Learning Styles

Different people learn differently. It is important for teachers to

present the same information using multiple modalities so students
can experience it in a variety of ways.

There are three main ways that students learn, also known as learning
styles. You will find them described, along with an example relating to
teaching students how to spell a new sight word below.

● Auditory - Learn by hearing

○ Instructional examples: read alouds, verbal instructions,
discussions
○ Hearing the word spelled aloud, letter-by-letter
● Visual - Learn by seeing
○ Instructional examples: charts, graphs, graphic organizers,
visual aids such as slideshow presentations
○ Seeing the word written, letter-by-letter
● Tactile / Kinesthetic - Learn by touch or movement
○ Instructional examples: hands-on activities, incorporated
body movement (such as relating hand gestures to help
students remember certain concepts), opportunities to
move while working
○ Using materials, such as magnetic letters, play-doh, or
shaving cream to build or trace the word, letter-by-letter
○ Hopping from one letter to the next using letter cards on
the floor
Learning Styles and Instruction
Many students have a learning style they prefer, but that doesn't mean
they should be used in isolation. In the sight word spelling situation,
students would benefit from seeing, hearing, and touching the word.
For example, the students could watch the teacher point to each letter
on the board while saying them aloud. At the same time, the students
could be forming the letters in the air or in their own hands.

To teach with learning style in mind:

● Make an effort to determine your students' preferred learning

styles, but don't let them put you in an instructional box
● Incorporate various activities into instruction to hit all learning
styles
○ For example, in a math class, the teacher can lecture about
factoring an algebraic equation for students to hear and
then demonstrate how the equation can be factored on the
 whiteboard for students to see. Finally, the students can
use tiles to factor the equation as a hands-on activity. In
this way, auditory, visual, and tactile learning styles are all
addressed.
● Offer student choice when possible
● Accommodate students' needs to help them
○ For example, during a teacher-led reading, some students
may learn best by simply listening. Others will retain the
information better by visually following along with a
provided outline. Others will learn best if they make hand
motions to match what they hear.

Adaptations for Diversity - Students with

Disabilities
Students who qualify for special education services will come to your
classroom with an Individual Education Program, or IEP. The IEP will
specify the strengths and challenges the student has in each content
area, and specify accommodations and modifications required to be
implemented for the student. The first step in adapting curriculum for
a student with a disability is to read through the IEP and identify these
requirements. Meeting with the special education teacher can also be
beneficial in ensuring that you are meeting the needs of your student.

When planning learning experiences and designing assessments for

students with disabilities, the teacher should make sure these
students are included in content activities and do not feel isolated or
overwhelmed. Group projects should be adapted to match their
academic ability. Sometimes accommodations for a student with a
disability will be beneficial to the whole class and can be used without
drawing attention to or isolating that student.

The purpose of the IEP is to note the student's present level of

performance, create measurable annual goals to determine and
monitor progress within the general education curriculum, create
accommodations to assist in the learning process, and determine the
district and state assessments the student will participate in.

An IEP may include modifications to the general education curriculum

or accommodations or both. Modifications to the curriculum change
what the child is being taught, whereas accommodations change how
it is taught. For example, a middle school student with an intellectual
disability may have modifications to their science curriculum stating
they will learn 5 body systems (rather than 13) and identify 1 main
organ in those 5 (rather than 2-3 organs per system). Another student
who qualifies for special education services and has reading
challenges may not have any modifications, but they may need
accommodations such as fewer questions on a page and larger
diagrams on a test. They will learn the same material as a typical
student but will have help in the way they master it.

Modifications change what is being taught.

Accommodations change how it is taught.

Remember that students with disabilities should be treated with the

fewest accommodations needed to ensure success in their least
restrictive environment and be included in classroom activities as
much as possible (i.e., inclusion).

There are 13 major disability categories as identified by IDEA

(Individuals with Disabilities Act). Other than deafness, each of these
categories has a range in which the student can fall.