Say What?

This editorial by a former school psychologist was in the IJ yesterday. Although usually I'm happy to comment on their Story Chat, this one required more thought than most, and not just because it's written in the most convoluted and cryptic style imaginable.

The writer claims that there are only three reasons a child fails to learn, none of which are the child's failure at all. One is because the instructions she receives from a teacher are "poorly shaped." The second is because the task she is given by a teacher is not adequately reinforced, which appears to mean "rewarded" rather than "retaught." The third is because the instructions she receives from a teacher are ambiguous.

Although I believe the writer when he says that we're too quick to diagnose kids with ADHD and even to assume some kids can't learn, I think this attempt to remove all blame from (for example) the home environment, or immaturity, or incompatible learning styles, or any of a thousand other possible causes, is vapid and dangerous mumbo-jumbo.

Tweet