Supporting Students with Diverse Learning Needs
Supporting Students with Diverse Learning Needs
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By Ms. Amy Bihag, Education SpecialistIn the past, I’ve received feedback from students who expressed difficulty completing assignments in my classes after being absent for extended periods as well as those who just enrolled at the middle of the semester. Many students have mentioned that they feel overwhelmed by the work, particularly when it involves reading and answering questions, which they describe as “too much.” Additionally, my paraeducators have struggled to support these students academically due to a lack of conceptual understanding of the lessons.
View student work here!
View student work here!
To address these challenges, I developed a resource focusing solely on the key concepts that I need my students to understand. Since implementing this strategy, students who are new to my class, those who have been frequently tardy, and those who have been absent for extended periods have shown significant improvement. They are now able to work more independently, and my paraeducators are better equipped to assist them. This is because the resource includes side notes with all the information they need to answer questions.I also make it a point to check in with students one-on-one to discuss their progress and address any challenges they face in understanding the material. This intervention has not only been beneficial to the students, but it has also been a great help to my paraeducators, allowing them to better assist students in their learning. I’ve noticed that students no longer complain about being unable to complete their assignments, as they now have the resources they need to succeed. Additionally, I have introduced a small incentive system where students earn points (usually represented as $500, $1000 and $2000) for completing assignments. They can use these points to "purchase" items such as noodles, chips, soda, and other snacks every Wednesday and Thursday.
Bilingual Scholar Support
Bilingual Scholar Support
Started in 2023, Dr. Cristine LaMontagne, MTSS TOSA has partnered with our PCIS, Ms. Maggie Rodriguez and Ms. Ha Pham, to provide in-class outreach to newcomer students, many of which are classified as McKinney Vento and qualify for extra support. For the 2024-2025 academic school year, Independence High School has three ELD 1 classes and three ELD 2 classes. This year, our Bilingual Scholar Support program has grown to include counseling presentations and 1:1 opportunities for newcomers to meet with their counselor. Our students will see and get to know their counselor throughout the year.
Objectives of the Bilingual Scholar Support Program:
To scaffold school-wide lessons on topics such as mental health and the importance of being bilingual.
To engage students in learning about school activities such as athletics and spirit week to promote a supportive campus climate.
To meet school staff and understand systems such as attendance, counseling, behavior expectations, Canvas, and graduation requirements.
To proactively reach newcomer students to who may be in need of basic needs and mental health support.
Translation Support
Translation Support
SMORE newsletters are a wonderful way to help students with language support. SMORE newsletters can translate to over 130 languages. While the lessons are scaffolded, we understand that some lessons need to focus on the content and information and the objective should not necessarily be language acquisition.
Proactive Outreach
Proactive Outreach
The PCIS/Mental Health Check-In is given at the beginning and end of the semester to proactively engage with our newcomer students and provide support. Here is a sample of the results.
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