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The #1 requirement for effective learning to take place is safety.
Yet the "No Child Left Behind Act" ignores this crucial element.
Ventura, CA (PRWEB) July 8, 2004 -- What is the number one requirement
for learning to take place? SAFETY! A student of any age must feel safe in
order for effective learning to take place.
Safety from what?
Physical hurt? Definitely. But beyond that, kids must be safe from
emotional hurt in all of its forms: ridicule, pressure to perform, fear of
failure, fear of not measuring up. It's that simple—kids who are afraid
can't learn.
The No Child Left Behind Act sounds good. The idea is
to ensure that all children are successful learners. But instead of
opening up possibilities for kids, it is shutting them down even further
because kids are scared that they will make mistakes, fail the test, or
look stupid in front of their classmates. The result?—anger, depression,
physical symptoms, acting out behaviors, and not much learning takes
place.
America's Learning-Success™ Coaches Victoria Kindle Hodson
and Mariaemma Willis have this to say about the No Child Left Behind
Act:
"The intention may be worthy, but it won't work until kids'
different learning styles and differing rates of developmental readiness
are taken into account. Not ALL first graders are ready to read and not
ALL third graders are ready for fractions. But some first graders are
ready for fractions and some third graders can read high school
level.
Finding out how individual kids learn and what each one is
ready to learn will ensure that no child is left behind. Students who
experience this type of learning situation feel safe, have a sense of
accomplishment, and thrive.
Requiring all kids to learn the same
thing at the same time in the same way will merely ensure that more than
half of the students in any classroom will NOT learn effectively. Students
who experience this type of learning situation learn that they are not
very smart or capable and end up feeling angry and resentful. They grow up
believing that they can't do much."
If we really want No Child Left
Behind, then we need to make learning safe and enjoyable—and not just for
the students, but for the teachers, too!
For additional information
contact Learning-Success™ Institute, 805-648-1739, www.learningsuccesscoach.com
Victoria Kindle
Hodson & Mariaemma Willis are the co-founders of the Learning-Success™
Institute and authors of the best-selling book, Discover Your Child’s
Learning Style ($19.95, ISBN 0-7615-2013-9—available in most bookstores
and at their website—www.learningsuccesscoach.com). The authors are
available for book signings, media appearances, and speaking
engagements.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Mariaemma
Willis
Learning-Success™ Institute
805-648-1739
http://www.learningsuccesscoach.com
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Source : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2004/7/prweb139102.htm
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