Teaching Content Subjects to Diverse Learners

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Teaching Content Subjects to Diverse Learners
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Teaching Diverse Learners

• Inclusion
• Students at risk are the following
• Economically disadvantaged
• Learning disability (LD)
• English language learners (ELLs)

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Some things to avoid doing

• Spending too little lesson time reading
• Making phonic decoding skills the focus of the
  diagnosis
• Spending to much time teaching phonic decoding
  skills
• Encouraging the reader to sound through
  unfamiliar words

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Some things to avoid doing

• 5. Focusing on the accuracy of oral reading
• 6. Not recognizing the importance of background
  knowledge
• 7. Dealing with word/letter reversals
  inappropriately

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Assisting Struggling Learners

• SMARTER
• Select,
• Map,
• Analyze,
• Reach,
• Teach,
• Evaluate,
• Reevaluate (Bulgren Lenz, 1996)
• Helping Students Become Self-Regulated Learners

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Helping Students who have serious reading problems

• Find out the reading level.
• Use the language experience approach
• Using technology
• Obtaining texts on the appropriate levels
• Make the text accessible
• Help students with comprehension teach high pay
  off strategies

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Helping Students who have serious reading problems

• Helping students who have decoding problems
• Holding students accountable
• Collaborating with other professionals

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Working with English Language Learners

• Build background
• Vocabulary
• Visuals to reinforce concepts vocabulary
• Cooperative learning peer tutoring
• Strategic use of the native language
• Modulation of cognitive language demands
• Considering Cultural Factors
• Using Group-guided Language Experience

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Working with English Language Learners

• Building on what students know
• Using the students native language
• Teaching discourse patterns
• Using sheltered English