Supporting Students Who Are Just Not Getting It

California Association of Independent SchoolsMarch 3, 2014

Presenter: Andrea Lombardi Sr. Education Consultant, Frostig Center andrea@frostig.org

Frostig Center Pasadena, California

Frostig Center

• Frostig School– Support students with learning disabilities

• Research Department– Conduct cutting edge research

• Community Outreach Department– Provide professional development and consultation

services

Learning Objectives

• To better understand and support students who struggle, teachers will …

–Understand 6 processing skills that underlie learning–Explore strategies that support ALL learners–Learn / use Common Warning Signs Checklist –Reflect on own practices / make connections and decide on the next step/s

Personal Reflection:

* area of strength √ area of focus

Understanding Why Students Struggle What factors influence learning?

Processing Skills

• Attention / Organization• Symbolizing• Memory• Perception• Language

Processing Skills

• Attention/Organization– ready to learn / attend to appropriate stimuli– self regulation in order to maintain / sustain /

switch focus– plan ahead / manage time, materials, information

– organize ideas and self

• Symbolizing – attach meaning to anything abstract / represent

reality– letters, numbers, icons, time, measurement,

concepts (democracy), metaphors, analogies

Processing Skills

• Memory– Process / store /retrieve information – using

working memory– short term and long term

• Perception – make sense of the information taken in through

the senses– visual / auditory processing, sensory integration

Processing Skills

• Language – Understand / use oral and written language

– Language based difficulties• Poor receptive (understanding)• Poor expressive (retrieving/expressing)• Dyslexia (decoding) • Hyperlexia (comprehension)

It’s not by choice

Processing Skills

Some students who struggle with learning have deficits in

one or more of these processing areas; their weaknesses

are such that they truly impact their ability to learn.

Good news! When working with students,

teachers have some control over:– how much they load on these processing areas– how much extra support they provide in these areas

Best Instructional Practices

How do we support

students

who exhibit a range of

processing strengths and

weaknesses?

Attention/Organization

• How do you help students GET READY for learning?

• How do you help students FOCUS their attention?

• What ways do you ENERGIZE students to start and complete tasks?

• How do you OVER DO IT to help students who don’t know the “how do’s”?

Attention/OrganizationCue / Prompt

• Get Ready (don’t know how to get ready for learning)

– Use signals• Hand / Voice / Private

– Use routines• Learning Objective on board• Warm up activity on arrival• A/B partner activities

– Preview lesson objective/activity/time frame • Help them anticipate and prepare for

learning/transitions

Attention/Organization Cue / Prompt

• Provide the Focus (don’t know what to focus on)

– Words – cue attention• “These are the 3 most important things I want you to

remember”• “Pay attention to this”• Listen / read with this question in mind”

– Visuals – focus attention• Frame box, color code, highlight, number • Checklist in notebook / on locker

– Surprise – capture / hold attention• Use humor, unusual, playact, overemphasize

Attention/Organization School Work

• Get them energized (can’t muster the energy to start, maintain, and complete a task = lack of self regulation)

– Chunk - work, focused break / activity

– Set goal – “How long do you think this will take you?”

– Timers – use to start, maintain, stop

– Checklist – use to indicate/encourage

– Momentum – keep things going• Go for what’s essential• Mix preferred (easy) with non-preferred (harder) task

Attention/Organization (CEO may be MIA)Manage time, Materials, Thoughts

• Over Do It! (don’t know / need help with the “how to”)

– Be explicit – directly teach skills• Model, think-aloud, practice until becomes routine – assume

nothing (ex. Teach ‘structure’ of the text)

– Be structured – organize ‘stuff’• Provide support - daily planner, calendars, ‘to do’ list, color

coded folders/notebook dividers/accessible materials• Consistent classroom management - rules/consequences• Behavior checklist

– Be thoughtful – process information• Repeat/paraphrase, quick talk, write, draw, 2 words, GOs

Processing Activity

•Attention / Organization Reflection– Note one strategy you might add to your practices or

one strategy you know supports attention

•Pair Share– Give One Get One: Give/share your strategy (include

when, how use) and get/listen to your partner give/share

Symbolizing

• How do you introduce new concepts through CONCRETE experiences?

• How do you LINK instruction to help students make connections for new learning?

• What VISUALS do you use to support meaning?

9 6 q g p≤ ≥ @ #democracy

process

equality

Symbolizing(Bridge the gap between the symbol and what it represents)

Concrete Representation Abstract

object diagram symbol

experience picture concept

‘hands on’ doing ‘how to’ pictures manual manipulatives drawing problem story/act out picture book/video vocab /concept

Symbolizing“Hook It”

• Hook it (make connections)– Concrete examples – introduce new concepts through

concrete experiences • Key to making meaning = Concrete-representation-

abstract continuum• Use realia (concrete), pictures/acting out (representation)

– Links – connect learning

• Connect to prior knowledge/ experience• Frontload key vocabulary/new concepts and link to prior

learning

– Visuals – support meaning

• Video clips, ed web sites, picture books, diagrams

Processing Activity

•Symbolizing Reflection– Note one strategy you might add to your practices or

one strategy you know supports symbolizing– Draw a picture representing the strategy

•Pair Share– Share/explain your drawing

Memory

• How do you CHUNK instruction to support memory?

• What ways do you allow for WAIT TIME to deepen connections and understanding?

• How do you provide DOUBLE DOSE instruction to assure all students learn lessons?

• How do you provide meaningful PRACTICE?

Memory‘

3 Ms

Manipulation + Meaning = Memory

doing + linking = learning working connecting retaining

Memory‘Make it stick’ – Process / Store / Retrieve

• Chunk – secure learning– “10-2” lesson formula (teacher/student balance of

work)• 10 minutes ‘teacher talk’ / 2 minutes students

process / do• The ‘formula’ varies in relation to the needs of the

class

• “Wait” time – deepen connections, understanding– “3 seconds” – time to process/connect – “Prime them” – ask questions and come back for

answers later

Memory‘Make it stick’ – Process / Store / Retrieve

• Double dose – double impact– Choral/Echo rehearsal of key points – Support learning with gestures– Teach neighbor– Say, write, act

• Practice – self-assess learning / distribute over time– Take notes then review, paraphrase, summarize– Study – ungraded quiz – study – ungraded quiz– Review – 10 - 48 - 7

• review new information after 10 minutes, 48 hours, 7days

Processing Activity

•Memory Reflection– Note one strategy you might add to your practices or

one strategy you know supports memory

•Partner Activity– Determine partner A and partner B– Partner A paraphrase ‘chunk’ and ‘wait time’– Partner B paraphrase ‘double dose’ and ‘practice’

Perception

• How do you use MULTIPLE MODALITIES in your instruction AND allow students to use when demonstrating their learning?

• In what ways do you provide FUN FEEDBACK to engage students?

• How do you STIMULATE/DESTIMULATE students to support their learning?

PerceptionBe Sensitive to the Senses

• Multi-modalities - multi-choices

– Pair verbal directions/information with writing, pictures, demonstration

– Pair copying from board with processing activity

– Give notes or partial notes

– Allow students to speak, write, draw, manipulate, act, do, gesture

PerceptionBe Sensitive to the Senses

• ‘Fun’ feedback – engage all– Use white boards, response cards (a, b, c, d / yes or no)– Partner & small group collaboration / discussion / share

out– Allow for appropriate movement

• ‘Appropriate’ stimulation/de-stimulation– Students show us what they need by their behavior– Allow use of fidgets, cushion, music, movement,

headphones to block noise

Processing Activity

•Perception Reflection– Note one strategy you might add to your practices or

one strategy you know supports perception

•Pair / Share– 1 VIP (very important point) about perception– 1 way you provide feedback to students

Language

• In what ways do you MATCH SUPPORT to students’ needs?

• How do you FRONTLOAD information to support language?

• How do you provide additional STRUCTURE to language when needed?

Language

Write

Read

Expressive LanguageReceptive Language

Language Hierarchy

LanguageEfficiently Process Oral and Written Language

Offer support “up front”

• Match support to student need – Build on student language– Present choices – i.e. either / or, sentence starters

• Frontload – support oral / printed language– Preview key concepts/vocabulary (KWL)– Encourage processing talk - partner, small group

LanguageEfficiently Process Oral and Written Language

Support input/output

•Increase structure– Provide written language models/examples– Offer writing frames / templates – Post sentence / paragraph starters on wall / desk – Provide partial notes– Use graphic organizers (labeled / filled in examples)– Group students

Processing Activity

• Reflection• Note one strategy you might add to your practices or

one strategy you know supports language

• Pair Share• Take turns talking about ways to support language

– Reading– Listening – Writing– Speaking

It’s not by choice

If I have concerns ..what next?

Variations in the development of children are to be

expected. But significant unevenness or lags in mastery of skills and / or behaviors should not be ignored.

• What are the ‘‘red flags” that indicate more support is needed?

• Has my student experienced difficulty …

Common Warning Signs

Understanding the Struggling Learner Common Warning Signs*

Organization

Manage time

Complete assignments

-Make decisions

-Set priorities

-Locate belongings

Language

Follow directions

Understand requests

Relate stories

Understand concepts

Read Comprehension

Memory

Remember directions

Learn facts/procedures

Identify letters

Remember events

Study for test

Physical Coordination

Learn self-help skills

Manipulate objects

Cut

Draw

Climb and run

Attention/Concentrate

Complete task

Act before think

Restless

Daydreaming

Distractible

Social Behavior

Make/keep friends

Impulsive

Frustration tolerance

Accept change

Work cooperatively

Common Warning Signs Checklist• “How to use…” Common Warning Signs Checklist with a

struggling learner in mind

– Check those areas that describe student’s behavior, performance, difficulties

– Look for clusters of behavior that have existed over time

– Identify the area where difficulties are mostly clustered

• Share information with other teachers at Student Study Team

• Note: When appropriate, use to describe NOT LABEL student’s behavior/s you have observed in the classroom to parents/student

Best Instructional Practices

How do we support

students

who exhibit a range of

processing strengths and

weaknesses?

Learning Objectives

• To better understand and support students who struggle, teachers will …

–Understand 6 processing skills that underlie learning–Explore strategies that support ALL learners–Learn / use Common Warning Signs Checklist–Reflect on own practices / make connections and decide on the next step/s

Personal Reflection:

☻area of new learning / deeper understanding