CHARLES BEAMS spoke of More Of The Same to DAN TRIPLETT on 12-24-96
CB>In response to a message to Charles on ...
CB>DT>.DT>I am speaking developmentally.  If a child is not
CB>DT>.DT>developmentally ready  for a concept, no effort will bring
CB>DT>.DT>about understanding. But this is  not to say that this child
CB>DT>.DT>should be exempt from meeting the minimum  standards.
CB>DT>CB> 
CB>DT>CB>We do not yet have the capability to adequately diagnose such 
CB>DT>CB>problems, so we'll never know for sure whether or not a child
CB>DT>CB>is  incapable or just failing.  We can only treat the problem -
CB>DT>CB>remediation, summer school, retention, or alternative programs.
CB>DT>I'm not sure what you mean about "diagnosing such
CB>DT>problems"......what  problems do you mean?
CB>Learning disabilities.  I was responding with a bias - I believe 
CB>that most children in school who do not work up to grade level are 
CB>falling behind due to lack of effort and lack of consequence rather 
CB>than because of any lack of ability. 
Probably true....and perhaps we have given some students a reason to lag 
behind by giving them a label on which to cling.  I remember as a 
student teacher overhearing one student say "I can't help it, Im ADD."  
 The human brain is a VERY 
CB>powerful instrument and is capable of overcoming minor 
CB>malfunctioning.  Why should children work hard in school when 
CB>promotion and graduation are considered a right and not something to 
CB>be earned.
Good question.....motivation to learn comes from many places.  I think 
schools can do a great deal to motivate but....home is still a powerful 
factor.  It seems to me that if we expect our schools to improve that we 
as a society need to improve some social factors that work against the 
efforts of the schools.  
Dan
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