Making the decision to enrol your child in one of the many remedial schools

Making the decision to enrol your child in one of many remedial schools available for consideration can be a daunting prospect. Whether your child is just beginning their schooling journey, or the recommendation has been made to move from a mainstream school, researching these remedial schools is a necessity in order to find just the right fit for your child and family.

Remedial schools have become more prevalent in recent years, as there is a definite need for them, and there are many benefits to the education received at remedial schools: the classroom sizes tend to be smaller, allowing for the individual attention your child may require; the curriculum is generally adapted in order to allow your child to work at his or her own pace, and at a level of difficulty that he or she can understand; the basic education skills are specifically targeted, such as reading and math literacy, which form the core knowledge needed to progress through the grades, and by bolstering these skills, a child may become more able to learn complex academic material.

There are also common concerns that arise when considering enrolment into remedial schools: sometimes the adapted curriculum does not allow for a child to expand their knowledge, and fully reach their academic potential; occasionally it can be difficult for children in remedial schools to make the jump into a mainstream school, as the environment (and workload) can be very different; some parents are concerned that their children may begin to imitate inappropriate behaviours demonstrated by other peers within the remedial schools’ classrooms.

Many mainstream schools have now begun to make use of “bridging classes,” where a child who is struggling academically can be moved to a smaller classroom environment for those specific lessons identified as “difficult.” These bridging classes have helped to incorporate techniques used by remedial schools, but within the mainstream school environment. Some children thrive within these smaller bridging classes, while some may continue to struggle, and are then the recommendation to look at remedial schools is given.

The Catch Up Kids programme aims to help these children requiring the one-on-one attention, and aid them in building up the core skills necessary for success in the classroom. Catch Up Kids instructors are specially trained in order to deliver individualised lessons to your child, that will specifically build up the areas of academic concern, as well as many other skills that may be holding your child back from learning in the classroom environment (for example, memory, ability to follow instructions, and the ability to sustain attention to a task). When looking at remedial schools, Catch Up Kids should be your first port of call as we may be able to bridge the gaps without removing your child from a mainstream classroom, increase the speed at which they are prepared for the move to a mainstream school, or help them reach their potential within any remedial schools.

The decision about remedial schools will be different for every family, and it is important to look at all options – having an assessment done by Catch Up Kids may open up a few more options for your child, and the more choices available, the better chances you have of finding the ideal fit.

Rebecca van Wyngaard

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Is a remedial school the correct choice for my child?

Is a remedial school the correct choice for my child?

If your child is having difficulty in school, you may be considering sending your child to a remedial school. These difficulties may include learning disabilities or difficulties, problems coping with the work-load or even emotional or social difficulties. Before you make the big decision you will want a lot more information so that you know you are making the correct decision for your child.

The advantages of mainstream schooling are that your child will be educated, as well as socialising and modelling, with children who are at the average level for their age. If your child is having difficulties it is possible that they need extra support outside of school to help them keep up, or possibly even a change of school as opposed to a move to remedial. It is important to remember that just because your child is fully capable of handling a mainstream environment, doesn’t mean that the school, or even class, that they are in is right for them. The guidance of professionals can be valuable in guiding this decision.

If your child needs a higher level of support than what can be provided within a mainstream environment then it may be time to consider a remedial school. In South Africa there are different levels of remedial school, offering varied curriculums as well as levels of support and making the decision of where to put your child depends strongly on their needs. A child who needs a lower level of support will not be reasonably stimulated in an environment where the pace is too slow, however a child who needs more one-on-one support may find the pacing of a bigger or fast-moving class too difficult and fail to make progress. Many schools offer extra support such as OT, speech therapy and play therapy and these support systems should also be considered when making your decision as support from within the school may be more advantageous than outside support as the therapists within the school are familiar with the child’s school environment.

Catch-Up kids can support your child no matter what decision you make. We have experience supporting children who are having difficulty within the mainstream environment and have helped them keep up with their classmates, as well as helped them get the most out of their remedial school. We have strong relationships with many schools and can facilitate during school hours as well as give support after hours in the form of specialised programmes designed to help your child with their specific areas of need. We stay in contact with the school and teacher to ensure that we are staying on top of your child’s needs so that they make the most possible progress no matter what level of schooling they are at.

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Remedial school versus main stream schools

When your child is diagnosed with a developmental delay or struggling in a mainstream school your first response as a parent is to find a remedial school that will suit your child’s needs or help your child be successful. How do you know if and what remedial school is the best fit and will a remedial school be the place where your child flourishes?

There are various arguments stating that a remedial school will be the best placement when your child is diagnosed with a developmental delay or any other disability as this way you will give your child a chance to receive a full formal education.  Where other arguments states that moving your child to a remedial school will separate your child from neurotypical peers or role models and follows the notion of believing this separation is acceptable or required.

Pros – Remedial schools

  1. Remedial schools and teachers are qualified in remedial education and therefore qualified to teach children with various diagnosis or disabilities
  2. A remedial school offers an accepting environment and more accepting peers therefore a child is less likely to be bullied at school
  3. Sometimes extra services such as speech therapy and occupational therapy are included as part of the school’s progrramme

Cons – Remedial schools

  1. The classroom consists of various children with different skill deficits and different learning styles which often requires 1:1 attention
  2. Your child is removed from a mainstream classroom or mainstream school setting
  3. Your child is removed from neurotypical peers who can be excellent models to learn from and to motivate your child within the classroom
  4. Sometimes remedial schools aren’t set up to teach and foster independent skills for independent living

Pros – Mainstream schools

  1. Your child is placed with good role models in terms of language skills, social skills, academic skills, play skills etc.
  2. It helps your child to feel comfortable within a mainstream placement and between neurotypical peers for later in life when opportunities outside of school are taken into account whether it be social events or a work environment when they are older
  3. Inclusion teaches mainstream peers to be tolerant and accepting of differences between people

Cons – Mainstream schools

  1. Teachers aren’t necessarily qualified in special needs education or in managing challenging behaviour
  2. Challenges a child experiences due to their skill deficits can influence their ability to keep up in the classroom or even influence their social interactions with peers
  3. Self-esteem being influenced when they do not have the correct support when a peer or teacher is not understanding or accepting of their differences

How can I help my child be successful in their placement?

The appropriate support in a remedial or mainstream classroom can be given by ensuring that trained professionals work with your child in the classroom that understand your child’s diagnosis, the skill deficits and excesses. An indivualized education plan (IEP) should be in place for the child to ensure that the skill deficits are addressed, monitored and adapted which includes curriculum modifications that can be made if needed. A trained facilitator can be provided in a classroom to facilitate your child’s learning in the classroom, with goals of independence included in the way facilitation is applied.

Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) and Catch Up Kids can provide the required support by setting your child up for success

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My experience with remedial schools

My experience with remedial schools

My experience with remedial schools has truly been eye-opening. The difference in the environment compared to mainstream schooling is surreal; I have been to both respectively and I can say with certainty that remedials pride themselves on inclusivity. The children are brought up in an immensely supportive environment. The perspective shared regarding their efforts made towards the kids is amazing to witness. Judgement and prejudices don’t exist in these schools as they promote and uphold acceptance and humanity. When I facilitated one of our kids it felt so different compared to other mainstream schools as the kids were so warm, welcoming and inclusive with regards to my kid. They understood that some kids are special, and a little different, just as they are. They accept that each individual is unique. They wouldn’t say hurtful things to my kid or ask inappropriate questions. We get asked quite inappropriate questions at mainstream schools fairly often. I admire the remedial schools because they make every child feel equal and a part of the society. The teachers are amazing too. They are supportive and understanding of each individual child’s needs. They know how to foster that belonging and accepting factor. The values that the kids are taught in these schools appear to be a little different to those of mainstream schools. Children in remedials are shaped to understand that each child is different and that each child needs a friend. I have never before observed such an absence of cliques as I do at these schools – truly an extraordinary phenomenon. Cliques play a pivotal role in children’s social development at schools. Cliques often lead to children feeling like outcasts and different. Remedial schools cultures are of such a nature that cliques cannot manifest. It is amazing to see how these children treat one another and accept their peers. The care, love and compassionate traits these children possess are admirable. Remedial schools can be rather stigmatized however as parents always tend to push for mainstream schooling – remedials on the other hand – should be celebrated more and more for the abundance of opportunities it presents for children with disabilities. They give every child an equal and fair opportunity to acquire precious education. Sending your child with a disability to a remedial school is the best thing you will do; the environment will promote development with regards to the amazing person they will one day be. A remedial school is to be considered if your child needs an environment to develop social, emotional and intellectual skills. Remedial schools should never be stigmatized as stated earlier; they should be celebrated for the unique environment they offer. They truly allow your child the platform to stand out for his/her astonishing achievements.

Karin Coetzee

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What is Remedial school or education?

Remedial School

What is Remedial school or education?

The main goal of remedial school education to assist a child who has fallen behind academically to ‘catch up’ to their peers. The content of these programs is usually focused on the foundational skills of reading, writing and numeracy. While the term ‘remedial’ is often used interchangeably with ‘special needs’ they are different. A remedial school or remedial education seeks to build on the missing skills while ‘special needs education’ seeks to meet an ongoing need in students with physical and or cognitive disabilities. Remedial education can be provided to children with or without disabilities who have average to above average intellectual abilities, who are for a variety of reasons not keeping up with their peer group in a mainstream school.

What to look for in a remedial school.

There are a few key elements that need to be present in an effective remedial program. Does the program utilise proven research-based interventions and does the program have measures in place to clearly show progress? As when you take a child out of the mainstream setting and into a remedial one you want the time out of the classroom to be as effective as possible. A program that has a strong research base is one that is likely to be highly effective. Before the remediation is implemented there needs to be a good plan in place, in order for this to be achieved a comprehensive assessment to identify skill deficits needs to be completed. The program needs to focuses on teaching the identified skill deficits first, as without consolidation of basic skills higher order skills cannot be achieved.  These basic skills need to be taught in a step by step manner by breaking down complex skills into smaller more manageable steps. Often children who require remedial assistance struggle to break a task down into smaller parts, helping a child learn how to do that can make presented work far less daunting.

The remedial school program must be individualized, a one size fits all program will not effectively address the needs of each child. You want the program to target the deficits specifically, this is best achieved through an individualised learning plan (ILP). Instruction needs to be provided in small groups but ideally in an one-one-one setting with some activities within a small group setting. When a child is placed on a one-on-one setting their unique academic and emotional needs can be met. Furthermore, a remedial school that looks at the child holistically and builds missing skills in non-academic areas such as social, play or adaptive skills in addition to academic skills further helps to close the gap. Quite often when children are identified as needing remedial intervention the skill deficits are as a result of poor sustained attention skills; deficits in listening and comprehension skills; difficulty with divided attention; difficulty with following multiple instructions at once and or low motivation. When these skills are absent it makes it very difficult for a child to learn in a classroom environment. Thus, a comprehensive remedial program will look to address all these elements in addition to the academic deficits.

Janine Clark

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Remedial school in Johannesburg

Remedial school in Johannesburg

Why is there such a big need today for remedial school in Johannesburg and remedial teachers who can teach children who require remedial learning in Johannesburg? Over the years more and more children are struggling to keep up to the standards (CAPS curriculum and classroom pressures and pace) required in remedial school in Johannesburg. Classroom masses have grown larger and larger and the pace at which children are being taught is much faster. Due to factors many children are presenting with learning difficulties. Teachers are finding it more difficult to give the individualised attention that is required by children with a slower learning acquisition rate. The word remedial can range far and wide, this meaning that it can go all the way from small learning deficits such as reading or writing and range all the way to learning disabilities such as dyslexia for an example. Whichever the case, remedial school in Johannesburg are recommending that these children seek alternative therapies or even go as far as suggesting that they leave their mainstream environment and go off to find schools with remedial capabilities that will cater to the child’s remedial need. Due to this many independently owned remedial schools are establishing themselves throughout Johannesburg. The high demand of remedial learning in Johannesburg has prompted the creation and establishment of these new remedial schools in and around Johannesburg. Some are in hope to provide better learning environments for children with remedial learning needs, Many offering different types of therapies (such as speech, OT, behavioral, Ect) to help them and other remedial schools in hope to help them correct their learning difficulties that labels them into a remedial category. At catch up kids this is definitely the case. It can be seen as a remedial form of teaching and they are based in Johannesburg. They have qualified instructors who can work with children in Johannesburg who have remedial learning needs. The instructors are trained in the CAPS curriculum for each grade and at catch up kids they do not see remedial as a final label, instead they seek to find where the learner is having difficulties and to “catch them up” to the level that they need to be at for their age level (hence the name catch up kids). Many remedial school in Johannesburg work with pupils who also attend catch up kids and together the combination can have phenomenal results. Some children may even learn from the comfort of their own homes in Johannesburg or the ultimate option is to mainstream them back into their mainstream schools in Johannesburg and allow them to have remedial extra lessons after school hours to keep them up with their grade level and the CAPS curriculum. This is often the best outcome as the child feels motivated to start succeeding in their class and they often do better and better with the confidence build and motivation. So if you are seeking a remedial school in Johannesburg or help to assist with remedial needs, catch up kids is the best place to start.

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Why Remedial Schools?

Remedial Schools

A remedial school is a school which provides an education to learners who experience learning difficulties. They close the gap between what a child should know, and what the child already knows. These remedial schools often work at a slower pace than a mainstream school, and they teach work content in many different ways. Usually, the main focus of these schools is maths and reading, as studies show that these areas are the ones which children struggle with the most.

Remedial schools often have fewer children in each class than what a mainstream school would have. This is to ensure that each child receives more individual attention, and provides less distraction than what a bigger class would. The smaller classes also ensure that each child’s individual weaknesses are targeted directly, and close attention can be given to those areas of difficulty.

The work content in a remedial school curriculum is broken down into more steps so that the work is more understandable to the learners who are being taught. The teachers use different methods of teaching in order to capture the attention of the learners, and to make the work content more relatable. An example of this would be using different textured items (playdough, shaving cream, etc) to spell out words. This is a fun activity for the children, and it stimulates their different senses all while learning how to spell. A lot of time is spent away from a desk, and learning is done in a more natural way.

Some remedial schools also offer supplementary therapy sessions, such as occupational therapy, remedial therapy or play therapy, to the children during school hours. The purpose of these therapy sessions are to work on any non-academic struggles the child may have that could be affecting their ability to learn. For example, a child with ADHD may have sensory issues which cause them to become distracted easily in a classroom and not focus on the task at hand. They may need to attend occupational therapy sessions as a way to satiate those sensory needs, as well as to learn methods of keeping themselves satiated in the classroom. An example would be a child who fidgets a lot with their clothes or pencil case could be given a discreet fidget toy that they can fidget with under the table so that they do not cause a distraction to other children.

A remedial school is a great option to consider for your child if he/she is having difficulty with learning and needs to be taught at a slower pace or needs more individual attention.

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Slow learner students

Slow learner students and how we can help.

At Catch Up Kids we believe that any child has the potential to flourish academically and socially in a school environment. Slow learner students typically struggle in areas such as sustained attention, impulse control, memory, time management, emotional coping, planning and flexibility. These are the skills needed to excel in a school environment and these skills are all interrelated. A deficit in one can hamper the development of another. If your child finds impulse control challenging, it will affect their ability to sustain attention for the length of time that a teacher explains a concept which in turn will affect their ability to learn. If they have a problem with planning, they will struggle to manage their time efficiently which could lead to incomplete work, dependence on peers and their parents and general poor performance.

Generally class environments require children to be able to manage themselves well enough to be able to keep up with the work load at a rather quick pace. Classes are large and it’s expected that all the learner’s move at the same pace but this is not always possible for everyone. Slow learner students aren’t always capable to keep up in these environments and they tend to fall behind. This creates a vicious cycle where they just fall further behind and since the classes are large, it’s not always possible for teachers to give them the one-on-one attention that they so desperately need.

This can lead to a decrease in confidence, self-esteem and it can make the feel like they don’t fit in. It further hampers social development and general well-being. School can be a brutal place for children and they need the ability to self-regulate and cope emotionally with the challenges they face every day. In order for them to do this, they need to be able to believe in themselves.

At Catch Up Kids we are able to offer you the one-on-one attention that your kid needs. Through school observations and IEP meetings with the school our supervisors are able to identify the skills that are needed to help catch your child up.  Our supervisors are expertly trained to develop programmes specifically catered to your child’s individual needs. We have specially trained instructors that brings a multi-faceted approach to how your child learns. We are trained to identify the most effective way that your child learns, we use creative and fun techniques to help them on the level that they are on. Some children just need you to slow down and help them at their pace until they develop the necessary skills to be able to cope independently in a stressful school environment and we teach them these skills. We can help restore their self-esteem and build them up so that they have the confidence to independently tackle the challenges they face with vigour.

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SPD

Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) – a learning barrier!

Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) is split into two distinct sub categories: sensory avoiders and sensory seekers.  Sensory avoiders have a low sensory threshold because too little habituation takes which in turn makes them sensitive to their environment. Habituation is when the brain blocks out unimportant sensory information so that we can focus on important information in that moment. When the brain is not blocking out enough sensory information – such as background noise, lights, and movement – we struggle to focus on the task at hand because our brains are over-stimulated. A sensory avoiding child will often find it difficult to focus in the classroom because their brain cannot habituate the lights, kids shuffling around them, the colours on the wall, etc – which goes unnoticed by a child with a normal sensory threshold.

On the contrary, a sensory seeker has a high sensory threshold because their brain over habituates –too much information goes unnoticed by the brain and as a result they feel under-stimulated needing sensory input. Often a child who has the inability to sit still is seeking vestibular input – the need to move around to be stimulated.  A sensory seeking child may struggle to focus in class because their brain is too preoccupied in finding additional stimuli.

Examples of how Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) presents itself through the 7 senses and affects learning:

  • Auditory sense: distracted by background noise (shuffling of papers, the sound of chalk against the board); or inability to focus when it is too quiet;
  • Visual sense: inability to block out pictures on the wall;
  • Olfactory (smell) sense: inability to focus because of the smell of maybe the floor cleaner, or a teachers perfume;
  • Taste: The olfactory and taste sense go hand in hand – often when a child’s sense of smell is affected their sense of taste is also affected. For example, being overly sensitive to a smell may elicit an unpleasant taste in the mouth;
  • Tactile (touch): inability to focus because of aversions to certain textures, for example, the feel of the desk;
  • Movement (Proprioceptive): the constant need to fidget – play with an object or their fingers – because their muscles and joints in their hands seek pressure input;
  • Movement (Vestibular): inability to sit still when expected.

At Catch Up Kids, we understand that every child has their own learning style – some may learn best through movement (eg, learning to count while jumping on a trampoline) and others may be Proprioceptive learners (eg, picking up objects as they count them such as stones and marbles). Our Individualised Education Programmes (IEP’s) are designed by a skilled Case Supervisor to suit your child’s specific learning style. For more information: www.catchupkids.co.za

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Speech Difficulties

Speech Difficulties

Speech difficulties are becoming more common and prevalent now that there is a lot more research and awareness of it. During the first moments of life, are the moments where communication is established between an child and their parent. Infants start to communicate and affect adults by cries, gaze, movements and facial expressions (Faith, 2012).Their social interaction with their parents and those around them becomes structured around what they are capable of doing (Faith, 2012). According to Faith (2012), “these early interactions can be said to contribute to later speech difficulties; however there is no certainty that the absence of early experiences would prevent the later development of speech difficulties.” As each child develops differently and at different paces, this growth and any problems therefore may go unnoticed. Similarly, the differences between cases of those who encounter speech difficulties could be temporary or permanent and the cause varies substantially (Faith, 2012).

In childhood, where they progress from babbling all the way to more difficult grammatical speech as they enter school, some children’s process requires a lot more effort and specialized help (Faith, 2012).  Speech difficulties can occur in both acquiring language and using the language system to communicate (Faith, 2012). According to Faith (2012), “speech difficulties are identified when a child has problems in the acquisition and development of oral language.” These speech difficulties can occur for a variety of reasons, such as physical disabilities like hearing loss, early language experiences, or as part of general difficulty in learning and cognitive functions (Faith, 2012)

A very important part of speech difficulty is its identification, as this paves the way straight to any treatment or intervention. A lot of cases of speech difficulties often go unnoticed and it becomes less obvious to take action unless the parent notices something unusual or a professional expresses a concern. It has been said that the identification of speech difficulties is problematic, however, according to Faith (2012) ”all the tests focus on the three main issues which include, performance on language test below the child chronological, discrepancy between a child’s language skills and their non-verbal abilities and also the language abilities that cannot be attributed to any other causes.”

Some of the difficulties that could be among some of the children that have speech difficulties may include some of the following:

  • Delayed Speech: some children may have a delayed speech which does eventually get to the same level of their peers without problems, however, other children speech difficulties are a much bigger problem that needs some intervention (Faith, 2012).
  • Auditory Processing Problems: According to Faith (2012), “To learn a language a child must be able to detect when sounds occur and also discriminate between and categorize sounds. Problems with early stages of auditory processing are particularly significant for language acquisition.”
  • Vocabulary Problems: Speech difficulties can be related to difficulties in learning new words and producing known words (Faith, 2012). That word is in heir vocabulary, but the problem comes from where they are trying to retrieve that word to use.
  • Grammatical Problems: Speech Difficulties can manifest themselves in a number of ways including output, omissions of function of words and short utterances (Faith, 2012). According to Faith (2012), “the explanations given for these difficulties include perception deficits, inability to compute syntactic relations and failure of innate syntactic abilities to mature.’

From the above work, the importance of intervention for speech difficulties is especially emphasised for younger children when it is just noticed either by the parent of other member of society.

Luckily, Catch Up Kids has a team of highly-skilled and trained instructors who can work with your child to remediate all of the above-mentioned difficulties using a variety of research-based methods.

Bibliography

Faith, K. (2012). Speech and Language Difficulties: An assessment of the parents experiences who have children with speech. Retrieved January 29, 2019, from https://www.theseus.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/48473/Faith%20Kilpelainen%202012%20Kemi%20Thesis.pdf?sequence=1

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