teaching reading in an inclusive classroom

Hi Fred—

One needs much training in order to serve the reading needs of all students in an inclusive classroom: multi-sensory phonics, fluency interventions, comprehension intervention (which you will probably have a pretty fair handle on). It’s the phonics needs of 80% of the LD population that require training that doesn’t happen in pre-service teacher preparation. Sadly.

Hey Fred,
I’m a sped teacher, and I’ve taught a regular class for years. One of my best solutions is to use volunteers. I’ve had them run enrichment and mentoring stuff with my top students and do reading strategies with my low students. It is one of the best strategies I’ve ever used. it also get parents on board and supporting teachers and realizing how challenging teaching is. Make sure you let them know how much you need them in Sept. or as soon as you start and set up a schedule. Good luck, teaching is very rewarding but a huge challenge, every day. Marie

If you’re still there and wondering, check out this book:

Classrooms that Work: They can all read and write, 3rd edition by Cunningham and Allington, Allyn & Bacon

What grade level will you be teaching?

Have you read or studied about reading workshop?

It’s one way to set up your classroom so that you can meet the needs of a wide range of students. It’s more about approach than programs.

I’ve found that using readers theater with kids is one way to work on fluency and comprehension while doing something meaningful.

With younger kids, language experience stories make good reading material.

The book, Readers and Writers with a Difference is a great resource for teachers who have kids with a wide variety of learning styles and developmental levels.

Two books by Bonnie Campbell-Hill provide a good framework–Classroom-based Assessment and Developmental Curriculum.

You are off on an exciting adventure!

Interesting question. Students with learning differences often school plenty challenging just as it is. I’ve never before considered the possibility of a curriculum designed to be ‘challenging’ yet at the same time catering to the needs of included students.

That is a challenge.

I try to do that in my class but as I often teach social studies, it’s much easier for me to do that. I make my class very light in reading and writing so I don’t have to lean hard on my included students who most often have weak skills. I make my class ‘thought-heavy’. We deal with challenging concepts - social studies is rife with those - and I make the class discussion based.

To offer help, I’d really need to know what grade and/or what subject you’re teaching?

Fred,

As a mom of an 11 yr. old dyslexic boy I get the distinct impression that there needs to be more confidence among teachers of their ability.

Ask yourself this question, do you know the IQ of the students you currently teach, have them been battered with testing for years looking for their weakness?

You probably are already teaching kids with learning differences, but you don’t know that because they didn’t go through all the testing.

Every inclusion class my son has been in he got high grades, the teachers always ask why is he in sped. Yes, he has to work harder than the other kids and does it. When projects are being done in science he is the one that can come up with some different ideas.

I ask you when you walk in your classroom don’t pick out the ld kids and if you keep your class interesting everyone will learn.