Steps to Implementing a Special Education Resource Room
Roles of the Resource Room Teacher (3) Consulting with the School Staff, Parents, Members of the Community
We have to be balanced in our presentation of the resource room and must make you aware that there is research that suggests that the resource room model is a ‘set up for failure’. Let’s spend the next 20 minutes engaging with the article titled, ‘Reading Instruction in the Resource Room: Set Up for Failure’.
In any school/institution, the Resource Room Teacher is super special! He/She shares learners with the other members of staff and parents! The practitioner must consult with these individuals for various reasons. These include: Confidentially discussing student profiles with members of the team.
Steps to Implementing a Special Education Resource Room
Student Profile Sheet Request for Examination Accommodations Departmental Memo Progress Report Parent-Teacher Conference (Reading Skills Report)
Student Profile Student Name: Date of Birth: Address: Parent(s): Reason(s) For Referral: Record of Parent Conference: Record of Teacher Conference: COMPONENT and PRESENT LEVEL OF FUNCTIONING Word Recognition Oral Reading Rate Oral Reading and Comprehension Spelling Phonemic Awareness Written Expression
Summary and Recommendations:
Progress Report Name: ______________________________________________________
The following interventions are alternatives which are used with students enrolled in the Resource Room. The list highlights the interventions attempted, the duration of use, and the response of the student to the intervention. TRIED
INTERVENTION Simplified Assignments
Modified Time for Assignments/Tests
Short, Concise Directions
Alternative Materials
Peer/Volunteer Tutoring
Quality Comprehension Model
RESPONSE
Parent-Teacher Conference (Reading Skills) ✓mastery / near mastery
* skills being developed
Prereading
____ Visual ____ Auditory ____ Motor ____ Sequencing and Memory ____ Vocabulary ____ Concepts ____ Readiness for Books
Word Recognition
____ Sight Words ____ Consonants ____ Vowels ____ Sound Patterns ____ Accents and Syllables ____ Context Clues ____ Structure ____ Use of Dictionary
Comprehension
____Main Idea ____ Drawing Conclusions ____ Vocabulary Development ____ Oral Reading
Functional
____Parts of a Book ____ Recreational Reading
____ Sequence of Events ____ Critical Reading ____ Rate of Comprehension ____ Details
_____ Use of Dictionary _____ Symbols and Abbreviations
Teacher’s Comments: ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________
Request for Examination Accommodations and Modifications To: From: CC: Date: Re: Please find attached recommended accommodations for students enrolled in the Resource Room programme for the end of year examination period (201 -201 ). Student Profile Oral Reading
Comprehension
Spelling
Recommendations for examination period
Written Expression
Word Identification
Departmental Memo Dear Ms./Mrs./Mr. Based on the results of the educational assessment conducted, is/are scheduled to attend the Resource Room at the following times: Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday have been seen by the Resource Room, but have not been selected for enrolment at this time. Please monitor their performance and make contact with me if significant deficits are noticed. Thanks for your cooperation. Regards, Mrs. A. Murray Resource Room Teacher
Chronicling the operation of the resource room programme.
*Activity Use this excerpt from a resource room booklet to begin crafting a booklet that is unique to your school. Think about the background that will help shape the needs and the model of resource room that best suits your school. This should take about 15 minutes.
Sharing details on the procedures/techniques/strategies associated with the services being offered in the resource room.
Forging relationships with other members of staff with the aim of acquiring schemes of work/curricula that can be integrated into instruction in the resource room programme.
Communicating with and following up on the progress of students who have exited the resource room programme. Observing students who have been referred in their ‘regular’ classroom setting.
Using your classroom as a ‘lab’ or a ‘practising classroom’ where you can demonstrate (in real time) approaches/strategies/interventions that can help students.
Be up-to-date with current trends in education and share new products/resources/books/LMS with colleagues.