|
Tutor
In-Service Modules
Learning Disabilities
Many of
our students at Literacy Volunteers have learning disabilities.
Although we cannot provide a clinical diagnosis of a specific
disability, we can screen for symptoms, look at how a particular
adult student learns and design an education plan that will
help this student succeed.
It's important
for our tutors to be aware of the wide range of types of learning
disabilities, the effect that these disabilities have on a
person's entire life and what we can do to teach in such a
way that will enable our students to reach their goals.
Please
follow the links below in order to learn more about learning
disabilities. These links are part of the National Institute
for Literacy's web site on learning disabilities. After studying
the information on each page, close the new browser window
that opened and return to this page to follow another link
What
are Learning Disabilities?
http://ldlink.coe.utk.edu/understanding_ld.htm
What
do Learning Disabilities look like in adults? http://www.floridatechnet.org/inservice/bridges/tables.PDF
What
is it like to live with a Learning Disability as an adult?
http://www.ncld.org/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=365
How
do learning disabilities impact adults who are learning to
speak English?
http://www.cal.org/caela/tools/program%5Fdevelopment/elltoolkit/Part4-59AdultELL&LearningDisabilities.pdf
How
does this information impact tutoring strategies when working
with an adult with LD?
Goal-Setting
- Help
your students set realistic goals. This means setting short-term
goals so that your student can experience some immediate
success: "By the end of this session, you will be able
to read two new sight words both in and out of context."
- Involve
the student in evaluation of their progress: "How do
you think that you are doing? What have you learned so far?
What could we be doing differently?"
Introducing
Instructions
- Make
directions specific, concrete and understandable.
- Tell
your student what the whole lesson will concern and explain
what will be done first, second and so on.
- Use
a tape recorder to record instructions for homework.
Effective
Teaching
- Relate
material to everyday situations: "I like what you just
said. Please repeat it so I can write it down and use it
in our lesson" (Language experience approach).
- Establish
a routine; this promotes organization and consistency. Write
out your lesson plans and do things in approximately the
same order each lesson.
- Teach
students to correct their own mistakes.
- Find
out how your student learns best and teach to her/his strengths.
Ask your program manager for a learning styles inventory
to give to your student.
- Use
learning activities that involve seeing, hearing, doing
and touching.
- Talk
with your student about her/his learning process. Ask her/him
what does and does not work in the lessons.
Fostering
Self-Esteem
- Incorporate
a sense of humor into the learning process.
- Reduce
emphasis on competition and perfection.
- Praise
what you might consider small or minor successes.
Learning
Disabilities and Workplace Issues
Click
here to access a self-paced tutorial called
"Learning Disabilities and Work Issues". Although
this resource is especially useful for anyone serving as an
instructor for adults with learning disabilities who need
workplace skills, the tutorial is a great introduction to
learning disabilities in general.
After
reading and studying this material, please click
here and write a paragraph or two about what
you have learned about learning disabilities. Then click "Send"
to send it to Literacy Volunteers. A staff member will read
your response and contact you. Please feel free to comment
on the module and offer suggestions. Completing this module
fulfills Literacy Volunteer's requirement for annual tutor
re-certification.
Thanks
for participating.
|
