We were asked: How can I modify the curricula for dyslexic students without compromising standards? MODIFICATIONS VS. ACCOMODATIONS Usually, when 504s or IEPs are discussed, accommodations are mentioned more often than modifications. Accommodations refer to...
Question: My 5th Grader is Refusing Structured Literacy What Should I do? [Premium]
My 5th Grader is refusing structured literacy, what should I do? The following is general and not specific advice. The best advice comes from someone who knows your student and also knows in more detail what your student has been experiencing. REFUSING STRUCTURED LITERACY It’s generally accepted that structured literacy is the remediation of choice for students who are struggling significantly with reading and individual word decoding. There are many reasons why students may struggle with and ultimately give up on structured literacy. They may be depressed and worn out or mismatched with a curriculum, teacher or tutor. Sometimes what worked for a student in the past won’t work for them now because the progress is slow, or they decode sufficiently that they prefer to […]
Free Visual and Hands-On Math Curriculum: Bridges
Recently, I discovered a free visual and hands-on math curriculum from The Math Learning Center, a non-profit organization that grew out of a National Science Foundation project. The curriculum is for Pre-K through 5th grade and it may be helpful as an addition to...
Precis Writing … or when less is more
“English A was ‘a disaster and French was like medieval torture. To sit down with a blank piece of paper and write was the most traumatic thing that had ever faced me in life. I had ideas in my head, but I could not get the stuff down. It was a crushing time.” – Charles Schwab “It will be particularly helpful if they give themselves practice in precis writing, paraphrasing, and note-taking. If one has to write a precis one is forced not only to think out carefully what are the key ideas in a particular passage but also to express them concisely, accurately, and clearly. Paraphrasing makes similar demands and also forces one to consider the style of the original and to be critical […]
What Works for Dyslexia? RTI and Tier 3 Intensive Reading Intervention [Premium]
Response to Intervention or RTI has been adopted by 1/3 of US states, although the details of its use and requirements varies considerably in terms of how it addresses the needs of dyslexic students. At its best RTI is a multi-tiered approach to the identification and support of students with different learning and behavior needs. At its best RTI provides high quality, scientifically-based classroom instruction, ongoing student assessment, and tiering of instruction to students who require differentiation or individualization. At it’s worse, RTI has been criticized as a “wait to fail” program where student neither get adequately assessed nor provide with appropriate instruction. Wrightslaw’s article The RTI Hurdle begins with “The road to Hell is paved with good intentions.” Certainly vigilance and advocacy on the part of […]