Reading and Language Arts
Instructional Strategies for Reading and Language arts
Teach student the strategy, Repetition/Rehearsal (students age 8 and above). Students age 7 and under should be taught to say information out loud to aid recall
□ Break down information into smaller chunks □ Use numbers instead of bullet points on lists □ Color code or use numbers to delineate sequential information that needs to be recalled Rationale: The use of numbers and colors gives students something concrete to help them keep track of the items in the list in the correct sequence □ Speak slowly □ Verbal communication, including directions, instructions and explanations, should be simple, brief and concise □ Repeat directions frequently and require student to repeat expectations to demonstrate understanding. Ask questions such as, “Who did I say you will be working with?” □ Provide extra time to complete tests □ Provide access to recording device to replay instructions at desk. Can also be used to record student’s work, particularly in essay writing Rationale: by recording what they want to say, before writing it down, students are able to formulate their ideas and plan what they want to say/write □ Create Routines so that student relies on long-term memory in addition to working memory □ Pair student up with a buddy or learning assistant □ On sequential tasks, provide the student with fewer items to choose from □ Shorten assignments so that student is allowed to demonstrate mastery □ Present sequential information vertically rather than horizontally □ Provide student with a ruler to track place when reading silently or orally □ When student skips over unknown words during silent reading, students are encouraged to put a dot over the word they don’t know and come back to it after they are finished reading and get assistance from teacher or peer regarding word pronunciation.□ Provide student with advance organizers that emphasize main idea, and provide examples that illustrate connections between ideas, to directly relate new material to prior knowledge □ Provide student with a study guide, outline of notes, or a cloze activity that can be completed during a lecture when notes are required □ Test student in a separate, quiet location to alleviate distractions □ Regularly remind student to use memory aids and praise them when they use aids □ The student may experience difficulty comprehending oral or written directions. As a result, provide preferential seating to enhance monitoring of comprehension. □ After group directions are given, check with the student to insure comprehension of task demands. This might be done by asking the student to paraphrase directions in the student’s own words. □ The student will likely benefit from oral communication that is individualized and features the following elements: o use of clear, concise language o use of vocabulary that is comprehensible o use of pauses between phrases or sentences to promote processing of information o avoidance of complex and lengthy sentences o check comprehension after the communication is completed □ Encourage the student to ask for clarification if a communication is not understood. □ Seat the student near peer models who can clarify information or directions and provide individual assistance. □ Provide a word bank from which the student can draw when involved in written expression. □ Provide a glossary of important terms the student can refer to in order to compensate for lack of background information and vocabulary. □ Insure that test items do not include vocabulary which has not been taught or is not familiar to the student. |
From Alloway (2010)
□ Review and/or teach key vocabulary words before a lecture or before the student is asked to read from content area texts. It may be necessary to review individually with the student. Use of an aide or parent assistant might be helpful in this regard. □ During instruction, write key words and terms on the board to provide a reference to which the student can refer. It is likely the student will not retain information that is only presented orally since there is a lack of background information and related vocabulary. □ Word instructions clearly, using specific language and vocabulary that is familiar to the student. Avoid long and complex sentences □ Pair oral instruction with demonstrations, visual examples and models. Use concrete references familiar to the student when presenting new vocabulary and concepts □ Insure understanding for present information before introducing additional information □ Assist the student to express ideas by providing necessary vocabulary words. □ A lack of information and vocabulary may affect reading comprehension. As a result, orally review information the student read about in a passage. When necessary reinterpret information using familiar vocabulary, terms and experiences □ Use direct instruction methods to teach new words. Model use of the word, cite concrete references to enhance understanding of the word, have the student use the word in various tasks and contexts, and provide immediate feedback/error correction. □ Attempt to link new vocabulary to prior learning and familiar experiences □ Attempt to expand the student’s vocabulary by substituting more sophisticated or precise terms for the student’s. For instance, when the student says his dog Smokey runs around and barks, restate the description by stating, Oh, your dog is frisky.@ □ Teach the student to use a thesaurus to expand oral and written vocabulary □ Use catalogs to associate pictures with vocabulary. Provide the correct vocabulary and ask the student to use the word in one or more sentences. It might be helpful to ask the student’s parent to employ this procedure □ Attempt to increase the student’s fund of knowledge by exposing the student to information rich mediums such as newspapers, news magazines, television documentaries and television news programs. Provide opportunities to discuss information presented □ Prior to a lecture, provide an advance organizer. This might consist of an outline, written on the board, of the material to be presented. Refer to each topic on the board as it is presented □ During oral presentations and lectures, use a cloze strategy to help the student be vigilant to key vocabulary and concepts to be presented. This method requires that definitions of key concepts and vocabulary be written out. Important terms are then substituted with a blank space on the cloze form. During the lecture, the student listens carefully and fills in the blank terms as they are presented in the lecture. It may be helpful to have a word bank of terms at the top of the page to which the student can refer. While lecturing, the instructor should use the exact wording of statements on the cloze page being completed by the student. Afterward, correct the student’s responses. □ Immediately correct grammatical or word usage errors and require the student to respond correctly |