A big problem for a first grader is the “b” and “d” direction. I was happy to see the suggestions in this chapter. One little boy this past school year was having trouble with this. He was identified as having a learning disability. He was also very bodily-kinesthetic. I tried having him make a bed with his hands but the way was different. I asked him to put together his pointer and his thumb to make the circle. Then he was to point the rest of his fingers up. This is difficult for 6 and 7 years old children to understand and do. The suggestion to put fists together, thumbs upraised, palms facing you to make a bed is much easier to perform. I don’t know why I didn’t think of that or see that suggestion before. I plan on using this suggestion, the one that said to sing “b” and ”d” song and having the children use cards with the letter on them and find others with the same letter and sound. I can see how this will really help the children. I would say most first grade student are bodily-kinesthetic, musical and interpersonal.
I had the opportunty this year to coordinate a presentation to our school. Since I wanted a cross section of the school for the actors; I picked a student from each of our cliques. My special ed student has been stuggling with his parents impending divorce and the issues related to that divorce and mssing alot of school. Needless to say, not conducive to academic success. So, I made him the main actor in our video and had his parents participate in the video taping and presentation. Plus, I along with 3 other chaperones spend then spend a day and a half with him and the other students. We were able to focus on his strengths: interpersonal,intrapersonal, and bodily-kinesthetic.
His parents were extemely pleased with the results as were his teachers. The students all knew their lines and did an outstanding job with the presentation, video taping and interacting together for the day and a half. They all noted that now they talk to one another in the hallways and enjoyed the time together. His attendance improved during this and he took alot of pride in the acting. I made sure to give him and each student a CD copy.
Two very simple ideas I used on my special needs students last year are as follows...
1) 5 minute break- I had a very energetic student that would need to get some movement in during class. We made a contract that he could excuse himself from class and take a quick walk through the hallway and then come back to class refocused and ready to finish up the lesson. The goal was to get the student to self-monitor. This way it was not always coming from the teacher and the student was more in control of his movement. For the most part this contract worked well throughout the year. I did have a situation where he was going to other classes when he was supposed to be on my break. We had a discussion about this after school and it did not happen again…(to my knowledge)
2) Pipe cleaners for the busy hands- I trick I learned from another teacher (they are our best resource) was to have students who fidget a lot hold a pipe cleaner in their hands during class. When students keep their hands busy some have an uncanny ability to focus on the task at hand. Plus other students are not disturbed by the tapping commotion. A koosh ball also does the trick but they have a greater tendency to become airborne.
These students would have a strength in Bodily Kinesthetic MI. The key is to helping them make adaptations that enable them to be successful in school.
In the Family and Consumer Education program I do find that the special needs students have success. Many times they are the best thinkers compared to those that want answers fed to them. When it comes to assessments, I usually have an aide write their answers or have the teacher read the test to them. Questions that I might include on the test for these students are when would you use this tool or why do you use this tool? etc. Sometimes it is just an outcome questions of what are the points that they may use in the future. I am always surprised at how much they have gained from the unit.
I had a class with CDS students with 2 boys who did not have the Bodily-Kinesthetic MI. We were going to do a latch hook project. We had a diagram color coded for them to follow where they to count out each square to follow with the appropriate color of yarn. They both were able to do this. I showed them a diagram of how to hold the hook. One of the boys would shake just hooking the hook. Then I had them practice taking a yarn and putting it around the hook. From there I practice having them hold the yarn around the hook and put the hook through the grid of the material. WOW!! Within one week they were like pro's. It took patience for myself and the student. One mother was so impressed she bought latch hook kits for him at home. In their specialized classroom the teacher let them do latch hook in their free time. Both boys increased their self esteem. Here was a situation were taking a MI that they were weak in and strengthing it through this project.
Many times I meet with the special education teacher to determine the subject matter. This project definitely fits into multiple intelligences.
For the last 5 years I have team-taught a class with a special ed. instructor in which we have infused 10 primarily LD kids with 10-12 regular ed. classes. So prior to our 6th year we met this week discussing what we should we continue to do and what should we add to our lessons to help the special ed. kids using ideas with the MI theory. The first thing we are going to do is record our lectures and discussions to help strengthen the linguistics. Maryann is also going to record the notes herself and then she is actual going to add as many pictures or graphs as she can to help enhance the spatial learners.
When it comes to take tests she is going to actually read the tests to the students. We are also going to allow CD players and IPODs into the classroom for kids who are musical learners. We are also going to use some of our IDEA funds to purchase jigsaw puzzles of historic people to help the Bodily-Kinesthetic Learners. We established a lot of great approaches, she even suggested allowing the class to paint a mural on the back wall of my new classroom. It will be a mural of the significant events of the last 100 Years.
6 comments:
A big problem for a first grader is the “b” and “d” direction. I was happy to see the suggestions in this chapter. One little boy this past school year was having trouble with this. He was identified as having a learning disability. He was also very bodily-kinesthetic. I tried having him make a bed with his hands but the way was different. I asked him to put together his pointer and his thumb to make the circle. Then he was to point the rest of his fingers up. This is difficult for 6 and 7 years old children to understand and do. The suggestion to put fists together, thumbs upraised, palms facing you to make a bed is much easier to perform. I don’t know why I didn’t think of that or see that suggestion before. I plan on using this suggestion, the one that said to sing “b” and ”d” song and having the children use cards with the letter on them and find others with the same letter and sound. I can see how this will really help the children. I would say most first grade student are bodily-kinesthetic, musical and interpersonal.
I had the opportunty this year to coordinate a presentation to our school. Since I wanted a cross section of the school for the actors; I picked a student from each of our cliques. My special ed student has been stuggling with his parents impending divorce and the issues related to that divorce and mssing alot of school. Needless to say, not conducive to academic success. So, I made him the main actor in our video and had his parents participate in the video taping and presentation. Plus, I along with 3 other chaperones spend then spend a day and a half with him and the other students. We were able to focus on his strengths:
interpersonal,intrapersonal, and bodily-kinesthetic.
His parents were extemely pleased with the results as were his teachers. The students all knew their lines and did an outstanding job with the presentation, video taping and interacting together for the day and a half. They all noted that now they talk to one another in the hallways and enjoyed the time together. His attendance improved during this and he took alot of pride in the acting. I made sure to give him and each student a CD copy.
What a great idea Tom.
Two very simple ideas I used on my special needs students last year are as follows...
1) 5 minute break- I had a very energetic student that would need to get some movement in during class. We made a contract that he could excuse himself from class and take a quick walk through the hallway and then come back to class refocused and ready to finish up the lesson. The goal was to get the student to self-monitor. This way it was not always coming from the teacher and the student was more in control of his movement. For the most part this contract worked well throughout the year. I did have a situation where he was going to other classes when he was supposed to be on my break. We had a discussion about this after school and it did not happen again…(to my knowledge)
2) Pipe cleaners for the busy hands- I trick I learned from another teacher (they are our best resource) was to have students who fidget a lot hold a pipe cleaner in their hands during class. When students keep their hands busy some have an uncanny ability to focus on the task at hand. Plus other students are not disturbed by the tapping commotion. A koosh ball also does the trick but they have a greater tendency to become airborne.
These students would have a strength in Bodily Kinesthetic MI. The key is to helping them make adaptations that enable them to be successful in school.
In the Family and Consumer Education program I do find that the special needs students have success. Many times they are the best thinkers compared to those that want answers fed to them. When it comes to assessments, I usually have an aide write their answers or have the teacher read the test to them. Questions that I might include on the test for these students are when would you use this tool or why do you use this tool? etc. Sometimes it is just an outcome questions of what are the points that they may use in the future. I am always surprised at how much they have gained from the unit.
I had a class with CDS students with 2 boys who did not have the Bodily-Kinesthetic MI. We were going to do a latch hook project. We had a diagram color coded for them to follow where they to count out each square to follow with the appropriate color of yarn. They both were able to do this. I showed them a diagram of how to hold the hook. One of the boys would shake just hooking the hook. Then I had them practice taking a yarn and putting it around the hook. From there I practice having them hold the yarn around the hook and put the hook through the grid of the material. WOW!! Within one week they were like pro's. It took patience for myself and the student. One mother was so impressed she bought latch hook kits for him at home. In their specialized classroom the teacher let them do latch hook in their free time. Both boys increased their self esteem. Here was a situation were taking a MI that they were weak in and strengthing it through this project.
Many times I meet with the special education teacher to determine the subject matter. This project definitely fits into multiple intelligences.
For the last 5 years I have team-taught a class with a special ed. instructor in which we have infused 10 primarily LD kids with 10-12 regular ed. classes. So prior to our 6th year we met this week discussing what we should we continue to do and what should we add to our lessons to help the special ed. kids using ideas with the MI theory.
The first thing we are going to do is record our lectures and discussions to help strengthen the linguistics. Maryann is also going to record the notes herself and then she is actual going to add as many pictures or graphs as she can to help enhance the spatial learners.
When it comes to take tests she is going to actually read the tests to the students. We are also going to allow CD players and IPODs into the classroom for kids who are musical learners. We are also going to use some of our IDEA funds to purchase jigsaw puzzles of historic people to help the Bodily-Kinesthetic Learners. We established a lot of great approaches, she even suggested allowing the class to paint a mural on the back wall of my new classroom. It will be a mural of the significant events of the last 100 Years.
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