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Teaching Struggling Learners At

Home-- Nuts and Bolts for Success

Presentation By:

Faith Berens, M.Ed., HSLDA

2015

specialneeds@hslda.org

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We Provide Our

Members With-

• Individualized phone consultations• E-mail support

• Rental of the Brigance assessment kits• Access to searchable database of home school friendly professionals

• Full Access to the Struggling Learner Website resources• Special Needs Children’s Fund Grant, through the

Home School Foundation

• Discounts

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Scripture

Isaiah 40:31

“But those who hope in the Lord will renew their

strength and soar on wings like eagles; they will run

and not grow weary; they will walk and not grow

faint.”

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S-U-C-C-E-S-S

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S-Seek SupportU-Understand

C-Created--Child’s “core” C-CurriculaE-Excellent education

S-SMART S-Strategies

Seek Support!

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S-U-C-C-E-S-S

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• Consistent support, resources, feedback

• Teaching ideas and remediation strategies

• Goal setting, program planning, and progress

monitoring

• Added “security” and stress relief

• HSLDA members have access to our “Find a

Professional Locator” (database of private

consultants),

www.hslda.org/strugglinglearner/Consultants

Consultants

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Connecting with Others

•National Organizations

•Social Media

•Online Support

Caution about Utilizing

Public School Services:

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• Private services recommended

• “Free” services, not truly free

• Varies from state to state if

homeschoolers have access to special

education services; check out our “In

the States” section of the Struggling

Learner website,

www.hslda.org/strugglinglearner

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�Foundations

�National Charitable Organizations

�State Scholarships

�Employers

�Other resources

Alternative Avenues

of Funding

Understand!

Created- Your Child’s Core!

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S-U-C-C-E-S-S

� Attention/Focus

� Visual� Auditory

� Writing(Visual-Motor)

http://www.hslda.org/strugglinglearner/sn_checklists.asp

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Checklists to Help Identifythe Areas of Struggle

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Assessment

Plan

Teach

Assess

•Informal Assessments

•Skills and Behavior Checklists•Rubrics

•Brigance

•Standardized Tests

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Ways to Assess Your

Child

Plan

Teach

Assess

Keys to Learning:

“ Learning is experiencing. Everything else is

just information.” Albert Einstein

“Our species has an innate need to see, touch,

taste, feel, and hear the features of any new

object in order to understand it better.”

(Wesson, 2002).

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Think About Learning:

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We learn about….

• 10% of what we read

• 20% of what we hear

• 30% of what we see

• 50% of what we both see and hear

• 70% of what we discuss with others

• 80% of what we experience personally

• 95% of what we teach to othersIf this is true, then what other types of strategies and tools do I

need to include as I plan learning activities for my children?

(Particularly if one or more of those learning gates are blocked or

has a glitch?)

Many Ways of Being

SMART!

“It is clear that our culture has chosen, by and large,

to educate and reinforce one aspect of human

potential, the cognitive/verbal, to the detriment of

many others.” Michael Murphy

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Right Brain Learner—like to see big picture, often

lack organizational skills, don’t follow directions, on

the go, creative, sometimes impulsive, work by their

own “clock”, often hands-on learners, excel in arts

and sports

Left Brain Learner—strong communication skills,

good organizational skills, linear thinkers, sequential

learners, good at following directions

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S-U-C-C-E-S-S

Curriculum!

What is the best curriculum to use for children with

special needs?

In general, for children with learning challenges, look for a

curriculum that is:

� Multi-sensory (Visual, Auditory, Kinesthetic, Tactile)

� Uses direct instruction and modeling

� For reading, any program should have a strong phonics

component, but also address the 5 Pillars of Reading

Instruction: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency,

vocabulary, and comprehension

� A good fit for your child’s preferred learning style(s)

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What curriculum should I

use for….?

• No one-size fits all curriculum

• Find a key that will unlock learning for your child

• Focus on effective teaching strategies

• Look for materials that will be a good match for your

child’s learning styles, needs, and areas of concern

• Adapted materials and curricula

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Reading

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Reading Curricula—

Kiddos with Autism:

• Sight Word Based Programs tend to be best

• Reading Milestones

• Edmark Reading Program

• ELSB, www.attainmentcompany.com

• MeVille to WeVille

• Literacy Skill Development by Leslie Broun and

Patricia Oelwein

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Some Generalizations and Recommended Reading

Curriculum/Programs:

• Children with Down Syndrome typically do very

well with a whole word/sight word approach to

reading rather than phonics-based.

Sight Word/Whole Word Programs Include: Reading

Milestones and Teaching Reading to Children with Down

Syndrome; Edmark, Love And Learning, At Last A

Reading Program…(Pecci)

Reading:

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Dyslexia Reading

Interventions:

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• Susan Barton Method for Reading and Spelling

• All About Reading and All About Spelling

• Verticy Learning, through Calvert School on-line

• Lexercise, www.lexercise.com

• Scottish Rites Dyslexia Intervention program

• NILD therapy

• Wilson Language Program

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S-U-C-C-E-S-S•Excellent Education!

•Smart!•Strategies!

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Reality Checks

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• Homeschooling and working

• Homeschooling with toddlers and multiple ages

• Homeschooling the child who needs a schedule

• Homeschooling the

child who has never

heard of a schedule

Reality Checks

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Homeschooling and working

•Intentional

•Realistic Expectations

•Planning

Reality Checks

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Homeschooling with toddlers and multiple ages

• Keep it active

• Be prepared

• Same lesson- different response

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Reality Checks

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Homeschooling the child who needs a schedule

• Visual Schedules

• Preparing for transitions

• Preparing for new experiences

Reality Checks

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Homeschooling the child who has never heard of a

schedule !

Attention and Focus

Difficulties

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ERRORS BREAKS

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Attention and Focus

Difficulties

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2 Good Reasons for Taking Breaks

•New neural connections need time to fix and strengthen themselves without competition from additional stimuli.

•Fatigue sets in without breaks.

Attention and Focus

Difficulties

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Practical Applications:

•Provide exercise opportunities immediately following a learning episode.•Avoid simple carbohydrates and fats at breaks.

A complex carbohydrate is preferable. •Schedule walks and talks

Other tips for

promoting attention-

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• Provide advanced organizers

• Post/share outcomes or key results• Eliminate distracters• Ask for expectations

• Activate background knowledge

• Consider using a K-W-L chart • Use one to three minute pauses

• Lots of water throughout the day

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Reality Checks

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•First/Then

•S.T.A.R.•Behavior Charts

Most Effective Teaching

Methods and Strategies

Teach how Jesus taught

-Known to the New

-Word Pictures

-Emotion

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Most Effective Teaching

Methods and Strategies

Encourage exploration and curiosity

• Interesting Research

• God given

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Most Effective Teaching

Methods and Strategies

Teach in their ZONE

Scaffolding Instruction:

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• Start at a very high level of support

• Gradually move from high level of support to

more independent use by the child

• Stay on the “cutting edge” of the child’s

functioning level

• Keep trying to lift levels of functioning

• Teach, model, practice, apply

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More Teaching Tools

and Strategies

Guided Practice

• Model the new skill

• Do it together

Reteaching

• Computer programs

• Supplemental materials

More Teaching Tools

and Strategies

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“A picture is worth a thousand words.”

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More Teaching Tools

and Strategies

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More Teaching Tools

and Strategies

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Visuals & Graphic

Organizers

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More Teaching Tools

and Strategies

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Tech Tools and Adaptive Equipment

More Teaching Tools

and Strategies

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• Readers’ Theater

• Chorale and echo reading

• Think-Pair-Share

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More Teaching Tools

and Strategies

• Be the Lesson

• Kinesthetic Division

• Role Playing

• Sky writing

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More Teaching Tools

and Strategies

• Take advantage of your child’s interests

• To teach across the curriculum

• Journaling-writing

• Graphs/Charts- math

• Field trips- social skills,

vocabulary

• Alternate favorite activities

with less favorite

Math Strategies for

Struggling Learners:

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• Manipulatives/concrete• Visuals and hands-on materials

• Role Play• Color code

• Repetition and Review• Right Brain math facts

• Songs/raps on cd’s for auditory learners

Lessons Learned:

• We tend to teach the way we prefer to learn, but that

may not be a good fit for our child• Always remember, if a child is not learning by the way I

am teaching, then I must change the way I teach!• Don’t be afraid to try new techniques, strategies, ways of

presenting material and concepts• There will be some trial and error – it is part of the

process.

Things to Keep in

Mind

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Special Conference

Rates

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Questions???