Of course, use plenty of real life examples for explanation of the subject matter. Give them proper support for them to cope up with their disability.
We have mandatory tutoring and optional tutoring available and sometimes the students with learning disabilities feel more comfortable asking questions in the tutoring sessions.
Gregrey,
I think this is an excellent approach as it opens that door to help & encourages them to come to you.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I let them know up front if they have any concerns about not understanding something during the course they can ask me on a one on one situation and I will help them understand.
Robin ,
the idea of reading the tests is a great idea as it can help those who have difficulty processing text to really understand the questions.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
For me, getting to know the student and finding out what ways of learning works best for them. Coming to school, they know they have dealt with these issues before and they know what it takes to learn something. If they are not sure, exploring a variety of strategies with that student to find what works for them shows that you are willing to invest the time to make sure they will be able to be successful in the program.
Some strategies that we have used at our college is to read tests to students with reading/writing disablilities. We also prepare them for the tests by using a lot of visuals and repetition.
I have not had the experience of working with English Language Learners yet. Our patient base is largely Spanish-speaking which creates a challenge for our students in providing care. I feel like I could benefit from learning to speak spanish! I have encouraged my students that are desiring to enter the public health world to do the same.
Strategies are a fine line. Appeasing a student that not only has ADHD, also has severe depression, this to me is a disability in learning, the attention span is is not there. Student cannot focus and wants to give up. This hinders the learning process. When the majority of the students are on track in learning, my option is to suggest more time for tutoring and repeat the process.
Kathleen,
this is a great point to highlight. The contextual clues can be very helpful for the ESL students as well as other students who may be struggling with new terms or concepts.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I have many ESL students. Reading comprehension is a challenge for many of these individuals. I teach the use of context clues to help improve their reading comprehension. Building vocabulary is key to understanding the context of their readings.
I try to determine what learning needs the student has first them develop strategies to address those needs for the course.
My strategy is to spend individual time with them and spend plenty of time repeating the assignment so they can fully understand it and be successful.
I have students that say they have a learning disability, but I have found that alot of my students just can not read. I have them read out loud and i help them with the difficult words. i am glad to say that i have found a dramatic improvement in their reading skill. One of my students was so shy and now she has actually become more vocal and confident.
Steve,
this is an excellent strategy as they get more individualized help & in a safer environment.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I like to pair them up with other students who can help them. This approach works well in my school because we are a hands on technical instituion.
Michael,
yes, we are encountering more & more of this type of situation & we must be prepared to help if the need arises.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
About 50% of my student s speak Spanish - but not as a second language. It is simply because they come from a household where the parents speak Spanish. And in Math, language comprehension is not as important as it is in other subjects as long as the communication skills are there.
I use motivation is a powerful force that you need to capitalize on. Motivated students are ready to learn and are eager to acquire the needed skills and knowledge.
Dana,
unfortunately this is a very common problem; your method sounds like an effective way to address the problem.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
