Greetings!
January was a busy month for me. I was on the road working with great teachers and leaders in New Jersey and Ohio. This month's issue focuses on a critical issue we face with higher standards: how to help our students with special needs. This is the topic of my upcoming book, written with Dr. Brad Witzel, a specialist in the area of learning disabilities. I hope you will find some of our suggestions helpful, and I'll let you know when the new book is out.
Remember, you'll find activity templates, articles, podcasts, and more information about my presentations and books on my blog or on my website. No registration required, and they are all free! Finally, who do you know who might benefit from this newsletter? Please forward it to them and remind them they make a difference, just like you do. Barbara |
Rigor for Students with Special Needs? YES! Approximately 3% to 6% of all school-aged children and adolescents are believed to have developmental reading disabilities. In fact, almost 50% of children receiving special education have learning disabilities. This key fact remains: just because a student is labeled learning disabled or at-risk, it does not mean he or she is incapable of learning. Students with learning disabilities have average to above average intelligence. Therefore, their success in school is not a matter of inability, but a matter of finding the appropriate teaching strategies and motivation tools, all of which we can control as a teacher. And if students are capable of learning, then they are capable of rigorous work. This is the first step of rigor for students with special needs--believing that they can, and will with your help. Next, they need specific instructional scaffolding to assist them with learning. A full list of tips is to the right, but one to consider is the Concrete-Representational-Abstract method. It's particularly helpful for some students to begin (even with advanced lessons) at the concrete level rather than starting at the abstract level. Also, it's not step-by-step, think of it as a recursive cycle. Students may need to work through all three types, or they may need to go back to a different level if they are struggling. |
Principal's Perspective
A key aspect of students with special needs is working with parents and families. One strategy that is helpful is to take A LAP. * Accept that parents will have a different opinion on their child * Listen to ideas and complaints without judgment * Ask questions to clarify * Positive endings continue relationships
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