Every kid in my SSP program has a poster that reminds teachers and parents how that student learns. I tell the student one thing at a time about what the testing found, then they tell me what to write on the poster. Here is the contents of a recent poster:
- I can learn best by having pictures of the stuff. So if I want to know the sounds of the vowel o, make it an open mouth going “ahhhhhh!”
- I know words. If you tell me, “Once upon a _____” I know the next word.
- I think in words, and it takes too long. It takes time to think.
- I can remember all the stuff you teach me.
- But I have to pay attention to it.
- If you tell me something, and I tell it to you back, then I remember it better.
- I can usually use my hands and fingers to do things fast, like basketball, and football.
- I don’t know what to draw. I can’t think of what to draw. I’ll get better at it.
- The hardest thing about listening is when I’m tired, I stop listening.
- I should try different things if something doesn’t work the first time.
- I like to keep score. I like to use the clicker counter.
- I like putting my score on the wall, and I like beating my old score.
- I am good at asking questions.
- If something is too hard for me, I should ask a teacher how to do it again.
- I can learn something by doing it again and again, trying something different.
- Mistakes are not funny, but they are OK.
Wouldn’t it be great if everyone had a “How I Learn The Best” poster, and teaching decisions were made on the basis of these posters?