.. Presentation to accompany Teachers Make the Difference: Teaching Students with Learning Disabilities at Middle and Secondary Levels Living Document 2009 Teachers Make the Difference: Teaching Students with Learning Disabilities at Middle and Secondary Levels Living Document 2009

Primer The user can click on a topic in the Table of Contents and be directed to the appropriate page. The green boxes provide the reader with highlighted information. The yellow boxes provide the reader with boxes that can be “check marked.” The CHECKLISTS section provides the user with boxes that can be either “check marked” or “filled in with text.” The user can SAVE all changes made to the document.

Response to Intervention The Ministry of Education promotes the multi-tiered Response to Intervention (RTI) process which provides a continuum of services, supports, and interventions to students. The RTI process is effective in serving the needs of all students (including students with learning disabilities) because of its focus on school-wide, group, and individual interventions.

Response to Intervention Model

National Definition A student with a learning disability has unique learning needs and strengths that are different from other students with learning disabilities. The Learning Disabilities Association of Canada’s definition of learning disabilities can be found at

A Student with a Learning Disability has... average or above average cognitive ability (thinking and reasoning). processing difficulties. below average academic achievement. unexpected academic underachievement.

Receiving and Processing Information for Learning Information Processing Model Adapted from Walcot-Gayda, 2004

Processes Related to perceiving, thinking, remembering, or learning Language Processing Phonological Processing Visual-Spatial Processing Processing Speed Memory Attention Executive Functions (planning or decision making)

Planning for Effective and Differentiated Instruction and Assessment Flow Chart

Effective Instruction Differentiated Instruction and the Adaptive Dimension Brain Compatible Instruction Instructional Groupings Explicit Instruction Scaffolded Instruction Metacognitive Instruction Strategy Instruction Content Enhancement Effective Feedback Performance Monitoring

Effective Assessment Used Before Instruction (Diagnostic) Used During Instruction (Formative) Used After Instruction (Summative)

.. REFERENCES and CHECKLISTS For a complete list of references and user-entered checklists, please consult the document titled, Teachers Make the Difference: Teaching Students with Learning Disabilities at Middle and Secondary Levels Living Document 2009 For a complete list of references and user-entered checklists, please consult the document titled, Teachers Make the Difference: Teaching Students with Learning Disabilities at Middle and Secondary Levels Living Document 2009