Module 5

Science, SS, and More 

When I think of learning disabilities, my mind immediately goes to reading, writing, and mathematics. In module 5, we learned about how students with exceptionalities may face challenges in other areas of the curriculum and strategies to support them. In elementary school, subjects such as science, social studies, french, and music do not receive as much attention as math, reading, and writing and I suspect supports fall short in these subjects as a result. Because these subjects are often only taught once or twice per week, they are not usually viewed as academically necessary or challenging and as a result, students with diverse needs may not be receiving the support they need to be optimally successful across the curriculum.

Miracles of Chemistry, AdobeStock, n.d.a

Some subjects like music, drama, or art may be especially challenging for students with motor or processing disorders. My experience has been it is in these subjects certified education assistants are pulled out and redirected elsewhere in the building. I do not believe this is necessarily intentional, but rather the result of these subjects being undervalued in elementary education for many years. As Hutchinson explains, differentiated instruction "in any subject, including social studies, can be as straightforward as giving students choices in what they read, the tasks they complete, and the products they produce to demonstrate their learning" (2017). While I did discover through my research as well as from my classmates some specific strategies to subjects, the majority of strategies are similar to those used in math, reading, and writing, or follow the Universal Design for Learning principles that enhance learning for all students.

Study Skills and Strategies

I admit study skills are not something I have given much thought to in my career. As an elementary teacher (and currently a librarian), I find tests are few and far between and not on my radar. Although there may not be frequent formal tests in elementary school, there are still regular spelling quizzes and the occasional summative unit test in math or social studies. More than once while TOCing I have seen students display extreme anxiety or frustration over quizzes or be unable to demonstrate their knowledge through written output on tests. In addition to adapted assessments and providing multiple means of expression, study skill strategies can assist students to more effectively demonstrate their learning during assessments. Some useful strategies I learned during this module to assist students in learning new material and studying for summative assessments include: 

• Teach students how to create and use mnemonic devices and acronyms to recall information.
• Teach students how to chunk tasks so as to not become overwhelmed
• Have students design tests and quiz each other to reinforce learning
• Provide and demonstrate the use of graphic organizers to help students organize and retain information.
• Reciprocal teaching.  Students teach a concept or skill to another student, small group of students, or their parents at home.
• Read, cover, remember, retell.  This helps students improve reading comprehension by requiring them to spend time reflecting on and discussing what they read. Model through read and think-alouds. Students can repeat steps if needed.
• Teach concepts using multiple modes of media.
• Teach through project-based learning where students are active participants in their learning through hands-on activities.
• Help students develop organizational skills by using checklists, colour coding materials and scheduling weekly clean-ups. 

(Elementary Assessments, n.d.)

File #:  379797416 AS  dobeStock, n.d.b

 Reflection:

Differentiated instruction and Universal Design for Learning principles provide tools and methods of support that can help all students across all curricular content. While there are some specific strategies that assist learners in certain subjects, such as using computer simulations or demonstrations to teach abstract science concepts, the overall strategies are the same. For example, all students benefit from hands on learning and concrete examples and visuals. Teaching with multiple modes of representation, allowing students multiple modes of expression and creating multiple modes of engagement are valuable ways to enhance learning and engage students.

At the end of this module, I feel more aware of the need to include supports across all subject matter. I also find myself reflecting on the homework debate topic that arose in module 5. Personally, I am not partial to homework for elementary age students beyond home reading or assignments that were not completed in class time when reasonable time was allotted. However, I can see from the video The Homework Debate and other articles, that homework can be useful to reinforce concepts taught in school. I feel that perhaps the focus needs to be more on ways to make homework meaningful, such as having students teach their parents a concept they learned at school, or  using what they learned in a real life example and sharing it with classmates the next day, rather than the traditional sit down and review material from a book method I grew up with. Just as we strive to make learning meaningful at school, homework will be more effective if it is engaging and meaningful to students.

References:

AdobeStock (n.da.). Miracles of Chemistry. [Image]. AdobeStock.com. https://stock.adobe.com/ca/Library/urn:aaid:sc:VA6C2:7499962f-ea31-4d96-99f6-18aad8e5ed40?asset_id=198942501 

AdobeStock (n.db.). File #: 379797416 [Image]. AdobeStock.com. https://stock.adobe.com/ca/Library/urn:aaid:sc:VA6C2:7499962f-ea31-4d96-99f6-18aad8e5ed40?asset_id=379797416

BBC (2017). Is homework a good idea or not? British Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved July 27, 2022 from https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/38383428

Elementary Assessments (n.d.). Study skills for elementary students: 31 powerful techniques. ElementaryAssessments.com Retrieved July 27, 2022 from https://elementaryassessments.com/list-of-study-skills-for-elementary-students/ 

Hutchinson, N. L. (2004). Teaching exceptional children and adolescents: A Canadian casebook. Prentice Hall.