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| ESL and Special Education Modifications |
| The thing to understand about English as a Second Language learners as well as Special Education participants, is that they are trying, but either cannot understand due to language or disabilities. Please do not misunderstand and think that ANY child who cannot understand you has a mental disability-- ESL and Special Education are quite different-- but the modifications are surprisingly similar. The following are some guidelines for the Crowley Independant School District. |
| General Tips |
| 1. All assignments should be written as well as spoken. 2. If it seems as though you have lost a child, they may be overloaded. Give them a moment to relax and try again. 3. Oral reports can be used in place of written work. 4. When doing group work, assign the student a specific task, rubric, and time frame for completion. 5. Time is not important. Give them as much time as they NEED. 6. Keep in touch with families, or get important information about their past to understand cultural/psychological problems. |
| Styles of Modification |
| 1. Cueing Questions 2. Study Sheets/Guides 3. Shortened Assignments 4. Alternatives to the "Book Report" 5. Note-Taking Assistance 6. Pre-teach Vocabulary 7. Vocabulary Sheets 8. Highlighted Texts and Materials 9. Tests 10. Mnemonic Devices |
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| HOW DO YOU DO IT? |
| CUEING QUESTIONS |
| Questions can be a constant source of irritation for the challenged student. Methods to alleviate this frustration are such things as: asking FEWER questions, rewording in an easier manner or using easier words, eliminating essay questions, using matching/true or false, and multiple choice. 1. Beside the question, write down on what page the information may be found. This works very well with pages that have been color coded. 2. Number the paragraphs of a chapter or reading and cue answer with the corresponding number. 3. Underline or color code an answer in the paragraph. 4. At the end of a chapter, give a list of the questions with the correct answer. THE POINT IS NOT TO MAKE IT HARD, BUT TO GET THEM TO RETAIN USEFUL KNOWLEDGE. TRICKS ARE UGLY. |
| STUDY SHEETS |
| The students need a guide to help them focus on what they need to know. 1. Provide students with review outlines to guide their study. 2. List steps in a mathematical process or a lab activity so that they know EXACTLY what they are to do. 3. Ask the student to create their own study sheet by listing important people, events, or facts. Can then ask them to find the relationships between facts. 4. Teach them signal words: most of all, a key feature, a major event, above all, especially valuable, remember that, the principal item, etc...... 5. Teach them conclusion words: therefore, as a result, consequently, in addition, for instance, etc..... 6. Highlight ideas 7. Provide them with outlines to follow. Either a completed outline, or a partial for the student to complete. 8. Preview questions. 9. Preview vocabulary before an assignment. Cover all relevant vocabulary and provide study guide. 10. Provide simple narrative. 11. Use graphs, diagrams, charts or any other visuals. |