Teaching Strategies of Special Education Schools
What are Teaching Strategies? Teaching strategies are the methods and approaches that teachers apply to support their students in the learning process. Teaching strategies aid both the neurotypical and the neurodiverse learners. These strategies help students learn better as opposed to the traditional way of teacher talk learning. Special and Mainstream schools in Mumbai use a number of strategies to make learning more meaningful and fun for their students. There are various teaching learning strategies that help students learn better.
Who benefits from these strategies? Both neurotypical and neurodiverse learners benefit from teaching methodologies. The strategies assist students in learning more effectively.
How does a teacher choose a strategy? A teacher will select the teaching strategy that is best suited to the topic being studied, the learner's level of skill, and their stage in their learning journey.
The following are a few of my favourite learning strategies used in an around schools in Mumbai:
Echo reading- Echo reading is when the teacher reads a text aloud, line by line or sentence by sentence. This is done to demonstrate appropriate fluency. After reading each line, the students repeat (echo) the reading at the same rate and with the same intonation. Echo reading aids learners with reading difficulties as it develops fluency, expression and confidence in reading.
VAKT- VAKT is the multi-sensory approach to learning. VAKT stands for visual, auditory, kinaesthetic, and tactile. Visual is learning by seeing images and visuals. Auditory learning through language, hearing and reading. Kinaesthetic is learning through moving and doing. The teacher mindfully presents information through visuals, auditory inputs like songs and mnemonics. Kinesthetics aids like games and actions are included in the lesson. Tactile aids which the learners can feel and touch are also added to the lesson. This method of teaching and learning is engaging because each student is said to have a preferred way of learning. By using multi-sensory aids and instructions, the teacher enables each learner to take in information in the mode she finds best. The Multi-sensory approach works because this type of instruction teaches to the student’s strength, his or her intelligence instead of rote memorization.
Think-pair-share- Think-pair-share is a technique that promotes and facilitates independent thinking, teamwork, and presentation all in one exercise. Students must first respond to a topic on their own, then work in pairs or small groups to discuss and make choices, which they must then share with the rest of the class. This technique is helpful as it enables children to focus on a topic, first discuss the topic with a peer/peers and listen to similar and contradictory opinions. This increases the involvement of a student in the classroom. It encourages students to focus attention on the topic. Then coming together and presenting it to the whole class helps build the students confidence.
KWL stands for "Know," "Want to Know," and "Learned." Before reading the material, the KWL approach asks readers to assess what they already know about the subject. Students proceed to the "Want" column after finishing the "Know" stage (sometimes called the "Wonder" column). They write out what they hope to learn from the chapter about the subject. Students then read the passage and then write a summary of what they learnt. This strategy engages the whole class and it builds a curiosity in the topic. The teacher sees first-hand what the students know and what the students want to know about the topic. Thus, is able to structure the lesson accordingly.
Graphic Organizers - Graphic organisers are visual charts and tools that help students see and organise their knowledge and thoughts. They're frequently used as part of the writing process to help students plan out ideas, narratives, character traits, and settings before they start writing. Students and teachers utilise graphic organisers to collect research, generate ideas, identify connections, arrange data, and establish visual links.
Because the goals are reachable and stated, the above listed strategies perform well with students with adhd, autism, and reading and learning issues. They improve their visual and auditory capabilities as well as their social abilities.
Happy Learning!
TABIS-The Aditya Birla Integrated School is a special school for children with learning disabilities.
Author: Talia D’Souza
Head – Differentiated Learning Program, The Aditya Birla Integrated School
The Aditya Birla Integrated School,
162-164, D.N. Road, Opposite CST Station.
Fort. Mumbai – 400 001.
School Co-ordinator:
Contact No.: 022 22061451
Office Timing: 9:30am – 12:30pm
E-mail: tabis.info@abet.co.in
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