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Your child's teachers may use a variety of teaching strategies in their classrooms. But do these strategies help kids who learn and think differently?

There's no one way for teachers to deliver instruction to their students. However, some strategies are backed by research and are more effective than others.

These approaches and techniques can benefit all students. But they're especially helpful to kids who learn and think differently. They can make a big difference in how well struggling students take in and work with information. (Some may even be used as formal accommodations in IEPs and 504 plans .)

You may have heard of one or more of these strategies from your child's classroom or special education teachers. If not, you can ask the teachers whether they use the strategies and how you might adapt them to use at home.

Here are six common teaching strategies. Learn more about what they are and how they can help kids who learn and think differently.

"Wait time" (or "think time") is a three- to seven-second pause after a teacher says something or asks a question. Instead of calling on the first students who raise their hand, the teacher will stop and wait.

This strategy can help with the following issues:

2. Multisensory instruction

Multisensory instruction is a way of teaching that engages more than one sense at a time. A teacher might help kids learn information using touch, movement, sight and hearing.

This way of teaching can help with these issues:

Dyscalculia: Multisensory instruction is helpful in math , too. Teachers often use hands-on tools like blocks and drawings. These tools help kids to "see" math concepts. Adding 2 + 2 is more concrete when you combine four blocks in front of you. You may hear teachers refer to these tools as manipulatives.

Most kids don't learn simply by being told what to do. Teachers use a strategy called "I Do, We Do, You Do" to model a skill. The teacher will show how to do something ("I do"), such as how to do a math problem. Next, the teacher will invite kids to do a problem with the teacher ("we do"). Then, kids will try a math problem on their own ("you do").

This strategy can help with these issues:

All learning and thinking differences: When used correctly, I Do, We Do, You Do can benefit all learners. That's because a teacher can provide support during each phase. However, teachers must know what support to provide. They also need to know when students understand a concept well enough to work on their own. Think of it like riding a bike: The teacher needs to know when to take off the training wheels.

Graphic organizers are visual tools. They show information or the connection between ideas. They also help kids organize what they've learned or what they have to do. Teachers use these tools to "scaffold," or provide support around, the learning process for struggling learners. (It's the same idea as when workers put up scaffolding to help construct a building.)

There are many different kinds of graphic organizers, such as Venn diagrams and flow charts. They can be especially helpful with these issues:

5. One-on-one and small group instruction

One strategy that teachers use is to vary the size of the group they teach to. Some lessons are taught to the whole class. Others are better for a small group of students or one student. Learning in a small group or one-on-one can be very helpful to kids with learning and thinking differences.

Some kids are placed in small groups because of their IEPs or an intervention . But that's not always the case. Teachers often meet with small groups or one student as a way to differentiate instruction. This means that they tailor the lesson to the needs of the student.

This strategy helps with:

Dyslexia: Students with dyslexia frequently meet in small group settings for reading. In the general classroom, teachers often work with a small group of kids at the same reading level or to focus on a specific skill. They might also meet because kids have a common interest in a book.

Dyscalculia: For kids with dyscalculia, teachers gather one or more students to practice skills that some students (but not the whole class) need extra help with.

Dysgraphia: In many classrooms, teachers hold "writing conferences." They meet with students one-on-one to talk about their progress with what they're writing. For students with dysgraphia, a teacher can use this opportunity to check in and focus on specific skills for that student.

ADHD and executive functioning issues: This type of instruction often takes place in settings with fewer distractions. The teacher can also help students stay on task and learn skills like self-monitoring.

6. Universal Design for Learning (UDL) strategies

UDL is a type of teaching that gives all students flexible ways to learn and succeed. UDL strategies allow kids to access materials, engage with them and show what they know in different ways. There are many examples of how these strategies help kids who learn and think differently.

Dyslexia: When teachers follow UDL principles, they present information in many different ways. For instance, instead of telling students they must read a book, they would be invited to listen to an audiobook. This removes a barrier for students who struggle with reading.

Dysgraphia: One UDL strategy is to give assignment choices. Kids with dysgraphia may struggle to show how much they know about history by writing an essay. But they may shine when delivering a presentation or acting out a historical skit.

Some teaching strategies may be part of a child's IEP or 504 plan.

The strategies aim to give kids needed support as they learn.

Talk with your child's teachers about the strategies they use.

About the Author

About the Author

Understood Team is made up of passionate writers and editors. Many of them have kids who learn and think differently.

Reviewed by

Reviewed by

Jenn Osen-Foss, MAT is an instructional coach, supporting teachers in using differentiated instruction, interventions, and co-planning.

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6 strategies teachers use to help kids who learn and think differently

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Your child's teachers may use a variety of teaching strategies in their classrooms. But do these strategies help kids who learn and think differently? There's no one way for teachers to deliver instruction to their students. However, some strategies are backed by research and are more effective than others.

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At a glance

RTI aims to identify kids who are struggling in school.

It uses targeted teaching to help them catch up.

An important part of RTI is measuring progress and providing more support to kids who need it.

If you look inside any general education classroom, chances are good that you'd see different students struggling for different reasons. It can be hard for a teacher to tell right away which students are struggling or why.

Response to intervention (RTI) aims to identify struggling students early on and give them the support they need to thrive in school. The word intervention is key to understanding what RTI is all about. The goal is for the school to intervene, or step in, and start helping before a student falls really far behind.

Teachers can provide targeted teaching - called interventions - to help struggling students catch up. A big part of the RTI process involves closely monitoring student progress. That way the school can see which students need more academic support.

RTI isn't a specific program or type of teaching. It's a proactive approach: RTI measures students' skills and uses this data to decide which interventions to use.

Tell us what interests you

About the author

About the author

Amanda Morin is the author of "The Everything Parent's Guide to Special Education" and the former director of thought leadership at Understood. As an expert and writer, she helped build Understood from its earliest days.

Reviewed by

Reviewed by

Elaine M. Niefeld, MA, MBA is a consultant and former associate director of the RTI Action Network.

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What Is Responsive to Intervention (RTI)?

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RTI aims to identify kids who are struggling in school. It uses targeted teaching to help them catch up. An important part of RTI is measuring progress and providing more support to kids who need it. If you look inside any general education classroom, chances are good that you'd see different students struggling for different reasons.

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By Amanda Morin

If you have a child who struggles in school, it can be hard to make sense of all the different supports and services available. Kids get help in all sorts of ways and settings.

Some spend all day in the general education classroom and use accommodations. Some receive specialized instruction ( special education). Still others leave the classroom to take part in response to intervention (RTI) programs. And some may do all these things.

Intervention and accommodation are both types of support. But they aren't the same thing, and they're not designed to help in the same way. Here are the key differences.

Interventions

Accommodations

What they are

Targeted instruction to improve a specific skill.

Interventions are based on a child's needs. They:

Supplement the general education program

Use evidence-based strategies and techniques

Help students improve a skill or learn to apply existing skills to new situations

A change to teaching or testing that removes barriers and provides equal access to learning. Unlike a modification, it doesn't change what a child is learning. It changes how a child is learning.

Academic expectations aren't lowered. A child with writing issues might be allowed to say the answers for a test instead of writing them. But the end result of the work is equal to that of kids without accommodations.

Circumstances in which they are used

Interventions are used to teach the skills kids need to improve a specific area of weakness. Once those skills are gained, interventions typically end.

Those weaknesses could be deficits in academic skills, like reading or writing. But there are also interventions for behavior problems (PBIS) that help kids better manage self-regulation, or learn more appropriate ways to interact with other kids.

Students with an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or a 504 plan have formal accommodations included in their plans. They may or may not continue to get those supports throughout their school years.

Struggling students who don't have an IEP or a 504 plan may be able to get informal supports that enable them to show what they know.

What they should include

Interventions should include targeted assessments to measure the development of a child's skills.

Instruction should be planned carefully and provided regularly. It should include data collection (or progress monitoring) to track growth and help shape decisions about next steps.

Accommodations allow a child to get around a specific barrier or challenge. They should represent a change in one or more of the following:

Presentation (the way information is presented)

Response (the way assignments or tests are completed)

Setting (where your child learns)

Timing and scheduling (the time your child has to do the task)

Examples may include

A system of scaffolding showing kids that what they already know can help improve their understanding of a topic ("We're going to read a story about dogs. Before we do, think about what you already know about dogs that may be useful as we read.")

Multisensory reading programs

Schoolwide PBIS programs that explicitly teach behavior that is acceptable in the school environment

Social Thinking®

Preferred seating away from distractions

Use of a formula sheet or number line for math tests

Small group testing

Extended time for assignments or tests

An extra set of textbooks for home

Audiobooks or text-to-speech technology

The freedom to work or take a test in a different setting, such as a quiet room with few distractions

Tell us what interests you

About the author

About the author

Amanda Morin is the author of "The Everything Parent's Guide to Special Education" and the former director of thought leadership at Understood. As an expert and writer, she helped build Understood from its earliest days.

Reviewed by

Reviewed by

Jenn Osen-Foss, MAT is an instructional coach, supporting teachers in using differentiated instruction, interventions, and co-planning.

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The Difference Between Interventions and Accommodations

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If you have a child who struggles in school, it can be hard to make sense of all the different supports and services available. Kids get help in all sorts of ways and settings. Some spend all day in the general education classroom and use accommodations. Some receive specialized instruction ( special education).

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In a school with traditional discipline, teachers often correct behavior through punishment. For example, a student who throws a spitball may be sent to detention. Afterward, the student is expected to behave.

A school using PBIS handles this differently. The school would look at the behavior as a form of communication . Before a spitball is thrown, the teacher might notice that the student is craving attention. To address this in a positive way, the teacher might give the student the chance to share an opinion. There's also continued instruction on how students are expected to participate in class.

If the student still acts out and throws a spitball, the school creates a strategy to prevent it from happening again. This might be break time to cool off or talk with a peer mentor. The school may even offer training for families. The school tracks the student's behavior and may change the strategy if something's not working.

PBIS doesn't ignore problem behavior. Schools still use discipline, but punishment isn't the focus. Instead, the focus is on teaching expectations, preventing problems, and using logical consequences.

Learn more about the difference between discipline and punishment .

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In a school with traditional discipline, teachers often correct behavior through punishment. For example, a student who throws a spitball may be sent to detention. Afterward, the student is expected to behave. A school using PBIS handles this differently. The school would look at the behavior as a form of communication .

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Positive behavior strategies: What you need to know

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Positive behavior strategies: What you need to know

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
In a school with traditional discipline, teachers often correct behavior through punishment. For example, a student who throws a spitball may be sent to detention. Afterward, the student is expected to behave.

A school using PBIS handles this differently. The school would look at the behavior as a form of communication . Before a spitball is thrown, the teacher might notice that the student is craving attention. To address this in a positive way, the teacher might give the student the chance to share an opinion. There's also continued instruction on how students are expected to participate in class.

If the student still acts out and throws a spitball, the school creates a strategy to prevent it from happening again. This might be break time to cool off or talk with a peer mentor. The school may even offer training for families. The school tracks the student's behavior and may change the strategy if something's not working.

PBIS doesn't ignore problem behavior. Schools still use discipline, but punishment isn't the focus. Instead, the focus is on teaching expectations, preventing problems, and using logical consequences.

Learn more about the difference between discipline and punishment .

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In a school with traditional discipline, teachers often correct behavior through punishment. For example, a student who throws a spitball may be sent to detention. Afterward, the student is expected to behave. A school using PBIS handles this differently. The school would look at the behavior as a form of communication .

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Pre-correcting and prompting: An evidence-based behavior strategy

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Pre-correcting and prompting: An evidence-based behavior strategy

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Pre-correcting and prompting is a classroom management strategy you can use to tell and remind students of behavior expectations before potential behavior problems occur.

Both pre-corrections and prompts describe what's expected of students in a way that is obvious and easily understood. If your school uses a PBIS framework , pre-correcting and prompting is a prevention strategy that comes before a response strategy like respectful redirection .

Scroll down for tips on adapting this strategy for distance learning.

Gesture: Clear and brief physical movement

Pointing to the "inbox" for homework folders

Pointing to the "inbox" for completed exams

Verbal: Rule statements, questions, or verbal cues

Reminding students to put away their books after reading time

Reviewing the norms for classroom discussion

Visual: Picture reminders; visual schedules; written instructions; and tools such as checklists

Posting and reviewing a picture sequence of the morning routine next to students' cubbies

Providing a daily planner with visual prompts of what students need for homework

Model: Examples of expected behaviors or work products

Having a student volunteer to demonstrate the SLANT strategy

Showing how a finished project meets the criteria on a rubric

Think universal. As you develop these pre-corrections and prompts, use Universal Design for Learning to think about how you can present them in different ways. Remember to think beyond verbal pre-corrections and prompts to meet the needs of all learners.

1. Tell students the predicted problem. When pre-correcting, explain what could be difficult. For instance: "We're going to walk on the left side of the hall today. I know that's new, so it might be hard to get used to." When prompting, tell students when and what you've seen them have trouble with. For instance, a week after introducing the new expectation: "I've noticed that our class is closer to the middle than the left side of the hallway."

4. Praise students. When students do well, use behavior-specific praise to tell them exactly what they've done correctly. For example: "Nice work walking quietly down the hallway and in the correct spot. You were all on the left side and I didn't hear a peep."

Pre-corrections and prompts are preventative. They take place before students have a chance to fail at what's expected of them. This prevention is especially important for students who learn and think differently since they tend to experience failure more often than their classmates.

Pre-corrections and prompts also provide a sense of agency, one of the elements of trauma-informed teaching. Students who have experienced trauma often feel that the responses and reactions they've received from adults are out of their control. This strategy allows students to see a connection between their actions and what happens next.

As a bonus, pre-corrections and prompts are flexible by design. Students who struggle to process information verbally benefit from gestures and visuals. Students who may interpret a teacher's words differently depending on their linguistic and cultural background benefit from the use of different types of prompts.

Research indicates that when used with effective praise, pre-correcting and prompting reduce behavior problems and increase academic engagement. This helps create a more positive classroom environment, which makes all students feel more comfortable and included.

Use this strategy to teach and remind students of expectations during distance learning. Then, give students specific praise for the positive behaviors they show.

Use prompts in your daily instructions for students. For example, you can create a class agenda with visual prompts to prepare students for an online lesson.

Since gestures may be difficult to see or interpret on a screen, use verbal statements and visuals during online lessons. For example, to remind students to mute, you can hold up a picture of a crossed-out microphone while providing a verbal prompt.

About the Author

About the Author

worked as a classroom teacher and as an early intervention specialist for 10 years. She is the author of Amanda Morin The Everything Parent's Guide to Special Education. Two of her children have learning differences.

Reviewed by

Reviewed by

Brittney Newcomer, MS, LSSP is the director of instructional design at Understood for Educators, which she joined after serving in public schools for more than a decade as a teacher, evaluator, and curriculum manager.

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Pre-correcting and prompting: An evidence-based behavior strategy

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Pre-correcting and prompting is a classroom management strategy you can use to tell and remind students of behavior expectations before potential behavior problems occur. Both pre-corrections and prompts describe what's expected of students in a way that is obvious and easily understood.

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The effect size is a measure of the magnitude of the relationship between two variables. Specifically, on this chart, the effect size represents the magnitude of the relationship between participating in a particular intervention and an academic outcome of interest. The larger the effect size, the greater the impact that participating in the intervention had on the outcome.