Teaching science inclusive classrooms is challenging due to the need for teaching too many different learning styles, including students who have learning disabilities. Learning disabled students have many concerns including physical, emotional, and cognitive. These disabilities cause the need to teach concepts differently primarily through the use of direct, explicit instruction and tailored evaluation.
Learning science is demanding for most students, because of the need to learn through experiential techniques and complexity of concepts; having a learning disability increases the degree of difficulty. Teaching science to special needs students must be customized to their stage of disability, along with other factors which may be affecting learning disabled students.
Teaching Strategies: Accommodations and Learning Styles
Teaching strategies benefit learning disabled students when teachers make accommodations and address a variety of learning styles. Teaching techniques include the use of graphic organizers, scaffolding, extra practice, extra time, large-print materials, and electronic materials. Examples include:
Direct and Explicit Instruction – ensure that students are explained and given clear directions for tasks, along with clear explanations of what they are expected to learn from a science activity.
One example is reading the procedural steps of a science investigation, along with discussing expected observations, and how data collected is to be recorded on the laboratory report.
Hands-On Activities – use science laboratory equipment and materials for experiments.
One example is when students with disabilities follow a teacher’s directions for conducting an investigation of the states of matter using a variety of materials. Students read along with their teacher about supporting resources regarding the properties of matter and perform a hands-on activity related to the states of matter.
Science Vocabulary – use a variety of strategies and techniques for modeling vocabulary.
One example is teaching students how to create flashcards or develop concept maps for learning the definitions of science vocabulary.
Classroom Learning Center – the center includes reading materials, hands-on materials, and technology resources to allow learning disabled students to review information about science concepts. If appropriate assistive technologies are available, then these need to be in the learning center to support science learning.
One example is providing access to an online interactive science activity focusing on the composition of the Earth’s atmosphere.
Learning Assessment: Focusing on Student Achievement in Relation to Benchmarks
Using learning assessments, both formative and informal, to measure disabled students’ understanding of science concepts provides useful information for providing direction for assisting students. Examples include:
Rubrics – provides students with grading criteria that describes levels of quality for each grading criteria, normally using a point scale.
One example describes the levels of quality for completing a mouse trap car science project. The rubric provides descriptors of excellent, adequate, partial, or poor for each grading component of the project.
Frequent Assessments – do not rely on unit tests or exams as the only means of assessment.
One example is the use of a quiz that assesses learning about the parts of plant, instead of including the quiz elements within a unit test on plants.
Variety of Assessments – use a variety of assessments such as quizzes, homework, notebook grades, class participation, projects, graphic organizers, group work, written assignments, and presentations. Some of this variety capitalizes on learning disabled students’ strengths or preferences.
One example is allowing students to select from a graphic organizer, PowerPoint presentation, or written paper to explain why the earth’s seasons.
Student Access to Grades – providing each student with online or off line access to updated grade reports on a regular basis.
One example is the use of a science class Wiki which provides a list of categories students are assessed during a grading period, along with the current grade for each category. Students are provided with a password to access their grades only.
Provide Personalized Feedback – conduct periodic one-on-one meetings or give personal feedback on class work with students having learning disabilities. This feedback focuses on their progress in learning science concepts and achieving course or assignment objectives.
One example is writing specific comments on a science project rubric providing additional feedback on success or how to achieve expectations.
Making Connections: Teaching and Learning Science for Learning Disabled Students
Teaching science for students with learning disabilities through the use of hands-on scientific experiments is an excellent strategy due to science lending itself well as a multisensory subject. Science also stresses the use of math and the language arts skills in its inquiry and process skills. Learning science also provides students with a large variety of methods for formative and informal assessments for measuring their level of concept understanding.
David R. Wetzel - Dr. David Wetzel's experience includes more than 25 years in continuing, adult, and teacher education.
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