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Learning is partly an instinctive process, partly a natural process and partly a deliberate process. An infant begins to learn the moment it takes its first breath. It is a natural learning driven by instinct. The infant instinctively learns to search for its mother's breast or to cry out when it is hungry or uncomfortable. Soon, the baby learns to cry out for its mother's attention. It learns that crying will get it attention more quickly than will silence. Later, the baby learns that it can get different kinds of attention. A cry may get it picked up, and that's good, but a smile is more likely to get some added attention; a soft, cooing, coaxing voice; a little tickle here or there; a delightful bounce on the bed; or an exhilerating boost high up into the air. The first stage of learning is instinctive, natural, and gradual. As the baby grows and becomes a young child, learning becomes more structured and deliberate. The child is taught to feed itself with a spoon. The child is taught at least one language by auditory (hearing) repetition, as well as the gradual and natural comprehension of the language. The child is toilet trained, and is taught how to behave in certain ways depending upon circumstances and/or surroundings. The second stage of learning includes the concepts of expectations and consequences. The child learns what is expected under certain circumstances, and what consequences are to arise in the event that certain expectations are not met. While there are no formal tests, the child is expected to consistently know when to go to the toilet, when to use certain words, what eating utensils to use, and so on. During this second stage of learning, the child is taught according to his/her ability to learn. The third stage of learning is very structured and deliberate. The subject matter neither mirrors the previous two stages of learning, nor is it go on it the same nurturing environment. The child is moved from familiar, nurturing surroundings to an impersonal institutional setting -- school. The usefulness and purpose of the subject matter won't come into focus for quite some time. There are expectations and tests, but the expectations are different. No longer is a child taught until he/she has learned the lesson. The child is expected to memorize instead of learn the lesson material. The test becomes the standard by which the child's knowledge is measured. Remembering to use the toilet fifty percent of the time is not acceptable, but test results of fifty percent will easily get a child to the next grade. The child may have had no difficulty learning, but once learning is switched to memorizing, the child may begin to struggle.(11) If he/she is not able to keep up, the child is diagnosed as having learning disabilities. Incidently, the standard treatment for learning disabilities is: "TREATMENT: The most common treatment for learning disabilities is special education. Specially trained educators may perform a diagnostic educational evaluation assessing the child's academic and intellectual potential and level of academic performance. Once the evaluation is complete, the basic approach is to teach learning skills by building on the child's abilities and strengths while correcting and compensating for disabilities and weaknesses. Other professionals such as speech and language therapists also may be involved. Some medications may be effective in helping the child learn by enhancing attention and concentration. Psychological therapies may also be used."(12) [Next] |