Wudpecker Journal of Educational Research ISSN 2315-7267 Vol. 2(3), pp. 026 - 033, March 2013 2013 Wudpecker Journals Learning difficulties among children: A challenge in the implementation of the Universal Basic Education programme in Nigeria D. O. Igwue 1 and B. D. Ashami 2 1 University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Nigeria. 2 College of Education, Katsina – Ala, Nigeria. *Corresponding author E-mail: drdoigwue@yahoo.com. Accepted 21 February 2013 Many children, if not all, have learning difficulties of one kind or another and this is an academic problem. Thus, learning difficulties among children is an important psychological issue in the implementation of the Universal Basic Education (UBE) programme in Nigeria. Because of this, they find it difficult to read and understand what they read even if it is a sentence or a paragraph. They cannot comprehend what they have just read a few hours ago. This paper, takes a look at learning disorders which underlie learning difficulties, types, causes, signs, symptoms and treatment. It also highlights counselling implications to parents and teachers of children having learning disorders. The major types of learning disorders discussed are reading disorders, mathematics disorders, written expression disorders, fine motor skills disorders and information processing disorders. Some recommendations have been made to parents and teachers of children with learning difficulties or disorders. Key words: Learning disorders, children, Universal Basic Education, Nigeria. INTRODUCTION The relationship between learning and disorders may not be immediately obvious. However, successful learning depends on the condition of the brain of an individual. Without perfect order in the brain effective learning cannot take place. What then is learning? Learning is a positive change in behaviour that is accepted by the society in which an individual lives. If this change is actually observed and demonstrated then one would say that learning has taken place. For example, if a child who is constantly late to school changes and becomes punctual at school, he has now learnt and changed positively. Also, if a child who steals from his mates comes to discover that stealing has made him unpopular in the school and at home and has stopped stealing, he has learnt that stealing is bad. Disorders are, however, inability of a child to read, comprehend, write, organize his or her thoughts, and present them in a sequential manner in appropriate time and place he or she finds himself or herself. If a child has learning disorders, it means that he has difficulty in an academic area such as in reading, mathematics or written expressions. Children with learning disorders have normal intelligence; learning disorders have little to do with intelligence of such a child. Learning disorders then are academic difficulties experienced by children and adults of average to above average intelligence. Children with learning disorders have difficulty with reading, writing, Mathematics, listening, speaking and reading. These difficulties significantly interfere with academic achievements or daily living (Encyclopaedia of Children's Health). The UBE programme in Nigeria today is a kind of reincarnation of the Universal Primary Education (UPE) programme of the late 1970’s. It was launched by the then President of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo on 30 th September 1999 in Sokoto (Tahir, 2001). For the UBE programme to succeed, learning difficulties among children should be properly understood and remedied by parents, teachers and other stakeholders in the programme. TYPES OF LEARNING DISORDERS Learning disorders are sometimes called Learning Difficulties or Learning Disabilities. This is a classification including several disorders in which a person has difficulty in a typical manner, usually caused by an