K, so I am a tenth grade english teacher, I have a student who was tested when she was in third grade, but her parents do not want to retest her. She needs a lot more time to finish tests-should i give her more time anyway? I have spoken to other teachers it seems she studies really really hard. She studies math especially hard and when it comes to math tests it takes her around 3 periods to finish it whihc is about 1 and a half hours! She gets away wiht memorizing word for word of her global notes and gets in the 90’s and is having a hard time in science. For english, she is a poor reader she does not know much vocabulary although she ends up with 90s on tests and she absolutely will never raise her hand, she hates reading outloud as well. I really wihs I could help her in some way, her grades do not match her intelligence i dont feel like she gains any knowledge from studying besides for good grades so she can get 100 but then the next day know absolutely nothing in that subject. I feel like she just does not understand the material to begin with but somehow memorizes everything as to hide her lack of understanding! PLease give me some advice could this be a learning disability?
Re: What to do???
It sounds as if this girl would benefit from a cognitive skills training program. These programs work on developing processing skills (including speed) in a variety of ways. PACE (http://www.processingskills.com) is a provider-based program that is relatively expensive because of the provider hours (around $2,600 where I live). LearningRx is the franchised version of this program and even more expensive (http://www.learningrx.com). BrainSkills is the home version (http://www.brainskills.com), which requires one hour five days a week of one-on-one for 12 weeks. Any one of these programs would likely be very helpful for this girl.
For vocabulary development, WordSmart computer CDs can be very helpful. Although these are very expensive at the source (http://www.wordsmart.com), they can often be purchased for much less on eBay. If purchased used, just be sure that the serial # is included with the CD. Without the serial #, the CD cannot be installed.
It may be also that this girl is not decoding on grade level. It could be very useful to do the Rewards Secondary program with her (http://www.rewardsreading.com). The program is entirely scripted, so is easy for anyone to do. The Teacher’s Manual (contains all of the scripting) and the student workbook run about $110. About half of that can be recouped if two workbooks are purchased and the set resold online.
I’m not sure how helpful this information will be to you………
Nancy
Re: What to do???
You can still modify assignments and tests…if she can show what she knows by answering fewer questions (which will cut down the time it takes), then why not shorten it? She doesn’t HAVE to be “special ed” to have something like this done for her.
Re: What to do???
I wouldn’t think twice about giving her more time to complete a test. It is standard for teachers in our district to do this for all students.
If she plans on going to college, it would benefit her to learn if she has a disability. She may have a significant problem taking the SAT or ACT without modifications.
Hi Jeremy, I run a forum for the maths disorder Dycalculia, which could be relevant.
Dyscalculics are typically strong Verbal thinkers/ learners, where I note you wrote that she ‘memorises word by word’.
Dyscalculics commonly have a difficulty with Visual Working Memory, and/or Spatial Working Memory. Which are essential for high school maths. They are important when working with anything involving ‘Order of Operations’. Where we need to be able Visualise the ‘Order’, as we work through the Operation.
Also to be able Visualise Numbers, rather than Verbalise them. For example, if you try to hold a number in your mind and recall it: 274.
If you hold it as visual image, where you picture it in your mind. Then it is held in working memory as ‘single image’.
But on the other hand, if you hold it in your mind Verbally, then you have:’two hundred and seventy four’. Where you have 5 words to remember verbally, instead of a single visual image.
Jeremy, you could simply ask her if she Visualises the numbers in her mind, and then Visualises the calculation as she works through it.
Where I suspect that she does it purely as a Verbal process?
Geoff.
www.dyscalculiaforum.com/