Diocese of Allentown I.C.E.C. Learning Strategies

Objective The Instructional Strategies Committee is dedicated to providing support and ideas for teachers and administrators. We believe instructional strategies can be provided for all students to ensure academic success. Our goal is to provide research on best practices in instructional strategies, provide teachers with instructional strategies tools to be used within the classroom setting, and to be a resource through PowerPoint presentations and professional development.

CONTENT Learning strategies elementary focus Learning strategies high school focus Learning strategies for students with learning disabilities Reading strategies Math strategies Writing strategies Differentiation

Strategies for Increasing Word Recognition and Reading Fluency Phonetic Approach Linguistic Method Structural Approach Language Experience The Fernald Method Sight Word or Whole Word Approach Neurological Impress Method Choral Repeated Reading Uninterrupted Reading

Phonetic Approach: Useful in upper grades who struggle with word recognition because they have not learned th sounds associated with vowels and letter combinations Emphasize the teaching of letter sounds, letter sound groups, and the blending of the sounds into meaningful words. Practice breaking unknown words into syllables and sounding out the word.

Linguistic Method Teach and combine patterns of letters to form words. Chunk and introduce words as word families. Upper grade students gain significantly from reading and generating lists of words in different families.

Structural Approach: The teaching of structural analysis includes recognition of prefixes, suffixes, and their meanings. Comparing visual configuration of the word is a useful strategy. Ask - Does this word look like other words you know?

Language Experience: Students read stories they have dictated and watch while the teacher writes or types their story. The teacher or classroom helper reads the student story aloud. The teacher and student read orally together to emphasize the use of key words taken directly from the student work.

Learning strategies for Reluctant Learners 20 Strategies for motivating reluctant learners using Kathy Perez’ Brain Based Strategies- summary Be engaging and build a safe environment Set goals daily and have students vote for the most important one. Form collaborative groups for brainstorming with set time limits Focus on acceptance, belonging,and community Empathize - keep student’s perspective and needs in mind

6. Simplify - activate learners by making them curious 7. Help students integrate new information with what they already know. 8.Chunk information: make it easily digestible, use breaks to help students assimilate the information. 9. Use props and brain breaks - example video clips that foster divergent thinking. 10. Use post it note discussion strategy - students share responses in pairs from open ended questions. 11. Use guessing games, mind streaming and balanced inquiry 12. Recognize diversity