WORKING WITH STUDENTS WHO HAVE LEARNING DISABILITIES:

            The key to working with a learning disabled student is patience . Most LD students simply need more time to learn material; sometimes a lot more time. The following information is provided for your reference. If you want more information, contact the Tutoring Office.

1. Treat the student as an equal. The student may have a learning, but he/she also possesses knowledge and talent that you may not have.
2. Listen to what is important to the student. What areas of learning does he/she want to focus on?
3. Describe the steps required to learn a skill and provide the student with a rationale.Set a goal for the tutoring session. (e.g., What will the student learn? How will he/she practice and apply the new skill?).Communicate new information in a logical and organized manner. Initially, present new information in small units (10-15 minutes) and then switch to another activity which will reinforce what has been taught.
4. Model each step required in learning a new skill so that the student can observe all the steps involved. Show the student all the relevant features of the task. (e.g., emphasize key vocabulary and clarify new concepts.) Use a multisensory tutoring approach whenever possible. Get the student to learn by doing, writing, speaking, or role playing. Use visual aids (e.g., a blackboard or a hand drawn flow chart) to further convey meaning. Be patient. Think of alternative ways to explain ideas and concepts.
5. Provide the student with opportunities to practice the new skill independently, using verbal rehearsal, until mastered. Check the student's thinking process. Can he/she anticipate what the next step in the process should be?
6. Have the student practice using content material at his/her level. If the textbook material is too sophisticated or confusing for the student, break the information down so that he/she understands the main points.   You may need to find material that conveys the same general information in a more readable form. When the student makes repeated errors, restructure the task.
7. Provide the student with positive and corrective feedback. Tell the student how well he/she is doing. Correct errors as soon as possible. If the student is performing well, give them specific praise.

            Adapted from: Clark, Deschler, Shumaker, Alley and Warner (1984)

LEARNING STYLES

            It is my personal belief that we all learn best by doing, by becoming actively involved with the learning process. We retain only 10% of what we read, 20% of what we hear, but 90% of what we say and do. Unfortunately very few courses are taught that way. The majority are taught by lecture. In order to compensate for the fact that most learning situations in schools are lecture, students have adopted strategies through which they seem to learn easier. These strategies can be referred to as that student's learning style. Individual learning styles are comprised of the following elements:

1. Time             What part of the day is the student most alert?
2. Schedule             What is the student's attention span?
3. Sound tolerance             What level of sound can the student tolerate?
4. Sound type             What type of sound produces a positive reaction?
5. Work group             In what size group does the student work best?
6. Pressure             What kind of pressure does the student need?
7. Motivation             What helps to motivate this student?
8. Place             Where does the student work best?
9. Physical setting             What types of environmental conditions help the student work best?
10. Assignment type             What type of assignment does the student prefer?
11. Perceptual style             Through what sensory mode does the student learn most easily?
12. Structure             Under what type of structure does the student prefer to work?

            In addition to these elements of learning style, some researchers have found that hemispheric dominance (left brain/right brain) or personality type (as indicated by instruments such as the Meyers Briggs) can help determine how a student learns best. More information on learning style, hemispheric dominance, and personality type can be obtained in the tutor office.