Students in Room 504 are given the opportunity to receive targeted and individualized instruction aimed at their individualized learning goals. Student to teacher ratio is small providing lots of opportunities for students to get the instruction they need, tailored to their individual learning styles. Access to learning is crucial for all students and our classroom is designed to provide access to learning so student growth can happen.
In Room 504, students can partake in whole group, small group, and individual learning opportunities. Students can receive direct instruction from the teacher in a whole class setting. For example, students can read a text with picture icons below the words to aid in reading, no matter where they are in their reading readiness. During this time, all 1:1s and teacher assistants are working with students while the teacher is instructing in front of the room, pausing to engage students in discussion. Students are provided with opportunities to respond using words, pictures, AAC devices and even gestures depending on the form of communication that is best suited to them. As students in Room 504 become more independent, they are able to work without direct support of a teacher assistant or 1:1. Students work at various levels with different tools such as slant boards, enlarged text, adapted books and adult support but all students practice the art of reading using 1:1 correspondence and responding to the portions of the text they have read using a variety of modalities. It is always about access to learning that is at the forefront of the instruction in Room 504.
During reading and math, students are pulled to a table either individually or in small groups of 2-3 to work on targeted IEP skills. The teacher uses a variety of academic materials that include adapted books, math manipulatives, multi-sensory instruction, visual aids, charts, option cards, flash cards, and technology to provide access to each of the individual learners in the group. Lessons are targeted to match the skills being worked on for that small group or individual learner. Students not working directly with the teacher, work out of folders/bins that have different concrete learning materials specific to their needs so that they can continue to review and work on the skill taught previously by the teacher in their small group or individual sessions. Students are at their desks with the support of 1:1s and close monitoring of the teacher assistant who is circulating around the room. This ensures that all students in Room 504 get the instruction they need to make gains towards their IEP goals.
All students can learn. It is a matter of designing a learning environment that is catered to the individual learning goals of each student. Students thrive when they are given the tools to access their learning. In Room 504, we are creating opportunities for true engagement in the learning process. This ensures that we are always meeting students where they are and holding a high bar for focused learning and growth. As O. Ivar Lovaas said so beautifully, “If they can’t learn the way we teach, then we need to teach the way they learn.”
