At Wisdom Wealth International School, we believe that every child has unique strengths. Sometimes, traditional academic methods fail to bring out the best in a student. This was the case with Godwin, a student who struggled with reading, writing, and focus in class. Over the past two years, I observed his journey, and what unfolded was a remarkable transformation.
The Initial Challenges
Godwin’s teachers and facilitators shared concerns about his learning progress:
- He struggled to read even simple words.
- Writing independently was difficult, making him heavily reliant on others.
- He was easily distracted and often disengaged from lessons.
- Teachers, frustrated by his lack of progress, resorted to reducing the difficulty level of his work and increasing study time.
At home, his parents unknowingly reinforced this dependency by dictating words to him instead of encouraging independent thinking. As a result, Godwin developed a habit of waiting for instructions rather than expressing his own thoughts. He even started copying from friends’ notebooks and online sources to complete assignments.
Rethinking the Approach
Instead of focusing on his weaknesses, I decided to explore a different approach. I observed that Godwin was naturally curious—always eager to listen to conversations and learn from his surroundings. Instead of reducing his workload, I introduced engaging activities that leveraged his curiosity and motivated him to participate actively.
Small Steps Toward Progress
To improve his writing skills, I introduced a simple timed activity:
- Writing 20 words in English within a minute.
- Gradually, he improved and could do the same in both English and Tamil.
- The time limit helped him stay focused, and repeating the task daily at school and home boosted his confidence.
To encourage reading, we incorporated interactive games like a Treasure Hunt, where clues were written out, and he had to read them to find the treasure. This playful approach helped improve his reading skills as he was motivated to understand the clues.
We also introduced structured smart moves like cross-crawl exercises before reading activities, along with dietary recommendations like ash gourd juice to enhance focus. Over time, his reading and writing improved, and more importantly, his confidence soared.
Discovering His True Strength
While addressing his academic challenges, we also explored his interests. In our school’s Individual Learning Plan (ILP), students are encouraged to develop their skills in areas like writing, programming, space research, culinary arts, and design.
Godwin was given the freedom to explore different activities. He gravitated toward product design, initially just observing how others worked with machines and materials. Over time, he started designing basic products like phone stands and book racks.
To further nurture his talent, we arranged mentorship sessions with industry experts every 15 days. He actively engaged with them, learning about materials, durability, and cost estimation. His interest grew so much that he started volunteering for product design tasks during weekends.
A Remarkable Transformation
Today, Godwin is deeply invested in designing and creating products. He has set a personal goal: to complete 100 products for the next school exhibition. His ability to measure, estimate, and communicate his ideas has improved significantly.
The biggest lesson from this journey? Instead of focusing solely on a child’s weaknesses, identifying and nurturing their strengths can lead to remarkable progress. Godwin’s story is a testament to how the right approach, patience, and belief in a child’s potential can create a path for success.
At Wisdom Wealth International School, we remain committed to empowering every child to discover their strengths and build confidence.
