education 652- dr. pierangelo factors affecting curriculum performance in children with special...
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EDUCATION 652-Dr. Pierangelo
Factors Affecting Curriculum
Performance in Children with Special Needs
Factors Affecting Curriculum Performance in Children with
Special NeedsChildren are faced with
many pressures everyday and as a result these pressures may play a role in their ability to fully concentrate in school.
Factors Affecting Curriculum Performance in Children with
Special Needs What you notice as a special
education teacher may only be symptoms of these pressures i.e. procrastination, avoidance, resistance, lack of completion of a task, lack of attention etc
Factors Affecting Curriculum Performance in Children with
Special NeedsHowever, the real reasons
behind these behaviors should be known by you so that you can, along with the special education teacher, make accommodations or adaptations to the curriculum to help these students succeed.
Symptoms vs. Problems
Children and adults are exposed to a variety of stressors on any given day. For children, these stressors may manifest themselves in school related symptoms which result in dysfunction.
Symptoms vs. Problems
All problems create tension. This tension must be relieved
either verbally or behaviorally. If a child is unable to
communicate his feelings, as is the case for most children, then that tension will exhibit itself in symptomatic behavior.
Symptoms vs. Problems
This symptomatic behavior is what teachers see every day in the classroom. While symptoms may not always indicate a serious problem, the frequency, intensity, and duration of the symptoms usually do.
Symptoms vs. Problems
If a teacher understands the nature of symptomatic behavior and makes the proper referral for guidance, then a more serious problem can be averted.
Symptoms vs. Problems
However, even if correctly identified, a child’s symptomatic behavior may take a while to dissipate.
It is during this time that teachers can use certain techniques which may calm the child, provide suitable boundaries, reduce classroom frustration, and so on, while the real problem is being resolved.
These are called adaptations
ACADEMIC FACTORS
There will always be times when academic deficits will impair a child’s ability to function in the classroom.
These deficits will make it hard for the child to keep up with the other students and may require added time to complete tasks.
ACADEMIC FACTORS
Further, a lack of academic skills may also be the cause of resistance and opposition to learning.
Knowing what is behind resistance may make it easier to overcome it.
Factors that can contribute to academic dysfunction include but are not limited to:
ACADEMIC FACTORS
developmental reading disordersdevelopmental math disordersdevelopmental writing disordersdevelopmental spelling disorders
ACADEMIC FACTORS
poor prior teachinglack of basic skillsinconsistency during critical
periods of skill developmentproblems in concept formationlack of reinforcement
ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS
Students have lives outside of school and all to often, these lives are filled with turmoil, chaos and dysfunction.
When a child is exposed to these factors it drains them of their energy which makes it harder to concentrate and attend while in school
ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS
After all, children who may experience violence in the home are more worried about going home after school then concentrating on math problems.
ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS
Environmental factors are defined as those factors which the child may be exposed to at home or in the community which may have a profound impact on the child’s ability to function in school.
These factors may include home issues such as:
ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS
economic hardshipsloss of parent’s jobmoving into a new
neighborhoodserious sibling rivalryfamily mental illness
ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS
Environmental factors may also originate from community issues such as:
problems with neighborspoor reputation in the
neighborhoodproblems with the law
INTELLECTUAL FACTORS
While a child’s ability may vary, it is imperative that as a teacher you have a good idea of each child’s true ability level so that you do not frustrate him/her and adapt the curriculum to his/her needs
INTELLECTUAL FACTORS
When these factors are present, a child’s stress may be manifested in a variety of symptoms. The factors which fall under this category include:
Undetected limited intellectual ability Undetected gifted intellectual capacity
LANGUAGE FACTORS
Language provides the foundation upon which communication, problem solving, integrating, analyzing, and synthesizing knowledge takes place.
Therefore, deficits in language can have a profound impact on the ability of an individual to learn and function competently and confidently as he interacts in the world.
LANGUAGE FACTORS
Difficulties may arise in a child’s language development resulting in classroom symptoms. These language issues may arise from difficulties in:
nonverbal language oral language (i.e., listening and
speaking) written language (i.e., reading and
writing),
LANGUAGE FACTORS
pragmatic language (e.g., using language for a specific purpose such as asking for help)
word retrieval articulation receptive aphasia expressive aphasia bilingualism
MEDICAL FACTORS
. While teachers are not asked to be doctors, certain medical conditions may manifest certain symptoms in the classroom.
For the most part, one would assume that any serious medical condition may have already been identified by the child’s pediatrician or parent.
MEDICAL FACTORS
However, this may not always be the case, especially in the cases of very young children.
However, certain more common medical problems that may impair a child’s ability to function adequately in the classroom may include but are not limited to:
MEDICAL PROBLEMS
attention deficit disordervision problemshearing problemsneurological problemsmuscular problemscoordination problems
PERCEPTUAL FACTORS
The learning process is like an assembly line through which information received travels.
Information is received in some manner, and is filtered through a series of psychological processes.
PERCEPTUAL FACTORS
As information progresses along this "assembly line", it is given meaning and organized in some fashion, and then expressed through a variety of responses.
PERCEPTUAL FACTORS
When we evaluate a child's perceptual abilities, we are looking to see if there is a deficit in some area of the learning process that may be slowing down the processing of information, thereby interfering in the child's ability to receive, organize, memorize or express information.
Severe deficits in the learning process can have adverse affects upon a child's academic performance.
PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS
Tension is a factor that is present in many children and the greater the tension, the greater the impact on a child’s ability to learn.
As tension rises it affects a child’s ability to concentrate, focus, remember and store information, participate, keep things in perspective and remain patient
PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS
Psychological factors which may be contributing to a child’s dysfunction in school may include but are not limited to:
clinical depressionmental illnessanxiety
PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS
obsessive compulsive disorders psychosexual dysfunction substance abuse sleep disorders brief situational disturbances or adjustment
reactions conduct disorders separation anxiety oppositional defiant disorders
SOCIAL FACTORS
. While social status is a crucial factor at many ages, it becomes more of a factor as one approaches the period of adolescence.
SOCIAL FACTORS
Social pressures and peer influence sometimes create an imbalance in a child’s functioning.
This imbalance may often result in lower available energy for school related issues because of the intense need for energy to cope with his social world or social conflicts.
SOCIAL FACTORS
Social factors which may lower available energy and result in academic dysfunction include:
peer rejection preoccupation with boyfriend or girlfriend low social status social victimization scapegoat
SOCIAL FACTORS
difficulty with social intimidation victim of bully behavior social control issues-the need to be in
control peer competition social isolation social overindulgence
FACTORS AFFECTING CURRICULUM
Finally, it would be helpful at the beginning of the semester to try to determine which of these areas affect each of your students.
Once you have determined this you may need assistance from other staff members to help the student.
Adapting Curriculum-Part II-
Learning Disabilities
For Students with Special Needs
Education 652
Dr. Pierangelo
Adapting Curriculum
One of the most important things to keep in mind when working with students with special needs is that they can learn.
In many cases, it is not the lack of understanding or knowledge that causes problems but rather the manner of presentation, response requirements, and level of presentation.
Adapting Curriculum
The need to learn how to adapt material is crucial when working with this population.
These adaptations offer them a better chance of success and task completion.
Wh0 gets Curriculum Adaptations?
The chances are that if you are working in a regular school district you will come into contact with high incidence disabilities. These may include:
Learning Disabilities Mental Retardation Emotional Disabilities Other Health Impaired: Attention
Deficit/Hyperactive Disorder
Adapting Curriculum for Children with Learning
Disabilities
The teacher should be aware that not all techniques will work with all students, but try as many of them as possible. These techniques should create a better learning environment for children with learning disabilities.
Adapting Curriculum for Children with Learning
Disabilities
A-Make adjustments in the type, difficulty, amount and sequence of materials
1. Give shorter but more frequent assignments.
Adapting Curriculum for Children with Learning
Disabilities2. Shorten the length of the
assignments to insure a sense of success.
3. Copy chapters of textbooks so that the child can use a highlighter pen to underline important facts.
Adapting Curriculum for Children with Learning
Disabilities4. Make sure that the child's
desk is free from all unnecessary materials.
5. Correct the student's work as soon as possible to allow for immediate gratification and feedback.
Adapting Curriculum for Children with Learning
Disabilities6. Allow the student
several alternatives in both obtaining and reporting information--tapes, interviews and so on.
Adapting Curriculum for Children with Learning
Disabilities7. Hold frequent, even if short
conferences with the child to allow for questions, sources of confusion, sense of connection and avoidance of isolation which often occurs if the work is too difficult.
Adapting Curriculum for Children with Learning
DisabilitiesAdjust space, work time and grouping
1. Permit the child to work in a quiet corner, a study carrel when requested or necessary. This should not be all the time since isolation may have
negative consequences. This technique depends on the specific
learning style of the child who may be less distracted by working under
these conditions.
Adapting Curriculum for Children with Learning
Disabilities2. At first the teacher may want
to place the child closer to her/him for more immediate feedback.
3. Try to separate him/her from students who may be distracting.
Adapting Curriculum for Children with Learning
Disabilities 4. Alternate quiet and active time to
maintain levels of interest and motivation.
5. Make up a work contract with specific times and assignments so that the child has a structured idea of his/her responsibilities
Adapting Curriculum for Children with Learning
Disabilities 6. Keep work periods short and gradually
lengthen them as the student begins to cope.
7. Try to match the student with a peer helper to help with understanding assignments, reading important directions, drilling him/her orally , summarizing important textbook passages and working on long range assignments.
Adapting Curriculum for Children with Learning
DisabilitiesConsider adjusting presentation
and evaluation modes
Some students learn better by seeing (visual learners), some by listening (auditory
learners), some by feeling (tactile learners) and some by a combination of approaches.
Adapting Curriculum for Children with Learning
DisabilitiesAdjustments should be made
by the teacher to determine the best functional system of learning for the children with learning disabilities. This will vary from child to child and is usually included in the child's evaluation.
Adapting Curriculum for Children with Learning
Disabilities If the child is primarily an auditory
learner, offer adjustments in the mode of presentation by use of the following techniques:
1. Give verbal as well as written directions to assignments.
Adapting Curriculum for Children with Learning
Disabilities 2. Place assignment directions on tape
so that students can replay them when they need.
3. Give students oral rather than written tests.
4. Have students drill on important information using tape recorder, reciting information into the recorder and playing it back.
Adapting Curriculum for Children with Learning
Disabilities5. Have students drill
aloud to themselves or to other students.
6- Have children close their eyes to try and hear words or information.
Adapting Curriculum for Children with Learning
DisabilitiesIf the child is primarily a visual learner,
offer adjustment in the mode of presentation by:
1. Have students use flash cards printed in bold bright colors.
2. Let students close their eyes and try to visualize words or information in their heads, see things in their minds.
Adapting Curriculum for Children with Learning
Disabilities3. Provide visual clues on
chalkboard for all verbal directions.
4. Encourage students to write down notes and memos to themselves concerning important words, concepts, and ideas.
Adapting Curriculum for Children with Learning
DisabilitiesFor students with organizational problems
try adapting the materials in the following manner:
Use large print activity sheets. Use overlays on text pages to reduce the
quantity of print that is visible. Highlight key points on the activity sheet. Line indicators
Adapting Curriculum for Children with Learning
Disabilities Sections on paper (draw lines, fold) Different types of paper (e.g., graph,
paper with mid-lines, raised line paper) Provide more white space to put
answers Highlight or color code (directions, key
words, topic sentences)
Adapting Curriculum for Children with Learning
Disabilities Put less information on a page Use high contrast colors
Adapt Assistance Use peers or volunteers to assist students
with special needs. Use students with special needs to assist
younger students in learning science.
Adapting Curriculum for Children with Learning
DisabilitiesPreparing for Tests and Quizzes
Teach students strategies to prepare for a test or quiz
Teach students what to look for in test questions; how to read a test
Use a variety of formats to thoroughly review for several days before tests or quizzes including quiz bowls, small group review, question and answer periods and study buddies.
Adapting Curriculum for Children with Learning
Disabilities Provide students with examples of
test content and format. Provide study guides in advance of
the test. Provide review time during or outside
of the class, emphasizing key points to study.
Adapting Curriculum for Children with Learning
DisabilitiesWriting Tests or Quizzes
Write clear, concise directions. Vary the test format (e.g., written, oral,
short answer, essay, multiple choice, matching, yes/no, demonstration testing, open book/notes, take home, cooperative group testing).
Underline or highlight important words in the test directions or on test items.
Adapting Curriculum for Children with Learning
Disabilities Give more objective than subjective
items. Increase allowable time for test
completion.
Adapting Curriculum for Children with Learning
Disabilities Review orally to ensure
comprehension of essay questions. Give shorter tests, covering less
information, more frequently. Avoid penalizing for grammar,
handwriting, or spelling.
Adapting Curriculum for Children with Learning
Disabilities Reduce the test items by starring
those that are the most important concepts.
Give the same test to all students, but score some students on the priority items only, giving extra credit for any additional questions answered correctly.
Adapting Curriculum for Children with Learning
DisabilitiesAdministering and Scoring Tests
and Quizzes
Provide students with the opportunity to have tests read orally.
Read test instructions aloud to any student who would prefer them read aloud.
Adapting Curriculum for Children with Learning
Disabilities Allow students to take the test in the
classroom during the scheduled time, then give opportunities to have it read to them orally and average the two scores.
Tape record tests, using assistants, tutors, parent volunteers and others.
Allow students to tape record answers.
Adapting Curriculum for Children with Learning
Disabilities Allow students to use charts,
calculators, or manipulatives that they have used on assignments for the exam.
Create a modified grading scale or consider a pass/fail, satisfactory/ unsatisfactory grade on the test.
Grade student effort and individual ability in addition to test scores.
Adapting Curriculum for Children with Learning
DisabilitiesAllow students to retake the test
and give credit for improvement.Provide feedback to students via
teacher/student conferences.Encourage students to chart
their progress.
Adapting Curriculum for Children with Learning
Disabilities Take time to review corrected tests
and allow students to make corrections on their test or a clean copy of the test.
Provide partial credit for various correct steps in a problem-solving process.
Correct tests immediately and re-teach in skill groups.
Adapting Curriculum for Children with Learning
Disabilities Give students opportunity to critique their
own work based on your criteria before they hand it in.
Allow students to grade their own tests immediately upon completion in a designated area; the teacher does the final scoring.
Allow students to take the test in small groups; students may use a group answer or their own.
Adapting Curriculum for Children with Learning
Disabilities_ Each student has her own
test so that if there is disagreement each can write her own answer
_ Both partners must be present on the day of the test or the test is taken alone
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