Strategies for Supporting Students

Below are some general strategies and tips for students with disabilities, English Language Learners, or for students who may need some additional support with completing learning tasks at home. Keep in mind these ideas can be adapted for a wide range of ages, and you can adapt however is needed to help support your student.

Organization, Focus, and Work Completion
Learning Space: Create or find a place in the home with limited distractions. Keep supplies and materials in the area for easy access, including usernames and passwords if needed. Create ways to keep paperwork organized, such as using binders, file folders, or bins.
Learning Time: Create a schedule for learning. Find the time your child learns best and stick to it. Consider adding pictures or graphics for students that would benefit from a visual schedule. (Example App: Visual Schedule Lite) Use a timer to help your child learn to manage their time and focus during work times. This could include a first, then schedule. First, do one problem, then take a 2-minute break. Or, first complete one assignment, then get a 15-minute break. (Example App: Visual Countdown Timer) Help your child stay on track using a checklist of tasks that need to be completed. This could be a daily or weekly task list. Allow your child to take breaks! Help your child learn to activate their mind and body by going for walks, reading their favorite book, drawing, and socializing with their family and friends online.
Reading
Read aloud to or with your child. You can read a text first and then have your child read it back to you or read it together at the same time. Read written directions out loud and have them repeat or paraphrase the directions back to you to ensure they understand. Simplify important ideas as needed. Provide colored strips or bookmarks to help focus on one line of text while reading. Help your child break apart reading into smaller sections. For example, reading one sentence, paragraph, or page at a time.
Writing
Consider allowing different ways for your child to show their learning, such as drawing or sketching their thinking. Use sentence starters or sentence frames to scaffold writing, in which your child can finish the sentence or fill in the blanks. Allow your child to tell you verbally their answer. You can write it down for them or record their key ideas. Take turns writing sentences or words. Sentence Frames: It’s a common scene in many elementary classrooms: a student sits and stares at a blank paper because they were asked to write and don’t know how to start or they can’t think of the right words. Whether students are asked to write a story, answer questions, or practice vocabulary words, many have difficulty figuring out how to start writing So what exactly is a sentence frame? A sentence frame is a method of scaffolding that teachers can use with all students. They are especially helpful for students who struggle with writing and for English Language Learners. To use this strategy, teachers set up a frame for students’ writing. The teacher starts a sentence and leaves a blank line for students to finish the sentence. The blanks can also be placed in the middle or at the end of sentences. The blank can require the student to fill in one word or more than one word. Some sentence frames begin with a question, and the frame helps the student answer the question. Here are some examples: What is your favorite animal? A ____________ is my favorite animal. I like to ____________________ on the weekends. I learned that _________________________________________. Students shouldn’t simply be given a worksheet with sentence frames on it. The sentence frames should be discussed with the students. Teachers can follow these simple steps: 1. Read the sentence frame out loud to the students. 2. Read the sentence frame again, and have the students repeat it after you. 3. Give the students time to look at the sentence frame and think about it before writing. 4. Give the students time to write. 5. Discuss the sentences after the students complete them. (Evans, n.d.)
Math
Provide manipulatives, or objects, for your child such as blocks, pasta pieces, beans, or coins. Use nath tools such as a number line or multiplication table. Math Tools