1.

INTRODUCTION

Learning disability is a term currency used to descibe a group of neurological

conditions that interfere with a persons learning. Student with learning disability
like slow learner, autisme, down sindrom,

cereblum palsy, Attention Deficit

Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and dyslexia, there are disorders related to language
skills problem such as listening, speaking, reading, reasoning and mathematical
calculation. Individuals with learning disabilities have intelligence in the near
average, average, or above-average range because these individuals do not appear
to be different, difficulties are not expected. The impact of the conditions may range
from mile to severe. As we expand our knowledge of learning disabilities, we have
come to realize that learning disabilities may also include an attention-deficit
component, a socioemotional coponent, and perhaps emotional issues.
Unlike physical disabilities, learning disabilities are not so obvious and have
been referred to as the hidden handicap. Sometimes these disabilities go
unrecognized by parents, teacher and physicians. As a result, individuals with
learning disabilities may be thought of as underachievers, lazy, or weird.
Learning disabled individuals have to work harder to succeed. They receive more
negative feedback regarding their work. They may experience feelings of
frustration, anger, depression, anxiety, and worthlessness.
With the placement of more stundents with learning disabilities in the general
education classroom, all teachers must become more edept at collaboration. For the
learning disabilities teacher, this role includes coordinating the effort of other
professionals, buliding a cooperative interdisciplinary tea that work together,
providing support to classroom teachers, and becoming actively involved in
teaching children in many setting, including general education. The learning
disabilities specialist should be equipped to serve as a hightly skilled cowerker and
colaborator.

2.0 ACTIVITIES BASED ON EACH LANGUAGE LEARNING SKILLS

Listening skill

Definition of listening skill

Listening is the act of hearing attentively. If this listening skill is used in a proper
way we can master the tools of communicative skills. Listening is difficult, as
human mind tends to distract easily. A person who controls his mind and listens
attentively acquires various other skills and is benefited.
Listening skill can be defined as, Listening is the act of hearing attentively.
Thomlison (1984) defines listening as, Active listening, which is very important for
effective communication. Listening can be also defined as, More than just
hearing and to understand and interpret the meaning of a conversation.Good
listening skills include the understanding ability. Body language is also a part of
listening skill. Eye contact with the speaker, sitting straight and alert are the good
gestures of a good listener.

Music and thinking

To listen with focus and
concentration, and to think of
ones own ideas
Internet shopping
on Mars
To listen and
remember, sharing
memories with other

Market day
To listen and follow
instructure

Suggestion activities to
develop listening skill for
student with learning
disabilities

Weather game

Making a working leaf

to understand instruction, to
revise words for clothes and
the weather, total physical

To listen to other in class and

sharing understanding

Speaking skills

Definition of speaking skill

Tarigan (1990) defines that speaking is a language skill that is developed in child
life, which is preceded by listening skill, and at that period speaking skill is
learned. It means that speaking is the basic language. The goal of teaching
speaking skills is to communicate efficiency.
Teaching speaking, in my opinion, is the way for students to express their
emotions, communicative needs, interact to other person in any situation, and
influence the others. For this reason, in teaching speaking skill it is necessary to
have clear understanding involved in speech.

Suggestion activities to develop speaking

skill for student with learning disabilities.

Animals
The student learn the names of animals, mime them, and sing a song.

Tall shops
The student say rhyme and do the action.

Going to the doctors

The student learn how to describe common ailments and role-play being at the doctors.

Roll the ball

The student roll the ball to each other, ask and answer questions

Birthday cake and song

The student who is celebrating her/his birthday puts candles in a cake and others
sing a bithday song. Then, they have a class party.

Reading skill
Definition of writing skill
Refer to Anderson (1984), Reading is the process of constructing meaning from
written texts. It is a complex skill requiring the coordination of a number of
interrelated sources of information
Reading is the most important academic skill and the foundation fo all academic
learning. If a person cannot read efficiently, his opportunity for a productive and
satisfyiing life is markedly reduced. One of five students is likely to have a trouble
learning to read. Eighty percent of students who are identified for special education
will have deficits in reading. Tools are available to diagnose these children at age
five. If appopriate instruction is begun early and periodic follow-up remedial help
given as needed, many children can be prevented from developing the emotional

Phonemic awareness
lesson 1
Given two seperate sounds,
student will be able to pull
the sound together or blend
Phonemic awareness
lesson 2

Phonemic
awareness lesson 3
Children will learn to
substitute one initial
phoneme for another,
for example, mop
becomes top.

Suggestion activities to
develop reading skill for
student with learning
disabilities

Word families and Word

Clumps
to introduce the concept that
when we spell, not every

Student will learn how to

slow their voice flow so
that they can tease
out or isolate each
sounded phoneme in a

Please, Mr Crocodile
identifying vowel letters,
sounds and words

Writing skill
Definiton of writing skill
Refer to Coulmas & Florian (1999) writing is a set of visible or tactile signs used to
represent units of language in a systematic way, with the purpose of recording
messages which can be retrieved by everyone who knows the language in question
and the rules by virtue of which its units are encoded in the writing system.
Writing is a the most visible items of a language, scripts and orthographies are
'emotionally loaded', indicating as they do group loyalties and identities. Rather
than being mere instruments of a practical nature, they are symbolic systems of
great social significance which may, moreover, have profound effect on the social
structure of a speech community.

Suggestion activities to develop writing skill

for student with learning disabilities.

Shape copying
The student learn to copying shape in a picture.
Letter formation lesson
To give experience in practising writing. Begin with by the teacher
demonstrating how to make the letter. The student try to copyimg the letter.
In the beginning, model each letter stroke by stroke.
Interactive Writing
The student will write a group story about their field trip to the zoo.
Using picture to make sentences
The student will learn how phrases help sentences make more sense and
give us important information.
Fruits in the market
The student will write name of fruits and colouring it.

3.0 EXPLANATION ON THE STEPS AND RULES OF THE ACTIVITIES

ACTIVITY : WEATHER GAME
FOCUS LANGUAGE SKILL : LISTENING SKILL
QUESTION
Who
When
Where

TOPIC
Age
Practise
Place
Aims skill

EXPLANATION
- Suitbale for all age children especially
-

What

for student learning disabilities

10 to 15 minutes
Suitable for activity in a classroom
Listening skill (to understand
instruction, to revise words for clothes
and the weather, total physical

Aims other

responce
To encourage independence in putting
on clothes, doing up buttons, zips and

Description

others.
The studens revise vocabolary for
weather and clothes and play a game
in which they have to choose the

Materials

appropriate clothes for the weather

Clothes or pictures suitable for all

season like sun, wind, rain and snow.

In previous lessons teach the words
for different types of clothing from the

Preparation
-

class situation.
Teach the weather on a day-by-day
basis and through pictures, books or

videos
1. Revise the weather vocabolary using

How

pictures and clothes using the ones that

In class

the children are going put on the game.

2. Put all the clothes in the centre of the
room and get the student to fetch you the
right item when you say, for example,
Ahmad, go and find a hat.

3. after practising this a few times, tell the

student that you are going to play a
game in which they have to choose the
right clothes according to the weather.
Then, you say, for example : Siti, its
raining. Siti must go and find something
suitable for a rainy day. If she brings
something suitable, she can wear it but if
it is unsuitable, she must take it back.
4. If you think the students would like a
competition, the person who is wearing
thee most clothes at the end of the game
Variation

is the winner.
- Older student might like to play this
game in teams once they are familiar
-

with it.
This activies can improve listening
skills especially for student learning

Why

Benefits of this

disabilities to understand instructions

activity

and also can improve their vocabolary

about weather and suitable clothes
-

according to the weather.

This game could take a lot longer with
the youngest children.

ACTIVITY : BIRTHDAY CAKE AND SONG

FOCUS LANGUAGE SKILL: SPEAKING SKILL
QUESTION
Who

TOPIC
Age

EXPLANATION
Suitable for all age students with learning

When

Practise
Party
Place

disabilities
15 minutes
Variable
Suitable for any places such in classroom or

Where

Aims skill
What

outdoor classroom
Speaking skills (numbers, asking and telling
age,

Other
Description

birthday greeting)

: Awareness of selebrations, socializing

The student who is selebrating her/his birthday
puts candles in a cake and the others sing a
birthday song.

Materials

Then, they have a class party.

A big cardboard cake, cardboard candles,
name cards, food and drink (if allowed).
At the beginning of the school year make a big
cardboard cake, candle and name card for each
student. Cut some clots in the top of the cake,

How

Preparation

making sure they are the right size to fit the

candles in. Find out from parents/guardians or
from the school how old each student and
when their family is.
1.

In the first class with the student , stick

the cake on the

In class

the

wall low enough for

children to reach and tell them what it is.

Show them the candles.

2.

Ask the student : How old are you? Then,

supply

the answer, holding up that

number of

fingers, and get the student to

repeat: Im

Seven

.
3.

Take seven candles and slot them in the

cake. Then,take them out and let the

student
4.

slot them in.

Repeat

steps

and

with

other

students. If you have a very large class, you

may have to

limit the number but tell

them they will all get a

chance to do it on

their birthday.
5.

Teach them a birthday song, either the

familiar

Happy Birthday to You

Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday,
Happy Birthday once again,
Happy

Birthday,

Happy

Birthday
Happy Birthday once again.
(S.M Ward)
6.

Whenever it is a students birthday get

them put the right number of candles in the

cake and stick their

name

card

front of the cake. Everyone then

on

the

sings

birthday song.
7.

If it is allowed, you could have a little

class party,perhaps

enlisting

the

help

parents/guardians. This would give you a

chance to practice functions such as
offering

(would you like a?), accepting

(Yes, please).

Refusing

(No,

asking for (Can I

have a?).

thanks)

or

This activity can be adapted to suit other

Variation

selebrations, for example Hari Raya, Happy

Christmas, and Happy Deepavali.
1. This activity can improve speaking skills
with effective

for students learning

disabilities because from this activity,

student need to speaks to each other
about

like

asking

and

telling

age,

birthday greeting and practice function

such as offering, accepting, refusing or
Why

Benefits of this
activity

asking for.
2. From the birthday song, that can help
students to increasing vocabolary in
their memory.
3. Selebrating each students birthday not
only gives us an opportunity to revise
certain language points, it also gives the
birthday

child

chance

to

feel

important.
4. Student learning disabilities will probably
not know when their birthday is and
some may be uncertain about their age.
Therefore, teacher need to find out these
facts before school year begins.

ACTIVITY : FRUITS IN A MARKET

FOKUS LANGUAGE SKILL: WRITING SKILLS
QUESTION
Who

TOPIC
Age

EXPLANATION
Suitable for all age students with learning

When

Practise

disabilities
20 minutes
Suitable for any places such in classroom or

Where

Place

Aims skill

outdoor classroom

Writing skills (write name of fruits and

colouring)

Other
Following instructions, eye-hand co-ordination,
co-operation effort, to encourage
independence
The student will write the name of fruits that
Description

showing by a teacher, colour the fruits, and

learn how to stick the name of fruits in a

What

market picture.
Plain wallpaper or a large roll of paper, velcro
Materials

with a sticky back or something similar,

cardboard, coloured pencils/ crayons.
On the paper draw any shape: a market, a
basket or a fruit stall-depending on what most
appeals to your learners(see illustration). In

Preparation

needs to be big enough for the student to stick

their fruit names on. Make name-plates for all
children out of cardboard and their will write

How

the name of fruit refer to what type of fruit in a

picture(see illustration).

Fruit stall picture

Apple picture with name-plate

1. Get the students to sit in a circle round
you. Hold up one of the picture and say,
In class

for example, what it is?it is an apple.

Continue to do this with other fruit
pictures.
2. Give to every student a name-flate and a
picture with defferent fruit and tell them
to write the name of fruit refer to the
what type of fruit shawing in the picture
and then, students will colour it
3. Once the student have finished get them
to make a semicircle around you and the
picture.

4. Show them the velcro and demonstrate

how it stick and unsticks.(velcro is
preferable but if you cannot obtain any,
then, blu-tack, plasticine, or something
similar can be used. Whatever you use it
must be possible to stick it on and take it
off on a regular basis.
5. Ask for every students to stick their
name fruits in a picture.; student could
stick it to the market, basket, or fruit
stall picture. (see illustration)

6. Then, with the help of the student, put

the picture on the wall.
1. This activity is useful because it can
attract attention students or make the
learning process very interesting and
Benefit of this
Why

activity

meaningful.
2. From this activity, it also can improving
spelling and writing skills about names
of fruit to students with learning
disabilities
3. This activity also can improving eye-

hand co-ordination, co-operative efford,

to encourage independence and
following instructions to the student with
learning disabilities.

ACTIVITY : PLEASE, MR CROCODILE

FOKUS LANGUAGE SKILL: READING SKILLS
QUESTION
Who
When
Where
What

TOPIC
Age

EXPLANATION
Suitable for all age students with learning

Practise
Place

disabilities
20 minutes
Suitable for any places such in classroom or

Aims skills

outdoor classroom
Reading (identifying vowel letters, sounds and
words)

Other
Description

Taking part in an organized game

The student ask the crocodile for permission
to cross the river and the crocodile to those
can identifying vowel letters, sounds and words

Materials

that showing by the crocodile

Pictures of vowel letter, word and pictures of an
object (see illustration), a large piece of blue
materials (a bed sheet) or blue paper to act as
water, or two long skipping ropes to define the

How

Preparation

banks of the river

Before start this activity, teach student about
vowel letters, sounds and related words refer
to the vowel sound by showing a video or give
explanation to them. After that, clear an area in

the classroom and place the water or the

In class

river banks on the floor in the middle.

1. Pre-teach the question: please, Mr
Crocodile, can we cross the river?
Explain that the crocodile only likes
students that can identifying the vowel
letters that what he showing and only
let you cross his river if you can make
sound of the vowel sound and the object
that he show it.
2. Teacher are the crocodile first. Stand in
the middle of the river. Say: Im a
crocodile and I like to eat children. Make
snapping noises and look fierce. Elicit
the question: Please Mr Crocodile, can
we cross the river?
3. Choose a picture of vowel letter and the
picture of an object that related to vowel
sound that you show it. Those that who
can success to read it can cross the river
with safety. But, who cant success to
read it, crocodile will try to catch them.
Any student caught join you as
crocodiles.
4. Continue this procedure. When you feel
the student are confident enough, one of
them could give the instructions.

7.0 CONCLUTION
Speaking, listening, reading and writing are often discussed interchangeably among
educater, and yet they refer to distinctly different processes of learning and
development. Assesing speech and the ability to create verbal language is often a
teachers first step forward evaluating reading and writing, because problems with
producing speech correlate highly with problems with reading and writing. Spelling
simply refers to a students ability to create words that the grammatically correct,
but it often use to judge a students writing abilities. Spelling and expressing ones
ideas in print are often two different processes.
Learning strategies instruction helps students with learning disabilities learn
the secrets of being a succesful student, how to study, how to integrate new
materials with what they already know, how to monitor their learning and problem
solving and how to remember or to predict what is going to happen. The conclution
is, the teacher is very responsible to be more creative and innovative to create and
prepare learning activities especially for student with learning disabilities hopefully
can help them to increasing their language skill and abilities.

Joyce Holt Jennings, Joanne Schudt Caldwell & Janet W. Lerner (2009). Reading
Problem :
Assestment and Teaching Strategies, New York: Pearson
Jenet W. Learner (2003), Learning Disabilities: Theories, Diagnosis and Teaching
Strategies,
United States of America: Houghton Mifflin.
Robert J. Marzano and Tammy Heflebower (2012). Teaching & Assessing 21st
Century Skills,
United States of America, Marzano Research Laboratory.
Steve Sugar (2011), Games That Teach: Experiantial Activities for Reinforcing
Training, San
Francisco, Jossey-Bass Pfeiffer