Some children must deal with learning difficulties or problems learning new information. They may have difficulty mastering skills like throwing and catching a ball. They can get confused trying to communicate by talking and listening to other people. Without being able to learn and retain key pieces of information, these children struggle even more when they enter school and try to master reading, writing, and other content area skills and knowledge.

Scientists aren’t sure exactly what causes learning difficulties. Many theorize that the brains of children with learning disabilities confuse signals and have difficulty sending and receiving chunks of information. Basically, as University of Nevada-Reno professors Gary Fisher and Rhoda Cummings explain in The survival guide for children with AD“Some kids just have a hard time learning.”

These kids are not dumb or lazy at all. They just “learn differently” (LD). Gary Fisher and Rhoda Cummings appropriately substitute the term “disability” in their book, helpful in addressing the problem rather than the stigma. Children with AD have normal or even above average intelligence and may actually excel in other areas. Their brains simply acquire, process, and retain information differently. As expressed by Stanley S. Lamm, MD, and Martin L. Fisch, Ph.D. Learning Disabilities Explained, a child with a learning disorder simply has “a specific condition or series of conditions that interfere with the normal learning process.”

Children who learn differently can come from any ethnic or socioeconomic group. Although only about 5% of children have been formally diagnosed with AD, some clinicians and educators believe that as many as 20% of children have some type of interference with the way they learn in some area. The good news is that with proper diagnosis and targeted intervention, children with AD can greatly improve their ability to learn in an area of ​​weakness.

It is especially critical that parents recognize that children with LD learn differently and the means and resources that they must make available to help them learn. Once a LD has been identified, a team of professionals evaluates the child and uses her findings to develop an individualized education plan (IEP) for him or her. Now the child and her teachers and parents know the area in which the child needs extra help and can focus on developing and improving the child’s learning skills there. Special classes and individual tutoring can help.

The same goes for the use of educational toys intended to develop specific skills. Children who are getting bored with dry schoolwork can find a renewed enthusiasm in learning when that learning comes in the form of a toy. Simplifying the learning process and using unconventional methods to make learning fun can stimulate children with AD to reach new levels of achievement.

Gary Fisher and Rhoda Cummings identify seven key areas in which children can learn differently: speaking and listening, reading, writing, math, organization skills, social skills, and motor skills. Here are some suggestions for toys that develop learning skills associated with each of these areas…

Speaking and listening LD

Children with AD Speaking and Listening know what they want to say; they just struggle to communicate their thoughts. They may also have difficulty understanding the meaning of words that other people say to them, sometimes confusing one meaning with another. Some good skills to foster in this area are critical thinking and the ability to make predictions, understand cause and effect, and draw conclusions. These skills can help children organize their thoughts to express them more coherently and better understand what others are saying to them.

Strategy and logic games like Zoologic by FoxMind Games or Cliko games can encourage the development of such logical thinking skills. While playing these games, parents can encourage children to think aloud to guide their reasoning. Parents can also ask children gentle questions about what they think will happen next in a situation, acknowledging each answer and using it as the basis for the next question.

read LD

Children with AD reading can feel overwhelmed by being exposed to too much text at one time. They may have difficulty reading the alphabet or pronouncing words. They may skip lines when reading because the words seem to move on the page.

Educational toys like Melissa and Doug’s opposites puzzle cards or See & Spell break reading into its essential components. Travel Read Spin and Word Spin Deluxe Family Edition created by GeoSpace are also great ways to turn reading and spelling skills into a fun experience. Focusing on one word/concept at a time and breaking words into letters prevents children from getting confused by walls of text. While using these products, encourage children to talk about what they are reading to check for comprehension.

write LD

Children with DA in writing struggle with many of the same problems as children with DA in speaking and listening. They have great ideas in their heads, but have trouble expressing themselves in writing with clear handwriting and good grammar and spelling. This is a case where the simplest of toys can have the greatest effect. Take some of the pressure off writing by having kids write their thoughts on a fun whiteboard or dry-erase board. Now children can delete and/or reset their sentences over and over again until everything is exactly right.

Mathematics LD

Children with LD in Math struggle with the meaning of numbers and number symbols. They have difficulty memorizing and understanding mathematical operations. At the most basic level, they struggle with the patterns that underlie mathematical concepts. Playing pattern games, shape puzzles, and blocks can give a child the experience and confidence with patterns needed to be successful in math. For example, a toy like Logix from FoxMind Games gives a child practice with logical shapes and patterns. Once again, GeoSpace’s Travel Math Spin is a fun teaching tool for basic facts, taking away what is sometimes a terrible feeling for a child to have to teach math on their own. Remember, the participation of adults in a family environment using educational games is important in the learning process.

LD organization skills

Children with LD organizational skills have trouble keeping track of their materials and assignments. Even keeping your rooms or desks in order can be difficult. Puzzles or other toys with pieces that can only go in one direction can subtly teach these children organizational habits. An organizer like the Melissa and Doug Magnetic Responsibility Chart can encourage good habits by helping children keep track of their responsibilities and being rewarded for good habits and behaviors.

LD Social Skills

Children with DA Social Skills have trouble interacting with other people. They misinterpret cues and facial gestures and make expressions and gestures that do not convey what they really feel. Dramatic role-playing can allow children to rehearse appropriate social behaviors in a safe environment from which the stress of real-life consequences has been removed. Dolls and dollhouses, games and figurines, and dress-up clothing and accessories can be vehicles for imaginative play that engages in effective social interaction.

LD motor skills

Children with LD motor skills struggle with both gross motor skills, such as balancing, jumping, or even running, as well as fine motor skills, such as threading strings through holes or holding a pencil correctly. Toys like jump ropes, sports equipment, and the Plasma Car can build gross motor skills. Toys like lacing cards or art games like the Melissa and Doug stamp sets and beading game can build fine motor skills. Some toys, like building blocks, develop a whole range of motor skills.

All parents can benefit by investing in educational toys.

Educational toys can be a valuable resource for children with Y no LD. Children may become bored completing worksheets or dry tasks intended to teach content area knowledge. In particular, children with AD may have difficulty understanding how to complete a worksheet. Playing with an educational toy, on the other hand, can encourage children to spend more time (and more fun!) practicing and mastering new knowledge and skills. Instead of memorizing dry math information, a child can play with an educational toy and learn firsthand how to use logic and patterns to solve a problem. In fact, any parent who wants to develop her child’s skills in one of the above areas could benefit from investing in any of the toys discussed.