Planning And Implementing Curriculum Accommodation

In the United States today, 38% of children in the fourth grade have been recognized as reading way below the level of their peers. Many of these children are identified with a learning disability and receive remedial instruction in the resource rooms. (Aaron, P. G., Joshi, R., Gooden, R., & Rentum, K. E.)

For this program outcome I chose my curriculum analysis paper from CUR 512, Curriculum Analysis and Planning. In this course we defined curriculum, the aspects that are considered when writing curriculum, the theoretical perspectives found within curriculum, and the goals of the curriculum. By writing this paper, I was able to focus in on a unit that I teach in third grade social studies to get a full picture of the curriculum. I was also able to see the complex issues surrounding the curriculum that I never previously noticed.

It is a good idea to ask an expert in something or an outside reference in order to help you paint a picture in your book using specific ideas that are not familiar to you

Helping Children with Learning Disabilities Understand What They Read is an article by Regina G. Richards. Her article discusses the basic strategies and techniques that can be used for students with learning disabilities. The article states, a key component of comprehension is that the student must be actively

Discuss how the reading material from your textbook aligns with the issues presented in the videos. (1-2 paragraphs)

The teacher’s edition provides class schedules for each chapter based off the learning levels of the class—basic, average, and advanced. This schedule also gives an estimate on how many days each chapter is anticipated to last. The book spells out and provide background to better the education of the students and the teaching experience. Periodically throughout the book, there are pages designated for short quizzes, ELL support, learning objectives, description of the chapters, daily/possible test reviews, etc. Overall Randall I. Charles, Basia Hall, and Dan Kennedy designed an organized and insightful educational resource that will help any level of student to learn and grow in the field of

Diagrams: I would tell my students that the diagrams in the book provide a visual aid to what you are often reading in the book. So, if you are unsure of something then see if there is a diagram nearby to help you

Research indicates that among students, poor readers evolve into poor thinkers, devoid of strategies to structure the writing assignments that contribute to academic success (Alfassi, 2004, p.1), and teachers who fail to model effective literacy strategies to their students, simply compound the problem. For educators attempting to meet the diverse range of learning needs, the ever increasing number of students with learning difficulties is overwhelming. The decisions regarding the types of interventions and the limited research on numerous strategies currently available are both misleading and confusing. However Walker, (2004) warn that reliance on untested methods and dependence on strategies that have limited evidence have resulted in unrealistic and unreasonable expectations for students. Significantly whilst there has been an exponential increase in research evidence collected around many popular interventions, there is very little

Reading, writing, and speaking is difficult for many people. In honest opinion, these subjects are hard for me. So, imagine the struggles for those students that have a learning disability and those who are learning English. Luckily, I attended a session at the LDA conference that promoted tips and strategies to help students with these subjects. Moreover, how to help both ELL students and students with learning disabilities access these curriculums. Session W32 by Linda Tilton showed me how to help students get organized and become active learners. Not only that, but how to give high interest review strategies to reinforce vocabulary, reading, and writing. As Linda stated, “These are the nuts and bolts to take back and use!” For example, she

More specifically, the data collected from student work and teacher/student surveys portrays a clearer picture as to necessary interventions and modifications that are needed for our learners. All teachers indicated in their survey responses that they are reading on a daily basis in class. Also, teachers expressed that most of their students do not possess the necessary grade level literacy skills needed to read high school level English and social studies text.

I interviewed Andrea Erickson who teaches reading, writing, and pre-algebra at Central High school to students who have mild and moderate disabilities. Her students have varying abilities and she makes many accommodations in order to ensure her student’s success. The varying learning problems Andrea has encountered within the reading and writing realm include reading difficulties, reading comprehension, problems with inferencing plots, problems with predicting plots, and connecting sentences improperly. In pre-algebra Andrea expressed problems with students connecting the dots. For example, a student would understand one concept, but would be incapable of connecting that concept to the next. From my experience at the Boys and Girls Club, I

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).

One reason that the reader may have a problem with content text is that the material is written on a higher reading level then the intended reader. As a result the writers have tried to simplify the terminology and shortened the sentences. They did not take into consideration factors that inherent in the reader such motivation, reading ability and interest. There is one human factor that has the most influence on comprehension and that is schemata. Comprehension of the material is being determined by the knowledge that the reader brings to the selection. The more schemata the reader has for the topic the more they will understand the topic. Content materials especially in the area of social studies seek to develop many concepts; students often do not have the framework to attach new knowledge. Students must have an understanding of the concepts in order to comprehend the material they are reading.

Many students around the United States have reading difficulties, which can be due to a variety of reason such as: low socioeconomic status, family history of learning disabilities, a neurological disorder, limited exposure, etc. Reading difficulties can lead to further problems with education and learning, therefore the struggles should be addressed and intervention techniques should be implemented promptly. The interventions need to be individualized for the student based on their needs in order to improve the student’s reading to the best of their abilities.

Learning to read is one of the most foundational skills needed for educational success. As children learn to read they develop the ability to decode, interpret, and store information from what they are reading. Reading comprehension allows a child to gain meaning from text and decoding allows a child to process sounds into words. Reading is vital to educational success because it allows a student to learn new information and build upon their prior knowledge. Students who attain reading skills are more likely to achieve academic success while students who have reading difficulties are likely to struggle academically and fall behind their peers. Reading difficulties have been prominent within the US for years. For example, the most recent National Assessment of Educational Progress statistics shows that only about 33% of fourth graders are at or above proficient at reading (National Center for Educational Statistics, 2011). Studies show that the cause of reading difficulties is based primarily on genes, environment, and instructional experience (Vellutino, Fletcher, Snowling, Scanlon, 2004). Students with a language learning disorder have difficulty comprehending spoken and written language thus making it difficult to learn new information. Children with reading disabilities are more likely to struggle during elementary school years as students are asked to think about what they read more critically. Speech language pathologists and teachers can help