Blog 6: Supporting Diverse Learners in Content Classrooms

Diverse learners are those students who might be at risk for academic failure and who need special understanding and attention.  This can include students who are Esl, have special needs, come from a low socio-economic status, etc.  Students who have higher incidence disabilities are those students who have special needs that are more common and seen often in the schools.  Lower incidence disabilities refers to disabilities that are less common in the schools, such as multiple impairments, autism, and health impairments.

What is IDEA?
The law which upholds the standards of special education.
All children have the right to a free and appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment.

Teaching Students with Special Needs
1.  Differentiated instruction: varied learning contents, contexts, and modes of assessment to meet the individual needs of each student
2.  UDL:  theoretical framework designed to guide the development of curricula that are flexible and supportive of all students (multiple means of representation, expression, and engagement)

At risk students are students in danger of dropping out of school because of low achievement.

Resilient students are those who bounce back and succeed at school, despite hardships

Factors Influencing Resilient Students at Risk
1. encouragement
2. high expectations
3. support system
4. recognition
5. accomplishment

Guidelines for Working with Students from Low-Socioeconomic Backgrounds
1. Be sensitive to the conditions that influence these students' behavior and achievement
2. Be aware of the effect of poor nutrition and health on learning
3. Take action to improve students' lives for the better

When working with students with low self-esteem, focus on their strengths.  Give these students opportunities to read material that is within their reading level.  Offer these students cooperative learning opportunities.

When working with Esl, remember that language is learned through incidental learning and is learned best in a relaxed atmosphere!

Strategies for Struggling Readers!
1. REQUEST
2. Mystery clue game
3. text mapping
4.  Analogies
5.  LEA
6.  Concept formation study guides
7.  Embedded questions
8.  Interactive notebooks

I work with Autism Spectrum students through SECEP.  We use a lot of concept mapping and LEAs to better understand what we are reading.  We help our students by using a lot of visuals.