Giving the student more time. Spacing out the text and using text boxes are also very helpful.
I think...your encouragement and availablity to work with these students is huge! Taking the time to explain or work with them on an assigment they may be having trouble with, being there to hear them out when they have "hit a bump in the road", encouraging them to keep going you will be their "cheerleader", giving them the extra time they may need to complete an assignment. All of us need an encouraging word from time to time...how much more do they need it!?
Extra tutoring sessions or time.
What do we mean by learning disabilities? Is it the inability to read, the inability to take written tests???? The definition "learning disability" is a very clouded subject.
I have found it is helpful to:
-Offer more time
-Offer to take the quiz/exam in our testing center
-Show how to use flash cards
-Use visuals /videos
-Reveiw new vocab over & over
-Talk with about what has worked in the past
Very good suggestion, Paul - you include all students with this approach.
Keep up the good work!
jane Davis
ED106 Facilitator
As they bring their learning disabilities to my attention I will ask them what they will need from me to be successful. Do they need help with presentation material? Do I ned to meet with them after class to respond to their questions? Do they need private testing areas. As I talk with them what do I need to do for them that will keep the students attention during class.
Additonal time to take test is a help. I try to explain the material in a few ways to see that everyone gets it. I also ask if there are any questions and make myself available for those students that would not raise their hands in class for fear of being signled out or emmbarressed.
I find that when dealing with students that have a learning disability it is very helpful to tap into their auditory /or visual learning skills.I encorage all my students to invest in a tape recorder to use in their classes. I explain that it is another tool they can use to keep up with their class notes or use to review for clarity of points made during a lecture.Paul T. Rougemont
Hi Gerald!
Is this a tool that is used in the classroom so all students have access? I firmly believe these types of tools help all students maybe not because they have a learning disability, it helps with the associative memory process.
Keep up the good work!
Jane Davis
ED106 Facilitator
I found it interesting in the class when it was suggested that putting test questions in boxes can help focus attention and help with reading disabilities. However, my concern is that most of these students will have to take a licensing exam to enter their professions. I'm afraid that some of these techniques will be helpful to them during the class but will be useless when they have to take their licensing exam
we supply enlarged diagrams for easier understanding of the work they are doing
We allow more time, oral testing, in the form of mp3 players, so the students can listen to the tests being read to them,we also have some tests available in large print.
More time to comprehend the information given. Highlighting the information you feel is most important. Allowing for more breaks in your instructional time for students to refocus. Support for those who need it most, making them feel that they belong in your classroom and are part of the learning process.
I belive that the first avenue to success is to talk with the student to see what has helped in the past. Next giving them additional time or tests or activites, coaching and mentoring by examples and smaller groups where they feel less pressure all help. Positive reinforcement of success will bolster their confidence. Sometimes after a student has taken several tests with assistance I will ask them to try on their own first and see how they do...amazingly, often they will have great success and this adds to the confidence of the student and if for some reason they don't I will continue to read and recap as needed. We should meet their needs but make every effort to make them self sufficient and successful.
Allowing them to tape lectures, sitting in front of the class, and more time with testing.
Hi Julie!
You make an excellent point! So many students need just a little more time.
Good job!
Jane Davis
ED106 Facilitator
Hi Thomas!
I really like your approach! It sounds like you include the entire class and that's where learning really takes places. I, also, like the process that you have for helping students move from one step to another.
Keep up the good work!
Jane Davis
ED106 Facilitator
There is very good equipment to help the student with reading disabilities. Textbooks can be found on cd (like books on tape). Also, there are devices that will scan and then a voice dictates a document to the student as he/she reads it.
The use of power point slides along with printed hand outs as study guides has helped students to focus on the material.
Boxes around quiz content. Only two to three points per slide and ample spacing has helped the visual learners.
