In a classroom full of 20 or more students, no two will learn the same way. There will be many different abilities, making it very difficult for the teacher to meet the learning needs of each individual student. It is the teacher's challenge to not only meet the needs of a classroom of students whose abilities will vary greatly, but also their learning styles. However it is not impossible for teachers--and the parents who help with homework--to help each student succeed.
Step 1
Relate what you are teaching to a real-life experience. Students will not be able to relate to something that is not relevant to their lives. If teaching money to elementary school student set up a shopping trip and give them a "budget." If teaching fractions have students relate to parts of a pizza; if teaching perimeter, have them figure out how much material they'd need to build a fence around their yard. Making connections also helps with reading comprehension. Have students compare what they are reading to something that they have already read, something that happened to them or something they heard happened to someone else. Though students' experiences may be different, this strategy will help most children relate to the text.
Step 2
Identify learning styles. Researcher Howard Gardner identified seven intelligences-visual-spacial, bodily-kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, linguistic and logical-mathematical. Targeting a lesson to an individual's intelligence will help that student understand what is being taught. For example, a student with a musical intelligence would benefit from having his vocabulary words set to music. A student with a visual intelligence would learn using flash cards and a child with an interpersonal intelligence would benefit from discussing those same words with a friend.
Step 3
Give support as needed. Some students may need the support of a special education teacher to make modifications to specific assignments. Gifted students may need an enrichment activity that takes them beyond the original assignment to prevent them from being bored. Support can be as simple as providing books with larger type to a student who has difficulty reading small print or folders to a student who has trouble organizing his belongings.
Step 4
Model expectations. Teachers should demonstrate an activity or assignment for the class before asking them to complete it. The most explicit form of modeling is to show an example of a completed project. Another form is "thinking aloud" where the teacher shows an example problem and vocalizes all of the steps she would take to solve it.
Step 5
Evaluate as you go. Sometimes, in spite of a teacher's best plans, not all students will understand a lesson the first time it is presented. Stop occasionally to evaluate your students' responses and reactions. This can be done with an informal in-class assessment. Often a teacher can tell by her students' expressions or body language if they are understanding. If you are not sure if a child understands, ask a question. Sometimes a teacher may even be able to go beyond his original lesson plan if the students are interested, engaged and grasping the concepts.
References
- Nebraska Social Studies: Teaching Strategies for Students With Diverse Learning Needs
- Read write think: Guided Comprehension: Making Connections Using a Double-Entry Journal
- The Education Coalition: Multiple Intelligences
- Penn State University: Classroom Modeling: Scaffolding Learning or Stifling? An Inquiry; Amanda Miska
