- Poor handwriting—does not necessarily mean a learning disability, especially if it is the only problem—and especially in Kindergarten when children are just learning to write. Remember not to be too strict in Kindergarten years as it could make your child resentful and think of learning as a chore.
- Has difficulty remembering facts, basic math concepts, learning new skills, and grasping the concept of time—reason for concern
- Has poor coordination and sense of surroundings
Because K–4 spans a wide range of developmental ability, testing may need to be repeated. “If a child is tested early on and is not diagnosed with a learning disability in kindergarten and is still struggling with expressing himself with writing in the 3rd grade, he should be retested,” suggests Ms. Burgess. Retesting at a later age might give a more accurate picture of his or her learning disability. Another thing she noted in her work with children was that many of her students had a tough time learning a new skill, and once they appeared to master it, they would forget. For example, a student may have learned and mastered multiplication facts and then moved on to division facts but when the instruction turns to multiplying large numbers, the multiplication facts seem to have disappeared from memory.
In Grades 5–8
- Problems with reading comprehension, math, and writing; performs below grade level but also has some strong areas
- Problems with time management—this can be normal but should be watched, especially if in conjunction with other concerns
- Doesn’t like reading aloud, writing, and math assignments—cause for concern but keep in mind this age group, some can be recalcitrant
- Has difficulty with handwriting or grips his pencil awkwardly—does not necessarily mean a learning disability
- Has a hard time remembering things—reason for concern if other factors are ruled out
Ms. Burgess noticed that some of her students had trouble generalizing new information from the classroom and applying it to real world. “For example, they might be able to figure out how much one piece of gum costs in a pack, but when at the store, they had no idea where to start to figure out the information.”
