Children with special learning needs seem to be turning up just about everywhere you look in urban public schools.
By Johnette B. Miller
Special education has undergone such a metamorphosis in urban public schools that many of its children aren’t quite so recognizable to us anymore. In my era, my classmates and I would snicker at the "special education kids" who used to walk through the halls making odd sounds. However, today more and more special education children are being mainstreamed into regular classrooms where many are struggling to fit in and keep up.
These children are not such curiosities anymore. They have special needs, but so do many children filling our public school classrooms in the city today. A child may need directions repeated or written down for him because of problems remembering or sequence difficulties. Another child may be so crippled by difficulties with spelling that he or she may not be able to write a sentence without assistance from a buddy or word wall. Yet another student might have a goal of staying in his seat, a goal that would seem simple to many, but difficult for him to achieve. A child might need a wraparound, his modern-day personal classroom assistant. A wraparound might be
assigned to a child that has caused a high level of disruption in the classroom or has needed one-on-one attention teachers were unable to provide.
The bottom line is that we have different learners in our classrooms, and we must be equipped to provide strategies for them to succeed. This must be applied to the regular education classroom and to the separate learning support classrooms for children unlikely to succeed with their student peers.
DIFFERENT LEARNERS IN A REGULAR EDUCATION SETTING
I was once advised by a veteran teacher to teach to the whole and not to the child struggling academically. I had been given this advice after I’d lamented over the failures of a few students in the classroom. I believe she meant well. She was actually telling me that I needed to move forward and not linger on a concept for the sake of a few students. However, what I have found is that if you are a really skilled educator, you will not only have a conscience regarding the students you haven’t reached, but you will have a
figurative bag of strategies to reach for if “Plan A” is not working for the whole group. This preparedness or resourceful quality is a hallmark characteristic of a good teacher.
Anecdote 1
“Plan A”: You’ve just read a book about penguins to your second grade students, followed by a short discussion about the information. You tell the children to begin writing about what they learned about penguins. Some begin writing, but there are some who are struggling to begin. “Plan B”: You tell the students to pause, and you ask them to orally recall penguin facts as an additional review for those having a tough time. More children begin writing. However, three are complaining that they don’t remember the
story. “ Plan C”: “Well, Carolyn just reminded us that penguins hatch from eggs,” you say. You write that fact on the board to reinforce it along with a fact offered by another child. This is a way for confused children to begin their writing and it may trigger their memory regarding the story.
Anecdote 2
“Plan A”: You’ve just instructed your fourth graders to begin a short review page of long division practice. You read the instructions aloud as well as complete the example problem on the board. When it is time for them to begin on their own, they begin holding their heads, whining about the difficulty of the task at hand. “Plan B”: You ask the children to pause so you can review the long division steps and sample problems you have posted on the wall. You then ask them to take a look at number one. You begin to talk them through it as you write on the board. Volunteers assist. You then
instruct them to continue on their own. However, two students begin to slump over their work with frustration. Three are sneaking a peek at a neighbor’s paper. “Plan C”: You pair these children with their more competent peers producing a “quiet” buddy network. The class is productive again. The children are working and practicing skill usage. “Plan D”: The children are finishing up. You wait a few minutes and begin sending students to
the board to share their answers, giving assistance as needed and calling on other volunteers to help.
The above strategies can be applied to science, social studies and other content areas.
DIFFERENT LEARNERS IN A LEARNING SUPPORT SETTING
Upon walking into various learning support classrooms through the years, I’ve immediately noticed a difference in some of the classroom settings. I’ve noticed that some rooms were empty, dark, shabby and sad. Many teachers lacked enthusiasm and were discouraged by the challenges they faced teaching their special needs pupils. Some students had severe behavior problems, including tantrums, anger and fighting. Some had various problems with learning and language or spells in which they’d shut down and
simply stare off into space. Others had social problems, difficulty with number or letter recognition and cognitive delays.
While these were children on the special education spectrum who had no severe physical or mental disabilities, the mental and behavioral impairments were greatly varied. The teacher might be teaching kindergarten mathematics to long division. There might be 9-year-olds who are fairly competent writers as well as 9-year-olds who cannot copy from the board without someone pointing to what they should write next. Some are not capable of writing a coherent sentence. This can be a great challenge for a teacher. He or she many find it difficult to serve the needs of a class with such a broad spectrum of learning support characteristics.
However, these children have the right to a wonderful and meaningful education. They have a right to the same learning environment, strategies and curriculum as their peers in regular education rooms. They have a right to have classroom libraries, special projects, decorated rooms, displayed work, thematic lessons, social studies, sustained silent reading times, intriguing math lessons and zealous teachers with creative lesson plans.
STRATEGIES FOR TEACHING A LEARNING SUPPORT CLASS
1. Use as many occasions as you can to teach to the whole group, regardless of age and level. You can adjust levels for homework and at one-on-one time with students. For example, lessons on famous people in history, skip counting, creative writing, as well as a read-aloud, can benefit the whole group. However, response assignments may be tailored to fit a student’s age or competency level.
2. Use lots of repetition to build memory skills. Write important information on the board and have students repeat as many times as necessary. You may want to stretch important information over several days and give related homework assignments.
3. Read books aloud. Read them again and again when necessary. Discuss them. Have children do response writing and illustrations.
4. Have a strict quiet time after lunch. Use soothing music if you choose.
5. Make sure your students are spending quiet time with books or appropriate magazines, whether they are competent readers or not. Give them time to discover quietly on their own.
6. Use journal prompts to encourage writing. Review their work individually, encouraging more writing, neatness and use of illustrations. Put stars on work that shows effort.
7. Have snack time and/or quiet free time. This will encourage appropriate
behavior. Let the children know that privileges will be taken when necessary.
8. Let the children know you are in contact with their parents and that they are required to do their best. Show them your best as well.
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