Learning Disabilities: Differential Skills Based Curriculum

Learning Disabilities:

Differential Skills Based Curriculum

 

Differentiated Instruction:  An approach requiring teachers to “begin where students are, not the front of the curriculum guide. It is a teaching strategy that accepts and builds upon the premise that learners differ in important ways”.  (Carol Ann Tomlinson, 1999)

Learning Disability: A learning disorder is evident in both academic and social situations.

General teaching Strategies for some of the areas a child with a learning disabilities may struggle with!:

v Trouble Sustaining Attention: Provide “body breaks”, Try to avoid long periods of sitting. Also appoint classroom jobs to individual students. This will help students to feel needed and will help with their attention spans.

v Anxiety Management: Discuss strategies on how to manage anxiety. Provide an area for unwinding. Provide stress balls or special chairs.

v Time Management Skills: Use a visual timer, Break tasks down into different parts, Use checklists, Reduce quantity of work.

 

       Primary Strategies:

•    Use visual aids such as calendars
•    Use cue cards with pictures
•    Provide hands on materials
•    Allow power breaks
•    Assign the students important jobs within the classroom: example feeding the fish in the tank, watering classroom plants, erasing white boards.

         Junior Strategies:

•    Involve the child in setting his/her own goals
•    Make sure to be checking in with the student frequently
•    Allow opportunities for role playing on how to read and respond to appropriate body language
•    Encourage the student to make lists
•    Allow additional time to complete assignments

      Secondary Strategies:

•    Allow additional time for work
•    Come up with signals regarding when the student will be called upon
•    Have frequent meetings to talk about progress and any concerns
•    Less quantity of work
•    Provide notebook for planning
•    Set goals and have rewards
•    Give options to choose formats for assignments