EDUCATIONAL PRACTICES essay

The integration of children with special educational needs implies the use of several forms of educational organization, which are effective in increasing interest of children towards school and learning process. Thus, special assistance should be provided by specialists in order to compensate the difference between healthy children and children with special needs. Development of such children should be based on the system of integrated learning and additional education.

In order to make education of children with special needs more effective, the integrated learning should be based on main principles:

-      It should have educational and developmental nature, which implies the formation of moral norms and adequate ways of behavior. The integration of such children into normal educational process contributes to the development of their psychological functions and helps them become more independent. It also increases their positive attitude towards school and makes them feel almost like their healthy classmates.

-      An important part of integrated learning is a systematic character of problem solving aiming to achieve educational purposes and overcome possible difficulties of integration of children with different abilities. Development of strong sides of a child’s personality leads to a high interest of a child towards education and school.

-      Another effective way to improve children’s attitude towards school is a principle of individual and differential approach to teaching students with different educational abilities. In the process of education it is important to be attentive to every single student in particular.

-      Effective teaching of children with special needs implies connecting of education with real life. It is important to reproduce situations which are difficult for children, but possible in real life. Their analysis may become a basis for positive attitude of such children towards school. It helps to develop personality of a child with special needs in a right way.

Speaking about parent-school partnership, it is important to mention that it plays a major role in the development of not only psychological functions, but also relations between a parent and a child. Parents often lack basic psychological education for solving problems (Berk, 2009). It leads to the distortion of parent-school partnership. Parents tend to rely on educational institutions more than on their own abilities as educators.

The parent-school partnership implies first of all a common goal. It is a future result of educational relations between parents and children. On the other hand, a common motive is a motivational force which is a cooperative activity between parents and children. As a result of all these principles, children are motivated for an active school education, and their attitude to school improves.

Finally, it is important to define academic motivation as a major factor of an effective education. Academic motivation is a student’s desire in relation to academic subjects when competence is valued on the basis of performance. Academic motivation implies a level of interest towards certain subjects in educational program. It is a necessity to be successful and effective in educational sphere. In such a way, academic motivation consists of self-esteem, self-concept and attribution, which effectively influence the educational performance of students. In regard to the above stated facts, self-esteem, for instance, is an important factor in raising motivation of children towards school education. It is important not only for average children, but particularly for children with special needs.

In conclusion, the research has analyzed major concepts and factors dealing with effective learning and positive attitude of children towards school.