Diverse Learning Needs

In this section you will find:

• Online Resource Support-Tips for Remedial and Supporting Teachers

  • Language Comprehension Skills-Online Lesson Plans

• Autism Spectrum Disorder - Remote Learning Video Capsules

• Specific Support for Students with Speech and Language Disorders and Hearing Loss.

Other suggestions to support students struggling with language comprehesion skills:

Increase the number of opportunities for listening comprehension activities to help build oral language skills:

• Use dialogic reading (see lesson plan above)

• Interactive read-alouds (See lesson plan above)

  • A smaller group/individual instruction will provide multiple opportunities for the child to interact orally. Use dialogic reading and interactive read-alouds to increase vocabulary acquisition, background knowledge and sentence structure.

• Provide instruction about the important, useful, and difficult words before students read a text or do an activity.

• Explicitly teach the meanings of common prefixes, roots, and suffixes.

• Offer students many opportunities to encounter target words beyond the context in which they are taught.

• Use text sets to build background knowledge

*Strong oral language skills are linked to later reading comprehension proficiency.

This is not an exhaustive list.

These video capsules have specific tips for students with ASD, but they also contain useful tips for all students.

Created by the Center of Excellence for ASD: http://coeasd.lbpsb.qc.ca/pd.htm

If a child has difficulty being understood (due to stuttering or poor pronunciation) you may ask the child:

• to repeat

• to say it using different words

• to type it in the chat

• to draw it on a whiteboard

• to use gestures

If a child is having difficulty understanding verbal instructions:

• use captioning

• use additional wait time for processing

• use rephrasing

• Prepare a script for the child "I didn't get it-say it again, please."

Extra energy is required for students to communicate through a screen. Counter screen fatigue by:

• Using a visual schedule (to show the times of activities and highlight fun activities and breaks)

• Provide movements opportunities (pair review of content with a physical activity)

(ASHA, 2020)

Devices

• For students with hearing loss, the student's FM system can connect with their laptop. (MOSD 2020)

• For students with an augmentative and alternative communication device (AAC device) make sure that they have access to it at home. (ASHA postcard, 2020)