Robert McCLosky: .I know that you believe that you

understood what you think I said, but I am not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant I know that you believe that you understood what you think I said, but I am not sure you realize that what you heard is not

Not everything is black and white

A lot is black A lot is white A lot is grey And then of course there are all of

the colors in between

Learning Disabilities

Reasons Results Numbers Knowledge

Reasons

Genetic Pregnancy and Birth Growth and Development Environment

DCDC2- a DNA deletion

Learning Disabilities

Phonological awarenessRapid automatic naming\Retrieval of information- long and short term memoryGaps between cognitive functioning and skillsLead to a differential diagnosis

Greeks and Texans alike discovered the brain circuit that children with

dyslexia use when they attempt to read does not include an area (located in the left temporal lobe) that is typically used by non-dyslexic readers. Children with dyslexia instead used the corresponding region in the right hemisphere, as well as certain areas in the frontal lobes, which are not normally used during reading.

Things are harder to readTake longer to remember More convoluted and complicatedMore frustrating

arrgh!!!!!!

Thus

But SINCE BRAINS ARE PLASTIC

appropriate training, these differences can be can be minimized or, in some cases, completely eliminated.

hooray

Learning Disabilities display

A significant discrepancy between overall cognitive ability and achievement;

The ability to process information is impaired in some way;

And…..

The processing deficits must be shown to be directly contributing to underachievement;

The underachievement cannot be primarily due to factors other

than a processing deficit.

: A learning disability is a neurological condition that impedes a person's ability to store, process or process information. Learning disabilities can affect one's ability to read, write, speak, and compute math and can impair socialization skills.

( Washington state study)

RESULTS Developmental dyslexia Dysgraphia Dysorthographia Dyscalculia Non specific or specific LD All sorts of other problems Dysteachia, non-teachia Leaving the teacher often at risk for

FAILURE

Results

When the child is in school, learning problems may surface that weren’t noticed before. Areas usually affected: language (both written and spoken), math, memory and reasoning.

Typical problems

Language problems show up as delays or difficulties in listening, speaking, reading, writing and spelling.

Math problems consist of difficulties

with operations or understanding of basic concepts. This can also include problems with shape, size and color.

More……. Memory problems include difficulties with

information and instructions. Reasoning problems involve organizing

and using thoughts. Other signs of a learning disability could

include consistently performing poorly on tests, incomplete work, often distracted or disorganized, hyperactivity, problems with paying attention and acting out. There are many, many more signs related to learning disabilities.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Most commonly diagnosed syndrome

May or may not be be concommitant with LD

70% are combined type

But it is a jungle out there Kathryn Drummond (2005) Reading difficulties likely occur on a

continuum, meaning that there is a wide range of students who experience reading difficulties. There are those students who are diagnosed with a learning disability. There is also an even larger group of students who do not have diagnoses but who need targeted reading assistance.

Problems: Problems in speaking Persistence of earlier oral language

difficulties The mispronunciation of the names

of people and places, and tripping over parts of words

Difficulty remembering names of people and places and the confusion of names that sound alike

Some signs of a learning disability in young adults and adults ( Shaywitz)

A struggle to retrieve words: "It was on the tip of my tongue"

Lack of glibness, especially if put on the spot

Spoken vocabulary that is smaller than listening vocabulary and hesitation to say aloud, words that might be mispronounced

Issues Problems in reading A childhood history of reading and

spelling difficulties Word reading becomes more accurate

over time but continues to require great effort

Lack of fluency Embarrassment caused by oral reading:

the avoidance of Bible study groups, reading at Passover seders, or delivering a written speech

Trouble reading and pronouncing uncommon, strange, or unique words

such as people's names, street or location names, food dishes on a menu

The substitution of made-up words during reading for words that cannot be pronounced – for example, metropolitan becomes mitan – and a failure to recognize the word metropolitan when it is seen again or heard in a lecture the next day

Not just reading is affected Problems in speaking Persistence of earlier oral language

difficulties The mispronunciation of the names

of people and places, and tripping over parts of words

Difficulty remembering names of people and places and the confusion of names that sound alike

But because of the difficulty Extreme fatigue from reading Slow reading of most materials: books,

manuals, subtitles in foreign films Penalized by multiple-choice tests Unusually long hours spent reading

school or work-related materials Frequent sacrifice of social life for

studying /sacrifice of studying for social life

And more…….A preference for books with figures, charts

or graphics A preference for books with fewer words

per page or with lots of white showing on a page

Disinclination to read for pleasure Spelling that remains disastrous and a

preference for less complicated words in writing that are easier to spell

Particularly poor performance on rote clerical tasks

Just how many and why are they all in my class 10%-15% with one or some kind of

learning disability 40% in special education settings

( mabar, etgar, ometz, הקבצה ג) +10-15% in FL learning

double aarhgh!!!

Foreign Language Picnic

Working memory

Problems with working memory make it much more difficult to build a schema in a foreign language

Start fresh each day 50 First Dates

TEACHING Not all learners can learn via osmosis Require direct instruction Require systematic structured instruction Clear goals and purpose Clear schedule of “events” Review Recycle Reenter

Getting to Carnegie Hall or any other concert hall or sports stadium for that matter

Practice but what that- is the question

Phonology Grapheme- phoneme correspondence (alphabetic principal) Leads to fluency- leads to comprehension

Marvelous Mentors(FINK) Make things possible Make you believe in yourself Make success a possibility Make maybe a better answer than no Make possibilities become more of a

reality Make hard work worth while SHARE

% כוח10מוח- 90%

Need to develop self esteem Need to develop thinking skills Need to develop concepts Need to connect concept of print to

real world Need to learn to read to read to learn Need to believe that reading will

make a difference

Classroom Teachers Job

Know your student Take and share responsibilityWithCoordinatorGuidance CounselorLearner

Knowledge

Modifications Reasons for modifications What really makes a difference Adolescence are a developing

crowd and it is an acquired taste Self awareness develops- teachers

can be monumental

Island of competence( Brooks)

Yours as a teacher Your student- striving reader-

striving learner- striving EFL learner

Power tools and treasures

Technology ( hi and low) Dictionaries Sight words Navigation cards A positive working relationship An integrative learning relationship Develop mutual respect

This is the hard part

Separating the system from the learner

Recognizing that it is not his fault Accepting the complications and

trying to simplify Help to advocate for better

conditions for testing and teaching Accepting limitations

So

Keep doing what you are doing

Keep caring

The agaf teachers are the most aware, the most concerned and probably the most overworked- highly appreciated !

"The dream begins, most of the time, with a teacher who believes in you, who tugs and pushes and leads you on to the next plateau, sometimes poking you with a sharp stick called truth."--Dan Rather

                                                            .

CONtinue to begin the dreams