TEACHING

STRATEGIES
FOR SPECIAL
STUDENTS

Dr. Abowaba Johnson Idowu Kings (PhD, EdD)

Introduction
I believe the role of a teacher is to create an environment in which all students can
participate to the best of their abilities. One of the greatest challenges of a teacher is to
provide a positive learning environment for the students in his/her classroom. Because
each student has his or her own unique set of physical and intellectual abilities,
perceptions, and needs, the learning styles of the students may vary widely.

Therefore, once the teacher determines the special needs of his/her students, he/she
can identify the areas of the curriculum that may present barriers to them. In order to
eliminate those barriers, he/she may need to modify his/her teaching strategies. The
following information will help teachers identify students with special needs. It also
offers strategies for the teacher to tailor his/her lessons and presentations so that all
students have a more equal opportunity to experience success.

Although there are a lot of special needs of students but the following a most common
with students:

 Gifted students
 Second Language Learners
 Students With Behavioral Disorders
 Students With Learning Disabilities
 Students With Physical Impairments
 Students With Visual Impairments
 Students With Hearing Impairments
 Students With Speech Impairments

I will try to give a brief definition of the above mention type of students and also explain
how the educators can teach the students using various strategies depending on the
students’ special ability or disability.
Gifted Students
Although no formal definition exists, gifted students can be described as having above
average ability, task commitment, and creativity. They rank in the top 5 percent of their
classes. They are usually capable of divergent thinking. Students in your class who
consistently finish work more quickly than others and who have above average ability,
task commitment, and creativity may be considered gifted.

Teaching Strategies

Teaching gifted students requires a lot of understanding because these are students
that tends to know so much and are very bright, sharp and a times extremely
knowledgeable. To teach them the educator will use the following strategies:

•Emphasize concepts, theories, relationships, ideas, and generalizations.

•Let students express themselves in a variety of ways, including drawing, creative

writing, or acting.

•Make arrangements for gifted students to work on independent projects.

•Make arrangements for gifted students to take selected subjects early.

•Encourage gifted students to take on a wide variety of enrichment and independent

practice activities that will put them in contact with people in the "real world" and allow
them to observe the daily practices that lead to success.

Second Language Learners

Some students speak English as a second language, or not at all. The customs and
behavior of people in the majority culture may be confusing for some of these students.
Cultural values may inhibit some of these students from full participation in the
classroom.

Teaching Strategies

•Remember that students' ability to speak English does not reflect their academic ability.
•Try to incorporate students' cultural experiences into your instruction. The help of a
bilingual aide may be effective.

•Include information about different cultures in your curriculum to help build students'
self-image.

•Avoid cultural stereotypes.

•Encourage students to share their cultures in the classroom.

•If your class includes any second language learners, provide outlines of lecture notes
or planned classroom discussion topics in advance to give second language learners
the opportunity to review materials later at a slower pace or to look up unfamiliar
vocabulary.

•When discussing numbers, speak slowly and clearly and write the numbers under
discussion on the board along with the signs indicating the operations being performed.

•In regular classroom activities, allow sufficient time for second language learners to
answer verbal questions.

•Pair second language learners with native speakers for verbal exercises when
appropriate.

•Give extra attention to second language learners when discussing telephone skills and
interviewing techniques, as these topics can be intimidating for students who feel
uncertain about using English.

Students with Behavioral Disorders

Students with behavior disorders deviate from standards or expectations of behavior

and impair the functioning of others and themselves. These children may also be gifted
or have a learning disability.

Teaching Strategies

•Work for long-term improvement; do not expect immediate success.

•Talk with students about their strengths and weaknesses, and clearly outline
objectives.
•Structure schedules rules, room arrangement, and safety for a conducive learning
environment.

•Experiment to determine the best learning modality for each student, and structure
activities accordingly.

•Model appropriate behavior for students and reinforce proper behavior.

•Use enrichment materials that capitalize on their interests.

Students with Learning Disabilities

All students with learning disabilities have problems in one or more areas, such as
academic learning, language, perception, social-emotional adjustment, memory, or
ability to pay attention. In general, students with learning disabilities require more
support and structure and benefit from a classroom that incorporates a wide variety of
learning modalities (visual, auditory, tactile, and kinesthetic).

Teaching Strategies

•Clearly define rules, assignments, and duties.

•Distribute outlines of material presented in class.

•Allow for pair interaction during class time; utilize peer helpers.

•Allow extra time to complete tests and assignments.

•Make chapter audio tapes so students who find the written text difficult to use can listen
and read simultaneously.

•Advise students who have problems with verbal processing to read materials before
class discussion.

•Allow students with learning disabilities to read notes taken in class by other students
to ensure that they are not missing any valuable information.

•Clearly specify the scope of assignments and review the work of students with learning
disabilities on a regular basis throughout the course of projects.
•Break up complex tasks into self-contained steps and provide additional assistance as
needed.

Students With Physical Impairments

Students with physical impairments fall into two categories — those with orthopedic
impairments (use of one or more limbs severely restricted) and those with other health
impairments.

Teaching Strategies

•With the student, determine when you should offer aid.

•Help other students and adults understand and accept physically disabled students.

•Learn about special devices or procedures and whether special safety precautions are
needed.

•Allow students to participate in all activities, including field trips, special events, and
projects.

•To ensure their full participation in the class, make sure they have full access to the
classroom; be aware of common items that can be barriers, such as a narrow walkway
or a heavy door.

•Keep in mind that some students in wheelchairs have full use of their hands and others
do not.

Students With Visual Impairments

Students with visual impairments have partial or total loss of sight. Individuals with
visual impairments are not significantly different from their sighted peers in ability range
or personality. However, blindness may affect cognitive, motor, and social development.
Often, listening skills are enhanced when visual impairment is present.
Teaching Strategies

•To help students with visual impairments cope with the volume of printed material in
class, use a combination of resources, such as readers, books in Braille, and recorded
books and class lectures.

•Modify assignments as needed to help students become independent.

•Teach classmates how to serve as guides for students with visual impairments.

•Encourage students with visual impairments to use their sense of touch; provide tactile
models whenever possible.

•Verbally describe people and events as they occur in the classroom for the students
with visual impairments.

•Avoid standing with your back to the window or light source.

•Some students benefit from working with a peer "visual translator" who is able to
verbally describe visual images, such as the photos in the textbook to the student.

Students With Hearing Impairments

Students with hearing impairments have partial or total loss of hearing. They are not
significantly different from their peers in ability range or personality. However, the
chronic condition of deafness may affect cognitive, motor, social, and speech
development. Many students with hearing impairments, ranging from complete loss to
moderate loss, communicate mainly by sign language.

Teaching Strategies

•Provide favorable seating arrangements for hearing-impaired students so they can see
speakers and read their lips (or interpreters can assist); avoid visual distractions.

•To encourage their maximum participation, look at students with hearing impairments
when you speak; this allows students the option of viewing you and your lip movements
directly.
•Limit unnecessary noise in the classroom, as students who wear hearing aids can be
easily distracted by background noise. Because each hearing aid has its own limited
range of use, you will need to learn how close to stand so the student can hear you.
Keep in mind that comments made in the back of the room may be inaudible.

•Write out all instructions on paper or on the board; overhead projectors enable you to
maintain eye contact while writing.

•Pair students with hearing impairments with hearing partners; this will benefit not only
the students with hearing impairments, but also the hearing students who will gain
knowledge about how students with hearing impairments compensate for their
challenge.

•If class materials involve technical terminology, supply a list of these words in advance
to students with hearing impairments and their interpreters. Unfamiliar words can be
difficult to lip-read or sign without prior exposure.

Students With Speech Impairments

Students with speech impairments may have impediments ranging from problems with
articulation or voice strength to being unable to speak. These impairments can include
stuttering, chronic hoarseness, or difficulty in expressing an appropriate word or phrase.
Typically, such students refrain as much as possible from class participation.

Teaching Strategies

•When speaking with a student with a speech impairment, use normal communication
patterns and refrain from completing words or phrases for the student.

•Some students use electronic speaking machines or are adept at using body language
to communicate.

•Allow students with speech impairments or difficulty with oral expression the
opportunity to submit written questions about material that they find challenging.

•Students with speech impairments often do not feel comfortable participating in

exercises devoted to interpersonal skills because the physical difficulties they
experience can make the exercises uncomfortable for them. Even so, these students
can benefit from watching others and participating at a level they select as comfortable.

•Students with speech impairments benefit from an opportunity to make a contribution to

the class in ways other than in-class discussion. For example, students might prepare a
bulletin board display or a report on a topic that could be distributed to all students.

Conclusion

In conclusion I believe that every teacher/educator should understand so well the needs
of every student (more especially the ones with special disability) with the view of
helping them learn better. The goal of every educator should be how to make learning
simple, interesting and more fun for all the students.