Is my child a slow learner?

Q: My daughter aged 6 years is a slow learner, in the sense she just picked up identifying alphabets. All other activities are normal for her age. How do I help her with her studies?

A:Your question is so short, that it is not easy to answer it. But I will try. When you say that your daughter has just picked up identifying alphabets, how long has she been trying to learn them? In many countries, they begin formal education, like letters and numbers only after the child is 6 years old. In itself it is not a problem. If she is normal in all the other activities, who decided that she was a slow learner? If the school she attends has said so, they also have a responsibility to help with her learning. But there is a lot that the parents can do to make it easier for her.Everything must be made more concrete. She can learn to count small objects instead of just learning up the numbers. Similarly, you can make teaching aids, with pictures of birds and animals, with their names written in large size at the bottom. You can use story books and rhymes and songs to get her interested. Be patient in dealing with her and reward her, with a smile or a pat on the back, when she does something right. If its possible, let her play with children in the nearby area. Children learn a lot from each other. But a parent or responsible adult must be available there, to ensure that children are not unkind to her.Get her to help you around the house, so that she can have some areas of work in which she is good. In other words, focus on her strengths and not only on her weaknesses. All the best.