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WHEN
TEACHING READING:
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1. |
Make reading
aloud in class a voluntary activity. |
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2. |
Provide
opportunities for choral reading. |
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3. |
Allow
parents, aides, etc., to read lessons to
students who have difficulty with
decoding. |
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4. |
Directly
teach specific skills. (i.e. main ideas
vs. details, inferences etc.) |
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5. |
Investigate
Recordings for the Blind and Dyslexics.
(textbooks on tape) |
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6. |
Build
comprehension in reading by talking and
visualizing what was read.
(verbalization and visualization) |
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7. |
Have a
student journal or verbalize into a tape
what they read to have the opportunity
to re-hear and build upon comprehension. |
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8. |
When doing
book reports, make sure the student is
able to read a majority of the page.
They should be able to ready several
sentences without any decoding or phonic
errors. Otherwise, their comprehension
will be affected by their inability to
read the material. |
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9. |
Have them
read for short periods of time. (20
minutes versus one hour) |
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10. |
Some
students who have a visual processing
weakness would benefit using a marker or
reading window. |
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11. |
Highlighters
work for emphasizing main ideas, etc. |
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12. |
To block off
certain areas and help a student with
visual distractions use the white tapes
you can purchase from photocopy centers. |
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13. |
Be aware of
students with weak comprehension skills
who hide with excellent phonic skills. |
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14. |
Reading a
chapter aloud in class as a class IS NOT
A GOOD USE OF TIME! |
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15. |
If a teacher
needs to read the chapter aloud in
class, do not select students by rows
but at random so that they will keep
focused and those with special needs
will not be noticed when you don't call
on them. |
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16. |
Create a
signal that can designate if a student
feels uncomfortable to read out loud, or
if a student desires to read aloud. |
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17. |
Build
interests a student by having students
find articles in their areas of
interests. Articles versus books are
shorter. |
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18. |
If a student
is below grade level in reading, be
aware that all textbooks in that level
in every subject will be too difficult
for this student. |
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19. |
Check a
student's ability to comprehend by
reading a story aloud and asking the
student comprehension questions. |
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WHEN TEACHING SPELLING: |
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1. |
Reduce
spelling lists for learning disabled
students. |
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2. |
Use
phonetically regular words. |
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3. |
Only give
spelling words that your student can
read. |
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4. |
Do not
penalize Learning Disabled students for
spelling/mechanical errors on tests and
in class assignments. |
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5. |
Use spelling
words that a student uses within their
creative writings or journals. |
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6. |
Some
students can actually spell better
orally. |
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7. |
Become aware
that there is "spell check" and if a
student can spell the word generally, or
phonetically, survival skills in
spelling is possible on the computer. |
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8. |
A student
with poor spelling skills should be
encouraged to use the computer and build
upon their keyboarding skills so that
assignments can be done on the computer
and they can hone their skills using
spell check. |
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9. |
Do not have
other students correct spelling tests.
This can be devastating to student's who
do poorly on them. |
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10. |
Limit the
number of words on a list. |
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11. |
Have them
learn the first 10-15 so that when they
take spelling tests, no one will know
that only the initial ones up to the
designated number counts. |
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12. |
If they are
putting in hours of homework, do not
have them complete their spelling
workbooks. |
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WHEN TEACHING WRITING ASSIGNMENTS: |
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1. |
Accept oral
work. |
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2. |
Accept
illustrations and projects as a
substitute. |
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3. |
Accept the
briefest form of an answer. |
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4. |
Allow the
use of word processors. (Alpha Smart,
etc.) |
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5. |
Shorten
writing assignments. |
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6. |
Allow
students to dictate to a
scribe/parent/tape. |
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7. |
Explicitly
teach each step in the writing process. |
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8. |
Accept
manuscripts or cursive. |
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9. |
Allow
pencil, white out, and erasable ink
pens. |
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10. |
Allow
typing. |
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11. |
Allow those
with severe needs to verbalize their
writing for another to type on the
computer. |
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12. |
Allow
cartoons or picture stories. |
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13. |
Teach topic
sentences with three to four support
sentences. |
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14. |
Teach a
student how to build upon a visual image
of a character. |
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15. |
Teach a
student how to build upon the
personality of a character. |
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16. |
Teach a
student how to place dialogue into a
story. |
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17. |
Build upon
the role of adjectives and adverbs and
how they expand a sentence. |
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18. |
Have writing
topics around areas of interests. |
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19. |
Create books
that can be laminated and typed. |
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20. |
When
teaching letter writing, have the
students actually write to the President
of the United States or a pen pal.
(Generally they will be responded to) |
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21. |
Create a
diary or journal for the students to
become free in expressing their feelings
through writing. |
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22. |
Encourage
any writing of letters or notes to
friends or yourself. |
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23. |
When working
together on writing skills, be
encouraging of what you see as positive
and good. Don't just focus in on what
needs correcting. |
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WHEN TEACHING SOCIAL STUDIES:
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1. |
Make sure
that the reading in the Social Studies
textbook is at their reading level. |
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2. |
If it isn't,
allow them to focus into what is
important within their textbook by
copying the pages of information and
highlighting these sections by note
taking in their reading ability on 5 x 8
cards. |
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3. |
Do not have
them read the chapter "Round Robin"
style with the class... it is a misuse of
time and no one is really paying
attention. |
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4. |
Have them
study beginning at the back of the
chapter to see what highlights questions
focus into what areas. |
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5. |
Copy pages
and let the students highlight what is
important. |
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6. |
Teach note
taking and short hand. Have them
shorthand to take notes on 5 x 8 note
cards. |
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7. |
Make sure
that they bullet point the definitions
for all key terms. |
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8. |
Make sure
they know the key terms of each chapter. |
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9. |
Have them
say their key terms into a tape recorder
and when they are bathing or in the car
review them using the tape recorder. |
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10. |
Highlight
only what is necessary. Have them study
only what is necessary initially, and
build upon their studying of other
facts. |
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11. |
Teach them
the language of test questions or essay
questions. |
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12. |
Color code
highlighters for those with visual
strengths. Yellow-facts, Blue-Names,
Pink-Dates, etc. |
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13. |
Teach pacing
each study guide questions to doing two
questions an evening. |
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14. |
Make copies
of key terms and have your students
maximize their time studying by keeping
a set in their cars or taped onto the
bathroom mirror for studying
convenience. |
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15. |
Have the
students work in small groups to answer
questions and teach each other. |
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16. |
Have
students act out chapters with their own
adaptations of what the chapters were
teaching. (The more fun involved the
greater the retention of what is taught) |
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17. |
Map skills
may be extremely difficult for students
with visual spatial weaknesses. |
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18. |
Make copies
of the teacher notes for the student who
has auditory weaknesses in a lecture
type classroom. |
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19. |
Teach
students to find answers to their study
guide questions using the index and
glossary. |
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20. |
Teach
students how to comprehend the page of a
social studies textbook. Invest in the
time to show them pictures, timelines,
colored words, bold words, italicized
words, word sizes, and how they all
relate to how the information is placed
on the page. |
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21. |
When reading
science or social studies in the Junior
High grades, make note cards of what the
page says on 4 x 6 cards, review them,
and then just study the cards. |
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22. |
Never assume
your student understands what he reads
all the time, check your student by
asking questions and reviewing their
reading comprehension. |
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23. |
Reading for
answers will challenge him. Teach him
how to look for key words and use his
Index to find them more quickly. |
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24. |
Have your
student study from note cards taken in
class or as they read the chapter versus
studying straight and only from their
Social Studies textbooks. They will take
less time to study and be studying only
what is significant. |
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25. |
Allow your
student to tape lecture material that
would be complimenting their lessons. As
the teacher lectures, make copies for
the students who supply cassettes and
have learning weaknesses. |
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WHEN
TEACHING MATH:
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1. |
Use color to
highlight something your student needs
to remember. It's a simple, fun and
colorful way of visually connecting a
problem to the concept. |
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2. |
There are to
be no timed math fact tests. Timed tests
promote anxiety. This can obscure a
student's knowledge of the subject being
tested. Timed tests involve much more
than memory. It includes process,
ability, memory, coordination, peer
pressure, writing skills, visual-motor
skills, etc. |
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3. |
Teach little
at a time, in clusters to mastery,
before you run ahead with another
concept. |
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4. |
Teach your
student how to read the math books. If
the school uses Saxon math textbooks,
the little parenthesis next to the
problem is the lesson number in which
the student can have the opportunity to
re-look on their own. |
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5. |
If a student
can do 5 problems correctly, they know
it! Many teachers give over 20 problems
and the students can become less
detailed in their work, which may not
reflect a lack of knowledge of the
problems. |
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6. |
Do not
lessen the problems for a student to do
without their input. Perhaps they would
feel embarrassed which could bring about
other issues. |
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7. |
In the
morning, for points, grades etc... have one
problem on the board for all the kids to
complete. Have students begin the
process to "monitor" to correct the
classes work and provide each student
their reinforcement. This can build upon
a student's long-term memory, and can be
done during the morning business of
roll, lunch orders, etc. |
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8. |
Teach math
concepts using stories. |
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9. |
Allow
students to use a calculator when they
are tired to on computational work after
proving that they know the concepts of
the problems and what operations are
necessary. |
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10. |
Do not
assume that a student understands a new
concept. They may actually think they
understand it, but always have them do
one problem independently for you to be
sure that they understand the concepts
or steps of the process. |
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11. |
Give them
ample opportunity to review material
before you go onto a new concept.
Remember that Math is foundational and
builds upon each foundation. |
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12. |
Teach the
language of Math. Words such as "from,
and, with, equal, etc..." |
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13. |
Teach songs
for those with auditory strengths to
learn steps or facts. |
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14. |
Teach
pictures stories with those with visual
strengths to learn steps or concepts. |
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WHEN LECTURING TO YOUR
STUDENTS: |
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1. |
Clearly
state and post visually the objective
for the lesson. |
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2. |
Pre-teach
vocabulary and concepts. Use visual
images and mnemonics. |
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3. |
Provide
students with an outline of information
to be covered. |
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4. |
Allow
tape-recording when there is difficulty
with writing/note taking. |
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5. |
Use concrete
examples. |
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6. |
Present new
information in small quantities. |
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7. |
Write
important points on the
black/whiteboard, using pictures,
overheads etc. |
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8. |
Use direct
teaching methods. |
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9. |
Allow
students to photocopy notes and
transparencies. |
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10. |
Provide on
outline for the students to follow or
fill in during lectures. |
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11. |
Be aware
that if your student has difficulty
following oral directions, they will
generally have difficulty with long
lectures. |
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12. |
Keep
lectures short and to the point. |
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WHEN GIVING ASSIGNMENTS OR DIRECTIONS: |
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1. |
Show
students the end product, and explain
procedures for getting there. |
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2. |
Allow tape
recording of assignments. |
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3. |
List
assignments in steps. |
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4. |
Give only
one or two directions at a time, and be
specific. Ask students to put directions
into their own words and repeat them
back to you. |
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5. |
Write all
assignments and directions on the board. |
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6. |
Provide
step-by-step instructional sheets for
projects. |
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7. |
Break
assignments and projects into small
steps. |
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WHEN
TESTING YOUR STUDENTS: |
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1. |
Give tests
orally if there are problems with
reading or writing. |
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2. |
Recognition
is easier than recall. Give multiple
choice or true/false tests when
appropriate. |
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3. |
Allow
students to dictate answers if there is
a problem with writing or spelling. |
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4. |
Give shorter
and more frequent tests. |
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5. |
Reduce the
number of items in matching tests.
Reverse presentation. (i.e. a short list
of answers on the right versus the left) |
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6. |
Be aware of
overall test readability. |
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7. |
Be aware of
the language of "directions" and a
student's comprehension of it. (i.e.
summarize, select, what is the best
choice, which answer is best, etc.) |
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8. |
Discuss test
formats in advance. |
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9. |
Allow extra
time for testing. |
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10. |
Analyze
errors. Give positive feedback and
suggestions. |
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11. |
Do not give
timed tests. |
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12. |
Reduce test
anxiety by praying first. |
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13. |
Do not fail
a student who has learning difficulties
and who you know has put hours into
studying. How discouraging it is to get
the same "F" as someone who didn't even
spend one minute studying. (Essay
questions will allow for higher grading) |
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14. |
Minimize
classroom noise and background noise
when taking a test. Do not put on music. |
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15. |
Give credit
for what is done correctly versus
concentrating on what is done wrong. |
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16. |
Do not
demoralize a student with negative
remarks on tests or any papers. |
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17. |
Do not let
other students correct any tests. |
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18. |
Any test done with
accommodations should never be done by
anyone other than the teacher. Having
parents' grade breaks
confidentiality. |
