Low Academic Achievement andPoor MotivationBy: Jennifer Barkevich

Elementary school-aged students• General education teachers• Special education teachers

Students with a Learning Disability Learner characteristics How the characteristics affect

performance How the characteristics are assessed Strategies

Focus on student self-management Accommodation and modifications

Learner Characteristics

Low academic achievement Cognitive

disability which affects the ability to understand information

Poor motivation Adaptive disability

which affects communication, socialization and activities of daily living

Problems with Low Academic Achievement Lots of variation among students with

learning disabilities regarding areas affected such as math, reading, and/or writing

Greatest difficulties with reading

Aversive to writing (handwriting, spelling, and creating compositions)

Problems with Low Academic Achievement Continued Difficulties with spoken language –

mechanics and social uses

Difficulties initiating and engaging in conversations (trouble with give-and-take and reading non-verbal cues)

Low self-esteem due to poor academic performance

Problems with Poor Motivation Motivation is either intrinsic or extrinsic

Key is to find out what is motivating to each individual student

Fear of making mistakes and hides behind his/her sense of humor

Inability to see how schoolwork relates to everyday life thinking the tasks lack meaning

Problems with Poor Motivation Continued Use lack of academic success as a way to

gain attention

Academic tasks are too difficult and require too much effort

Other difficulties can making learning an “unmotivating” experience

How to Assess a Student

Formal Norm-referenced tests

such as PASS Woodcock-Johnson Observer-rater

instruments to be used by teachers, parents, students, etc. using a checklist or rating scale

Measures of adaptive behavior

Self-report instruments

Informal Non-standardized

procedures such as those used to monitor progress including Curriculum-Based Measurements (CBMs)

Naturalistic observations

Interviews with students, parents, and other teachers

Social Skills Improvement System Rating Scales A measure of adaptive behavior Useful for individuals ages 3-18 years old Evaluates:

Positive social behaviors (including but not limited to responsibility and engagement)

Behaviors that can interfere with the production of social skills (including but not limited to bullying and other external factors)

Academic competence as it relates to reading achievement, math achievement, and motivation to learn

Self-Report Instruments

Commercial instruments versus informal techniques

Primary means for assessing a students’ self-concepts and for identifying areas that cause students anxiety or concern

Reliant on students desire to give responses that are honest and accurate

Important Facts!

Over 50% of students with learning disabilities spend time in the general education classroom

Students with learning disabilities are exposed to a wide variety of instructional styles Students with diverse abilities respond differently

to instruction so be sure to respect their unique learning capabilities and modify instruction accordingly

Students with learning disabilities are their own best advocates so we have to teach them self-management techniques

Classroom Management

Create a happy, positive, organized, and engaging classroom

Establish rules that involve respect for others and be sure to follow them Model the type of behavior you expect your

students to exhibit

Communicate expectations and consequences

Periodically review rules and practice using role modeling techniques

Explicit Instruction

The teacher serves as the provider of knowledge and offers extensive support (scaffolding) to students to help facilitate learning Differs from implicit instruction where there

teacher assumes students are active learners Emphasizes student mastery

Model-Lead-Test Immediate praise and/or corrective feedback

Pair with Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD) to teach students to self-regulate learning

Strategies

Use self-management techniques to foster student independence Small group instruction (Tier 2 of RTI) Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies (PALS) Cooperative learning groups Mnemonics Positive reinforcement (leads to self

reinforcement) Opportunities for students to make decisions Contingency contracts Goal setting

Accommodations & Modifications Teach test-taking skills to reduce anxiety Read directions Present work in smaller amounts or spaced out Reduce difficulty of assignments/reading level Provide extra time on tasks and tests Increase wait time (3 seconds) between questions

and responses Using the computer or other technical enhancements Study guides Using a peer to assist with note taking and tutoring Portfolio assessments

The Key To Success

As a teacher, it is important to appreciate each student, including a student with a learning disability, for their own individual uniqueness.

Linking student success to their own hard work (diligence) and effort (determination) is crucial to the development of motivation. Reduces learned helplessness

The goal is to foster student independence and skill generalization.

So Very True…

“Don’t let what you can’t do stop you from doing what you can do.”

– John Wooden

“No one is perfect – that’s why pencils have erasers.” – Author Unknown

References

LD Online. (2002). Motivation: The Key to Academic Success. Retrieved from

http://www.ldonline.org/article/5730/

Luke, S. (2006). The Power of Strategy Instruction. Evidence for Education, volume 1

(issue 1). Retrieved from http://nichcy.org/research/ee/learning-strategies

Mercer, C., Mercer, A., & Pullen, P. (2011). Teaching Students with Learning

Problems (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

Fuchs et al. (2007). Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies. Retrieved from

http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/pdf/intervention_reports/WWC_PALS_071607.pdf