Helping Elementary Students Reach success: 3 Simple Tips
You became a teacher to inspire students and make an impact on their lives.
A lot of times it's what keeps you up at night....
How I can I help Kaden increase his math fact fluency?
Joe is only reading at a second grade level, how on EARTH is he going to be able to learn about photosynthesis in science if he can't even read the science book?
Ada is struggling to keep up with the rest of the class, how can I get her caught up?
Students come to us at all different levels and diverse needs. Luckily, much research has been done to help increase the chances for all students to succeed.
And - good news! These are strategies that you can try out in your classroom right away!
Here are three proven-strategies to help YOU help your STUDENTS find success.
TIP 1: CHUNK INFORMATION
Our students are often in information over-load - in all areas of their lives. We are an over-stimulated society and are constantly having to take in and process so much information on a daily basis.
Help increase student success by limiting the amount of information you share at one time...
...in the directions you give. (Try offering one specific direction at a time, allowing students to follow through, then add additional details)
...on your anchor charts/slides/posters. (Try to limit information presented on a single chart or slide to just a few new points or thoughts. Leave plenty of white space so that your visuals aren't too stimulating.)
...on activity sheets students are working on. (Be mindful of how much information is included on a single page.)
When we chunk information we are intentional about only presenting a few new pieces of information at a time, being mindful of how our students' brains process it.
One of the most important things that we consider when designing a new LINKtivity, is determining how we can break up a larger topic into manageable categories that students can explore individually. Their exploration can be done in a single sitting, or even spread across several days, only taking in smaller amounts of information at a time.
Even more, we make sure to design each slide within a LINKtivity exploration with a content focus so that students aren’t overwhelmed with too much information in a single glance.
TIP 2: PRESENT UNFAMILIAR INFORMATION WITH FAMILIAR PROCESSES
So often we ask our students to learn new information AND learn a new process for learning that information at the same time.
Create familiar formats and processes for activities in your classroom that can be repeated when learning different skills.
This might look like students playing a familiar game at a math or literacy center and just changing up the content included in that game. (ex. playing memory match with different vocabulary and concepts, or using a generic game board that can be used for a variety of skills.)
OR - it might look like students working inside a familiar learning website or online activity that they already know how to navigate so that they can just focus on the new topic they are learning.
For example, we love how all of our LINKtivities are formatted with the same navigation features, as well as with a familiar layout so that once students learn how a LINKtivity works, they can dive right in to the topic without having to learn how to navigate a LINKtivity at the same time.
TIP 3: REMOVE BARRIERS TO SUCCESS
Often when students are asked to show their understanding of a topic, there are barriers that stand in their way.
If you have struggling readers in your classroom, then not only do they struggle with reading during your literacy block, but they struggle with learning new information when reading in content areas, like science and social studies as well.
Or, if students struggle with using legible handwriting, communicating their thoughts of paper can be a source of frustration.
Providing simple supports to help eliminate reading and writing barriers can help a student demonstrate their competence, rather than having their understanding become clouded by what they struggle with.
This might look like providing audio support to a struggling reader. (Did you know you can now record your voice on a Google Slide?) Text can also be read out loud as a group, or in partners - all to help struggling readers stay on pace with their peers.
It might also look like allowing a student to type a response rather than having them hand write it. This will help them communicate without the added struggle of writing.
We love how each of our LINKtivities provide audio support as well as interactive activities built right into the LINKtivity for students to easily demonstrate what they are learning.
Which tip can you take action on today?