Title: Working with Students with Learning Disabilities
1Working with Students with Learning Disabilities
- Definition of LD
- Characteristics of students with LD
- Five Stages of Learning
- Recommendations for Gen. Ed. teachers
2Class Objectives
- Today
- Learn the Federal Definition of Specific Learning
Disabilities (IDEA definition) - IDEA criteria for specific learning disabilities
- Understand difficulties students with LD
experience - Describe differences between constructivism and
objectivism - Describe characteristics of Direct Instruction
- Name the 5 Stages of Learning
- Apply 5 Stages of Learning to working with
students with LD in your classrooms
3Short Brainstorm
- Minute 1
- Individually brainstorm and list 3 primary skills
a student must poses in order to gain access to
academic learning in school.
- Minute 2
- Turn to a person close to you, share your lists
and try to rate which is the most important
skills a student needs to have to access academic
learning in school.
4Federal Definition under IDEA Specific Learning
Disability means
- A disorder in one or more of the basic
psychological processes involved in understanding
or in using language, spoken or written, which
may manifest itself in an imperfect ability to
listen, think, speak, read, write, spell or do
mathematical calculations.
5IDEA Identification Criteria for LD
- A team may determine that a child has a specific
learning disability if - The child does not achieve commensurate with his
or her age and ability levels in one or more of
the areas listed, when provided with learning
experiences appropriate for the childs age and
ability levels and the learning problems are NOT
primarily the result of visual, hearing, or motor
disabilities, of mental retardation, of emotional
distrubance, or of environmental, or economic
disadvantage, or cultural or linguistic
difference.
6IDEA Identification Criteria for LD
- A team may determine that a child has a specific
learning disability if there is a severe
discrepancy between achievement and intellectual
ability in - ? oral expression
- ? listening comprehension
- ? written expression
- ? basic reading skills
- ? reading comprehension
- ? mathematics calculation
- ? mathematics reasoning
7Learning Disabilities
- Identification Criteria
- Discrepancy between potential and achievement, IQ
is average or above average - Failure to profit from typical instruction
- Pronounced Strengths and Weaknesses
- Variable performance
- Inconsistent performance
- Academic Skills
- Reading, Writing, Math
- Affective Domain
- Self-Esteem
- Motivation
8Difficulties in the following areas may by
symptomatic of a learning disability
- Attention
- Processing Time
- Reasoning
- Memory
- Oral Communication
- Reading
- Writing Spelling Mathematics
- Motor Skills
- Social Skills and Abilities
9Common Secondary Characteristics of Individuals
with Learning Disabilities
- Low motivation
- Poor Self-Esteem
- Behavioral Concerns
- Physical Affects
- Self-Critical Critical of Others
10High School Students with LD might experience
difficulties with
- Taking lecture notes
- Copying notes from the board
- Listening comprehension
- Vocabulary Development
- Multiple meanings
- Memorization
- Pronouncing spelling multisyllabic or irregular
words - Applying capitalization punctuation rules
- Slow reading speed
- Slow rate of comprehension
- Organization of ideas
- Determining informational hierarchies
11Common Themes for working with students with
learning disabilities
- The most important thing to remember is that
these strategies are good for all students!! - ?The key to success for teaching students who
have trouble learning is STRUCTURE, structure,
structure!!! - then determining the amount and kind of
practice that each individual student needs how
to maintain their skills.
12Understanding Your Student Population
- It is essential to take the time to get to know
your audience. - Students learning styles
- Students learning needs
- Students perceptions about learning
- Clarifies where you may need to start with
instruction - Establishes credibility with students
- This class is about them, not just the content
you are teaching - Helps us, as teachers better frame model of
information delivery
13Some Differences between Regular Special
Education (In theory)
- Regular education and special education are based
on different learning theories. - Regular Education ? Constructivism
- Special Education ? Objectivism
- Under objectivism is behaviorism
- Behaviorism ? Direct Instruction 5 Stages of
Learning -
14Direct Instruction (DI)
- Explicit objectives
- Present the new information
- Present examples and non-examples
- Guided Practice
- Error correction/clear instructional feedback
- Promote high rates of accuracy
- Quick paced and interactive
- Evaluation of instruction/collection of data
15Constructivism
- Learners are active participants
- Learners create knowledge
- Learning should be authentic
- Materials should be authentic
- Assessment of learning should be authentic
- Teachers are moderators
16What works for students with learning
disabilities?
- A combination Direct Instruction
Constructivism - Goal of Regular Special Education is to support
students in becoming independent learnersbut
they need clear objectives, models and practice
just as we do as teacher-learners - 5 Stages of Learning
- Acquisition
- Fluency
- Maintenance
- Generalization
- Adaptation
17Stages of Learning
- Acquisition
- Learning to perform the basic requirements of a
skill - Goal is to teach correct performance of the skill
- Promoting Acquisition Guided Practice
- Attention
- Information on how to perform the skill correctly
- Feedback (immediate reinforcement, error
correction, other strategies) - Frequent measurement
18Stages of Learning
- Fluency (Proficiency)
- Learning to perform the skill with ease
- Goal is to perform the skill with the necessary
ease or speed for success in the natural
environment - Promoting Fluency
- Determine the level of fluency required
- Frequent, structured practice
- Differential reinforcement
- Feedback (immediate reinforcement, error
correction, other strategies)
19Stages of Learning
- Maintenance
- Learning to perform the skill after teaching has
ceased - Goal is to perform the skill when necessary in
the natural environment - Promoting Maintenance
- Ensure that you are teaching functional or useful
skills - Over learning
- Thin the reinforcement schedule
- Use natural reinforcers
- Delay the reinforcers
20Stages of Learning
- Generalization
- Learning to perform the skill in situations other
than training situation (classroom) - The goal is to extend the skill to other
environments - Promoting Generalization
- Extend training to other environments
- Reinforce generalized use of the skill
- Recruit reinforcement in other environments
21Stages of Learning
- Adaptation
- Learning to apply the skill to novel problems
- The goal is to extend the skill to new situations
- Promoting Adaptation
- Provide opportunities to adapt the skill
- Point out the functionality of the skill
- Reinforce adaptations of the skill
22Connecting the Stages of Learning to Students
Learning Needs
- Students with learning disabilities have
difficulties with understanding or in using
language, spoken or written, which may manifest
itself in an imperfect ability to listen, think,
speak, read, write, spell or do mathematical
calculations.
23Lets take a look at Different Kinds of Learning
Disabilities
- Reading
- Poor readers have difficulties with
- Phonological Awareness (Sound-letter
correspondence) - Orthographic Processing (Visual Memory)
- Effects reading fluency
- Effects reading comprehension
24Teaching Guidelines for students with Reading
Disabilities
- Provide students with structure to succeed in
acquiring content /or skills - Pre-teach vocabulary
- Preview major concepts
- State purpose for reading
- Provide clear directions examples/non-examples
- 2. Develop fluency of skills or content
- Provide opportunities for repetition of
instruction - Make time volume adjustments for those who need
more practice - Provide feedback (in class exercises where
students can give and receive frequent, direct
clear feedback)
25Accommodations
- Books on tape
- Partner reading
- Small group work (structured, assign roles)
- Provide alternative assignments (using sources
other than reading for acquiring information, or
use modified texts with pictorial supports,
videos, audio lesssons). - Oral assessment (quizzes tests)
26Book/End of Chapter Questions Text Accommodations
- Teach chapter previewing skills
- Provide page numbers where the answers can be
found - Simplify vocabulary
- Break two part questions down into two separate
questions - Modifications reducing number of questions to
be answered for HW, tests
27How to provide NEEDED STRUCTURE to all students
- Have students keep an assignment notebook
- Clearly state and post daily objectives what
you expect the students to learn while in your
class. - Develop and use a simple system for students to
receive, record, and turn in assignments (Rods
routine). - Clearly explain the system (several times) and
provide opportunities for practice and feedback. - Be consistent!!!!!
- Set clear consequences.
- Follow up when students do not follow the system
- Be consistent!!!!
28Taking your structure through the 5 Stages of
Learning
- Clearly explain, model and conduct
guided-practice on how you want notes and
assignments set up. - I do it.
- We do it.
- You do it. (Anita Archer, 2003)
- Maintenance and trying to get students to use
these skills across classes should be
encouragedteaming with other teachers to do this
helps tremendously.
29Teach Study Skills to Mastery using the 5 Stages
of Learning
- Note taking (2 column note-taking system)
- Memorization (note card exercises)
- Social Skills (DI, model, practice, assess
classroom rules) - Writing
- Writing process ? brainstorm, outline, topic
sentence, etc. - Proof reading check list
30In this lesson we covered
- Learn the Federal Definition of Specific Learning
Disabilities (IDEA definition) - IDEA criteria for specific learning disabilities
- Understand difficulties students with LD
experience - Describe differences between constructivism and
objectivism - Describe characteristics of Direct Instruction
- Name the 5 Stages of Learning
- Apply 5 Stages of Learning to working with
students with LD in your classrooms