There is a range of inclusive teaching strategies that can assist all students to learn but there are some specific strategies that are useful in teaching a group which includes students with visual impairments. In considering alternative forms of assessment, equal opportunity, not a guaranteed outcome, is the objective. You are not expected to lower standards to…
You can do more good than you ever thought possible Teaching strategies for children in poverty are based on the fact that we now know that the brain is designed to change. If it can change for the worse (exposure to the elements of poverty), it can change for the better (exposure to enrichment). It’s no secret that kids from poverty have below average IQ scores…
Description Phonological awareness addresses the sounds of language. It does not teach the symbols that represent sounds, but rather the sounds alone. Instruction in phonological awareness includes the following: Word Awareness Word awareness is the knowledge that words have meaning. Students with word awareness can discriminate individual words in a passage read…
Students who are good at monitoring their comprehension know when they understand what they read and when they do not. They have strategies to fix problems in their understanding as the problems arise. Research shows that instruction, even in the early grades, can help students become better at monitoring their comprehension. Comprehension monitoring instruction…
Not satisfied with students progress on district- and state-mandated tests - and after careful deliberation by administration and staff - the Edwards Middle School implemented the Massachusetts Expanded Learning Time (ELT) Initiative in the 2006/07 school year. ELT has since become an integral part of the school day, where students receive an additional 60 minutes…
All educators agree that students are better writers when they have an understanding of grammar. To be effective writers in school and to effectively communicate later in life when in the workplace, students need to use proper grammar. But, what are the best methods for teaching grammar, normally thought of as a very boring topic? Educators do disagree on what types…
Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) is a disability that affects how the brain processes spoken language and represents a major factor in the difficulties affecting people with communication disorders. People with APD have difficulty interpreting, storing and accessing auditory information despite normal hearing. In addition to hindering speech and language development…
One of the biggest complaints I hear about Common Core is the push toward informational texts. This is often accompanied by the complaint that we are no longer allowing students to read for the sake of reading. Just yesterday, a teacher said to me, I wish we could read novels. With all these informational texts, kids are losing the love of reading. Minutes later…
If you re like most teachers, your classes have increasingly become more linguistically diverse. If you re looking for ways to meet the needs of students who struggle with or are just learning English, I am here to help! For the last eight years, I have had the fortunate opportunity to work with many students who are English language learners. It s been an exceptionally…
What are some effective ways to teach comprehension skills in grades K-3? The research on comprehension in the National Reading Panel Report was conducted primarily on students in grades four and higher. The research evidence indicates that teaching comprehension skills can improve comprehension for children in grades four and above. Put Reading First encourages teachers…
Individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID, formerly mental retardation) benefit from the same teaching strategies used to teach people with other learning challenges. This includes learning disabilities, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and autism. One such strategy is to break down learning tasks into small steps. Each learning task is introduced, one…
Global developmental delay has many causes which, as an end result, affect the functioning of the central nervous system. Causes can be genetic (e.g., Fragile X syndrome), or metabolic (e.g., PKU), prenatal (e.g., rubella or birth trauma), perinatal (e.g., prematurity or the result of a childhood injury or infection). Sometimes the cause for the condition is undetermined…
