If the student has difficulty learning by listening, then try…
Before the lesson:
Pre-teach difficult vocabulary and concepts
State the objective, providing a reason for listening
Teach the mental activities involved in listening — mental note-taking, questioning, reviewing
Provide study guides/worksheets
Provide script of film
Provide lecture outlines
During the lesson:
Provide visuals via the board or overhead
Use flash cards
Have the student close his eyes and try to visualize the information
Have the student take notes and use colored markers to highlight
Teach the use of acronyms to help visualize lists (Roy G. Biv for the colors of the spectrum: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet)
Give explanations in small, distinct steps
Provide written as well as oral directions
Have the student repeat directions
When giving directions to the class, leave a pause between each step so student can carry out the process in his mind
Shorten the listening time required
Provide written and manipulative tasks
Be concise with verbal information: "Jane, please sit." instead of "Jane, would you please sit down in your chair."
If the student has difficulty expressing himself verbally, then try…
To accept an alternate form of information sharing, such as the following:
Written report
Artistic creation
Exhibit or showcase
Chart, graph, or table
Photo essay
Map
Review of films
Charade or pantomime
Demonstration
Taped report
Ask questions requiring short answers
Provide a prompt, such as beginning the sentence for the student or giving a picture cue
Give the rules for class discussion (e.g., hand raising)
Give points for oral contributions and preparing the student individually
Teach the student to ask questions in class
Specifically teach body and language expression
Wait for students to respond — don't call on the first student to raise his hand
First ask questions at the information level — giving facts and asking for facts back; then have the student break in gradually by speaking in smaller groups and then in larger groups
If the student has difficulty reading written material, then try…
Find a text written at lower level
Provide highlighted material
Rewrite the student's text
Tape the student's text
Allow a peer or parent to read text aloud to student
Shorten the amount of required reading
Look for same content in another medium (movie, filmstrip, tape)
Provide alternative methods for student to contribute to the group, such as role playing or dramatizing (oral reading should be optional)
Allow extra time for reading
Omit or shortening the reading required
Substitute one-page summaries or study guides which identify key ideas and terms as the reading assignment
Motivate the student, interesting him
Provide questions before student reads a selection (include page and paragraph numbers)
Put the main ideas of the text on index cards which can easily be organized in a file box and divided by chapters; pre-teaching vocabulary
Type material for easier reading
Use larger type
Be more concrete-using pictures and manipulatives
Reduce the amount of new ideas
Provide experience before and after reading as a frame of reference for new concepts
State the objective and relating it to previous experiences
Help the student visualize what is read
If the student has difficulty writing legibly, then try…
Use a format requiring little writing
Multiple-choice
Programmed material
True/false
Matching
Use manipulatives such as letters from a Scrabble™ game or writing letters on small ceramic tiles
Reduce or omit assignments requiring copying
Encourage shared note-taking
Allow the use of a tape recorder, a typewriter, or a computer
Teach writing directly
Trace letters or writing in clay
Verbalize strokes on tape recorder
Use a marker to space between words
Tape the alphabet to student's desk
Provide a wallet-size alphabet card
Provide courses in graph analysis or calligraphy as a motivator
Use graph paper to help space letters and numbers in math
Use manuscript or lined ditto paper as a motivation technique (brainstorm the advantages of legibility with the class)
If the student has difficulty expressing himself in writing, then try…
Accepting alternate forms of reports:
Oral reports
Tape-recorded report
Tape of an interview
Collage, cartoon, or other art
Maps
Diorama, 3-D materials, showcase exhibits
Photographic essay
Panel discussion
Mock debate
Review of films and presentation of an appropriate one to the class
Have the student dictate work to someone else (an older student, aide, or friend) and then copy it himself
Allow more time
Shorten the written assignment (preparing an outline or summary)
Provide a sample of what the finished paper should look like to help him organize the parts of the assignment
Provide practice using:
Story starters
Open-ended stories
Oral responses (try some oral spelling tests)
If the student has difficulty spelling, then try…
Dictate the work and then asking the student to repeat it (saying it in sequence may eliminate errors of omitted syllables)
Avoid traditional spelling lists (determine lists from social needs and school area needs)
Use mnemonic devices ("A is the first capital letter," "The capitol building has a dome")
Teach short, easy words in context:
On and on
Right on!
On account of
Have students make flashcards and highlight the difficult spots on the word
Give a recognition level spelling test (asking the student to circle correct word from three or four choices)
Teach words by spelling patterns (teach "cake," "bake," "take," etc. in one lesson)
Use the Language Master for drill
Avoid penalizing for spelling errors
Hang words from the ceiling during study time or posting them on the board or wall as constant visual cues
Provide a tactile/kinesthetic aid for spelling (sandpaper letters to trace or a box filled with salt or cereal to write in)