progress to the Independence Stage she hasn't really learned anything useful.
With review, guidance and hard work we reach stage three, called the Independence Stage. At this stage we can do most of the problems on our own, most of the time. This is when we begin to think of the task as "easy," and we gain confidence in our abilities.
If the pathway for a skill weakens we may drop back to the Guided Learning Stage, once again unable to do the work independently. This is why elementary school math textbooks begin the school year with a thorough review of the last year's skills. The review maintains independent skills and prevents students from slipping back to stage two, Guided Learning.
The final, fourth level, Mastery Stage, comes with still more practice. At Mastery Stage we have learned to do long division so thoroughly and completely we can perform it for the rest of our lives with no clues, no help, no review. Our understanding of it is automatic, and we can do the steps without stopping to think what to do next.
Using our model, communication between cells is rapid and consistent; we literally know the information without thinking. However, we would need occasional review or eventually we might forget (perhaps only partially) how to do the problems.
Mastery is the final goal of education. We rarely forget anything we've learned this well.
The learning disabled student's problem is that her uneven learning style interferes with her progress through the stages described above.
Struggling students move more slowly, often stalling and getting stuck at the second stage (Guided Learning). Remaining dependent on teacher clues and help, these students rarely have the powerful and liberating experience of considering any of their schoolwork "easy."
Getting to the Independence Stage is a heady experience for a struggling student. Working efficiently feels terrific, and most people don't believe they have learned a skill until they can do it easily. When students can't do their schoolwork easily, they don't feel smart. That's why the "tips and tricks" offered in Chapters Nine through Sixteen are designed to blast students past the wall they face at the Guided Learning Stage to Independence, and eventually, Mastery.
Do not download, duplicate or distribute in any way unless the following information is included:
TAMING THE DRAGONS: REAL HELP FOR REAL SCHOOL PROBLEMS. Copyright Susan Setley, 1995. All rights reserved. For ordering information call Starfish Publishing Company (314) 367-9611
Information on
"learned helplessness."
Go to information
on learning styles.
Go to information
on "learned helplessness."
Go back to information
on Taming the Dragons: Real Help for Real School Problems.
If you have comments or questions, email me at susans29@aol.com.
To contact the publisher of Taming the Dragons: Real Help for Real School Problems , email starfishpc@aol.com.
If you experience problems or difficulty with these web pages, please drop a line to the programmer at cyradis1@hotmail.com