by Joann Conrad

Created on: January 04, 2009

Students fortunate enough to have been found eligible for services in a Special Education class are often taught how to read successfully. Using a solid phonics approach has been highly recommended for readers in their youth. As older non readers fail to make acceptable gains many instructors and psychologist wonder if the slow learning is attributed to a lack of innovation. Today one of the newest band wagons is accelerated learning.

There are no shortages of professionals getting on the band wagon of what is now being packaged as accelerated learning with workshops,books and seminars galore. Accelerated learning to people who have been in the field as parents of students with reading and cognitive learning challenges recognize these techniques as simply learning done in a supportive well rounded and structured environment using researched based methods for cognitive improvement.

Many slow learners need to take a step back and do the following:

1. Take a learning styles inventory, implement it and self monitor progress.

2. Practice reading with a trained reading teacher.

3. Read subjects of particular interest (basketball/fashion).

4. Remember to stretch the efforts and write, write and write some more.

5. Read ones own writing.

Students who are labeled dyslexic learners are often visual learners in general and do well with time to process and and time to structure. To accelerate the learning of a dyslexic learner this learner needs to be exposed to a wide variety of tools such as visual organizers of various types, time lines to turn in reading notes, reading text book techniques, and time to work with an assistant such as a study buddy who is supervised by a special educator! Having taught for over 20 years in various districts and having graduated with a masters in the field of special education I realize that when all else fails it is important to get a good reading teacher involved and use a wide variety of tools.

Creating the right environment is what accelerating teaching is all about... an environment where the teacher uses the learning style of the student, utilizes the student's peers in a social setting, utilizes the student's own background and knowledge to enhance new subject matter, utilizes a multitude of teaching tools (visual organizers, tape recordings), and utilizes a consistent self monitoring of self set goals is very important. Each dyslexic learner should be taught from a very early age to monitor progress whether with my words word banks or a graph showing progress and improvement in comprehension of nonfiction text book materials. Each student should be involved in writing their yearly goals, presenting their progress and knowing who they are and how they learn!

Using these approaches in any setting will turn any special education or general education class into an accelerated learning environment for students who think and respond to the cognitive learning processes in their own unique ways! Graphing each topic being taught in developmental steps helps the dyslexic learner see the daily progress and increases effort! Parent involvement with weekly tests at home or weekly projects to show culmination of skills is also a very effective way to maintain a consistent up-curve in improvements! Dyslexic learners have difficulty in all content areas...the key is knowing your goal, monitoring progress, practice using your learning style and time lines, and using the simple break down of each step (even math can be done with visual organizers step by step). Remember practice makes perfect if you are studying smart not hard! There are no pat cures and no matter how one labels the latest teaching fad good practice is good practice!

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