Teaching Strategies
There are a numerous teaching strategies that would be beneficial to students with specific learning disabilities. Outlined below are five strategies that would be beneficial for all students, including those with learning disabilities.
Multisensory
The first kind of learning strategy is multisensory instruction. Instead of the traditional method of having students practice a targeted skill on a worksheet or with paper and pencil, students are engaged with a more hands-on approach. When students are learning by hearing, seeing, and doing it increases the likelihood they will remember the skill. A teacher might help students acquired new information through the use of using touch, movement, sight and hearing. To the right is a video demonstrating different multi-sensory strategies for letter, sound, and word skills.
|
|
Chunking
|
Chunking is a strategy where new information is given broken into key steps, or chunks. As explained in the video to the left, our short-term memory is fast, but tiny. It can only hold small pieces of new information before the information is forgotten or overwritten with newer information. By chunking information, students with SLD are more likely to remember newly taught skills and information.
|
Modeling
When instructing students with SLD, one particularly impactful teaching strategy is modeling. It is sometimes referred to as "I Do, We Do, You Do". Teachers model the skill that they are expecting students to do. Then, the teacher may model it again while the class does the strategy or the class will do the strategy in small groups or partners. Finally, the students do the task independently. This gradual release model of instruction allows for students to see the skill done multiple times before they are expected to do it independently. The repetition of practice and clear expectations helps all students learn the targeted skill.
|
|
Graphic Organizers
|
Graphic Organizers are a helpful teaching strategy for learners with specific learning disabilities. Able to be used in any subject, they are a quick and easy way to differentiate or scaffold classroom material. Graphic organizers help students with SLD process, make connections, and organize new material. Examples of different types of graphic organizers and their uses are highlighted in the video to the left.
|
Mnemonic Devices
Chances are when you were in school, you were taught about the order of operations. However, you probably remember it best as PEMDAS. Do to the mnemonic device Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally, you know that the order of operations is Parenthesis, Exponents, Multiplication, Division, Addition, and Subtraction. Mnemonic devices are a powerful strategy that helps students remember difficult, sequential, or large amounts of information. The word mneomic itself is devived from the greek word for mindful. Students with SLD benefit from mnemoics by helping them associate information with key words or pictures. The video to the right details different types and examples of mneomic devices that can be used in the classroom.
|
|