Educational Psychology Essay assignment Ch5: Individual Differences and Special Needs
*Please answer the questions on a separate piece of paper. You do not need to copy the questions. I encourage
you to do this on a word processor and print multiple copies or photocopy your answers so that you have them to review for
the test (especially for the last chapter before the exam).
*You may NOT work in groups on homework assignments (you must have your own answer)
Short Essay Questions (answer all essay questions in complete sentences. Define all psychological terms that
you use. Use at least 6 sentences per question)
1. Gardner's theory of multiple intelligence postulates 8 different kinds of intelligence.
Give a brief example of how you might address each type of intelligence while teaching in your discipline
(for example say you are teaching psychology. In the kinesthetic realm you might have students get up and
pretend to be neurons to illustrate how they communicate. Or in the naturalistic realm you might teach
about observation by having students observe differences in the trees or animals in different areas of town).
2. Review the handout "Individual Education Plan" (IEP) in the chapter 5 handout. Imagine that you have a
student who is having trouble learning the days of the week. Go through the 7 parts of the IEP and go
through each addressing this issue (Ie Target to be Achieved = learn the days of the week, do the other 6 on
your own  )
Objectives for Chapter 5
1.
Give examples of typical items on an intelligence test, and demonstrate how a teacher might help children and parents
understand what IQ scores indicate.
2.
Identify both strengths and limitations of intelligence tests.
3.
Explain what intelligence is from several different theoretical perspectives.
4.
Describe evidence that indicates that intelligence is influenced by both genetics and environmental factors, and
express optimism that teachers can help children behave more intelligently.
5.
Explain what temperament is, and give at least three different examples of how a teacher might accommodate diverse
temperaments in the classroom.
6.
List the mandates of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and the implications of this legislation for
educating children with special needs.
7.
Explain why educators continue to categorize children with special needs, despite some potential disadvantages of
doing so.
8.
Describe common characteristics of, as well as possible strategies for working with, children with disabilities..
9.
Explain why it is important to provide special services for children who are gifted, and describe several strategies for
adapting instruction for such children.
Vocabulary: intelligence, Wechsler tests, contextual, experiential and componential intelligence, Gardner’s types of
intelligence, distributed intelligence, Spearman’s G, temperament, inclusion, LRE, IEP, learning disabilities,
externalizing/internalizing behavior
Note: when a child is INCLUDED in a regular school or classroom they are not necessarily responsible for achieving the
same learning objectives as other students in that school or classroom. When a child is MAINSTREAMED the child
IS expected to achieve the same learning objectives, although they may get accommodations in order to help them do
so.