Easy Classroom Interventions
Struggling Students Often Need Minor Classroom Adjustments
Oct 20, 2008
Every class has students that just fall between the cracks – bubble kids. They aren't failing yet but if interventions are not tried they soon may be failing. What have teachers tried over the years?
Organization Skills to Assist Struggling Students
Some students are just not naturally organized. Helping students with homework organization may be a great help. Helping the student gather all items necessary at the end of the day, clean out bookbag, clean out locker, set a homework schedule to follow at home and contact parents to assist in this project is often very successful. Over time, the student begins to think in a more organized fashion and a new habit is formed.
Reduced Homework for Students Overwhelmed
There are times where the sheer amount of homework is overwhelming for students and they don't even want to begin doing the homework. If a student has been gone from school because of an out of state funeral or illness, looking at that huge stack of work would bring anyone down. Having the student do the even or odd problems or half the problems would minimize the homework time and still give the teacher an understanding of what the child knows.
Reading Tests to Students
Many students read too quickly. If someone reads a test to them slowly, their chances of doing well greatly improve. Impulsive children or those with ADHD or ADD benefit from having questions read to them. It may be a standardized test, a quiz or an Accelerated Reader test. They benefit from a slower pace.
Personalized Study Hall to Reduce Distractions
If a student is struggling in math, it would be of great benefit to place the student with the math teacher for study hall. The student could being doing math homework and the instructor correcting each problem catching each problem and reteaching. The student could then go home to finish the math work knowing that each problem already completed is correct. Confidence will greatly increase by doing so.
Highlighted Textbooks Reduce Irrelevant Material
Some students can not screen out unimportant information. Textbooks have pertinent data and supporting data. If a teacher highlights the pertinent data or the most important facts, a student can focus on the highlighted data and is less likely to get confused with all the extra facts.
Adjusted Tests Reduce Confusion
One way to assist students that get easily confused on a test is to eliminate one of the multiple choice options. If there are four answers offered, the teacher may merely draw a line through one "answer" that is not the right choice. This gives the student less data and will result in less confusion.
Oral Tests All Student to "Tell" What They Know
A teacher does have the option of allowing a student to answer test questions orally. Many students are confused by multiple choice or true and false questions but can tell the teacher what they know. Auditory learners may have much better results if tested orally.
Kurzweil Reads Books to Students
Students with ADHD or dyslexia may benefit greatly from a Kurzweil computer program. The Kurzweil will allow the student to place a book or a worksheet on a scanner and the computer will read the text aloud for the student. The student may follow along while the computer reads the text selecting the voice quality and the speed. This program has been a lifesaver for many students.
There are many interventions that do not need special testing or a 504 Plan or IEP and can help the struggling student to succeed.
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