Literacy and Mathematics Skills Development for Students with Special Learning Needs

All children with special learning needs have unique abilities and challenges. But it remains essential that each child acquire sufficient literacy and mathematics skills.

I believe that the most effective learning methods are ones that identify and teach to the child’s strengths – a strength-based approach.

For some children, learning to read and write through the application of the phonetic approach is neither appropriate nor successful. They may learn to read and write most effectively using a whole word sight approach or possibly a dual approach starting with whole sight word recognition followed by introduction to phonetics. By considering the strengths of your child and providing reading material that is relevant and of personal interest to your child, there will be increased desire to read and write.

In teaching mathematics, using concrete materials that are real and of interest to the child may be more effective than focusing on the use of symbols and algorithms. Also using personal and meaningful “real life” problems that are relevant to the child’s interest and experiences will increase engagement, questioning and knowledge.

Using the learning profile of your child’s skills, interests and knowledge, in collaboration with you, we will develop a learning plan of meaningful, attainable and measurable goals to increase your child’s confidence and academic success.