Helping students!!

Hi,

I am a mom not a teacher but at my son’s summer camp they us a buddy system that pairs kids in either a small group to 2 kids depending on the activity. That way one that may need help gets it from their group or buddy but it isn’t real obvious.

At some schools they have older kids help younger kids.
My son is in sped class but he learns alot from just listening and exposure.

You sound like a caring teacher and I am sure that you will find a way to help the special kids in your class.

Good luck.

Great question. While the answer to it would depend on what issues the spec. ed kids have, I’d offer these as things that could no harm and might do great good.

Don’t ask them to copy things from the board.
Let them use word processors.
Let them use spellcheck.
Don’t let spelling “count.”
Don’t give them timed tests.
Provide them with reading support eg. books on tape, read aloud, books at their reading level.
Support them when assigned homework.
Don’t grade their work. Just praise it.
Don’t make them take notes while someone lectures.
Allow the child to tell you what feels fair and unfair and listen to the child.

I completely agree with Sara. I rely upon my students to tell me what is best for them. Also you can adjust homework by extending when it is due and shorten it.

Is there any more ideass that anyone has for me to help out the special education students in a mainstreamed classroom??! Please let me know..thanks

Is there any more ideass that anyone has for me to help out the special education students in a mainstreamed classroom??! Please let me know..thanks

Is there any more ideass that anyone has for me to help out the special education students in a mainstreamed classroom??! Please let me know..thanks

I get copies of worksheets and assignments in advance from classroom teachers. If reading is a difficulty, I then highlight portions of the tests where the students can find answers to the questions. It also helps to alternate colors of highlighters for ADD children as it helps them get back to their place more quickly.

Each students is so individual that it is difficult to describe interventions without knowing personally what a student needs. At jr. high level, I also find that me LD kids would rather look normal in class and get a lower grade than to use accomodations that seem obvious. When that is the case, we use study hall to help as much as possible.

*get textbooks on tape, I have our JR High’s History, as well as literature books all on tape. It can be costly, but you can also do it yourself.
*work in groups, the student with a LD works well in a group, then there is someone there to help with reading, spelling, etc…
*give the students a study guide ahead of time
*alter test, ie; essay to multiple choice, or provide a word bank for fill-in-the blank
*have someone else take notes-some students find this so difficult they miss what is being said.
*give clear directions, write the day’s schedule on the board
*the simpler and clearer things are the better things will go.
That is all I can think of for now….

thank you for responding to my question…I need all the ideas I can get…thanks again
Lauren

thanks so much for replying to my question….I need all the ideas I can get..thanks again..if you think of anything else let me know thanks

For high school students try:

Sorry about that incomplete post! I’ll start over.
For high school students try:
1) an agenda or planner where the student records all assignments for each class, records upcoming due dates for projects, papers, and tests
2) a study guide for all tests—highlight the major points which you know will likely be on the test
3) group research papers—group 4 to 5 students together—each student is responsible for at least one page of the research paper—during class they can sit with their group and come up with transition sentences to tie the pages together—appoint one student to type or word process the paper—this satisfies the general ed. curriculum requirement for completing a research paper
4)most general ed. English textbooks now come with a CD set of all the short stories, poems, etc. recorded on the CD—kids listen to the CD in class while following along in their textbook
5) take turns reading short stories or novels—poor reader reads perhaps one paragraph, better readers will read longer passages, and the teacher can pick up the slack when things seem to be bogging down because of slow, hesitant student readers—when teacher reads, use lots of expression, vary your voice tone, assume different voices for different characters, ham it up big time to keep their interest—they usually love it when the teacher reads in this manner

Don’t give memorization-based tests. Memorization is hard on kids’ with reading issues as memorization is nothing more than the transfer of written information into short term memory. That’s a hard transfer for kids with reading issues to make.

Don’t use textbooks at “grade level.” Textbooks tend to always be written above grade level and the style of writing in them is often incomprehensible to children with reading issues.

thanks for giving me some helpful ideas, i really appreciate it!

Hi,

I am a mom not a teacher but at my son’s summer camp they us a buddy system that pairs kids in either a small group to 2 kids depending on the activity. That way one that may need help gets it from their group or buddy but it isn’t real obvious.

At some schools they have older kids help younger kids.
My son is in sped class but he learns alot from just listening and exposure.

You sound like a caring teacher and I am sure that you will find a way to help the special kids in your class.

Good luck.

Great question. While the answer to it would depend on what issues the spec. ed kids have, I’d offer these as things that could no harm and might do great good.

Don’t ask them to copy things from the board.
Let them use word processors.
Let them use spellcheck.
Don’t let spelling “count.”
Don’t give them timed tests.
Provide them with reading support eg. books on tape, read aloud, books at their reading level.
Support them when assigned homework.
Don’t grade their work. Just praise it.
Don’t make them take notes while someone lectures.
Allow the child to tell you what feels fair and unfair and listen to the child.

I completely agree with Sara. I rely upon my students to tell me what is best for them. Also you can adjust homework by extending when it is due and shorten it.

Is there any more ideass that anyone has for me to help out the special education students in a mainstreamed classroom??! Please let me know..thanks

Is there any more ideass that anyone has for me to help out the special education students in a mainstreamed classroom??! Please let me know..thanks

Is there any more ideass that anyone has for me to help out the special education students in a mainstreamed classroom??! Please let me know..thanks

I get copies of worksheets and assignments in advance from classroom teachers. If reading is a difficulty, I then highlight portions of the tests where the students can find answers to the questions. It also helps to alternate colors of highlighters for ADD children as it helps them get back to their place more quickly.

Each students is so individual that it is difficult to describe interventions without knowing personally what a student needs. At jr. high level, I also find that me LD kids would rather look normal in class and get a lower grade than to use accomodations that seem obvious. When that is the case, we use study hall to help as much as possible.

*get textbooks on tape, I have our JR High’s History, as well as literature books all on tape. It can be costly, but you can also do it yourself.
*work in groups, the student with a LD works well in a group, then there is someone there to help with reading, spelling, etc…
*give the students a study guide ahead of time
*alter test, ie; essay to multiple choice, or provide a word bank for fill-in-the blank
*have someone else take notes-some students find this so difficult they miss what is being said.
*give clear directions, write the day’s schedule on the board
*the simpler and clearer things are the better things will go.
That is all I can think of for now….

thank you for responding to my question…I need all the ideas I can get…thanks again
Lauren

thanks so much for replying to my question….I need all the ideas I can get..thanks again..if you think of anything else let me know thanks

For high school students try:

Sorry about that incomplete post! I’ll start over.
For high school students try:
1) an agenda or planner where the student records all assignments for each class, records upcoming due dates for projects, papers, and tests
2) a study guide for all tests—highlight the major points which you know will likely be on the test
3) group research papers—group 4 to 5 students together—each student is responsible for at least one page of the research paper—during class they can sit with their group and come up with transition sentences to tie the pages together—appoint one student to type or word process the paper—this satisfies the general ed. curriculum requirement for completing a research paper
4)most general ed. English textbooks now come with a CD set of all the short stories, poems, etc. recorded on the CD—kids listen to the CD in class while following along in their textbook
5) take turns reading short stories or novels—poor reader reads perhaps one paragraph, better readers will read longer passages, and the teacher can pick up the slack when things seem to be bogging down because of slow, hesitant student readers—when teacher reads, use lots of expression, vary your voice tone, assume different voices for different characters, ham it up big time to keep their interest—they usually love it when the teacher reads in this manner

Don’t give memorization-based tests. Memorization is hard on kids’ with reading issues as memorization is nothing more than the transfer of written information into short term memory. That’s a hard transfer for kids with reading issues to make.

Don’t use textbooks at “grade level.” Textbooks tend to always be written above grade level and the style of writing in them is often incomprehensible to children with reading issues.

thanks for giving me some helpful ideas, i really appreciate it!