The article “Learning Disabilities in Children: Why Some Children Seem to Struggle” focuses on the invention of an education learning program called Audiblox by Dr. Jan Strydom who holds a doctorate degree in education, among his other notable titles. This educational tool is targeted at helping children who are identified as struggling with learning in school. Dr. Strydom does not believe that some children are not capable of learning. For him, it is simply a matter of showing the child the right way to learn.
Children with learning disabilities become self-conscious as they grow older. They may feel different and would isolate themselves from their peers. At present, there are numerous ways that have been devised to enable children with dysgraphia, for instance, to cope up with the problem of recognizing letters and spelling correctly. But so far, there is no single intervention that is widely successful among these children. Dr. Strydom’s study and the resulting program that he developed could prove very helpful to prevent struggling students in school to permanently be traumatized. If the educational tool does work as it is claimed to be, then, learning disabilities would be a thing of the past.
Dr. Strydom seems to be very confident that his Audiblox is the perfect tool to make children develop the foundational learning skills that include concentration, perception and retention. There is, however, a problem with the article’s presentation. For one, there wasn’t enough study background to support the claim that Audiblox does wonders in the learning skills of children. The article, because of its shortness, sounds more of an introduction than anything else. It is very important to support a claim, such as the one made about Audiblox, with verifiable evidence. It is integral for any study to have been tested on a sample population before some claims can be made about it. It is implied in the article that Dr. Strydom has used
the tool on some participants, but then again, there was nothing in it to indicate how the research
was conducted. There is no specific group mentioned in the article that has tried using the program. For example, the article could have related that the Audiblox was used on a group of eight-year old students identified to have problems with their reading skills. The result of the study should be included to provide credence.
Moreover, the article does not provide a substantial description of Audiblox. It simply said that it could help children develop learning skills. It would have been more helpful if the program were described in more detail. Like how young should the child be before he or she can use the tool. Or, how will Audiblox improve the writing skills and mathematical ability of a child with dyslexia, a condition related to reading and writing. The educational tool can fortunately be searched on the Web to obtain additional information regarding its content and how it could help children. While these information are available on the Web, the article on its own should have these information.
Aside from its lack of comprehensiveness and evidence, the article failed to categorized what are normally considered learning disabilities. Although the topic is well known in academic circles and educators, those outside them will wonder what they are. A parent with a growing child may wonder if his child has a learning disability. It would have been helpful to readers if there were a short discussion on the common conditions that are categorized as learning disabilities.
Further, academic studies are often compared with previous studies done on a particular subject. Because it lacks comprehensiveness, the article did not mention other interventions that have been developed by other researchers. The problem on learning disabilities is a widely researched area of education. The article could have mentioned how Audiblox is significantly different from other techniques available at present.
Reference
“Learning Disabilities in Children: Why Some Children Seem to Struggle.” Meadowbrook
Educational Services, Inc. Retrieved July 19, 2008, from
http://www.audiblox.com/learning_disabilities_children.htm
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