Friends are people who know and like each other. All human beings need and want to share the common bond of friendship with others. Children with disabilities, particularly learning disabilities, do not always make friends as effortlessly and easily as do their nondisabled peers. Through the use of children’s literature, children with learning disabilities can be taught valuable skills that will enable them to make and maintain friendships.
Judy Zorfass, Tracy Gray, Ph.D., PowerUp WHAT WORKS
When attempting to decipher the meaning of a new word, it is often useful to look at what comes before and after that word. Learn about the six common types of context clues and how teachers can provide struggling students and those with learning disabilities with direct instruction in how to use these clues.
As students advance through the grades and encounter more complex texts, they may need additional supports to meet the high expectations set by the Common Core State Standards.
Judy Zorfass, Tracy Gray, Ph.D., PowerUp WHAT WORKS
By incorporating differentiated models, practicing visualization, and supporting your students as they visualize (drawing on principles for Universal Design for Learning), you can help your students learn to use all of their senses to engage with and imagine the world of a text, and to bring that world to life as they read.
Oral vocabulary, or knowledge of word meanings, plays a key role in reading comprehension. If children are unfamiliar with the meanings of words in a text, their comprehension will suffer, even if they can decode the words.
A look at three pivotal longitudinal studies that clearly show: Late bloomers are rare; skill deficits are almost always what prevent children from blooming as readers.
Children who aren’t motivated to read can benefit from support at home. Learn what parents can do to make reading a more enjoyable experience for struggling readers in this interview with Dr. Marie Carbo.
