Melissa Kim

EDUC 603 Child Development

November 3, 2014
Instructional Strategies
Virtual Classroom
At Grade Level/Gifted:
I will regularly assess student performance to ensure that students remain (if not improve)
at performance level. This will be in the form of reflection journals, quizzes, discussions,
and papers. I will encourage students to meet with me if they have any concerns or
questions that cannot be voiced in front of the entire class. I will also let the class know
that if anyone would like to further their knowledge about a certain topic or if they feel
they are not being challenged enough, then they can come see me for additional
resources.
Below Grade Level:
I will monitor their progress and meet with them individually if they need my assistance.
Additionally, I will seek advice and assistance of specialists to help promote the reading
and writing skills of students who lag far behind their peers (McDevitt, 2010, p. 362).
ELL:
Haweo Kaui speaks fluent Hawaiian and is learning English. In order to best suit her
needs, I will recruit her parents, community volunteers, or other students who speak
Hawaiian to assist in providing her instruction. I will speak more slowly and clearly
enunciate each word. I will use visual aids to support verbal explanations as well as do
small-group learning activities so that they can go over the material. I will have students
read, write, and report about their native countries. I will also incorporate hands-on
activities, as Haweo is a kinesthetic learner. McDevitt argues that secondary school
students who have only limited English proficiency are more apt to have trouble with
schoolwork (p.344). By recruiting individuals who speak her language, I can make sure
she is not missing any directions due to lack of communication (p.345). This way she will
be fully equipped when it comes to instruction. The use of visual aids will assist Haweo
in understanding instruction and discussions when words alone are not enough. Also, she
very much loves her native culture and is no doubt proud of it. It would be beneficial for
all of my students to research their native countries to develop compassion and cultural
knowledge. Lastly, I must understand that the transition from instruction in a students
native language to instruction in English occurs very gradually over a period of several
years (p.345). Language is an important foundation for cognitive development, so I must
make sure that Haweo receives adequate learning time and respect in both English and
Hawaiian.
SPED:
Dae KimDysgraphiaDaes learning disability affects writing, language processing,
and visual-spatial processing. I believe that short lectures will help Dae because the
verbal explanations will be short enough that he can comprehend the lesson. I will also

modify reading materials and paper-pencil assignments (p.363). He is a kinesthetic

learner, so I will make sure to demonstrate the proper performance of a task as I explain
it. I will also divide complex tasks into smaller, simpler tasks to assist him. The main
philosophy behind these instructional strategies is scaffolding. Scaffolding describes the
guidance provided by more competent individuals to help children perform tasks (p.217).
Students may need different scaffolding to support their success. In Daes case, the type
of scaffolding he needs is one that caters to his abilities and learning styles (kinesthetic).
It also gives him some room to improve upon areas he needs help in.
Vanessa LynDyslexiaVanessa is a very sociable and friendly person. She is also
very practical and adaptable, so she will respond well to teacher and peer help. Dyslexia
is not a sign of poor intelligence, just that she may have a smaller working memory
capacity or a tendency to process information at a slower-than-average rate (p.363). This
has to do with physical development in the brain. This information is useful to me as I
will accommodate her needs by creating handouts that list major ideas. This handout will
assist her when she reads the text or writes her paper, so she knows which points to focus
on. I will also incorporate more discussions as a means of assessment, as she may not
have trouble forming opinions, just putting it into writing. I will schedule a conference
with her to go over the draft of her paper because she may benefit from a verbal
explanation rather than a written one.

References
McDevitt, M. & Ormrod, J. (2010). Child Development and Education. (4th ed.). New
Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc.