C
hildren with learning challenges will require more intentional thought and attention at home or in school. These twenty-one reminders can serve all of us no matter the educational setting.
1. BE ACTIVE Teach in short bursts, alternating between physical activities and seated activities. Low muscle tone or distracted minds can lead to fatigue. Provide movement or snack breaks to prepare students for the next activity.
2. BE BRIEF Communicate your instructions clearly and speak concisely. Shorten assignments. Work toward stepby-step accomplishments. End on success.
3. BE CONCRETE Ask Who?, What?, When?, and Where? questions with visual cues. Allow more advanced students to answer How? and Why? questions. Discuss these with manipulatives or illustrations to nudge students toward more abstract pondering.
4. BE DEMONSTRATING Use money, objects, and play-acting. Show with real apples: "Sarah has three apples. She gives two away." Role play, illustrate, or demonstrate the actions within narrative language or word problems. Assign fewer practice items if needed to allow extra time for demonstrations.
5. BE ENGAGING Link personal interests to the topic whenever possible to promote interest. Include the student's first and last names for speech articulation practice, in penmanship or sentence writing, and in story problem examples.
6. BE FOOLPROOF "One-and-done" is not to be expected with students who have an intellectual disability or other special needs. Provide repeated practice with the lesson, preferably later in the day and throughout the year.
7. BE GIVING Give of yourself. Teaching a student with challenges is a matter of love and of art. As you learn the child's needs, give tips to other caregivers, teachers, and therapists to create generous teamwork. A cohesive team will give more to the child than any Cheryl Swope is the author of Simply Classical: A Beautiful Education for Any Child and Memoria Press' Simply Classical Curriculum, as well as editor of the Simply Classical Journal.
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