Barriers to learning can come in many forms.

Humans are smart. Almost without exception we learn to speak from a really young age to communicate our wants and needs. Most children from about the age of five will understand complex thoughts such as “my grandmother most likely never wore trousers” or “the blind person sees with their hands.” These are abstract thoughts that require prior knowledge and inference. As far as we know animals are not able to understand abstract thoughts. We know that chimpanzees can communicate ideas such as “there is a lion at the watering hole “ but we do not know that they communicate about abstract concepts.

When students say they are ‘not very good at school’ what they really mean, without realising, is that there is a barrier to their learning. They assume they are ‘not very smart,’ yet they can all communicate verbally and be perfectly understood. What is actually going on is they have a barrier to their learning - something that is stopping them from achieving as well as they could.

Barriers to learning can come in many forms. Anxiety can be a barrier. Health can be a barrier. Many students have dyslexia and struggle with reading. Some students may not like the subject matter or struggle with relationships in the classroom. Some students have ADHD, ASD or anxiety. Many students have vision or auditory processing problems. Some may be dealing with traumatic or tragic events or circumstances. Some students simply may not be getting enough sleep! All of these, and other things, are barriers to learning.

The beauty of the concept of a barrier to learning is to see it as something standing in your way of achieving what you are capable of achieving. You may need to find a way to move that barrier. You may need to find ways around, over, or under the barrier, and once you do, you can begin to achieve your goals. Asking for help is a start.