In order to produce a successful lesson plan, teachers must take into consideration different aspects in each student’s way of learning. It is also important, for both parents and teachers, to keep in mind that not all learning strategies will be successful for all students. While a greatly planned lesson might be successful for one student, it might not work for the next individual. As planning lessons for students with special needs, it is crucial to keep in mind what their actual needs are and how they can get the necessary help.
For example; it would be a lot more beneficial for students with mild to moderate disabilities have different cognitive and perceptual processing if they are taught in smaller steps, rather than asking them to learn a new subject all at once. Some of these steps and strategies include: peer-assisted learning and think-alouds. Peer- Assisted Learning is geared more towards special needs students who are visual learners; in this case the teacher models and shows examples of the lesson before asking the students to do it independently. While using this method, it also helps if the special needs student is paired up with another upper-level student who has a better understanding of the lesson. Think-alouds is also another strategy that can be used while teaching students with special needs, this method is also a great help to those who are auditory learners. While using this method the teacher can both teach and assess the students by asking them to say out loud what they are thinking, instead of writing it on paper. This technique can also easily be used in almost all subjects such as math, language arts and history. Overall, when developing a lesson plan for students with mild and moderate disabilities it is imperative to keep in mind that each student obtains new information differently.
Hanuri Learning is located at 27674 Newhall Ranch Road, Suite 10 in Valencia. For more information, please call 844-READ-SCV(732-3728).