Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Speech and Language Disorders in the School Setting


Children may experience one or more of the following disorders:
  • Speech sound disorders - (difficulty pronouncing sounds)
  • Language disorders - (difficulty understanding what they hear as well as expressing themselves with words)
  • Cognitive-communication disorders - (difficulty with thinking skills including perception, memory, awareness, reasoning, judgment, intellect and imagination)
  • Stuttering (fluency) disorders - (interruption of the flow of speech that may include hesitations, repetitions, prolongations of sounds or words)
  • Voice disorders - (quality of voice that may include hoarseness, nasality, volume (too loud or soft) 

Resource:

Autism Programs @ CDD

Here is a great site for learning about and understanding Autism. Great resource!





Least Restrictive Environment Planning

It's the end of the year and of course that means I'm planning for next!

Here is a great site for creating accommodations and modifications in inclusive classrooms. Great suggestions. The Pyramid Model they provide is quite useful as well.



http://www.education.tas.gov.au/curriculum/archived/needs/inclusive/phase1/anna






Friday, June 15, 2012

Teaching Science to Exceptional Students

My favorite teaching journal is out! This issue focuses on Science instruction for students with exceptional needs. Below is a list of the new articles. I have an annual membership account, which gives me access to all of their articles, and allows me to search their database. I highly recommend journals such as these in order to stay on top of all of the new and research-based instructional practices. Cheers!!


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The July/August 2012 issue of TEACHING Exceptional Children (TEC) is on its way!

Can’t wait for your print issues to arrive? Visit CEC's Web site now to enjoy current and past issues of CEC's top-ranked special education journals online.

In this issue you'll find:
DIS2ECT: A Framework for Effective Inclusive Science InstructionDIS2ECT was developed from a blend of evidence-based best practices in special education and science. Read more

Ensuring Meaningful Access to the Science Curriculum for Students With Significant Cognitive Disabilities
Provides examples of standards-based instruction, utilizing inquiry approaches.Read more

Supporting Struggling Readers in Secondary School Science Classes Step-by-step guidance on how to foster expository reading for struggling readers in secondary school science classes. Read more

Elementary School Garden Programs Enhance Science Education for All Learners Garden-based learning (GBL) may be one key to unlocking learning potential in students. Read more

And, don’t forget! The summer 2012 issue Exceptional Children (EC) will be arriving alongside TEC. Check out the latest articles from the #1 most cited journal in special education:

Culturally Different Students in Special Education The current state of racially, ethnically, and linguistically diverse students. Read more

The Sustainability of Schoolwide Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports The sustainability of schoolwide behavioral support systems is examined and key successful factors are revealed. Read more

Universal Screening in Mathematics for the Primary Grades Review of mathematics screening research in the primary grades and the most important constructs. Read more

High-Quality School-Based Pre-K Can Boost Early Learning for Children With Special Needs Early intervention program found to facilitate significant gains in literacy. Read more

Evidence-Based Practices


CEC is taking a leading role in defining and presenting evidence-based practices for the field. CEC’s Professional Standards & Practice Committee has developed a comprehensive proposal for evidence-based practices. The proposal will select criteria to identify evidence-based practices and develop a process by which CEC would identify these practices.




Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Holistic Grading Grid

I like to use this Holistic Grading Grid to assess my students' writing. I like it because it requires me to identify both strengths and challenges that my students are experiencing with writing. Also, I like to keep these in my students' folder so that I can assess over time, how my students are improving.

*You can click the picture below, save it, and then zoom and it will print full size.