“Academic Performance and Academic Achievement Levels of Slow Learners”
Identification of slow learners or borderline intelligence first usually occurs during the school years.
Acquisition of basic academic skills is the first noticeable difficulty among slow learning children compared to social interactions and other activities (Fuchs et al., 2000).
As slow learners have lower academic achievement and often fail to meet standard competency measures, they are often retained (Shaw, 2010) Grade retention, even though followed by some educators as a solution to slow learners‟ problems, it usually has negative consequences to students. Grade retention seldom solves the problems of slow learners.
Retained students score significantly lower on assessments of academic achievement, reading, math, and social studies when compared to students who were promoted. Retention is often associated with increased behavioral problems, poor attitude towards school, attendance problems, low self-esteem, low social skills and poor social adjustment (Jimmerson, 2001).
