The big point: these students would not have a sense of being burdened, of being asked to do something difficult. The educational process would happen almost without their knowing that it was happening. And this patient, incremental technique can be used in all of education. Kids can learn to count in the first grade by making change with pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters. Children can learn history by learning about their own city and state. Events there give children a sense of time and place which can be transferred to other periods.
The fundamental strategy is to break subjects down into bite-sized morsels that every child can savor. You try to build a sense of momentum. You try to make kids feel like winners.