Any ideas on helping kids (2nd graders) to understand vocab? How does one teach LD kids words like wariest, surroundings, cautiously, peculiar, invincible, etc.? Secondly, what about math? We FINALLY got through Money and Time (painfully) and now we’re doing subtraction of two-digit numbers (regrouping for subtraction) and I’m stumped how to help the LD kids with this. Traditional teaching just doesn’t do it! Thx. for any advice. I teach in a private school with no facilities or staffing for LD kids. However, parents are very well-educated and supportive and often are eager to assist their LD kids at home. Thx. Susan H.
Re: vocabulary/math concepts
Thx. Sara. Our school uses SRA Open Court Reading (McGraw-Hill). It’s supposed to be a great reading program. Each unit provides stories using the vocabulary; however, if the child is having trouble grasping the concept, we seem to make no progress (as evidenced on the unit testing). The end-of-the unit test involves a story (not familiar to the student), which the child is to read alone and then many comprehensive questions following the story. Even my non-learning challenged children are struggling. I’m not so sure SRA Open Court is so great! I’ve made many modifications (such as reading aloud the test story); however, the other 2nd grade teachers think everything is “just fine”. Thx. again for your response.
I’m impressed with the complexity of your vocab words. Those aren’t words usually found on a second grade vocab list.
For second grade vocab instruction, ld or not, I usually stick to verbs and nouns. Adjectives and adverbs get so abstract. I definitely don’t mixed them all up - nouns with verbs, some adjectives, some adverbs.
I’d teach root words before I’d do adverbs. I’d make sure they know distrustful before I’d go to wariest. I’d build on what they know and take the next step from there. And I’d never ask LD kids to memorize long dictionary wording definitions to words. I’m not sure that approach to learning vocab is meaningful for any student but it certainly doesn’t work for kids with any kind of reading issue or language-based issue.
What book are they reading in second grade that offers them such complex vocab?