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This is a great resource for a description and understanding what assistive technology (AT) is and who might use it. There are different sections in this website that include “school supports”, “assistive technology for learning”, “how to find the right assistive technology”, etc.

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At a glance

Assistive technology can help people who learn and think differently work around their challenges.

One example is an app that reads text aloud.

Assistive technology can empower people to do things for themselves.

People who learn and think differently can use technology tools to work around their challenges. These tools are called assistive technology (AT).

AT is any device, software, or equipment that helps people with disabilities learn, communicate, or function better. AT can be as high-tech as a computer. Or as low-tech as a walking stick.

Here are more examples of AT:

Students who struggle with learning can use AT to help with subjects like reading, writing, and math. AT can also help kids and adults with the tasks of daily life. And many workers use these tools on the job.

Using AT can help people become more confident and independent. That's because AT empowers people to do things for themselves.

About the author

About the author

Andrew M.I. Lee, JD is an editor and attorney who strives to help people understand complex legal, education, and parenting issues.

Reviewed by

Reviewed by

Jamie Martin is an assistive technology specialist at the New England Assistive Technology Center (NEAT) in Hartford, Connecticut.

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Assistive technology can help people who learn and think differently work around their challenges. One example is an app that reads text aloud. Assistive technology can empower people to do things for themselves. People who learn and think differently can use technology tools to work around their challenges.

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This app is $1.99 and is a calculator that has a speech option for answers, buttons, and formulas, large colorful buttons, and full VoiceOver support. The large colorful buttons are helpful if it is difficult to read small numbers and letters, voice over for people who are visually impaired, and an ultra-simple calculator for younger people. It is an iOS app.

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‎A comprehensively featured calculator that has become a favorite among adults and primary schools around the world. Designed for a wide range of users, this calculator has large colorful buttons, optional high contrast, full VoiceOver support, and unique to this calculator; the option to use speech…

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ISpeech is a website that allows for people to type something in the text box and it is read aloud. The reading can go slow, regular, or fast, in a male or female voice, and in may languages. This can be helpful for English Language Learners, people who are nonverbal, or just to communicate affectedly between people.

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Text to Speech API, Speech Recognition API, Open Source SDKs

Automatic Speech Recognition API Demo

Try Select and Speak - Our powerful Chrome App
to Voice-enable Web content
(non-commercial use only)

Over 80.000 Developers are using iSpeech Text to Speech API on a day to day basis, generating over 100 million calls each month. We serve each call in just a few milliseconds without any downtime.

Embedded or Cloud * Face Detection * Face Verification * Face Identification * Face Sentiment Emotion Detection * Age Detection * Gender Detection * Race Detection * Attractiveness Scoring

Leading provider of artificial intelligence platform, APIs, and products.

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Text to Speech | TTS SDK | Speech Recognition (ASR)

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Text to Speech API, Speech Recognition API, Open Source SDKs Automatic Speech Recognition API Demo Try Select and Speak - Our powerful Chrome App to Voice-enable Web content(non-commercial use only) Over 80.000 Developers are using iSpeech Text to Speech API on a day to day basis, generating over 100 million calls each month.

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This is an app for $3.99 that is great to help with math. It is used for early learning math foundations with concrete and visual materials. There are many fun activities that help children or beginner learners to learn their numbers and names, trace numbers, master numerical order, etc. It is an iOS app.

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* "This is a must-have app, for any early learning setting" - Editor's Choice - 4.8 stars out of 5 -Children's Technology Review
* "A fantastic app for helping the young students understand the relationship between numbers and the quantity they stand for" - NBCNews.com
* Featured by Apple as "Best for Ages 5 and under" & as 'New and Noteworthy' (Education)
* 26,000 units sold to US schools !
_____

Montessori Numbers is designed to help build sound mathematical foundations in children aged 3-7 by using a concrete, visually significant material inspired from the Montessori methodology.

Montessori Numbers offers a sequence of guided activities that gradually help children reinforce their skills. Each activity offers several levels of increasing complexity.

* Learn to count up to 999
* Experiment with quantities and learn their names
* Learn the numerals and their names
* Understand the relationship between numbers and quantities
* Understand the decimal system and place value
* Master the numerical order
* Learn to trace numbers

Montessori Numbers builds on the iPad's touch feature, and uses verbal feedback for more efficient learning. The app can pronounce any number between 0 and 1009 (American, British and Australian voices available).

___________

Common Core State Standard
___________

This app will help your child in learning the following Common Core State Standards domains:
* Counting and Cardinality (K.CC)
* Operations and Algebraic Thinking (K.OA, 1.OA.1/2/5)
* Number & Operations in Base Ten (K.BNT,1.NBT.1/2/4/5/6, 2.NBT.1/2/3/5/8/9, 3.NBT.1/2). The app is great to deal with place value.

___________

Activities
___________

* Hundred Board
A great activity to help your child master the numerical order of 1-1000, and to introduce numerical patterns. The hundred board displays 100 numbers in a square. The first number (1,101,201,...) can be chosen so it can customized for each child

* 1 to 20
This activity is designed to introduce numbers.
3 levels of difficulty: 0 to 5, 0 to 10 and 11 to 20.

* Quantity
In this activity, kids associate quantities to numbers by manipulating units, bars of 10, and squares of 100 to match a given number which is pronounced and optionally displayed.
Levels of difficulty: 0 to 9, 10 to 99, 100 to 999 or custom

* Numerals
In this activity, number names are to be associated with numerals. As a number name is pronounced, kids are invited to build the corresponding numeral. Kids can freely experiment with numerals and hear the names associated with each numeral they build. The quantity representing the numbers built is also displayed to reinforce the association between quantity and numerals.
Levels of difficulty: 0 to 9, 10 to 99, 100 to 999 or custom

* Numerals (from Quantity)
In this activity, a quantity is to be associated with a given numeral. The child must build the number that matches the quantity displayed. This is the most complex activity because the child must count the quantity displayed, and then build the number using the numerals.
Levels of difficulty: 0 to 9, 10 to 99, 100 to 999 or custom

* Number Tracing
Learn to trace numbers with animations that follow the child's touch. Several options (size, difficulty, tracing style, show/hide model) are available to tailor the activity to your needs.

* Building Block Game:
A game can be started at the end of each activity (availability can be modified in settings). There is no "real" goal to this game - kids can play freely with the materials, thus becoming more familiar with them.
___________

More Accolades !
___________

* "Overall, Montessori Numbers is a great way to expose kids to math in a meaningful way." CommonSenseMedia.com
* Wired's GeekDad Approved
* "Montessori Numbers is among the best educational apps for young children I've seen. The verbal feedback is very supportive. " Mary Ellin Logue, Ed.D, Early Childhood Education, University of Maine
* Rated 5 stars on BestKidsApps.com and MindLeap.com

Version 3.1.1

* Better multi-touch support in Numerals activities
Don't hesitate to send us feedback and suggestions for the next update!

Misreading Numbers

This is a good substitute app for when a child is absent from school (Montessori) for long periods or for when reinforcement is needed. However, the numbers I. The hundreds are read incorrectly. The number "643", for example, is read as "six hundred and forty-three". The correct way to say the number is "six hundred forty-three." In math "and" represents the decimal point as in "six and one tenth" for the number "6.1". This is troublesome because is error is repeated with each number in every section. I sincerely hope this will be fixed.

Just choose the US voice in the settings to have the good pronunciation. The app offers several voices (US, British and Australian) because numbers pronunciation is not the same in these countries. You did select UK or Australian voice and that's why the app read numbers with "and".

NOT Montessori style

I was excited to find this app bundle which seemed to promise simple tracing, number and spelling activities. From the preview pictures it seemed the child could simply trace letters with a colored line over the black letter. In fact, the app uses a carnival-worth if sounds and flashing graphics. Even if you turn off most of the sound elements, you still have the flashing lights with cascades it stars and confetti each time you complete tracing a letter or spelling a word. There is _nothing_ in the style of these apps like the simplicity and self-correcting method of Montessori learning methods. These apps are over stimulating and will habituate your child to expecting flashing stars and applause every time they trace a letter. This is more video game than learning tool. I will never use these apps and regret paying almost $9 for the bundle.

In the tracing activity, you can use a simple colored line if you don't like the animations: just open the settings (gear icon) and change the line style. In all apps, there are settings to disable animations and sound if you want a simpler experience. I would like to add that I talked with many Montessori teachers and there are not against animations and sounds if the activity is really educational and help the child to learn.

Awesome!

Exceeded my expectations! I bought these for my 3 year old grandson, who is growing up in a trilingual culture. Amazing graphics. I have enjoyed playing with these games so much. Easily used, clear instructions, inviting play & learn. Better than promised! I bought preschool math, writing & letters individually...because I was sold on it after I tried the math version....JUST BUY THE BUNDLE!...the programs are well worth the price either way!

The developer, L'Escapadou, indicated that the app's privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer's privacy policy.

Data Not Collected

The developer does not collect any data from this app.

Privacy practices may vary, for example, based on the features you use or your age. Learn More

Information

Compatibility

iPhone

Requires iOS 10.3 or later.

iPad

Requires iPadOS 10.3 or later.

iPod touch

Requires iOS 10.3 or later.

Age Rating

4+, Made for Ages 0-5

Family Sharing

With Family Sharing set up, up to six family members can use this app.

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‎* "This is a must-have app, for any early learning setting" - Editor's Choice - 4.8 stars out of 5 -Children's Technology Review * "A fantastic app for helping the young students understand the relationship between numbers and the quantity they stand for" - NBCNews.com * Featured by Apple as "Be...

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This app is $3.99 and a very helpful resource for learning to read and decode words. Students are able to take pictures of words in their books, upload a picture of a book, or type words out and use a “card” on the app to decode words. There is also an arrow and blocking page to help students keep up with their reading, and phonics models. It also tracks student work and emails a report to teachers.

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‎The Sounding Out Machine is an Assistive Reading Device. It helps children focus on challenging words in their texts, and then models how to sound out those words. Teachers love to sit next to students and listen to them read. They model how to chunk words, break them into syllables and use phoni…

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This app is free, and shows photos of modeling social skills. It has photos of kids going to the hairdresser, mall, doctor, etc., and what it might look like and what to expect when going. This can be very helpful for anyone with anxiety or who needs extra help on what to do socially at certain places. It also has narration.

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‎Model Me Going Places™ is a great visual teaching tool for helping your child learn to navigate challenging locations in the community. Each location contains a photo slideshow of children modeling appropriate behavior. LOCATIONS: - Hairdresser - Mall - Doctor - Playground - Grocery Store - Restau...

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Edutopia is a free website with countless articles, videos, topics, and so many different resources for teachers for integrating certain things in a classroom. You can search different topics, watch videos of evidence based learning in K-12 schools, what it looks like, and even how to do it.

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George Lucas Educational Foundation

Find and share resources and explore strategies to engage students by connecting to and honoring their cultures, experiences, and backgrounds.

Sort by:

Understanding students' lives can help teachers foster a sense of belonging and ensure that all students feel respected and challenged.

A primer on the impact of implicit biases in schools and how they can be expressed by students and faculty.

Five ways teachers can celebrate and extend the linguistic expertise of young students who speak two or more languages.

Influenced by the pandemic and social unrest, two teachers recommend books to read this summer on topics like wrestling with loss, addressing inequity, and recharging for the school year ahead.

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Find and share resources and explore strategies to engage students by connecting to and honoring their cultures, experiences, and backgrounds.

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This website is free for everyone and includes different webinars, websites, research, blogs, guides, publications, and all different sources for teachers to find subjects they needs help with integrating.

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Culturally responsive teaching connects instruction with students' life experiences, cultures, and languages to support their learning.

Culturally responsive teaching can help narrow racial and income-level disparities in academic achievement resulting from social, cultural, and institutional barriers. Research has found that students learn better when teaching is filtered through their own experiences. Culturally responsive practices have also been found to improve students' perception of school climate.

Mathematica has curated this list of research-based resources to help teachers, school districts, and educational institutions understand and implement culturally responsive teaching practices in their schools and classrooms. Resources include webinars, blogs, websites, and more.

"[Culturally responsive teaching] is a pedagogy that empowers students intellectually, socially, emotionally, and politically by using cultural referents to impart knowledge, skills, and attitudes."
-Gloria Ladson-Billings, 1994

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Resources for Culturally Responsive Teaching

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This curated set of research-based resources help teachers, school districts, and other education institutions understand and implement culturally responsive teaching practices in their schools and classrooms.

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This is a perfect resource that includes links and many examples of abolitionist teaching, abolition, organizations, anti-racist teaching tools, podcasts, ted talks, articles, etc.

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Resources for Agitators | Abolitionist Teaching Network

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What Does Abolitionist Teaching Have to Do With Me?

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What Does Abolitionist Teaching Have to Do With Me?

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This website is an explanation by Scott Hurley explaining why it is important to abolitionist teach. It shows what it means and what it looks like for students and the teacher and the positive outcomes of teaching this way.

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January 18th is Martin Luther King (MLK) Day, a federal holiday celebrating the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. Only since 2000 have all 50 states honored the date. Schools often have speakers to remind students what MLK stood for. When we heard about the opportunity to have Dr. Bettina Love, the author of We Want to do More than Survive, give a virtual lecture at Luther on MLK Day, we were very excited. We have heard her speak on panels and TED talks, and have taught her texts. Dr. King would agree with her premise to pursue educational freedom through abolitionist teaching. But what is abolitionist teaching? And what does it have to do with three white identified instructors? How is abolitionist teaching applicable to a primarily white institution of higher education? What does it have to do with you? And me?

Abolitionist teaching is teaching for freedom. Before we go any farther, it's important to know that it is freedom for all, not just freedom for Black folk; but that is where it starts. Abolitionist teaching shows that we need to reframe education for all, so that Black and Brown kids feel welcome, are able to learn and grow and discover, and can be seen in their full humanity.

To us, this reframing of education means changing the way we teach. Beyond teaching, it means creating a new way of life. We have been in too many workshops and seminars and listened to speakers where the message is understood as "add an inclusive teaching statement on your syllabus," or "add an author of color." And some faculty believe that such workshops or messages are not for me, not my expertise or area. Abolitionist teaching is not about a tweak or adjustment to your teaching, nor is it just for peoples of color or for professors of color, and/or white liberals. Abolitionist teaching is about all of us, about the whole system of education, and all educators. It's about all the students in our classrooms. It's about the whole institution. It's about you, and it's about me.

Dr. Love will challenge us all to be co-conspirators in struggle and activists for change, for that is the only way that meaningful change will actually happen. Transformation of the system is going to take all of us being willing to stop oppressing others, to stop participating in systemic racism, to stop participating in white supremacy in all its forms, and to take a stand that Black lives matter.

Abolitionist teaching, then, operates at a number of levels:

1. It requires us to think about what we can do now within an educational system of which Luther College is a part that was and is created, reproduced, and sustained by racist policies and white supremacy ideology (a system, by the way, that we work in, get paid by, receive accolades from).

2. As mentioned above, it insists that we (white people) confront our own racism and privilege; it insists that we decenter whiteness even, and perhaps most explicitly, in classrooms that are made up of all white students taught by those who identify as white.

3. Though it may take years (as Love says), it obliges us to tear down the system as a whole--to abolish it--and to reconceive education/learning differently, replacing it with another model (perhaps one based on what Ruth Wilson Gilmore calls "pop up" universities).

4. It compels us to create learning environments wherein students are not only heard, but also learn how to resist, protest, and struggle against injustice, against white supremacy; that is, it compels us to offer a real civics education, one that does not only teach "here are the three branches of government."

5. It engenders joy--joy in the struggle; joy in and with communities that struggle.

Practically, for the three of us, abolitionist teaching means seeing every student in the room, to know them as best we can. It causes us to value where every student in each classroom is coming from, to see the assets that each of them brings, to nurture and expand their knowledge. It means accepting that I do not know everything, that I will make mistakes, that one size does not fit all. It means being open and curious about everything and everyone. It means being willing to challenge my role as a white identified person and a white teacher in a radically unjust educational system. It means loving my students, all of my students, not just loving my job to teach them. And it means challenging that system that denies some of our students, and some of our colleagues, their full humanity and in doing so diminishes the humanity of all of us.

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What Does Abolitionist Teaching Have to Do With Me?

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January 18th is Martin Luther King (MLK) Day, a federal holiday celebrating the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. Only since 2000 have all 50 states honored the date. Schools often have speakers to remind students what MLK stood for.

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This website is very useful for teachers and students because it has learning modules, lesson plans, important historical documents, videos and images of history with a description, and all about the abolitionist movement and how to integrate this learning resource in a classroom.

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A Comparison of Indentured Servants and Slaves - This elementary and middle level lesson evaluates the differences between indentured servants and slaves. Students will examine and compare the lives of each using primary sources and the historical fiction books, Molly Bannaky and Barefoot.

Slavery in Virginia - In this elementary level lesson, students will use primary sources to analyze the effects plantation life and slavery had on Colonial Virginia.

How Slavery Replaced Indentured Servitude - This elementary level lesson asks students to examine and evaluate the different perspectives that led to Africans becoming slaves (instead of indentured servants) for the colonists.

Taking Up Arms and the Challenge of Slavery in the Revolutionary Era - This lesson is designed to help students understand the transition to armed resistance and the contradiction in the Americans' rhetoric about slavery through the examination of a series of documents.

Slavery and the American Founding: The "Inconsistency not to be excused" -This lesson will focus on the views of the founders as expressed in primary documents from their own time and in their own words. Students will see that many of the major founders opposed slavery as contrary to the principles of the American Revolution but few took action on the basis of these convictions.

After the American Revolution: Free African Americans in the North -In this lesson, students will meet some of those African Americans living in the North in the years between the American Revolution and the Civil War, and practice the techniques authors use to transform information about individuals into readable biographies.

Fanning the Flames of Abolition - These lessons exposes students to the writings and work of William Lloyd Garrison, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Gabriel Prosser, and Nat Turner.

Quest for Freedom: The Underground Railroad - This lesson plan from the National Park Service is suitable for grades 7-12. Students will understand the development of the abolitionist movement and the role of the underground railroad in the movement.

The Underground Railroad: Escape from Slavery - This multimedia lesson has adaptations for elementary, middle, and secondary level educators. Students will travel back to the year 1860 and follow a young slave as he flees a Kentucky plantation for Canada along the Underground Railroad. Along the way, they can read or listen to the runaway slave describe his terrifying journey from slavery to freedom. They'll discover what life was like as a slave, encounter the dangers of the Underground Railroad, meet brave abolitionists who took great risks to help runaways, and compare life in the North and South.

From Courage to Freedom: Frederick Douglass's 1845 Autobiography - In this curriculum unit, students will read Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Written by Himself with particular attention devoted to certain chapters. They will analyze Douglass's vivid first-hand accounts of the lives of slaves and the behavior of slave owners to see how he successfully contrasts reality with romanticism and powerfully uses imagery, irony, connotative and denotative language, strong active verbs, repetition, and rhetorical appeals to persuade the reader of slavery's evil.

Perspectives on the Slave Narrative - To help students recognize the complex nature of the slave narrative and its combination of varied literary traditions and devices, this lesson explores the work of William W. Brown from a variety of perspectives.

Famous Abolitionists: Lesson Plans for Elementary Educators - This elementary level lesson introduces students to several influential abolitionists including Harriet Beecher Stowe, Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass, Sojourner Truth, and others.

Fanning the Flames of Abolition: These lessons exposes students to the writings and work of William Lloyd Garrison, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Gabriel Prosser, and Nat Turner.

North and South: Impact of the Abolitionist Movement: This elementary level lesson explores the underground railroad, the work of Frederick Douglass, the dramatic escape of Henry "Box Brown, and other important aspects of the abolitionist movement.

Runaway Slaves: An American Experience - Personal experiences impact one's perspective and an individual's perspective may impact one's actions. Students will interpret ideas and events of Slavey from different perspectives; that of an abolitionist, slave owner, US Marshall and runaway slaves.

Slavery and Abolitionism - This middle level lesson explores the role of western expansion in the development of American abolitionism.

Protesting the Fugitive Slave Act: Fighting Back for Freedom - Abolitionists in southeastern Wisconsin battled against the Fugitive Slave Act by employing print culture. Students will read through an abolitionist broadside and evaluate the ways that abolitionists attempted to influence public opinion.

Women Abolitionists - ( free Gilder-Lehrman account required) Women always played a significant role in the fight against slavery and racial injustice. Through research and analysis in the classroom, students will learn about the diversity of women who participated in antislavery activities, the variety of activities and goals they pursued, and the barriers they faced as women.

Life in the North and South, 1847-1861: Before Brother Fought Brother - A complex series of events led to the Civil War. The lessons in this unit are designed to help students develop a foundation on which to understand the basic disagreements between North and South through the investigation of primary source documents.

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The Abolition Seminar. An educational tool for teachers, students, and all who fight for freedom. Menu. Skip to content. About; Learning Modules. The Eighteenth-Century Atlantic World · African Americans and Abolitionism · The Transformation of American Abolitionism · Civil War and Emancipation · Modern Slavery and ...

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List of Evidence-Based Practices, Programs, and Policies

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List of Evidence-Based Practices, Programs, and Policies

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This resource includes EBPs for Math, Literacy in all grades, english language development, attendance/climate, graduation, and other sources. It provides specific examples of what these practices are and how to use them in the classroom.

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Top 10 evidence-based teaching strategies

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Top 10 evidence-based teaching strategies

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This explains and lists the top 10 strategies for EBPs for teaching. It includes research and support for each strategy.

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Top 10 Evidence-Based Teaching Strategies for Those Who Care About Student Results
By Shaun Killian

Most teachers care about their students' results, and if you are reading this article, you are undoubtedly one of them.

There is no doubt that teachers make a difference to how well their kids do at school. However, when you explore the thousands of research studies1 on the topic, it is apparent that some teaching strategies have far more impact than other teaching strategies do.

Evidence-Based Teaching Strategies
Research shows that evidence-based teaching strategies are likely to have the largest impact on student results. I wrote this article because you (and other teachers) have far too many demands on your time to sift through decades worth of research. At the same time, I wanted to help you step outside your personal philosophies about teaching and the fancy jargon being peddled by authorities, to discover the science of what works.

For teaching strategies to be included on this list, they had to:
* Be supported by hard research, instead of anecdotal case studies or untested theories
* Have a substantially higher effect on student results than other teaching strategies
* Be able to be used on a wide range of subjects and in every year level

What evidence-based teaching strategies made it onto the list? Here is the top 10 strategies - the results may surprise you.

Evidence-Based Teaching Strategy 1: Clear Lesson Goals

It is crucial that you are clear about what you want your students to learn during each lesson. The effect that such clarity has on student results is 32% greater than the effect of holding high expectations for every student (and holding high expectations has a sizeable effect). If you cannot quickly and easily state what you want your students to know and be able to do at the end of a given lesson, the goal of your lesson will be unclear. Clear lesson goals help you (and your students) to focus every other aspect of your lesson on what matters most.

Evidence-Based Teaching Strategy 2: Show & Tell

You should normally start your lessons with show and tell. Put simply, telling involves sharing information or knowledge with your students while showing involves modeling how to do something. Once you are clear about what you want your students to know and be able to do by the end of the lesson, you need to tell them what they need to know and show them how to do the tasks you want them to be able to do. You don't' want to spend your entire lesson having the kids listening to you, so focus your show and tell on what matters most. To do this, have another look at your lesson goal.

Evidence-Based Teaching Strategy 3: Questioning to Check for Understanding

Research suggests that teachers typically spend a large amount of teaching time asking questions. However, few teachers use questions to check for understanding within a lesson. However, you should always check for understanding before moving onto the next part of their lesson. Techniques such as randomized sampling, student answer-boards and tell-a-friend help you to check for understanding before moving on from the show and tell part of your lesson while you can use other questioning techniques at different stages of your lesson.

Evidence-Based Teaching 4: Summarize New Learning In A Graphical Way

Graphic outlines include things such as mind maps, flow-charts and Venn diagrams. You can use them to help students to summarize what they have learned and to understand the interrelationships between the aspects of what you have taught them. Studies show that it doesn't seem to matter who makes the summary graphic, be it you or your students, provided the graphic is accurate. Discussing a graphical summary is a fantastic way to finish off your show and tell. You can then refer to it one more time at the end of your lesson.

Evidence-Based Teaching Strategy 5: Plenty of Practice

As saying says, practice makes perfect. Practice helps students to retain the knowledge and skills that they have learned while also allowing you another opportunity to check for understanding. If you want to harness the potent power of practice, you must ensure that your students are practicing the right things. Your students should be practicing what they learned during your show and tell, which in turn should reflect your lesson goal. Practice is not about mindless busy work. Nor does it involve assigning independent tasks that you haven't previously modeled and taught. Finally, research shows that students do better when their teacher has them practice the same things over a spaced-out period of time.

Evidence-Based Teaching Strategy 6: Provide Your Students With Feedback

Feedback is the breakfast of champions, and it is the breakfast served by extraordinary teachers around the world. Put simply, giving feedback involves letting your students know how they have performed on a particular task along with ways that they can improve. Unlike praise, which focuses on the student rather than the task, feedback provides your students with a tangible understanding of what they did well, of where they are at, and of how they can improve. In John Hattie's view, any teachers who seriously want to boost their children's results should start by giving them dollops and dollops of feedback.

Evidence-Based Teaching Strategy 7: Be Flexible About How Long It Takes to Learn

The idea that given enough time, every student can learn is not as revolutionary as it sounds. It underpins the way we teach martial arts, swimming and dancing. It is also the central premise behind mastery learning, a technique that has the same effect on student results as socio-economic status and other aspects of home life. When you adopt mastery learning, you differentiate in a different way. You keep your learning goals the same, but vary the time you give each child to succeed. Within the constraints of a crowded curriculum, this may be easier said than done; however, we can all do it to some degree.

Evidence-Based Teaching Strategy 8: Get Students Working Together (in productive ways)

Group work is not new, and you can see it in every classroom. However, productive group work is rare. When working in groups, students tend to rely on the person who seems most willing and able to the task at hand. Psychologists call this phenomenon social loafing. To increase the productivity of your groups, you need to be selective about the tasks you assign to them and the individual role that each group member plays. You should only ask groups to do tasks that all group members can do successfully. You should also ensure each group member personally responsible for one step in the task.

Evidence-Based Teaching Strategy 9: Teach Strategies Not Just Content

Earlier, I highlighted the importance of show and tell. You can increase how well your students do in any subject by explicitly teaching them how to use relevant strategies. When teaching children to read you need to teach them how to attack unknown words, as well as strategies that will deepen their comprehension. When teaching them mathematics, you need to teach them problem-solving strategies. From assignments and studying, to characterization, there are strategies underpinning the effective execution of many tasks that you ask students to perform in school. And, just as with content, you need to tell students about these strategies, to show them how to use them and to give them guided practice before asking them to use them independently.

Evidence-Based Teaching Strategy 10: Nurture Meta-Cognition

Many teachers believe they are encouraging students to use meta-cognition when they are just asking students to use strategies - strategies such as making connections when reading or self-verbalising when solving problems. Don't get me wrong, as I stated in the above point, encouraging students to adopt strategies is important, but it is not meta-cognition. Meta-cognition involves thinking about your options, your choices and your results - and it has an even larger effect on student results than teaching strategies. When using meta-cognition your students may think about what strategies they could use before choosing one, and they may think about how effective their choice was (after reflecting on their success or lack thereof) before continuing with or changing their chosen strategy.

What Teaching Strategies Didn't Make the Top 10?

Some evidence-based teaching strategies that didn't make the top 10are still worth adopting. Research shows that a few of these teaching strategies, such as holding high expectations of students, have a significant positive impact on student results. They just have less of an effect than those that made the top 10list. Other evidence based teaching strategies, such as reciprocal teaching, didn't make the list purely because they can only be used within a single subject. Don't assume that a teaching strategy is no good just because it isn't in the top 10.

That said, there are some popular teaching strategies that do not have a large effect on student results. These include whole language, teaching test taking and inquiry learning.

http://www.evidencebasedteaching.org.au/evidence-based-teaching-strategies/

Information about the author is given at the end of the article at the website.

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Top 10 evidence-based teaching strategies

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Top 10 Evidence-Based Teaching Strategies for Those Who Care About Student Results By Shaun Killian Most teachers care about their students' results, and if you are reading this article, you are undoubtedly one of them. There is no doubt that teachers make a difference to how well their kids do at school.

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This source shows 10 “research-based strategies that all teachers should know” and “temporary devices and procedures used by teachers to support students as they learn strategies”.

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Evidence Based Practice in Special Education

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Evidence Based Practice in Special Education

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This website includes standards and resources specifically for special education by special education researchers. It includes different articles with different strategies with how and why they are useful.

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Repeated Reading Interventions for Students With Learning Disabilities: Status of the Evidence

ABSTRACT: For students with or at risk for learning disabilities, developing fluency with reading connected texts remains a formidable challenge. In response, teachers often use repeated reading practices designed to provide students with multiple exposures to the same words. This study examined research focused on determining the efficacy of repeated reading approaches for improving reading fluency for students with or at risk for learning disabilities. Studies employed experimental/quasi-experimental and single-subject research designs. Results suggest that repeated reading is not supported by rigorous research as defined by the quality indicators used and, therefore, is not an evidence-based practice based on those criteria for students with and at risk for learning disabilities. Implications for future research and for practice are discussed.

Evaluating the Evidence Base for Cognitive Strategy Instruction and Mathematical Problem Solving
Marjorie Montague and Samantha Dietz
ABSTRACT: This review considers both the content and methodologies of 5 single-subject and 2 group experimental design studies investigating the effects of cognitive strategy instruction on the mathematical problem solving of students with disabilities, using quality indicators proposed by Horner et al. (2005) and Gersten et al. (2005). Findings indicated that the research base of both single-subject and group experimental studies did not meet the methodological criteria to support cognitive strategy instruction as an evidence-based practice for improving mathematical problem solving of students with disabilities. The shortcomings identified in the empirical literature supporting cognitive strategy instruction, however, can be addressed in future intervention studies bearing in mind the quality indicators and standards for determining evidence-based practices.

Teaching Writing to At-Risk Students: The Quality of Evidence for Self-Regulated Strategy Development
Scott K. Baker, David J. Chard, Leanne R. Ketterlin-Geller, Chanisa Apichatabutra, and Christian Doabler
ABSTRACT: This study evaluates the quality of the research and evidence base for a writing intervention called Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD; Graham & Harris, 1989; Harris & Graham, 1996) for students with and at risk for learning disabilities, using criteria for group research studies suggested by Gersten et al. (2005) and single-subject research studies suggested by Horner et al. (2005). Five experimental and quasi-experimental studies and 16 single-subject studies investigating SRSD were analyzed on numerous methodological dimensions. Both the group design and single-subject studies also met proposed standards for an evidence-based practice. The potential value of analyzing approaches and interventions using the proposed quality indicators and standards for evidence-based practices is discussed, as are implications for research and practice.

An Examination of the Evidence Base for Function-Based Interventions for Students With Emotional and/or Behavioral Disorders Attending Middle and High Schools

Kathleen Lynne Lane, Jemma Robertson Kalberg, and Jenna Courtney Shepcaro ABSTRACT: The authors field-tested the core quality indicators and standards for evidence-based practices for single-case design studies developed by Horner and colleagues (2005) by applying them to the literature exploring functional assessment-based interventions conducted with secondary-age students with emotional and/or behavioral disorders (EBD). First, we evaluated this knowledge base by applying the indicators to determine if the studies identified (n = 12) were of acceptable methodological quality. Second, we analyzed studies meeting the recommended quality indicators to determine whether function-based interventions with students with EBD might be considered an evidence-based practice. Results ﾬreveal that only 1 study addressed all proposed quality indicators, suggesting that function-based interventions are not yet an evidence-based practice for this population per these indicators and standards. Limitations and recommendations are posed.

Using Time Delay to Teach Literacy to Students With Severe Developmental Disabilities
Diane Browder, Lynn Ahlgrim-Delzell, Fred Spooner, Pamela J. Mims, and Joshua N. Baker
ABSTRACT: A review of the literature was conducted for articles published between 1975 and 2007 on the application of time delay as an instructional procedure to teach word and picture recognition to students with severe developmental disabilities in an effort to evaluate time delay as an evidence-based practice. A total of 30 experiments were analyzed using quality indicators for single-subject design research. In general, we found that time delay was an evidence-based practice for teaching picture and sight word recognition supported by standards for evidence-based practice proposed by Horner et al. (2005). We discuss lessons learned in summarizing a body of literature to define an evidence-based practice and suggestions for better defining the practice.

Determining Evidence-Based Practices in Special Education
Bryan G. Cook, Melody Tankersley, and Timothy J. Landrum
ABSTRACT: Determining evidence-based practices is a complicated enterprise that requires analyzing the methodological quality and magnitude of the available research supporting specific practices. This article reviews criteria and procedures for identifying what works in the fields of clinical psychology, school psychology, and general education; and it compares these systems with proposed guidelines for determining evidence-based practices in special education. The authors then summarize and analyze the approaches and findings of the 5 reviews presented in this issue. In these reviews, prominent special education scholars applied the proposed quality indicators for high-quality research and standards for evidence-based practice to bodies of empirical literature. The article concludes by synthesizing these scholarsﾒ preliminary recommendations for refining the proposed quality indicators and standards for evidence-based practices in special education, as well as the process for applying them.

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Evidence Based Practice in Special Education

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Students with disabilities need to be taught using the most effective instructional practices to meet their potentials. But before special educators can use effective practices to optimize student outcomes, researchers must reliably identify which practices are, in fact, the most effective.

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Evidence Based Practices at School: A Guide for Parents

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Evidence Based Practices at School: A Guide for Parents

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This resource is great because it breaks down these practices for parents who might need a little more understanding of the purpose and how to help their child.

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References

Click the "References" link above to hide these references.

Beghetto, R. (2003). Scientifically Based Research. ERIC Digest. Accessed online February 9, 2011 at: http://www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/ED474304.pdf.

Cook, B.G., Tankersley, M., & Landrum, T.J. (2009). Determining evidence-based practices in special education. Council for Exceptional Children, 75(3), 365-383.

Gersten, R. (2009). Types of research and their roles in improvement of practice. National Center for Learning Disabilities. Accessed online February 9, 2011 at: http://www.ncld.org/at-school/especially-for-teachers/effective-teaching-practices/types-of-research-and-their-roles-in-improvement-of-practice.

Turnbull, A., et al. (2010). Knowledge to action guides: Preparing families to be partners in making educational decisions. Teaching Exceptional Children, 42(3), 42-53.

U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance. (2003). Prepared by the Coalition for Evidence-Based Policy. Identifying and Implementing Educational Practices Supported by Rigorous Evidence: A User-Friendly Guide. Accessed online February 9, 2011 at: http://www2.ed.gov/rschstat/research/pubs/rigorousevid/index.html.

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Evidence-Based Practices at School: A Guide for Parents

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All parents want their children to receive the best education possible. One way to help your child succeed is to know if the school is using effective teaching and intervention practices. But how can schools and parents know if a practice is effective?

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Research-Based Practices for Teaching Students with Disabilities

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Research-Based Practices for Teaching Students with Disabilities

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This is a great resource for teachers that include the specific examples of the strategies for teaching students with disabilities and exactly how to do it for each topic.

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This is a website mostly for parents about what an IEP is, the IEP team, contents of the IEP, what goes on in the IEP meeting, etc. It is a break down to better understand to help their child who might need or has an IEP.

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Current as of April 2022
In Spanish | En español

When a child receives special education services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), he or she must have an Individualized Education Program (IEP). This is a written document listing, among other things, the special educational services that the child will receive. The IEP is developed by a team that includes the child's parents and school staff.

The IEP is an extremely important document in the educational lives of students with disabilities receiving special education under IDEA. The resources we've listed below will help you learn more about IEPs-what the law requires, what information a typical IEP contains, how IEPs are developed, and so on.

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The Short-and-Sweet IEP Overview
Find out fast what an IEP is, who writes it, and what it contains.

The IEP Team
A child's IEP is developed by a team of individuals that includes key school staff and the child's parents. Find out who's required by law to serve on the team and what they might contribute to developing the IEP.

Contents of the IEP
A child's IEP, by law, must contain specific information, including the special education and related services that he or she will receive. But there's so much more in an IEP! Find out in detail.

When the IEP Team Meets
What goes on at an IEP team meeting? What does IDEA require? What types of considerations, discussions, and decisions must be made by the IEP team? Find out here.

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Current as of April 2022 In Spanish | En español When a child receives special education services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), he or she must have an Individualized Education Program (IEP). This is a written document listing, among other things, the special educational services that the child will receive.

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Autism Society of North Carolina: The IEP Toolkit

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Autism Society of North Carolina: The IEP Toolkit

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This is a very detailed and in depth resource for what an IEP is, writing an IEP, about autism, what certain things mean, consideration factors, and so much more. This seems like if there are any questions, even what the teacher needs to sign, you can go here and the answer will be here.

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This is a website that has many different articles and guides to IEPs, webinars, and anything that could be helpful for parents and teachers to figuring out what is best for the student.

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n2y thought leaders share free resources to guide parents through the IEP process and help them promote student advocacy

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8 Basic Components of an Individualized Education Program

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8 Basic Components of an Individualized Education Program

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This website breaks down the 8 components of an IEP and what each include, how to assess the student, and what might be added to the IEP.

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An individualized education program (IEP) is a plan that teachers and parents develop to help a child with learning disorders and other types of disabilities succeed in school. Think of it like a road map: It establishes where your child is in their learning journey, where you'd like them to end up at the end of a school year, and steps to help them get there.

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the federal law governing special education, ensures that every child receives an evaluation of whether they qualify for extra school support, and if they do, entitles them to an IEP specially designed just for them. This federal law also requires that an IEP contains a minimum set of components, or parts, that convey key information about your child and details about when and how the plan will be implemented. You can familiarize yourself with the eight key components of an IEP here.

Current Skill Level

Every IEP must include a description of your child's current performance and skills in all areas of concern. It should explain how their disability affects their progress in the general education curriculum. It will also assess their "functional performance" in non-academic areas like motor skills, behavior, and interpersonal relationships.

IEP teams typically use formal assessments to determine how your child is doing and establish a baseline of performance. The team may also use anecdotal information and feedback from teachers to further describe their skills.

Annual Goals

The IEP must contain information about your child's goals, which need to be updated at least once a year. Depending on what challenges your child faces, goals can relate to academic performance, behavior, improving their physical mobility in navigating between classes, and more.

Each objective should be measurable. With the help of regular evaluations, teachers and parents should be able to see how close a child has come to reaching their goals by the end of a school year.

Progress Tracking

The IEP must explain exactly how progress toward your child's goals will be measured, whether it's regular testing or feedback reports from teachers. This gives you a clear idea of how your child is being evaluated throughout the year, and also provides reassurance that you will be kept in the loop about your child's achievements and setbacks.

Special Education Services

The IEP must clearly describe the student's special education program and how it's been designed to suit their particular needs. This provides details like separate instruction time, the use of one-on-one aides, and even special faculty training to help teachers learn more about how to best support your child.

Duration of Services

The IEP must include a projected beginning and end date of any services the IEP team proposes. This includes details on the frequency of the services and where they will be delivered. The intent is to ensure that everyone understands exactly when and where your child's individual program will take place.

Participation in Mainstream Classrooms

This section ensures that supportive staff and faculty are doing all they can to keep your child in the "least restrictive environment" as possible. With an aim of inclusion, this part of the IEP will detail how the child can join the general, mainstream classroom environment whenever it's appropriate.

The IEP must specify the amount of time a student will participate in these mainstream classes. It will also explain the rationale for that decision.

An IEP is a team effort: Several people need to collaborate to write it and then implement it. The team includes teachers, the specialist who evaluated your child, a representative of the school system (usually a special education coordinator or a principal), and you and your co-parent (if applicable).

Testing Adaptations

The IEP must explain if your child will participate in state and local achievement tests that other kids at their school take. If they will, it's important that the IEP specifies what types of testing accommodations will be used for them. Testing accommodations might include extra time, distraction-free rooms, and wheelchair-accessible tests.

If you and teachers decide it's best that your child take modified or different tests to assess achievement, the rationale for that decision must be included in the IEP.

Transitional Goals and Services

An IEP is designed to help your child succeed in the here and now, but also prepare them for the next phase of their education. For that reason, starting around a child's 14th birthday, an IEP must include plans for transitioning a child beyond grade school.

Transitional goals and services focus on instruction and support services needed to help your child move from the school environment and into a job, vocational program, or another program designed to promote independent living. If your child aspires to go to college, the IEP should also include steps to help prepare them for advocating themselves in that environment.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a 504 plan and an IEP?

For kids with mental or physical impairments, a 504 plan provides modifications that allow them to learn in mainstream classroom settings. For example, a child with vision or hearing problems might receive preferential seating closer to the front of the classroom. An IEP plan grants accommodations for children both in the general classroom as well as special services beyond it, such as extra tutoring. By law, parents or legal guardians need to be involved in creating an IEP but their input is not necessary for a 504 plan.

How are IEP goals written?

IEP goals are discussed and set during a collaborative planning meeting between parents, teachers, a specialist who has evaluated the child, and a representative of the school system (usually a special education coordinator or a principal).

What is the purpose of an IEP?

An IEP gives a child with a learning disorder or other disability the tools they need to succeed at school. The plan is different for every child and may include one-on-one classroom aides, individualized tutoring sessions, special classroom materials, or a modified schedule.

Who writes an IEP?

While deciding on the details of an IEP is a collaborative effort between parents and school personnel, your child's main special education teacher is usually the one to put the plan in writing. Parents sign off on the final draft of the IEP before it's implemented.

How long is an IEP good for?

IEP plans are typically reviewed once a year. Parents who believe their child's IEP needs to be changed can request a special meeting before the annual review, which may lead to an IEP being revised.

What are the legal requirements of an IEP?

By law, an IEP needs to contain the following: a current assessment of your child; annual goals; special services your child needs; mainstream classroom participation targets; and any testing plans. It will detail when and where your child will receive special services, a system for charting progress, and any transition support they might need when they age out of the public grade school system.

A Word From Verywell

For a child who learns differently or has a disability, navigating just a single school day, much less an entire year, can be overwhelming. But a well-designed IEP can identify manageable goals that can reassure and motivate a child.

An IEP is an integral part of the special education process and should be written with care. If an IEP is required for your child, be sure you understand what it should include and why. Ask questions of the IEP team and don't be afraid to hold educators accountable for closely monitoring your child's progress and keeping you posted about it. In many ways, you captain the IEP process, and your attention to detail can be key to the plan's-and your child's-success.

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An IEP, or individualized education program, is a plan for your child's special education. There are eight essential components of an IEP, including annual goals.

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Google Earth can be a great resource when learning about geography or different parts of the world. Instead of looking up pictures of somewhere, in the classroom we could actually look at places on Earth.

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Aw snap! Google Earth isn't supported on your browser. You may need to update your browser or use a different browser. Please see our system requirements for more information. Chrome is a great choice and you can download it here.

Or if you're feeling adventurous, you can try Earth anyway by choosing an option below.

Learn more about Google Earth.

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Aw snap! Google Earth isn't supported on your browser. You may need to update your browser or use a different browser. Please see our system requirements for more information. Chrome is a great choice and you can download it here. Or if you're feeling adventurous, you can try Earth anyway by choosing an option below.

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This website has a list of themes and information on each theme, as well as lesson plans, worksheets, rubrics, cartoons, jokes, etc., that both teachers and students can use in the classroom.

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Lesson: What is Geometry?
Explore the basics of geometric thinking using rich visualization problems and mathematical language.

Worksheet: Action Verbs and Linking Verbs
Students will identify the action verbs in this worksheet as well as identify the subject and verb in the sentences.

A-Z Theme: Tolerance
Tolerance today is synonymous with multiculturalism. It means to accept and embrace other races, religions, and ideas without prejudice or judgment.

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Free Lesson Plans, Templates, Worksheets, Rubrics, & Themes | Teacherplanet.com |

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Lesson: What is Geometry? Explore the basics of geometric thinking using rich visualization problems and mathematical language. Worksheet: Action Verbs and Linking Verbs Students will identify the action verbs in this worksheet as well as identify the subject and verb in the sentences. A-Z Theme: Tolerance Tolerance today is synonymous with multiculturalism.

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This source is to help teachers use charts or organize and to download different worksheets for pretty much anything you can think of.

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Freeology - Free Worksheets and More Since 2001

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Practice denotation and connotation with this worksheet. Denotation is the literal dictionary definition of a word. Connotation is the implied meaning and the emotional suggestions of a word. You may also like... Connotation Practice with Images Denotation vs. Connotation What's...

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Sharing Many Cultures in the Elementary Classroom

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Sharing Many Cultures in the Elementary Classroom

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This is a website that help with how to share cultures in the classroom with different activities and suggestions.

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Sharing Many Cultures in the Elementary Classroom

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Teaching about culture is an essential component of education. Students must understand their own cultural background as well as others’.

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This is a website that has educational games for all grades

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This is a fun and educational resources that all students will be able to find something and enjoy while learning. It has games, videos, books, quizzes, etc. about all different animals and history.

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Legal Issues Impacting Classroom Teaching

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Legal Issues Impacting Classroom Teaching

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This site explains the four most important legal issues to keep in mind while teaching.

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Compliance Resource Center

As a GSI, there are a number of legal compliance issues to keep in mind. You are a U-M employee, and are responsible for making sure you conduct your work as an instructor in accordance with the various legal and regulatory requirements that bind the University. As a primary interface with students, you are also in a unique position to spot potential issues that arise in the classroom, and to raise them with someone in your department before they cause bigger problems.

The four most important legal issues for you to keep in mind are:

1. Student records - protecting students' information;

2. Safety - for yourself and your students;

3. Copyright - making sure class materials are legally used and distributed; and

4. Appropriate treatment of students.

1. Student records - protecting students' information

All information about a student - such as their personal information, enrollment details, assignments and grades - form part of their "student record", which is protected by a Federal law, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (commonly called " FERPA "). Student records must be handled in accordance with that law by all those who have access to them. For example, the requirements mean that:

you may not post grades using the student's name or ID number;

when returning student tests and papers, a system must be used to prevent access and/or release to anyone other than the student;

you should password protect spreadsheets that contain student information;

you can only use student information for purposes directly related to your role as an instructor: it would be inappropriate to share personal information that you learn about a student in your capacity as a GSI with others in your capacity as a student.

For more information, see this Student Records compliance page.

2. Safety - for yourself and your students

The University has strict obligations to keep its students and employees safe. Never do anything that seems unsafe, and never let anyone else do something that seems unsafe. Here are some practical things you can do to improve everyone's safety:

The University has strict obligations to keep its students Take a few moments at the start of the semester to familiarize yourself with the safety and emergency protocols of each of the classrooms and labs you are teaching in - what would you do if an alarm went off in class? Where would you evacuate to? Where is the nearest fire extinguisher?

If your class has laboratory components, make sure you know who your lab's Safety Coordinator is. Follow all relevant safety procedures and ensure students do the same. Get to know the general laboratory safety requirements (http://ehs.umich.edu/research-clinical-safety/) . If you see something unsafe happening and can't find your Safety Coordinator, contact Environmental Health and Safety (http://ehs.umich.edu). For more information see Laboratory Safety.

If you are injured while working, or witness an incident where someone else is injured, you must report it in line with your Department's normal procedures (or to Work Connections, http://www.workconnections.umich.edu/).

Program the Department of Public Safety (http://www.dpss.umich.edu/) non-emergency number, (734) 763-1131, into your phone so you know you can call them anytime you need to.

3. Copyright - making sure class materials are legally used and distributed

When creating and reproducing class materials, there are copyright compliance issues to consider. Make sure you understand the legal limits of how you can and cannot use or hand out materials in your classes (or post them on Canvas) by reviewing the U-M Library Copyright Office site (http://www.lib.umich.edu/copyright-office-michigan-publishing) on using copyrighted materials.

4. Appropriate treatment of students

Keep your interactions with and treatment of students professional at all times: See "U-M Policy on Faculty-Student Relationships" for more guidance.

As an instructor, you must apply the same standards and offer the same opportunities to all students in your class.This includes students in special programs, like athletics.
E.g. You can give a student-athlete an extension or agree to some alternative assessment, if the same opportunity would be given to any other student in analogous circumstances; but you are not permitted to give them special treatment just because they are an athlete, nor are you permitted to deny them opportunities for academic flexibility that you would normally give other students.

For students with disabilities, you must provide reasonable accommodations to afford them equal opportunity to succeed in the class. The Faculty Handbook, developed by Services for Students with Disabilities (http://ssd.umich.edu/) gives an overview of disabilities that affect learning in a college or university setting and guidance on the adjustments that can be made to accommodate students with disabilities.

For more information, resources and links about legal and compliance issues relevant to teaching, see the Classroom Teaching guide on the Compliance Resource Center website (http://www.compliance.umich.edu/).

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Legal Issues Impacting Classroom Teaching

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As a GSI, there are a number of legal compliance issues to keep in mind. You are a U-M employee, and are responsible for making sure you conduct your work as an instructor in accordance with the various legal and regulatory requirements that bind the University.

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School Policies and Legal Issues Supporting Safe Schools

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School Policies and Legal Issues Supporting Safe Schools

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This file breaks down legal and practical considerations related to school safety and specific safety issues and situations with their preventive measures, and responses.

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This is a website with many different updated and recent articles about legal insights ins schools all through K-12 classrooms.

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Background
On March 27, 2020, Congress enacted the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security ("CARES") Act in response to the Novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 ("COVID-19"). See H.R. 748. The CARES Act appropriated approximately $30.75 billion to create an Education Stabilization Fund ("ESF") to provide emergency funding for several education programs-including public K-12 schools, charter schools, and some private K-12 schools-in response to COVID-19. Allocation of ESF grants is statutorily tied to the allocation formulas established in Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act ("ESEA").

Using informal guidance, the U.S. Department of Education ("ED" or "the Department") has indicated that local education agencies ("LEAs" or "school districts") receiving federal emergency relief funds under the CARES Act must provide "equitable services" to private schools irrespective of the private school's population of low-income or other at-risk student population. This differs from the equitable services statutory provision of the ESEA, which provides funding for low-income and other students at risk of not meeting state academic standards based on the relative proportion of eligible children residing in the district who are enrolled in the private school.

As discussed below, this guidance departs from both from the statutory text of CARES Act and previous Department guidance, resulting in confusion and uncertainty regarding the distribution of this much-needed emergency funding. Adding to the confusion, the Department provided in the guidance document itself that its guidance does "not have the force and effect of law." However, school districts and states seeking to take advantage of the much-needed funding and remain in compliance with the law generally rely on the Department's interpretation of education-related statutes and regulations and are in a difficult position when such interpretation is in conflict with the statutory text.
The CARES Act Establishes Education Stabilization Fund
As relevant to K-12 schools, the CARES Act authorized the Department to provide two categories of ESF "grants" administered through state education agencies: the Governor's Emergency Education Relief (" GEER") Fund (H.R. 748 § 18002) and the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (" ESSER") Fund ( Id. § 18003).

Generally, the GEER Fund may be used to provide broad emergency support to schools "most significantly impacted by coronavirus" to support continued educational services and "on-going functionality" of schools. Id. § 18002(c)(1). In addition, as deemed by the individual state governors as essential, funds may be used to carry out emergency educational services for students; provide childcare, early childhood education, and social and emotional support; and protect education-related jobs. Id. § 18002(c)(3). The Department views the GEER Fund as a "an extraordinarily flexible 'emergency block grant' designed to enable governors to decide how best to meet the needs of students" and schools. States can apply for GEER Funds using the Certification and Agreement form on the Department's website.

In contrast, the ESSER Fund must be used for one or more statutorily-defined purposes, as outlined by the CARES Act's twelve permitted uses:

Any activity authorized by the ESEA of 1965;

Coordination of preparedness and response efforts;

Providing principals and others school leaders with the resources necessary to address the needs of their individual schools;

Activities to address the unique needs of low-income children or students, children with disabilities, English learners, racial and ethnic minorities, students experiencing homelessness, and foster care youth;

Developing and implementing procedures and systems to improve the preparedness and response efforts of local educational agencies;

Training and professional development for staff of the local educational agency on sanitation and minimizing the spread of infectious diseases;

Purchasing supplies to sanitize and clean the facilities of a local educational agency;

Planning for and coordinating during long-term closures, including for how to provide meals to eligible students, how to provide technology for online learning to all students, and compliance with IDEA and other federal, state and local laws;

Purchasing educational technology for students;

Providing mental health services and supports;

Planning and implementing activities related to summer learning and supplemental after-school programs; or

Other activities that are necessary to maintain the operation of and continuity of services.

Allocation of GEER and ESSER Funds
Critically, however, with respect to K-12 schools, the allocation of both GEER and ESSER funds is statutorily tied to the formulas set forth in Title I of ESEA, which allocates Title I funding primarily based on the number of children living in poverty and other children at risk of failing to meet state academic standards. See 20 U.S.C. § 6333(c).

Specifically, while 60% of the GEER Fund is allocated based on the state's relative population of school-aged (5-24) individuals, the remaining 40% must be allocated based on ESEA section 1124(c) allocations from the most recent fiscal year. H.R. 748 § 18002(b)(2); see 20 U.S.C. § 6333(c). The ESEA Basic Grant allocates Title I dollars to school districts based on the number of poor students they serve. A district qualifies for the funding if it has at least 10 poor children and 2% of its students live in poverty. Thus, virtually all school districts are eligible for GEER Funds-in amounts determined at the governor's discretion-based on this Title I formula.

Similarly, grants provided through the ESSER Fund are allocated to states based on the Title I - Part A allocations for the most recent fiscal year. H.R. 748 § 18003(b). Each state is then responsible for administering "subgrants" to schools "in proportion to the amount of funds" received under Title I in the most recent fiscal year. Id. § 18003(c).

Section 18005 of the CARES Act requires LEAs that receives GEER or ESSER funds to provide "equitable services" to students and teachers in non-public schools. Id. § 18005. Importantly, the text of the statute expressly states that such equitable services be provided " in the same manner as provided under section 1117 of the [ESEA]" (codified at 20 U.S.C. § 6320) (emphasis added). Section 1117 requires schools to provide such equitable services "[t]o the extent consistent with the number of eligible children . . . in the school district . . . who are enrolled in private" school. 20 U.S.C. § 6320(a)(1) (emphasis added). A child's "eligibility" for equitable assistance is determined based on Title I's "Targeted Assistance Schools" program, which defines "eligible children" as "children identified by the school as failing, or at most risk of failing, to meet the challenging State academic standards on the basis of multiple, educationally related, objective criteria established by the local educational agency and supplemented by the school . . . ." 20 U.S.C. §§ 6320, 6315(c).

Thus, as recently as October 2019, the Department instructed school districts to "[e]nsure that its expenditures for equitable services are equal to the proportion of funds generated by children from low-income families who reside in participating Title I public school attendance areas and attend private schools" (emphasis added).
Departmental Guidance on "Equitable Services" under the CARES Act
On April 30, 2020, the Department issued new guidance titled "Providing Equitable Services to Students and Teachers in Non-Public Schools Under the Cares Act Programs" (the "FAQ"). Instead of following the ESEA funding formulas incorporated by the CARES Act, the FAQ "interpret[s]" the CARES Act to require school districts to provide equitable services to "all non-public school students and teachers without regard to family income, residency, or eligibility based on low achievement" (FAQ at 3).

To accomplish this, the FAQ requires school districts to calculate the "proportional share" of a private school's equitable services allotment "based on the number of children enrolled in each non-public school whose students or teachers participate in the CARES Act programs compared to the number of students enrolled in public schools in the LEA" (FAQ at 4). Therefore, in contravention of Title I, the FAQ states that a school district "need not collect poverty data from non-public schools" to calculate equitable services under the CARES Act (FAQ at 5), and "equitable services under the CARES Act programs are not based on residence in a participating Title I public school attendance area and are also not limited only to low-achieving students and their teachers." In other words, the Department's guidance calculates a private school's proportional share based on total enrollments of private schools based on the location of a private school within a school district, without accounting in any way for poverty or other equity metrics.

The Department rationalized this by finding (1) "under the CARES Act programs, the LEA in which a non-public school is located is responsible for providing equitable services to students and teachers in the school," as opposed to Title I - Part A, where "[o]nly low-achieving students who live in a participating Title I public school attendance area are eligible for services" (FAQ at 1-2) (emphasis added); (2) "the services that an LEA may provide under the CARES Act programs are clearly available to all public school students and teachers, not only low-achieving students and their teachers as under Title I, Part A" (FAQ at 6); and thus, (3) "Although an LEA receives ESSER formula funds via the Title I, Part A formula, ESSER formula funds are not Title I, Part A funds and are not subject to Title I, Part A requirements" (Department of Education FAQ about the ESSER Fund at 5).

However, the formulas in Title I - Part A do not control the use (i.e., "services") of ESEA funding; rather, it is a formula for allocating funding to ensure that federal money is provided equitably to school and communities with the most need. Once the funds are appropriately allocated to school districts based on these equity metrics, schools are then free to use the funds to provide services in accordance with the GEER and ESSER guidelines, irrespective of student poverty or achievement status. The Department's guidance essentially conflates these two principles to direct more funding to private schools.

Under this interpretation, high-poverty school districts stand to lose millions of dollars that instead must be shared with private schools, which disproportionately serve wealthy families and communities, regardless of the economic need of the school's students and the community.
Next Steps: Legislation and Litigation
Legislators, including the chairman of the Senate Education Committee, have stated that the Department's interpretation is inconsistent with the text and purpose of the CARES Act statute. In addition, some legislators have proposed new legislation to amend the CARES Act to make clear that funds allocated for equitable services under the CARES Act must be provided "based on the number of nonpublic school students who were identified in the calculation under section 1117(c)(1) of the ESEA for purposes of Title I-A during the 2019-2020 school year relative to the sum of such students in public schools during the 2019-2020 school year."

The Department stated in a recent letter responding to the Council of Chief State School Officers that it will be issuing a rule on the topic in the next few weeks and inviting public comments. The letter "disagrees" with any contention that the guidance does not comport with the CARES Act. The letter also states that if districts "insist on acting contrary to the Department's stated position, they should, at minimum, put into an escrow account the difference between the amount generated by the proportional-student enrollment formula and the Title I, Part A formula."

While many states are pushing back against the policy-including Republican-led states like Oklahoma, Mississippi and Indiana along with Maine, Washington, Pennsylvania, New Mexico and Wisconsin-others-including Texas and Tennessee-have said they will go along with the guidance. Other states have reported that they are still evaluating next steps, and some are advising districts to temporarily set aside the money that would go to private schools if the guidance is enforced. According to Politico, education departments in Missouri, Arizona, Connecticut, California, South Carolina, New York, Oregon and D.C. are still reviewing the guidance, and Colorado, Illinois and Ohio are advising districts to calculate the equitable share based on students in poverty, but to set aside the difference in funding.

As provided above, the Department has stated that its guidance does not have the force of law. Generally, only final agency action may be challenged. See 5 U.S.C. § 704. As such, agency action that does not impose rights, obligations, or legal consequences is, as a routine matter, not challengeable agency action. However, the Department's own assertions about whether its guidance imposes new rights or obligations, or carries the force of law, are not necessarily relied upon. In 2016, a federal district court in Texas ruled that the Department's guidance on transgender students-presented through a Dear Colleague letter-created legal consequences, and thus was final agency action, despite the Department's representations to the contrary. The court in Texas v. U.S. issued a nationwide preliminary injunction of the guidance, ruling that the Department's promulgation of the guidance was inconsistent with notice and comment rulemaking, and, as perhaps relevant here, the guidance itself was inconsistent with the text of the relevant statute, Title IX and its implementing regulations.

Any inconsistencies between the CARES Act guidance and ESEA, particularly related to equitable funding requirements, could thus result in litigation. The economic impact on high-poverty school districts, whether prospective or realized, could potentially result in the issuance of an injunction against this guidance. The threat of litigation with such aims could also spur the Department to revise its guidance.

The K-12 education attorneys at Husch Blackwell will continue to monitor and evaluate developing legal and practical considerations for educational institutions in response to COVID-19. Husch Blackwell's own guidance relating to a host of issues, including labor and employment, data security and privacy, and healthcare considerations are available in the firm's Coronavirus Toolkit, which is updated on an ongoing basis.
Contact Us
Questions regarding this guidance or your institution's response to the COVID-19 outbreak can be directed to COVID19response@huschblackwell.com. Additionally, you can contact John Borkowksi, Aleks Rushing, Mary Deweese, Paige Duggins-Clay or your Husch Blackwell education law contact.

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K-12 Legal Insights - Public School Law - Husch Blackwell LLP

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Background On March 27, 2020, Congress enacted the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security ("CARES") Act in response to the Novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 ("COVID-19"). See H.R. 748. The CARES Act appropriated approximately $30.75 billion to create an Education Stabilization Fund ("ESF") to provide emergency funding for several education programs-including public K-12 schools, charter schools, and some private K-12 schools-in response to COVID-19.

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This website includes pretty much all you need to know about UDL with research, FAQs, graphic organizers, and the breakdown of the UDL Guidelines.

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Universal Design for Learning (UDL): A Teacher’s guide

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Universal Design for Learning (UDL): A Teacher’s guide

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This website explains what UDL is, what it looks like in a classroom, how to use it, how families can support it, resources for distance learning, research, and many additional resources for understanding UDL.

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UDL stands for Universal Design for Learning. When you teach using UDL, your lessons are designed in flexible ways to meet the needs of individual learners. Read more about UDL.

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5 Examples of Universal Design for Learning in the Classroom

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5 Examples of Universal Design for Learning in the Classroom

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This source gives five examples of UDL int he Classroom and what it looks like for students and teachers.

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Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST)

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5 Examples of Universal Design for Learning in the Classroom

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Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is an approach to teaching aimed at meeting the needs of every student in a classroom. It can be helpful for all kids, including kids with learning and attention issues. But UDL takes careful planning by teachers. Here are just a few examples of how UDL can work in a classroom.

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This source gives a specific example of MS.Sung, a sixth-grade teacher at Sycamore Middle School and how she uses UDL in her classroom. You can also click on the different links and it will give you specific information on many topics relating to UDL.

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Page 8: Designing with UDL

As you have learned, the three UDL principles- provide multiple means of engagement, provide multiple means of representation, and provide multiple means of action and expression -are critical to designing accessible and equitable learning experiences. Educators who embrace UDL expect their students to differ in how they engage with learning, make meaning of content, and navigate and communicate their learning. With this learner variability in mind, educators build in flexible options, which reduce the barriers in the design of instruction and build learner agency.

Research Shows

Although UDL itself is a multifaceted framework, a recent meta-analysis of 20 studies examined the effect of instruction utilizing UDL principles on learners' achievement. The results demonstrated the emergence of UDL-based instruction as a research-based practice. More specifically, the academic achievement of learners in UDL-based settings was better than those in non-UDL-based settings. Furthermore, this positive effect was seen:

Among learners with and without disabilities

Across age groups

In all subject areas

(King-Sears et al., 2023)
Educators can apply the UDL framework throughout the instructional cycle as they:

Proactively design-before instruction

Implement-during instruction

Reflect and redesign-after instruction

Proactively Design

When educators think about UDL from the start, they design instruction to meet the needs of the widest possible range of learners. During this stage, educators should:

Anticipate learner variability: Educators integrate options for engagement, representation, and action and expression when they expect their learners to have varied backgrounds, experiences, strengths, and challenges.

Remove barriers: Educators identify where students might get "stuck" in the lesson. These anticipated barriers in the instructional design provide clues for where flexible options should be built in.

Analyze the goal: Educators remember the mantra "clear goals, multiple means" and make sure that the learning goal is focused on what students will learn, not how they will learn it.

Align the design: Educators develop assessments, plan instructional methods, and choose instructional materials that align with the learning goal, while encouraging different, yet robust, learning pathways for all learners to meet the goal.

Keep in Mind

UDL offers general and special educators a common language for designing learning experiences. When these educators collaborate and use UDL, they should remember:

Even the most flexible designs do not eliminate the need for special education services and supports for students with disabilities-For example, an educator provides all students with options to demonstrate their understanding of a butterfly's life cycle (e.g., drawing a diagram, composing a description), but a student with a physical disability may still require, and is entitled to, the AT outlined in the IEP (e.g., composition tools) to be able to engage in the learning experience.

A necessary support for students with disabilities can be a beneficial option for all students-For example, a student's IEP may mandate the use of audiobooks in place of textbooks. While this option is required for this student, it may also be beneficial for other students (e.g., those who struggle with reading, those who prefer to listen rather than read).

The following resources offer more information about using a UDL lens to design learning experiences.

Implement Instruction

During instruction, students and educators engage in the learning process together. During this stage, educators should:

Communicate the goal: Educators ensure students know what they are working to achieve and remind them of the goal throughout the learning process.

Facilitate learning experiences: Educators provide the multiple means of engagement, representation, and action and expression that were planned during the instructional design stage.

Empower expert learners: Educators provide opportunities for students to take charge of some of their own learning decisions. Educators observe how students use or don't use available options and guide students in reflecting on how their choices benefit or pose barriers to their learning.

Reflect and Redesign

Try as they might, educators are rarely able to anticipate every barrier that might show up during instruction. After the learning experience, reflective educators evaluate what worked and what could be improved in the future. During this stage, educators should:

Reflect on the goal: Educators begin by reflecting on the clarity of the learning goal. If it was unclear what students needed to know or be able to do, or if the means were inadvertently embedded within the goal, the educator should rewrite the goal for the next time the lesson is taught.

Evaluate the assessments, methods, and materials: Educators carefully review the options that were provided during instruction and consider which were effective and which may have presented unexpected barriers.

Plan for improvements: Educators identify adaptations that could strengthen the design next time. If the learning experience was appropriately accessible and flexible, educators can think about adjustments to the design that could further empower students as agents of their own learning.

UDL is a broad framework that can require a major shift in thinking for many educators. Likewise, designing instruction using UDL takes time and effort, but it is a worthwhile endeavor. Fully integrating the principles of UDL is an ongoing process that will not happen overnight. Educators can start by making small changes aligned with the UDL principles and build over time. As they do so, they will begin to see that all students have access to learning experiences and opportunities to use and grow their agency as learners.

To make designing instruction with UDL feasible, both Shauntā Singer and Sarah Wisecarver suggest starting with the goal, ensuring that it incorporates flexible means.

Shauntā Singer, PhD
Research & Development/
Professional Learning Research Scientist
CAST

(time: 2:00)

(time: 2:24)

Transcript: Shauntā Singer, PhD

Barriers that exist in teaching and learning are those things that get in the way of students meeting various learning goals. And so those roadblocks, barriers, challenges can exist in the form of various things. And what we like to think is that the barriers intuitively or inherently are not in the student, but they can be unintentionally produced in the methods, materials, goals, and assessments that we as instructional designers create. For example, printed material may be how we would traditionally present content. But we have learners who would either prefer and/or have limits to being able to access the information that's in printed material. And so that material becomes inflexible or access to the material becomes the barrier. And so the idea behind identifying barriers is to think proactively about what specific materials, methods we may use and try to eliminate those barriers so that more students are able to meet those goals. Or, in our example, more students are able to access the information that's in that printed text. I like to think of printed text for some as being very inflexible, meaning if students have challenges like reading, if they have any visual impairments that prevent them from being able to actually see the print on the paper, perhaps language is not their first language or language of choice, accessing the content in that printed material would be very difficult. And so that's a very fixed or inflexible material. To make it more flexible and/or eliminating the barriers, we could make it digital so that we could translate or so that it could be spoken out loud to learners who may have those visual impairments. And so the barriers again are things that may be inherent to the particular material that we use. But eliminating the barriers would allow students to meet those goals again in our example, accessing that information in that printed text.

Transcript: Sarah Wisecarver

So when I think about what someone new to UDL should do, one of the things I think about right away is to have them focus on the goal and to make sure that the goal of the lesson has a flexible means. Saying, "Students will read a nonfiction article and write about the main idea"-that's not a very flexible goal because I'm asking them to read it, and I'm asking them to write about it. And there may be barriers in those two things for certain students. So changing the goal, we could think about just saying, "Students will determine the main idea of nonfiction." So "determine" is a more flexible goal. Then they could listen to it through auditory. Maybe I provide a graphic organizer for some vocab work, so they could get some background knowledge right away. Maybe when they are talking about the main idea, they talk about it with a partner first or with me. Maybe they sketch it. Or, oftentimes in my classroom, I use an iPad, and there's a spot where students could record their ideas. So maybe they go over to that quiet spot, and they hit record, and they just do a quick speaking of what they believe the main idea is. Or maybe they grab their Chromebook, and they create a Google Doc with speech-to-text. The goal of determining the main idea of nonfiction stays the same, but how the students achieve it, there's multiple options. And I am providing feedback along the way, so when you look in the classroom, they're almost never doing the same thing. They're always doing different things based on what they need at the time, and I am constantly going from one group to another, to an individual, to check in to provide some meaningful feedback on that work. So when we can focus on a goal and make the goal flexible, I think that's a really good way to start.

But it is important to realize the mantra, "Go slow to go fast." We don't want to go too quickly because sometimes when you implement new designs in education, and you don't deal with fidelity, and you lose it. It's a lot of work, don't get me wrong, but it's really great, fulfilling work, and we see such a difference with our students. They're advocating for themselves. They know what they need for their learning.

To learn more about designing with UDL, we encourage you to listen to the extended IRIS Interviews below. First, Sarah Wisecarver describes a lesson in which she applied the UDL framework and discusses how her students engaged in the learning experience. Then, Jenna Gravel, Senior Research Scientist at CAST, and Nicole TuckerSmith, Founder and CEO of Lessoncast, explain how the UDL framework is ever evolving to address barriers and to create a more equitable classroom for all students. They also offer advice for educators who are just starting to implement UDL.

Returning to the Challenge

Mr. Hughes, Ms. Tong, and Mrs. Rios have deepened their understanding of the UDL framework. As they have applied the lens of UDL to each of their instructional components, they have anticipated learner variability and identified barriers in their original designs. All three educators have now proactively designed instruction to provide multiple means of engagement, representation, and action and expression. Below, explore some of the ways each educator's learning experiences have changed after they applied UDL.

Mr. Hughes

Ms. Tong

Mrs. Rios

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As you have learned, the three UDL principles- provide multiple means of engagement, provide multiple means of representation, and provide multiple means of action and expression -are critical to designing accessible and equitable learning experiences. Educators who embrace UDL expect their students to differ in how they engage with learning, make meaning of content, and navigate and communicate their learning.

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This website gives a breakdown of different lesson plans for different grades in Science. The lesson plans include an overview, unit description, state standards, goals, methods, etc. for each unit using UDL. You can also create your own UDL lesson and learn about it on this website.

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Explore Model UDL Lesson Plans

This section of the UDL Lesson Builder shows you customized, UDL lessons aligned to standards and tailored to include principles and practical applications of Universal Design for Learning. As you review the lessons, be sure to click on to read or hear teacher think alouds that explain applications of UDL.

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CAST UDL Lesson Builder: Explore Model UDL Lesson Plans

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This section of the UDL Lesson Builder shows you customized, UDL lessons aligned to standards and tailored to include principles and practical applications of Universal Design for Learning. As you review the lessons, be sure to click on to read or hear teacher think alouds that explain…

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UDL Tools For All Grades and Subject Areas

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UDL Tools For All Grades and Subject Areas

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This website gives tools for all grades and subjects using the CAST UDL Guidelines. There is an implementation rubric, Bloom’s research, and many different links to information.

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The UDL Implementation Rubric was authored by Melissa Toland, and you can read more about it here. This is an adapted version of The UDL Progression Rubric by Dr. Katie Novak and Dr. Kristian Rodriguez. In the original version, teachers can self-evaluate their performance on each individual checkpoint of the UDL guidelines, whereas the adapted version is less specific in scope and focuses on performance in more general terms in the following areas: multiple means of engagement, multiple means of representation, and multiple means of action and expression. You can view this rubric to see where you may be in your UDL journey across a spectrum ranging from UDL explorer to UDL idol. Click the link below to download the pdf version of this document.

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CAST UDL Guidelines The two files below outline the UDL guidelines by multiple means of representation, multiple means of action & expression, and multiple means of engagement. Knowing the UDL...

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Teaching Strategies: 5 Ideas for Instructing Vocabulary

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Teaching Strategies: 5 Ideas for Instructing Vocabulary

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This link is a website that gives teachers different teaching strategies for instructing vocabulary.

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Teaching Strategies: 5 Ideas for Instructing Vocabulary - TeachHUB

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Mastering vocabulary is a goal for all elementary students, but how can a teacher help accomplish this? Try these 5 ideas for instructing vocabulary.

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The Importance of Vocabulary Development

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The Importance of Vocabulary Development

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This site explains the importance of vocabulary development and what it looks like in students, and how to develop vocabulary successfully.

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The Importance of Vocabulary Development

According to Steven Stahl (2005), "Vocabulary knowledge is knowledge; the knowledge of a word not only implies a definition, but also implies how that word fits into the world." We continue to develop vocabulary throughout our lives. Words are powerful. Words open up possibilities, and of course, that's what we want for all of our students.

​ Teaching words and vocabulary-learning strategies with Read Naturally programs

Key Concepts

Differences in Early Vocabulary Development

We know that young children acquire vocabulary indirectly, first by listening when others speak or read to them, and then by using words to talk to others. As children begin to read and write, they acquire more words through understanding what they are reading and then incorporate those words into their speaking and writing.

Vocabulary knowledge varies greatly among learners. The word knowledge gap between groups of children begins before they enter school. Why do some students have a richer, fuller vocabulary than some of their classmates?

Language rich home with lots of verbal stimulation

Wide background experiences

Read to at home and at school

Read a lot independently

Early development of word consciousness

Why do some students have a limited, inadequate vocabulary compared to most of their classmates?

Speaking/vocabulary not encouraged at home

Limited experiences outside of home

Limited exposure to books

Reluctant reader

Second language-English language learners

Children who have been encouraged by their parents to ask questions and to learn about things and ideas come to school with oral vocabularies many times larger than children from disadvantaged homes. Without intervention this gap grows ever larger as students proceed through school (Hart and Risley, 1995).

How Vocabulary Affects Reading Development

From the research, we know that vocabulary supports reading development and increases comprehension. Students with low vocabulary scores tend to have low comprehension and students with satisfactory or high vocabulary scores tend to have satisfactory or high comprehension scores.

The report of the National Reading Panel states that the complex process of comprehension is critical to the development of children's reading skills and cannot be understood without a clear understanding of the role that vocabulary development and instruction play in understanding what is read (NRP, 2000).

Chall's classic 1990 study showed that students with low vocabulary development were able to maintain their overall reading test scores at expected levels through grade four, but their mean scores for word recognition and word meaning began to slip as words became more abstract, technical, and literary. Declines in word recognition and word meaning continued, and by grade seven, word meaning scores had fallen to almost three years below grade level, and mean reading comprehension was almost a year below. Jeanne Chall coined the term "the fourth-grade slump" to describe this pattern in developing readers (Chall, Jacobs, and Baldwin, 1990).

Incidental and Intentional Vocabulary Learning

How do we close the gap for students who have limited or inadequate vocabularies? The National Reading Panel (2000) concluded that there is no single research-based method for developing vocabulary and closing the gap. From its analysis, the panel recommended using a variety of indirect (incidental) and direct (intentional) methods of vocabulary instruction.

Incidental Vocabulary Learning
Most students acquire vocabulary incidentally through indirect exposure to words at home and at school-by listening and talking, by listening to books read aloud to them, and by reading widely on their own.

The amount of reading is important to long-term vocabulary development (Cunningham and Stanovich, 1998). Extensive reading provides students with repeated or multiple exposures to words and is also one of the means by which students see vocabulary in rich contexts (Kamil and Hiebert, 2005).

Intentional Vocabulary Learning
Students need to be explicitly taught methods for intentional vocabulary learning. According to Michael Graves (2000), effective intentional vocabulary instruction includes:

Teaching specific words (rich, robust instruction) to support understanding of texts containing those words.

Teaching word-learning strategies that students can use independently.

Promoting the development of word consciousness and using word play activities to motivate and engage students in learning new words.

Research-Supported Vocabulary-Learning Strategies

Students need a wide range of independent word-learning strategies. Vocabulary instruction should aim to engage students in actively thinking about word meanings, the relationships among words, and how we can use words in different situations. This type of rich, deep instruction is most likely to influence comprehension (Graves, 2006; McKeown and Beck, 2004).

Student-Friendly Definitions

The meaning of a new word should be explained to students rather than just providing a dictionary definition for the word-which may be difficult for students to understand. According to Isabel Beck, two basic principles should be followed in developing student-friendly explanations or definitions (Beck et al., 2013):

Characterize the word and how it is typically used.

Explain the meaning using everyday language-language that is accessible and meaningful to the student.

Sometimes a word's natural context (in text or literature) is not informative or helpful for deriving word meanings (Beck et al., 2013). It is useful to intentionally create and develop instructional contexts that provide strong clues to a word's meaning. These are usually created by teachers, but they can sometimes be found in commercial reading programs.

Defining Words Within Context

Research shows that when words and easy-to-understand explanations are introduced in context, knowledge of those words increases (Biemiller and Boote, 2006) and word meanings are better learned (Stahl and Fairbanks, 1986). When an unfamiliar word is likely to affect comprehension, the most effective time to introduce the word's meaning may be at the moment the word is met in the text.

Using Context Clues

Research by Nagy and Scott (2000) showed that students use contextual analysis to infer the meaning of a word by looking closely at surrounding text. Since students encounter such an enormous number of words as they read, some researchers believe that even a small improvement in the ability to use context clues has the potential to produce substantial, long-term vocabulary growth (Nagy, Herman, and Anderson, 1985; Nagy, Anderson, and Herman, 1987; Swanborn and de Glopper, 1999).

Sketching the Words

For many students, it is easier to remember a word's meaning by making a quick sketch that connects the word to something personally meaningful to the student. The student applies each target word to a new, familiar context. The student does not have to spend a lot of time making a great drawing. The important thing is that the sketch makes sense and helps the student connect with the meaning of the word.

Applying the Target Words

Applying the target words provides another context for learning word meanings. When students are challenged to apply the target words to their own experiences, they have another opportunity to understand the meaning of each word at a personal level. This allows for deep processing of the meaning of each word.

Analyzing Word Parts

The ability to analyze word parts also helps when students are faced with unknown vocabulary. If students know the meanings of root words and affixes, they are more likely to understand a word containing these word parts. Explicit instruction in word parts includes teaching meanings of word parts and disassembling and reassembling words to derive meaning (Baumann et al., 2002; Baumann, Edwards, Boland, Olejnik, and Kame'enui, 2003; Graves, 2004).

Semantic Mapping

Semantic maps help students develop connections among words and increase learning of vocabulary words (Baumann et al., 2003; Heimlich and Pittleman, 1986). For example, by writing an example, a non-example, a synonym, and an antonym, students must deeply process the word persist.

Word Consciousness

Word consciousness is an interest in and awareness of words (Anderson and Nagy, 1992; Graves and Watts-Taffe, 2002). Students who are word conscious are aware of the words around them-those they read and hear and those they write and speak (Graves and Watts-Taffe, 2002). Word-conscious students use words skillfully. They are aware of the subtleties of word meaning. They are curious about language, and they enjoy playing with words and investigating the origins and histories of words.

Teachers need to take word-consciousness into account throughout their instructional day-not just during vocabulary lessons (Scott and Nagy, 2004). It is important to build a classroom "rich in words" (Beck et al., 2002). Students should have access to resources such as dictionaries, thesauruses, word walls, crossword puzzles, Scrabble® and other word games, literature, poetry books, joke books, and word-play activities.

Teachers can promote the development of word consciousness in many ways:

Language categories: Students learn to make finer distinctions in their word choices if they understand the relationships among words, such as synonyms, antonyms, and homographs.

Figurative language: The ability to deal with figures of speech is also a part of word-consciousness (Scott and Nagy 2004). The most common figures of speech are similes, metaphors, and idioms.

Once language categories and figurative language have been taught, students should be encouraged to watch for examples of these in all content areas.

Teaching Words and Vocabulary-Learning Strategies With Read Naturally Programs

Take Aim at Vocabulary: Build Vocabulary in the Middle Grades

These intentional vocabulary learning strategies can be efficiently and effectively implemented using Read Naturally's program Take Aim! at Vocabulary. Take Aim is appropriate for students who can read at least at a fourth grade level. Take Aim is available in two formats:

The semi-independent format provides differentiated instruction for students working mostly independently.

The small-group format is designed for small-group instruction-up to six students.

Each Take Aim level teaches 288 carefully selected target words in the context of engaging, non-fiction stories. The target words are systematically taught using the research-based strategies described above. The intensive and focused lesson design helps students learn the target words and internalize the skills and strategies necessary for independently learning unknown words.

Learn more about how Take Aim teaches vocabulary and word-learning strategies:

Splat-O-Nym: Vocabulary Word Game for iPad

Read Naturally also offers a Splat-O-Nym app for iPad that teaches vocabulary using game-based technology. Splat-O-Nym quizzes students with synonym questions, antonym questions, and meaning-from-context questions and awards points for correct answers.

Learn more about the Splat-O-Nym app:

Other Programs That Support Vocabulary Development

These other Read Naturally programs do not focus on vocabulary but include activities that support vocabulary development:

Read Naturally® Live
Cloud-based software that develops fluency and phonics and also provides support for vocabulary with audio-supported definitions of key words.
Learn more about Read Naturally Live

Bibliography

Anderson, R. C., & Nagy, W. E. (1992). "The vocabulary conundrum," American Educator, Vol. 16, pp. 14-18, 44-47.

Baumann, J. F., Edwards, E. C., Boland, E., Olejnik, S., & Kame'enui, E. (2003). "Vocabulary tricks: effects of instruction in morphology and context on fifth grade students' ability to derive and infer word meanings," American Educational Research Journal, Vol. 40, No. 2, pp. 447-494.

Baumann, J. F., Edwards, E. C., Font, G., Tereshinski, C. A., Kame'enui, E. J., & Olejnik, S. (2002). "Teaching morphemic and contextual analysis to fifth-grade students." Reading Research Quarterly, Vol. 37, pp. 150-176.

Baumann, J. F., Kame'enui, E. J., & Ash, G. E. (2003). "Research on vocabulary instruction: Voltaire redux," in J. Flood, D. Lapp, J. R. Squire, and J. M. Jensen (eds.), Handbook of research on teaching the English language arts, 2nd ed., Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum, pp. 752-785.

Beck, I. L., McKeown, M. G., & Kucan, L. (2002). Bringing words to life. Robust vocabulary instruction, New York: Guilford Press.

Beck, I. L., McKeown, M. G., & Kucan, L. (2013). Bringing words to life. Robust vocabulary instruction, 2nd ed., New York: Guilford Press.

Biemiller, A. & Boote, C. (2006). "An effective method for building meaning vocabulary in the primary grades," Journal of Educational Psychology, Vol. 98, No. 1, pp. 44-62.

Chall, J. S., Jacobs, V. A., & Baldwin, L. E. (1990). The reading crisis: Why poor children fall behind, Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Cunningham, A. E. & Stanovich, K. E. (1998). "What reading does for the mind," American Educator, Vol. 22, pp. 8-15.

Graves, M. F. (2000). "A vocabulary program to complement and bolster a middle-grade comprehension program," in B. M. Taylor, M. F. Graves, and P. Van Den Broek (eds.), Reading for meaning: Fostering comprehension in the middle grades, New York: Teachers College Press.

Graves, M. F. (2004). "Teaching prefixes: As good as it gets?," in J. Baumann & E. Kame'enui (eds.), Vocabulary instruction, research to practice, New York: Guilford Press, pp. 81-99.

Graves, M. F. (2006). The vocabulary book, New York: Teachers College Press, International Reading Association, National Council of Teachers of English.

Graves, M. F. & Watts-Taffe, S. M. (2002). "The place of word consciousness in a research-based vocabulary program," in A. E. Farstrup and S. J. Samuels (eds.), What research has to say about reading instruction, Newark, DE: International Reading Association.

Hart, B. & Risley, T. R. (1995). Meaningful differences in the everyday experience of young American children, Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes.

Heimlich, J. E. & Pittleman, S. D. (1986). Semantic mapping: Classroom applications, Newark, DE: International Reading Association.

Kamil, M. L. & Hiebert, E. H. (2005). "Teaching and learning vocabulary: Perspectives and persistent issues," in E. H. Hiebert and M. L. Kamil (eds.), Teaching and learning vocabulary: Bringing research to practice, Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.

McKeown, M. G. & Beck, I. L. (2004). "Direct and rich vocabulary instruction," in J. Baumann & E. Kame'enui (eds.), Vocabulary instruction, research to practice, New York: Guilford Press, pp. 13-27.

Nagy, W. E., Anderson, R. C., & Herman, P. A. (1987). "Learning word meanings from context during normal reading," American Educational Research Journal, Vol. 24, pp. 237-270.

Nagy, W. E., Herman, P. A. & Anderson, R. C. (1985). "Learning words from context," Reading Research Quarterly, Vol. 20, No. 2, pp. 233-253.

Nagy, W. E. & Scott, J. A. (2000). "Vocabulary processes," in M. L. Kamil, P. Mosenthal, P. D. Pearson, and R. Barr (eds.), Handbook of reading research, Vol. 3, Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.

National Reading Panel. (2000). Teaching children to read: An evidence-based assessment of the scientific research literature on reading and its implications for reading instruction (NIH Publication No. 00-4769), Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, pp. 13-14.

Scott, J. & Nagy, W. (2004). "Developing word consciousness," in J. Baumann & E. Kame'enui (eds.), Vocabulary instruction, research to practice, New York: Guilford Press, pp. 201-215.

Stahl, S. A. (2005). "Four problems with teaching word meanings (and what to do to make vocabulary an integral part of instruction)," in E. H. Hiebert and M. L. Kamil (eds.), Teaching and learning vocabulary: Bringing research to practice, Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.

Stahl, S. A. & Fairbanks, M. M. (1986). "The effects of vocabulary instruction: A model-based meta analysis," Review of Educational Research, Vol. 56, pp. 72-110.

Swanborn, M. S. & de Glopper, K. (1999). "Incidental word learning while reading: A meta-analysis," Review of Educational Research, Vol. 69, pp. 261-285.

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Vocabulary development supports reading and increases comprehension. Students need to be explicitly taught words and vocabulary learning strategies.

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Vocabulary Words for 1st Through 12th Graders

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Vocabulary Words for 1st Through 12th Graders

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This is a website that gives students, teachers, parents, or anyone a list of vocabulary words from 1st grade through 12th grade.

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We suggest printing out these word lists, posting them on your fridge (or somewhere you and your child will see them easily and often), and making a point of using one or two at a time in everyday conversation with your child. Feeling creative? Make learning these new words into a game! The more fun you and your child have learning what these vocabulary words mean and practicing using them in conversation (even silly conversation), the better.

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Vocabulary words for 1st through 12th graders

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Boost your child's reading skills with our grade-based lists of academic vocabulary words for kids in 1st grade through 12th grade.

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This websites helps kids to pick the right book that they will enjoy and be engaged in. Some students don’t like reading because they do not have the right books, and this helps with it with an acronym.

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The secret to helping kids learn how to choose the right book is simple.

It's all about teaching them one word that they can keep in their back pocket any time they're in the library or school media center. It's one word they can lean on when they're in the class book corner or at the book fair.

All they need to remember is P.I.C.K.

P.I.C.K. stands for Purpose, Interest, Comprehension, and Know the Words.

P = Purpose: We need to have kids consider their purpose for reading. Why are they looking for a book in the first place? Is it totally a free choice, or is there some other reason for reading it?

In order to determine purpose, consider asking:
* Are they reading for pleasure?
* Are they trying to learn something?
* Is the book going to be read silently or out loud?
* Who is their audience?

Most often, purpose for reading can be found with a quick answer.

I = Interest. When choosing a book, it should be something of interest. With the many millions of books on shelves today, there's bound to be something out there for everyone. And emphasizing the interest connections is super-important as well. If the child is interested in cars, then don't stop at fictional stories about cars; consider books about racetracks, car construction, history of racing, racecar drivers, or car design. If it's magic that intrigues your daughter, then emphasize books about magic shows, magic tricks, and magicians; look for books that involve fantasy, science, and invention.

Even if children have a short amount of time to choose books, they can determine interest by:
* Looking at the front cover
* Flipping through the pages to glance at photos or illustrations
* Reading the back cover
* Reading the chapter titles

C = Comprehend. Is the book something that the child can comprehend? Can he or she understand what's read? Is it a book that is appropriate for his or her level or abilities?

Children are more aware of their reading "level" than we may think, so though we don't want to lean entirely on it, it's okay to remind kids that if they're choosing a book to read independently, and they read at a Level E (for example) that they should not choose a book from the Level M basket. Also, it's important to teach kids that if the book isn't labeled with a level, they can quickly assess if it's an appropriate book for them by opening the book and choosing a page - the book is appropriate for them if they are able to understand what they read.

Children can determine comprehension asking themselves:
* Did I understand what I just read?
* Do I remember what I read?
* Was I able to read most of the words?

This brings us to our final letter: K.

K = Know the Words. Readers should be able to decode -- or read -- and understand the majority of the words on the page. The key is to remembering the "Five Finger Rule."

The "Five Finger Rule" outlines a general idea of how many words a reader should be able to read on each page.
* 0-1 unknown words = book is too easy
* 2-3 unknown words = book is just right
* 4-5 unknown words = book is too difficult

Knowing P.I.C.K. is empowering for kids. They want to know how to choose books that fit for them -- books that are enjoyable, fun, and exciting. It's all about giving our kids the tools they need to be strong, confident readers. Choosing the best book is the starting point.

How do you help your kids choose "best fit" books? We'd love to hear it! Share your thoughts on the Scholastic Parents Facebook page, or find Amy on Twitter, @teachmama, and let's continue the conversation! You can also easily shop all books at The Scholastic Store.
Want more book and reading ideas? Sign up for our Scholastic Parents newsletter.

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The secret to helping kids learn how to choose the right book is simple. It's all about teaching them one word that they can keep in their back pocket any time they're in the library or school media center. It's one word they can lean on when they're in the class book corner or at the book fair.

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Simple Ways to Build Math Skills at Home

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Simple Ways to Build Math Skills at Home

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This is a website that helps parents to help their students at home with real world examples in math, and how to do them.

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Use these tips to build your child's math skills.

Positive attitude about math

Do you like math or does it make you anxious? Your feelings about math can greatly influence your child's perception of math. Help your child enjoy math by talking about it in a positive manner. Think out loud when you are using math skills so your child will hear your thinking process. Let her know that there are multiple ways to solve problems.

Problem solving with real-world math

Math has evolved from the computation we most likely experienced in math class to an emphasis on problem solving. Computation is still important, but it is used to solve real- life problems. The emphasis is generally on math processes that enable your child to learn multiple strategies to become a proficient problem solver. Model the importance of math in the real world and encourage your child to help when you:

Balance your checkbook

Pay bills

Estimate the cost of the groceries in your cart

Determine how much food to buy or make for a party

Double a recipe or cut a recipe in half

Figure the cost of lunch at a restaurant

Calculate the cost of school lunch for the week or month

Determine how long your child will need to save his allowance in order to buy a particular item

Determine the number of miles driven in X hours

Determine how long it will take to drive home going X mph

Figure the cost of X number of minutes of cell phone use if you pay X cents/minutes

Determine how many gallons of gas you can buy with X dollars

Determine how many chocolate chips are needed if X number of cookies each has 3 chocolate chips

Games that build number sense

Play games with your child to reinforce number sense. Try Racko by Hasbro. This game involves putting numbered cards in order from greatest to least. Yahtzee is perfect for working on multiplication facts and reinforcing addition skills. There are many fun card and dice games that utilize math skills.

Practice multiplication facts

Your child is expected to know multiplication facts. Have your child bounce a basketball as he says the multiples of different numbers. For example, he can practice the multiples of 9 for each bounce 9, 18, 27, 36. Then he can say them backward: 81, 72, 63, 54. Research shows that kinesthetic movement helps the brain learn facts.
Updated: December 6, 2019

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Simple ways to build math skills at home | Parenting

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Use these tips to build your child's math skills. Do you like math or does it make you anxious? Your feelings about math can greatly influence your child's perception of math. Help your child enjoy math by talking about it in a positive manner.

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Math Skills Practice at Home: A Teacher’s Guide for Encouragement

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Math Skills Practice at Home: A Teacher’s Guide for Encouragement

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This website gives a variety of many ways to help encourage students to practice their math skills at home.

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This post contains affiliate links for your convenience. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. View disclosure policy HERE.
Read this teacher's guide to encouraging families to take part in teaching math skills at home. This post includes fun ideas and a FREE home math practice pack.
Informing parents about how to help their children practice Math at home is a critical factor in their child's success within the classroom. There are many ways to encourage teaching Math at home. Here are some ways you can help families to be involved in their child's learning. Family involvement in education is crucial to the retention of information all year, but especially at the end of the school year.

Practicing Math Skills At Home

As the summer approaches, it's a good idea to start reminding families of the importance of their involvement and what they can do at home to help their child. Practicing math concepts at home doesn't have to be stressful, time-consuming, or involve pencil and paper. By sharing some of these ideas with families, you show them how simple it can be to incorporate Math into daily activities and routines.

Games Involving Math Skills

Board Games: Children love board games. Not only do they promote screen-free time and family bonding, but they are often educational! Some of my favorites for teaching Math are Hi, Ho Cherry-O, Yahtzee, and Trouble.

Playing with Tactile Objects: Encourage parents to use whatever they have at home to continue to build on their child's number sense skills. Math manipulatives such as those we have in our classrooms may not be accessible to them. However, things such as coins, a bag of dry beans, stickers, or shape cut-outs would work just as well for hands-on learning.

There are also free online games such as those found on Apps and Web-Based Games: Apps and online games are engaging and stimulating when used in moderation. There are so many great programs, but the one I recommend most for primary grades is ABCMouse.com. It's not just for preschoolers, but it's geared for up to age 8. And at only $7.95 per month (usually the first month is free) - it's a very affordable option for summer learning. ABCYa.com, Math Playground, and Cool Math Games.

Math Skills Practice Handouts

Online Printables: Parents should utilize the multitude of printable math worksheets that can be found and downloaded (often for free) online. Also, it should be noted that most children also need hands-on instruction to go along with them. Inform parents of the importance of having small objects nearby that students can use while completing their math practice.

Daily Math Practice Sheets: An excellent option for home practice are Math Mats - simple and easy to print out, and they are conducive to a daily practice routine. Each mat provides the necessary spiral math review to keep math concepts fresh. Try some for FREE by clicking HERE!

Make it Routine: Through the Bedtime Math program, parents can build Math into their nightly routine with a question of the day, as well as print off activity pages for practice with their children.

Talking About Math Skills

Discussions: Natural opportunities for parents to bring up Math topics with their kids frequently occur throughout the day. During everyday play is the best chance to slip in some Math vocabulary. For example, point out to parents how they can talk about geometry, symmetry, measurement, problem-solving, and counting while they build with LEGOs or while drawing with sidewalk chalk.

Figuring it Out: Mental Math is the perfect skill practice on the go. Remind parents that even on short car rides, Math can be practiced by posing questions to children on any topic that requires them to think about the answer in their head. The problem can be as simple as: "It is 10 miles from our house to the mall. We've already driven four miles. How much farther do we have left to drive?"

Real-Life Math Skills

Daily Vocabulary: Give families a list of terms and concepts in Math that you are teaching in class, and that can be brought up in everyday life with their children. Challenge them to bring up one idea per day through natural conversation. In doing so, they will help to cement the concepts into a child's memory. A straightforward way to do this is to search for shapes in the neighborhood while walking around the block.

During Play: Parents can bring up Math concepts throughout the day during play. Things like blocks, crayons, toy cars, puzzles, and crafts can be used to teach skills such as counting, recognizing patterns, comparing, and ordering. Telling time can be practiced by setting out a clock for children to watch. Say things like, "At 4:00, we'll clean up and have a snack. You tell me when it's time."

Around the Home: Math is easily integrated into daily tasks in the kitchen, such as measuring ingredients, doubling and halving recipe ingredients, counting, and dividing meals into equal servings. In this way, cooking and baking provide natural learning opportunities. Yard work and home repair is another example of this. Measurement and planning, ordering, and recognizing patterns can be discussed while gardening and working around the house.

The Use of Money: If children earn an allowance, they naturally learn about the value of money and how to count it. Suggest implementing a summer savings plan or giving children a penny for progress made towards a goal. Children will learn through the process of how to count money, how to exchange smaller coins for larger value coins (such as 10 pennies make a dime). Having children help at the grocery store is also a way to boost learning about money.

Books that Teach Math Skills

Best Books: Give parents this list of books to check out at their local library. Perhaps use it as a summer reading list, or add some of these books to your recommendations. Reading one of these books a day will keep math skills in children's minds all summer long.
Human Number Line Games Shapes for Kids Number Sense Activities to 20
Home Math Skills Handouts

I hope you enjoy this FREE packet that you can download and print. Send the parent letter and handout home with your students to encourage them to practice Math at home. It includes a home math folder cover that can be attached to a folder and laminated. It also includes a parent letter explaining the importance of home math practice and a few pages of ideas. To receive your free copy, click the image below.

These simple tips for teaching Math at home will help you as you end the school year. Providing families with these ideas now will keep Math skills sharp over the summer. If you're not already equipping families throughout the year, pin this page! It's a great addition to your arsenal of ideas for next year. By involving families in learning Math year-round, students are more successful in the classroom.

Try the Mindful Math Comprehensive Program

Read about the Mindful Math program and how it can change your math block in positive ways! This comprehensive math curriculum is available for Kindergarten, first grade, and second grade.

More Math Skills Resources

PIN

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Encourage Math Skills Practice at Home: A Teacher's Guide

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This post contains affiliate links for your convenience. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. View disclosure policy HERE . Read this teacher's guide to encouraging families to take part in teaching math skills at home. This post includes fun ideas and a FREE home math practice pack.

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How to Help Your Child Improve Handwriting

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How to Help Your Child Improve Handwriting

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Especially since students have been doing online learning mostly for the past few years, students’ handwriting is really bad. This website gives strategies to help students with their handwriting.

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Developing handwriting skills is a process, and it doesn't happen at the same rate for all kids. But if your child has messy or different handwriting , you might wonder what you can do to help your child improve handwriting.

Here are some ways you and the school can help your child get handwriting practice.

Ways to improve handwriting at home

If your child's written work is messy, pay attention to what's going on as your child is writing. For example, does your child's hand get tired easily? Is it hard for your child to control the pencil or form letters and numbers on the paper?

Observing your child can help you understand how best to help. It also gives you information to share with others. Talk to your child's teacher to find out if what you're seeing at home is also happening in the classroom. Teachers often have suggestions for how you can help your child improve handwriting at home.

You can use specific strategies to help your child learn and practice handwriting skills. Teachers and specialists often use these strategies, too. And there are simple, low-cost tools, like handwriting sheets and pencil grips, that can make writing easier.

Ways the school can help with handwriting

When kids struggle with handwriting, it doesn't mean they're not smart. But messy handwriting can get in the way of learning, since it can keep kids from showing what they know.

Ask the teacher if handwriting challenges are making it hard for your child to learn. If they are, together you can come up with a plan for helping your child improve.

There are a few things schools can do for kids who need help with handwriting. For example, the teacher could let your child use special lined paper or have extra time to finish written work.

Learn more about messy handwriting and what can cause it . And remember that struggling with any skill can take a toll on kids' self-esteem. Let your child know that everyone struggles with something, and that all people have strengths, too. Discover your child's strengths with this fun activity .

Messy handwriting can make it hard for kids to show what they know.

Low-cost tools like pencil grips and special lined paper can make handwriting easier.

Ask your child's teachers what they're seeing in class, and work together to figure out next steps.

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

Bob Cunningham, EdM serves as executive director of learning development at Understood.

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How to help your child improve handwriting

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Developing handwriting skills is a process, and it doesn't happen at the same rate for all kids. But if your child has messy or different handwriting , you might wonder what you can do to help your child improve handwriting. Here are some ways you and the school can help your child get handwriting practice.

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Outdoor Learning and Nature Activities for Kids

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Outdoor Learning and Nature Activities for Kids

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Technology is is high demand for kids, but being outdoors and learning in nature is so important for kids, and this website gives many ideas for learning activities outdoors that are safe and beneficial.

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Learn about nature and the mysteries that it holds with this amazing collection of outdoor activities for kids.

This article contains several lists of fun outdoor learning ideas and nature activities for kids of all ages. In it, you can find both child-led and loosely structured outdoor activities for kids from toddlers to teens. The outdoor learning activities and nature craft ideas listed can be used by homeschoolers, educators, or anyone seeking to enhance their child's understanding of, or connection to, the natural world.

Many of the outdoor nature activities for kids listed are also useful for nature school preschools and forest school kindergartens. The suggestions include nature study ideas, outdoor science ideas, and nature crafts for elementary school-age children and teens!

Related: The Ultimate Eco-Friendly Gift Guide for Kids

Nature Activities and Nature School Ideas for Kids of All Ages

Below we have created and collected a whole slew of fun ways to support outdoor learning in nature. Remember, these forest school nature activities and outdoor learning ideas for kids are only suggestions.

Forest school is about allowing your children to take the lead in their outdoor education. Instead of teaching your children about nature and the great outdoors, act as a guide and fellow nature explorer by using any of these activities as a starting point for your day to day adventures in learning.

In other words, it is best to use these nature activities and suggestions as a way to facilitate play rather than teach. Once play has been initiated, step aside and allow it to unfold naturally.

It is important to encourage children to find their own interests in the natural world. As parents and educators, we need to make the space available for children to ask questions, and, learn how to discover and recognize clues to the answers that they seek.

I have to admit that a few of the outdoor activities for kids suggested were written long ago and are in desperate need of a tune-up. We are working on updating them all, and, have plans to add new outside activities, forest school ideas, and nature activities for kids of all ages over the next few months. Stay tuned!

We will continue to add more outdoor learning ideas, nature activities, and nature crafts perfect for nature school preschools, forest schools, and nature-based homeschoolers as we find them and create them. Be sure to bookmark this page for easy reference!
**Click on the title of each forest school suggestion to learn more about each nature activity for kids!**
Related: Get Outside and Connect

Outside Activities for Kids: Outdoor Nature Activities for Kids

Kids will love these outdoor activities so much that they won't even realize that they are learning. We will be adding to this list over the next few months until it is brimming with all of the best nature and outdoor activities for kids so be sure to check back often!

Nature Games for Kids

Fall Leaf Counting - Have you ever tried to catch autumn leaves as they fall to the ground? Try this gross motor movement and nature math game with the kids this fall.

Stone Skipping Games - Play some simple stone skipping math games.

DIY Nature Memory Matching Game for Kids - Excercise the brain and boost memory skills with this fun twist on the classic game of memory. Using items found in nature adds a sensory component to the game of memory that increases its brain-building power.

Fun Nature Scavenger hunt Ideas for Kids

Nature scavenger hunts appeal to the child's natural interest in discovering all of the clues that can be seen, heard, and felt in the natural world.

Invite your children to discover the magic and wonder of the natural world with some of these creative nature scavenger hunt ideas for kids.

Sensory Card Nature Scavenger Hunt for Toddlers - Make a nature sensory card with your children and send them on a nature scavenger hunt.

Nature Sensory Bin Scavenger Hunt- Collect items in nature and use them to make a nature sensory bin for children. (Photo below)

Heart Shape Nature Scavenger Hunt - Have you ever been on a scavenger hunt for colors or shapes? My daughter and I love looking for hearts in nature. Check out the amazing video we made.

Birding Scavenger Hunts - Head over to our bird watching activities post for a few fun birding scavenger hunt ideas for kids.

Seasonal Nature Scavenger Hunt Ideas - Invite your children to become a witness to the changes occurring in nature as one season changes to the next with these seasonal nature scavenger hunt ideas.

Nature Sensory Basket

Outdoor Gardening Activities for Kids

Children benefit immensely when they understand where their food comes from and know how to grow their own food.

A garden is also an amazing place for children to plant the seeds of their own learning. Early literacy, math, and science concepts are found in abundance in the garden.

Related: 15 Ways to Raise a Helper

Nature Study Ideas for Kids

We have a few nature study ideas to use as a starting point in your outdoor learning adventures. Stay tuned for more ways to learn from and with nature coming your way soon!

Learn more about Nature Study on our Nature Study Resource Page.

More Outside Activities for Kids: Outdoor Learning Ideas and Suggestions for Children

Outdoor Science and STEAM Activity Ideas for Kids

There are so many fun ways to learn and play with nature. Try some of these outdoor science, STEM and STEAM ideas for children.

Related: Rainbow Science and STEAM activities

DIY Outdoor Play Areas to Support Learning Outside

A fun collection of outdoor play areas for nature school preschools, forest school kindergartens, homeschoolers, and backyards everywhere! Give your children the opportunity to get outside and learn through play with any one of these fun outdoor play spaces.

Field Trip Ideas for Parents and Educators

Go on a field trip with the kids for even more outdoor learning fun!

Related: 8 Reasons I Allow My Child to go Barefoot

Nature Activities for Kids: More Fun Ways to Learn about Nature

Nature Tables for Every Season

A nature table is a space in the home dedicated to nature and the natural world. Items collected in nature or natural items that represent nature are placed on the table to be learned about, played with and enjoyed.

Encourage your children to bring the treasures that they collect in the natural world home to their nature table or shelf to explore in more depth.

We change our nature table every few months to reflect the season, so the items on it are added and taken away throughout the year. Check out our nature table ideas for each season!

Seasonal Celebration Ideas

Celebrate the changing seasons with the solstice and equinox celebration ideas below.

Seasonal Books for Kids

Reading seasonal books with your children is a wonderful way to share the wonder and magic of nature and the changing seasons.

We have collected lots of awesome nature art and craft ideas that you can try with your children. Click on the links below for all our favorite ideas!

Seasonal Art Projects for Kids

Creating seasonal art is a great way for children to learn about nature and the changing seasons. Try any of the amazing art project ideas below!
Related: Kids Books That Teach Important Life Lessons
The Best Books for Outdoor Parents and Educators Raising Nature-Loving Kids

The amazing collection of books listed below are some of our all-time favorites for outdoor parents and nature school educators that have a passion for getting kids outside to learn naturally. I hope you enjoy them as much as we do!

The Best Nature Activities for Kids and Educators

We hope you enjoy this collection of and outdoor learning ideas for homeschoolers, outdoor educators, and anyone looking to enhance their child's connection to the natural world. You may also like this collection of nature crafts and art ideas that use natural materials.

We will be adding to this list of nature school preschool, forest school kindergarten, and nature study ideas as we find and create more, so don't forget to bookmark this list of outside activities for kids and check back often!

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Outdoor Learning and Nature Activities for Kids | Rhythms of Play

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This article contains several lists of fun outdoor learning ideas and nature activities for kids of all ages. In it, you can find both child-led and loosely structured outdoor activities for kids from toddlers to teens.