I would say reading comprehension is the most common form. Some of the characteristics have been poor testing and a little fidgeting at times, and when given a reading assignment in class they are unable to read for very long, (3 to 5 minutes). One thing I have noticed from their testing is when tested on questions from a lecture, they can score very well.
Theresa,
I too have found this & unfortunately I think some of it is related to the technology age we live in. We have to work hard to help our students learn to focus & discipline themselves in this way.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Adam,
yes, it can be difficult to help if we don't have specifics, however asking students what has worked well for them in the past is a great way to help them.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Comprehension is a big problem at my school. Most of our classes require detailed reading and research. Most of our students do not have the discipline to focus on subject matter. I also see this with my adult students, a big problem.
I agree with a few of the posts below. I'm not aware of the specific disorder that students suffer from when they enter my class. We are encouraged to provide special accommodations for these students though.
I have students with dyslexia. They struggle with math. I teach in a welding school and math is very important. I make myself available after class to help those willing to put in extra work.
I do believe learning disabilities are over diagnosed.
As others have noted, I am not always informed of specific diagnoses - and many times students themselves do no have any specific diagnoses of whatever disabilities they may have. It's much more common that I encounter characteristics than it is that I encounter a specific diagnosis.
To that extent, then, the characteristic that I most frequently encounter is verbal comprehension that manifests in their writing: as a writing instructor, I frequently see student writing that is garbled, even incoherent, sometimes with the same word spelled different ways in the same sentence. Many times it suggests to me that there are indeed deeper issues than just being "a bad writer," which is how 95% of students seem to describe themselves.
I tend to find more and more students with shorter attention spans, some others with dislexia. these type of student do a graet job in lab work and have more difficulty in classroom and academic work.
The most common form I see, is the innability for some students to grasp simple math concepts.Unfortunately, I only have 10 hours of class time to cover basic math through simple algebra. It has been my experience that a small percentage of students just cannot improve their skills in this area. Its like there is a wall blocking them from learning math.
Robert ,
one of the best ways I think we can help these students is by taking the time to demonstrate good writing & working with them to that end.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Some students have difficulty writing a coherent sentence. It is more than just structure; the words don't flow and it makes little or no sense.
Like the others presented here, I am not given the diagnoses of my students who struggle to learn.
I would have to say reading & comprehension seems to be one of the large areas of concern. I am learning (through Max Knowledge modules) how to incorporate games, quizzes, projects into each lesson so I am using a variety to techniques for maximum understanding & retnetion.
cynthia,
and this is a great example of how we can be flexible in working with these students & helping them with what they need.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
cynthia,
and this is a great example of how we can be flexible in working with these students & helping them with what they need.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I am not told the specifics of the student's disability. Instead I am told to allow the student more time to complete a test. In one instance, I administered the test to a student separated from the rest of the class. The student was too distracted to do well on a test with other students in the room.
Jane,
unfortunately this is true & so we may be fighting uphill a little, but we should definitely try & help them at this point.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Often the learning disability doesn't show up until they take an exam (or two). Well, at least that is when I can identify with a problem.
I have a combination of dyslexia and slow learner abilities. I am required to give them extra testing time and provide tutoring to all student's but more than likely the student's with learning disabilities will ask for additional help.
The most common form of learning disability I encounter is the reading disability. Many students struggle with college level material and the application of advanced vocabulary.
