Different Types of Learners in the Classroom

Low Socioeconomic Learners

26% of the children in Kentucky are living in poverty.In 2014, Kentucky had the 9th highest poverty rate of children according to the U.S. Census. 

Dr. Jennings is the Superintendent of the Jennings School District. With the implementation of programs that address students’ and families’ basic needs, the school district is thriving. Resources available at Jennings School District are a pediatrician, a College Prep Program, a place to do laundry, arts education, access to food, mental health therapists available at every school, and much more.

References:

How One Woman Reinvented School To Combat Poverty. (2016, May 26). Retrieved April 08, 2018,  from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKCnNZzhaMQ 

Ryan, J. (2015, September 21). Kentucky's Child Poverty Rate Ticks Upward, Census Data Show. Retrieved April 02, 2018, from http://wfpl.org/kentuckys-child-poverty-rate-ticks-upward-census-data-show/

ELL Students

English Language Learners are students who are not able to communicate fluently in English. Depending on the level of necessity, ELL students must be differentiated for in the classroom. According to the National Center for Educational Statistics, Spanish was the home language of 3.7 million ELL students in 2014–15, representing 77.1 percent of all ELL students and 7.6 percent of all public K–12 students. Arabic, Chinese, and Vietnamese were the next most common home languages

Here are some examples of Supporting English Language Learners in the Classroom*

1. Make it Visual
2. Build in more Group Work
3. Communicate with the ESL Teacher
4. Honor the "Silent Period" 
• This is the frame of time in which ELL students speak very little.
5. Use Sentence Frames
6. Learn about the Cultural Background of your Students
• Embrace their culture; do not shove it aside!

*12 Ways to Support English Learners in the Classroom

References:

Gonzalez, J. (2014, December 11). 12 Ways to Support English Learners in the Mainstream Classroom. Retrieved April 08, 2018, from https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/supporting-esl-students-mainstream-classroom/

The NCES Fast Facts Tool provides quick answers to many education questions (National Center for Education Statistics). (n.d.). Retrieved April 08, 2018, from https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=96

Special Needs Learners

To ensure students with special needs are treated fairly in the education system, IDEA was passed. IDEA stands for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. This act is mandated by the federal law, and it ensures that all students with exceptionalities have the right to FAPE (Free, Appropriate Public Education). To accommodate and differentiate for Special Needs Learners in the classroom, they will have an Individualized Education Plan or a 504 Plan. A 504 plan is broader than an IEP, while an IEP accommodates for a student who has a disability that is listed under the IDEA Act.

Here is an article that discusses ways to differentiate for special needs learners in this classroom: http://www.readingrockets.org/article/how-adapt-your-teaching-strategies-student-needs 

• If the student has difficulty learning by listening:
• provide visuals
• use flash cards
• provide written and manipulative tasks
• If the student has difficulty expressing verbally:
• wait for students to respond
• ask questions requiring short answers
• use a chart, graph, or table
• If the student has difficulty spelling:
• teach words by spelling patterns
• hang words from ceiling during study time
• use mnemonic devices

References: 

Bulloch, K. (2017, October 27). How to Adapt Your Teaching Strategies to Student Needs. Retrieved April 08, 2018, from http://www.readingrockets.org/article/how-adapt-your-teaching-strategies-student-needs 

Hallahan, Daniel P. Exceptional Learners. 1st ed. United States: Pearson, 2015. Print.