A strong preference for visual learning
A natural inclination to technology
Strong capacity for social understanding and empathy
Stead vocabulary acquisition
Strong short-term memory
Age-appropriate self-help and daily living skills
Focus on positive attributes to help children achieve!
learning challenges
Poor auditory memory
Hearing and visual weakness
Sequencing difficulties
Fine motor skills impairment thanks to low muscle tone
Brief attention span and distractibility
they often need additional resources outside of the mainstream classroom.
Create inclusivity for students with Down Syndrome
Build self-esteem
Increase attention span
Talk clearly
Early intervention in preschool for kids with Down syndrome
Teaching strategies for students with Down syndromeThe following strategies can help you teach reading to learners with Down syndrome:
Capitalizing on the child’s visual-spatial learning style with the help of multimedia teaching resources
Keeping instructions well-structured and predictable
Incremental teaching, with each lesson building upon what was learned in the previous lesson
Breaking reading tasks into manageable pieces with multiple breaks in between
Aiding instructions with game-based plays
Does it come with plenty of visual aids and visually-based instructions?
Does it have an option for the keyboard instead of handwriting input?
Does it include activities and/or modalities to teach specific reading concepts?
not all areas of the child’s development are affected by Down syndrome
If you really want the kids to learn, they’ve got to be engaged.”
where students can practice language with their peers in a more personal, lower-risk setting
more small groups,
o the strong relationship she had with the regular classroom teachers
ESL teachers could regularly get copies of lesson plans or collaborate with regular classroom teachers to build solid back-and-forth support,
silent period,
Don’t force them to talk if they don’t want to,”
ill speak very little, if at all
pair him with other students who speak his native language
Letting them explain things or ask questions in their first language gets them to relax and feel like a part of the class.”
Allow them to write in their first language if they’re able.
llows them to still participate in journal writing or a math extended response, even if you can’t read what they write.”
consider the whole list of terms you’re going to teach for a unit,
Sentence frames
I disagree with what _________ said because…
Keep these posted in a highly visible spot in your classroom and require students to refer to them during discussions and while they write.
as to become a regular part of class
Pre-teach
The kids feel so empowered if they’ve had a chance to look at the material ahead of time.”
aking the time to learn the basics of where a child comes from — exactly, not ‘somewhere in the Middle East/South America/Asia/Africa’ — tells the
student that you respect her enough to bother.
learn
bout students’ religious and cultural practices. If
If you anticipate a theme coming up in your class that’s going to be relevant to one of your students, have a conversation with them in advance, or check with your ESL teacher to see if they think it’s appropriate for in-class discussion.
By modeling the risk-taking that’s required to learn a new language, you help students develop the courage to take their own risks, and to have a sense of humor about it.
ake a conscious effort to see past the accent and the mispronunciations and treat every interaction — every student — with the respect they deserve.