Focus on All Learners

1. Focus on All Learners Chapter 13

2. Cultural and Linguistic Diversity • Includes Native Americans, Mexican American, Puerto Rican Asian and African American • The students lack school related experiences. • Early Reading Intervention: Language Development should include pictures with naming words, directions: Where are the scissors? Learning letter names. Recognizing rhyming words.

3. Early Reading • Vocabulary instruction and word recognition instruction should be taught in the second language. • Visual discrimination skills build a sight word vocabulary to read simple sentences. • Is Joe big? No Joe is not big. Is Joe little? Yes, Joe is little.

4. Language Experience Approach • By using the reader’s own language, the syntax and sentence structure are familiar. • The success with this approach is motivational for reading basal text. • Have the child dictate a story to the teacher. Group dictated stories are less effective if not preceded by discussion.

5. Integrated language instruction • Literature is used along with language experience stories. • Stories are student centered. • Student interaction should be encouraged. • Context gives meaning in these situations. • Predictable text is necessary.

6. Variety of materials are made available. • Spanish language books and poetry are available. • Telephone books, TV guides, magazines, and cookbook provide real text in first language.

7. Literature Based Reading Approach • Multiethnic Literature-Culture heritage is exchanged among cultures. • Characters have similarities to all cultures. • Students should learn that members of their cultural group have contributed to the success of all cultures. • Students learn the social values and behaviors of other cultures.

8. Oral reading approach • Came from New Zealand with Big Books. • Uses short stories which are predictable with some control of vocabulary. • The teacher readers the book to the class. Then the class reads the book chorally. Next they discuss the story. Research shows this is an effective method. • Choral reading creates a low anxiety rate, provides repeated practice, is understandable, and uses drama.

9. Start with poems • These should include familiar topics. • The poem should have action and be easily understood. • Read the poem aloud with expression, movements, and sound effects. • Give each child a copy of the poem. • Read it again with the students following. • Read slowly, then quickly with solo parts. • Practice with assigned parts and recognize hard work with praise.

10. Basal reading approach • Must study vocabulary first and add background knowledge. • Careful questioning about comprehension. • Use listening (read passages to them) • Use shared reading with literature. Individual oral reading is risky and diverts attention with anxiety.

11. Use basal with literature (Morrow) • Use literacy centers with a variety of books and genres. Have comfortable seating with manipulatives (puppets, taped stories, roll stories). • DRTA with tellings using felt boards,etc. • Independent reading and writing with the choice of working alone or with others. • Second language students were successful because of teacher modeling with high expectations. Literature pieces reflected culture of second language students.

12. Dialect approach • Research doesn’t support this method to be used with African Americans. • Best results comes from using conventional print and teacher’s sensitive judgment of values and background of students.

13. Dual language approach • Use student’s first language to teach beginning reading. Transfer to English later. (Gunderson) Concepts in first language must have been acquired. • Primary language materials, trade books, help students read. Phonics is often used also. Vocabulary study and comprehension strategies add to smooth transition to English.

14. Expanding on Environmental Print • Start with logos from ads. Students know this print and can read it: McDonalds, Sears. Make sentences and use them for language experience stories. Use choral reading to read them aloud. Students can recognize words in print when they have already associated meaning to this print.

15. Special students • Individuals with Disability Act (IDEA) replaced 94-142. • Physically disabled • Emotionally disabled • Learning disabled • These need special accommodations for learning in the classroom.

16. Mainstreaming • Teaching students in closest possible proximity to the regular classroom. Least restrictive environment. • This includes: mentally retarded, hard of hearing, deaf, speech impaired, other health impaired, deaf-blind, orthopedically impaired, visually impaired, specific learning disability.

17. Inclusion • Students are taught in whole class environment: class within a class, etc. • Teachers co-teach. Takes lots of planning and contract with student prior to teaching. • Cooperative groups is a strategy. • Individual teachers ability to accommodate all students determines the success or failure of the program.

18. Individual Education Plan (IEP) • Tells achievement level with strengths and weaknesses of the student. • Goal statement. • Long and short term objectives and specifically how they will be met. • Classroom accommodations. • ID who will be responsible. • Anticipate how long it will take and when the achievement will be assessed to determine these goals and objectives. • Team must be multidisciplinary.

19. ADHD • Have serious and persistent difficulties with • ATTENTION SPAN • IMPULSE CONTROL • HYPERACTIVITY • Has been documented in medical journals for over 100 years.

20. American Psychiatric Association Guidelines • Under age 7 has 8/14 characteristics for 6 months • Fidgets & restlessness can’t play quietly • Can stay in seat talks too much • Easily distracted interrupts others • Can’t wait for turn can’t listen • Blurts out answers looses things • Can follow instruction doesn’t see danger • Can focus attention • Won’t finish work

21. How to treat ADHD • Ritalin helps tremendously, but side effects are weight loss, sleeplessness, grow at slower rates. • Positive results far outweigh the negatives with doctor’s supervision. • Environmental factors: Seat near teacher, with good role models surrounding. Use collaborative learning. Avoid distracting stimuli. Have enforced quiet time in classroom. Time out space which is quiet. Encourage structure study space at home.

22. Teachers help ADHD: • Maintain eye contact. • Directions are short and clear. • Avoid multiple commands. • Have the student repeat directions back to you. • Repeat is a calm, quiet manner. • Teach the child to ask for help. • Use thinning for Behavior modification. May take longer. Independence come gradually. • Require a daily homework assignment notebook.

23. Qualities of a Gifted Student • High intellectual ability • Specific academic aptitude • Creativity • Leadership ability • Ability in visual or performing arts • Psychomotor ability • May demonstrate high ability in one or two areas.

24. Gifted students and reading • Shaughnessy, Siegel, and Stanley (1994) • Rich vocabulary, early reading, advanced listening, expression with complex sentence construction. • Early writer with creative stories • Interest in library books on specific topics. • Critical thinking ability • Inquisitive nature • Comprehension abilities for inference, etc. • Reading well by the end of 1st grade.

25. How are they identified • WISC-R • Creativity Tests • Achievement Scores • Informal tests and peer nomination procedures • Parent and teacher observation.

26. Unique Needs • Curriculum compacting (Dooley) • Teacher concentrates on undeveloped skills. • Add enrichment activities. • Content modification: more complex reading assignments, more difficult writing assignments. • Use critical thinking questions for reading.

27. Classroom management issues • How to keep them engaged and on task while other students are working on other things. • Assign literature, advance pacing, critical thinking, writing assignments, projects to present to the class. • Allow students to refine, synthesize and elaborate on topics that the class is working on.