Managing Diversity in the Classroom

The BDA Dyslexia Friendly Schools Pack for Teachers (2009) provides an overall guide of what dyslexia is and how a dyslexia friendly school should be delivering education to the dyslexic learner. The writers begin with a definition of dyslexia stating that “dyslexia is a learning difference, a combination of strengths and weaknesses”. This is an informative definition as opposed to the recommendation of Norwich et al (2005) that exemplary schools should promote an inclusive school system whereby dyslexia is considered but not in isolation. The BDA (2009) state that importance ought to be

Within the past year, teachers at my little sister’s school have started suspecting that she may have dyslexia. She has yet to be tested, but it will be happening soon. She has always had issues with reading, but never thought this would be why. However, if the tests come back, and they do say that she has dyslexia, that is not going to hold her down. She will still be able to conquer anything that she sets her mind to. Having a disability does not hold any person back from being able to succeed anything they want to. With the proper help, instruction and motivation, any student with a disability can be successful. Being different does not make you incapable. That is also something that I got from the PowerPoints.

Poverty is a serious issue which our society and children faces every day. It is a constant struggle that shouldn’t be ignored. UNICEF states “The study of OECD countries in 2007, over fourteen percent of Australian children under the age of eighteen are currently living in households who are defined as poor or with incomes less than half of the median national income”. The increase in the number and percentage of children living in poverty within our society has contributed to making today's classrooms more diverse than ever it has been. This highlights and makes both teaching and learning more challenging. Diversity exists in the students who are living in poverty and the education assistant and teachers must provide the concept of diversity

There should also be hands-on time to include this strength, using magnet boards or sentence strips. Students with learning disabilities do have the ability to overcome the disability; it is just a matter of building on strengths and finding new ways that work for the student to learn. It is not that students with learning disabilities have something wrong with them, they only learn in a different way. In fact, all students learn differently and focusing on each student's strengths would benefit them greatly in their education. As teachers, we should apply methods we use in Special Education to all students. For instance, using accommodations such as graphic organizers or flexible means of presentation helps all students excel. The graphic organizers assist with students' overall understanding and attention during the lessons. The flexible means of presentation such as lecture, group work, and hands on work allows all students to learn the material as they each have a different primary mode of learning visual, auditory, kinesthetic, and tactile.

In the educational world, there are countless programs, curricula, strategies, manipulates, and resources for teachers to pull from in order to aide in the teaching of concepts and learning of students. Whatever method(s) a school or district has deemed best practice, or adopted as their curriculum, tend to be the instructional practices or resources utilized the most by those teachers. Additionally, teachers will also have preference to teaching styles, resources, and materials they use for their students. While autonomy in any classroom is important to students’ academic growth, one must also be careful to select and implement instructional with great intention and purpose. Consideration to students needs is equally important as the mandate of teaching standards and demonstrating proficiency amongst students. Even when teaching non-disabled students, it can be time consuming and overwhelming to plan lessons so just how much more is involved when planning for students with significant disabilities (SD)? Better yet, what are appropriate instructional strategies to use for students with SD? Regardless of the instructional setting, these are considerations that must be given when teaching students with SD in order to maximize their learning opportunities to learn

Paige Fricke Topic Area: Dyslexia Specific Purpose: My audience will be able to explain the cause and effects of dyslexia. Thesis Statement: Dyslexia is a condition that affects people world wide, but through the proper treatment and help it can have less of a negative affect on a person Introduction I. Attention Getter: I am going to assume at least half of you have encountered a family member, friend, classmate, etc. that is dyslexic. Dyslexia is a general term for disorders that involve difficulty in learning to read or interpret words, letters, and other symbols, but that do not necessarily affect general intelligence.

For dyslexia to be recognised as a Special Educational Need and the requisite educational support given, an ‘official’ assessment by a dyslexia specialist or educational psychologist is required. These assessments are mainly completed following a referral to the Local Authority usually by a SENCO or parent. This assessment results in a report which outlines not only the child’s difficulties and ways to improve, but also the strengths the child has. It is argued that identifying the strengths of the child is vital to developing a plan to assist a child with their weaknesses. Peer (2006) amongst others is keen to dispel the myth that dyslexia is linked to intelligence; in fact the contrary can be said. Often dyslexic learners have very well developed interpersonal, creative and oral skills, if these skills can be harnessed as a means of developing weaker areas it is argued progress will be made.

The challenges and barriers identified for teachers are directed at meeting the individual needs of their students. The lack of time and the need for more expertise in the area are a matter of concern for students with dyslexia. Lack of teacher training and expertise creates difficulties when considering the importance of teachers to be able to create Individualised Learning Programs which will effectively accommodate these learning difficulties.

I have not had the opportunity yet to work with students that have dyslexia, because as you mentioned they are in early grade level as kindergarten, and the times that I had ask or point out a difficulty

Therefore, one might have students with the above disabilities however, discouragement does not have to be their ‘word of the day’. Education is key, for when one learns teaching strategies based on research to add to what they already know then they are encouraged. Become a teacher who never stops learning because student’s need educators who are a step ahead of the

Since the bond between students and teachers is stronger and students feel more safe and comfortable in their environment, then they will be more willing to seek help. Gina Badalaty, has two daughters who have an Individualized Education Plan (IEP), multiple learning disabilities and speech-language challenges. When the school her daughters attended moved into the responsive teaching approach, she was nervous for what would come. To summarize Badalaty’s experience with the new changes at her daughter's school, she said, “...they are both performing exceptionally well at age-appropriate academics. Most importantly, they actually enjoy school, doing their coursework, and seeing their friends. I’m convinced that responsive classroom is an educational approach that benefits teachers, students, and parents by creating an inclusive atmosphere in which children can learn and thrive”(Badalaty). From Gina Badalaty’s experience, it is easy to see that the teaching approach in which schools use to promote learning is benefiting children in many ways. Students with dyslexia and dyscalculia also can benefit immensely from the responsive teaching approach. Dyslexic students can benefit from active teaching since the teacher presents first and then explains what was just presented. With this students with dyslexia have more time to organize, prioritize and filter new information (Stevens). Students with dyscalculia can really benefit from the student practice, instructor guided part of responsive teaching. Here students with dyscalculia can use manipulatives, have more space to write out problems and even be able to talk out the problem (Morin). Students with ADHD can also benefit from this learning style. Teachers that have students with ADHD can simplify the instructions and can post classroom rules on the wall so it is very clear what is expected of them (Weaver

Hands-on manipulatives are great tools for dyslexic to teach reading and math concepts. It is important for this counselor to learn and educate herself on dyslexia before she counsels Juan. The average child spends great amounts of hours to learn how to read and write. When a child has learning challenges, such as dyslexia, the learning period can become a struggling one for that student (Myers, 2011). This counselor will work with other teachers to provide intervention for Juan to help him with his dyslexia. This counselor will offer and request teachers to work with Juan to accommodate his needs by having oral-test taking, classroom-note takers, people reading written assignments, using audio books, and un-timed test taking. Early intervention, with the help of the counselor, will provide Juan the chance to succeed in his academics; it will also boost his self-esteem, thus it will help him to interact with peers, as the set goal mentioned above, Juan will interact with one peer at a time to boost confidence and resilience (Henderson & Thompson,

There are pros and cons to the sequence of events in Alison’s life. Was it a good thing that she was not diagnosed as a young child? If Alison was diagnosed with dyslexia when initially tested, to what extent would her education have been different? Research has shown that teachers may hold lower expectations for students diagnosed as having dyslexia than for students without any learning disabilities, and these expectations may, in turn, impact student achievement (Hornstra, Denessen, Bakker, Bergh & Voeten, 2010). When a child is labeled with a learning disability a teacher will often treat them differently. In addition, the child may lose the motivation to excel, especially if they are separated from their peers. Even though a dyslexic child can receive appropriate accommodations and support, such a label may also place

Dyslexia is a lifelong struggle with constant challenges with reading and speaking. About five to ten percent of the United States population deals with the learning disorder dyslexia (Van den Honert, n.d.). It is a neurological condition that is mainly caused by genetics but there are some rare cases in which it is acquired. Dyslexia interrupts the normal processes of reading and speaking (Van den Honert, n.d.). All of which are used in daily life and this makes life and school so much harder for dyslexics. They must learn to live with the condition for their entire life and there is not really a treatment for it. With the constant struggle and reminder of their

Growing, developing and learning are the facts of life for all children. Each day children are faced with many new concepts and various challenges. Can you imagine how it feels for a child to face not only new challenges life has, but to face these challenges while living with a learning disability? These challenges are met not just when they begin school either. Students suffer from learning disabilities from the moment they begin learning, not when they start school. Learning disabilities are real and they affect millions of people. “One such disability that affects over approximately 15 percent of the total American population is dyslexia” ( Nosek 5).