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Teachers Make the Difference:
Teaching Students with Learning Disabilities at Middle and Secondary Levels
Living Document
2009

Primer
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The user can click on a topic in the Table of
Contents and be directed to the appropriate page.
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The green boxes provide the reader with highlighted information.
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The yellow boxes provide the reader with boxes that can be “check marked.”
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The CHECKLISTS section provides the user with boxes that can be either “check marked” or
“filled in with text.”
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The user can SAVE all changes made to the document.

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The Ministry of Education promotes the multi-tiered
Response to Intervention (RTI) process which provides a continuum of services, supports, and interventions to students.
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The RTI process is effective in serving the needs of all students (including students with learning disabilities) because of its focus on school-wide, group, and individual interventions.

Model

National Definition
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A student with a learning disability has unique learning needs and strengths that are different from other students with learning disabilities.
• The Learning Disabilities Association of Canada’s definition of learning disabilities can be found at http://www.ldac-taac.ca
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A Student with a
Learning Disability has . . .
• average or above average cognitive ability
(thinking and reasoning).
• processing difficulties.
• below average academic achievement.
• unexpected academic underachievement.

Receiving and Processing
Information for Learning
Information Processing Model
Adapted from Walcot-Gayda, 2004

Processes Related to perceiving, thinking, remembering, or learning
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Language Processing
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Phonological Processing
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Visual-Spatial Processing
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Processing Speed
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Memory
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Attention
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Executive Functions (planning or decision making)

Planning for Effective and Differentiated
Instruction and Assessment
Flow Chart

Effective Instruction
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Differentiated Instruction and the Adaptive Dimension
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Brain Compatible Instruction
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Instructional Groupings
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Explicit Instruction
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Scaffolded Instruction
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Metacognitive Instruction
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Strategy Instruction
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Content Enhancement
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Effective Feedback
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Performance Monitoring

Effective Assessment
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Used Before Instruction (Diagnostic)
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Used During Instruction (Formative)
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Used After Instruction (Summative)

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For a complete list of references and user-entered checklists, please consult the document titled,
Teachers Make the Difference:
Teaching Students with Learning Disabilities at Middle and Secondary Levels