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Vivian Franz, Ph.D. It has been observed that many children, severely retarded in reading, sometimes exhibit a seeming unwillingness to work toward success. They may tend, indeed, to cling to the idea that they cannot learn and that no one can teach them. According to Bledsoe and Garrison, by the time the child has reached the intermediate grades of elementary school, the concept he has of himself has, to him, become the actual person. The child feels he must protect this self at any cost. Lecky held that preserving one's concept of one's self intact is the prime motive in all behavior. Self consistency is necessary in order to maintain or preserve the identity of the self. The child who sees himself as stupid will adhere to all perceptions that bolster this picture and refuse to see positive perceptions of ability. Lecky applied his theory of inconsistencies to learning difficulties. Although the child may seem free to learn new things, in reality, he is not free. He is restrained by the picture he has of himself as a non-learner. He must adhere to this picture of himself, or be threatened with loss of selfhood. Jersild put it this way: " Whenever a pupil is in a situation where he might learn something which goes against a view of himself to which he is strongly committed, his defenses will come into play, even if such learning might potentially improve his way of life. For this reason, learning something that really makes a difference to oneself, in the sense that there is a revision or change in the self concept, is likely to be painful." Numerous authors state that the self concept is developed through interaction with significant others... (that is...) The child sees himself as he is seen bv the significant people in his life, first his parents, later teachers with whom he comes into contact. Those who care, who wish to help him free himself from possible distorted pictures of himself, must first be significant to him. Then, with time and patience, they can help him move to a positive view of himself and his abilities. Bledsoe, J.C., and Garrison, K.C. The Self Concept of Elementary School Children. Coop. Res. Project. #1008. University of Georgia, Athens, GA Lecky, B. Self-Consistency. A Theory of Personality. N.Y. Island Press, 1945 Jersild, Arthur. In Search of Self. New York: Bureau of Publications, Teachers College, Columbia University, 1952 |