Specially abled students with physical or mental disabilities need quality guidance to perform well in academics. They need a positive learning environment to learn and interact well with others. This blog will look at how to provide focused learning and engage students in special education classrooms.
- 1 Create small groups
Students with disabilities like autism or ADHD perform better if they work together in a group of compatible students. Form small groups with 3 to 4 students to work together on a task or project to improve student engagement. You can provide personalized learning to each group of students according to their learning needs. Pairing students of the same skill level will make them interact well and perform better academically.
- 2 Use technologies to teach
Some education platforms help educators to provide special education for young students with learning disabilities. The visual exercises and pictures of the learning tool support the specially-abled students to learn engagingly. Educators can also create and customize learning goals according to their student’s requirements. Using technologies like Augmentative and Alternative Communication devices and Visual Communication Tools greatly help students with autism to understand the concepts better.
- 3 Concentrate on them more
Students with disabilities such as ADHD need more concentration as they can be easily distracted. Make them sit around you and keep an eye on them often. Also, make sure to keep them away from external distractions such as loud noise. One of the best ways to make them engaged in your teaching is by interacting with them. Allot specific classroom rules and encourage students in the classroom to follow and stick with those rules. Creating rules helps them follow a proper routine, and they will understand the importance of following classroom rules. As students with learning disabilities lack in understanding things, make sure your instructions are as easy as possible for them.
- 4 Using visuals to instruct them
Students with special needs find it difficult to follow the instructions if said in words. Using visual prompts is a great option to make your students feel easy to process and respond faster. Educators can use picture cards to instruct, demonstrate procedures, make students in classrooms follow their routines, and more.
- 5 Teaching communication and social skills
Children with special needs often find it tough to communicate with others, and they don’t make friends easily. They also feel difficult to express their emotions to others. Educational games for students that involve expressing emotions will greatly help them socialize. Teach them communication skills to effectively interact with others. Try involving every student while teaching and ask them to speak up. Also, give them enough time to come out of their comfort zone and open up. Listening to every student and making them feel more comfortable communicating with you will help them develop communication skills.
- 6 Focusing on their strength
Every student’s interest and learning method differ from the other. If a student shows interest in a particular concept or a topic, help them focus on it more. This may help them to excel at that concept. Try connecting other concepts with these concepts and encourage them to study according to their interests.
- 7 Try different levels of teaching
Students in a special education classroom may have different levels of disabilities. Their proficiency in different subjects may also vary. To make them feel more confident, try teaching your students at a different level according to their level of proficiency.
- 8 Preparing them before teaching a concept
A special education teacher should prepare their students before starting a new concept. This will help them understand more and make them actively participate in your teaching. Tell them what you expect them to understand from this topic and how to work together as a group for the assignments or projects. Explain to them clearly how you want your students to behave in your classroom. Preparing them prior will help them to focus without getting distracted.
To Sum Up
Teaching students with special needs requires effort and patience. However, if you incorporate suitable strategies, education will be more fruitful for them to courageously face society just like everyone. Teaching them according to their interests and proficiency will be drastically helpful for them to change their life. They will feel easier to socialize and perform better in academics if their educators provide them with the right support.
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