When students in your classroom are not progressing at the same rate or better as their peers, supplement their learning with researched based strategies that increase achievement. These are also Tier Two interventions for Response to Intervention.

Use classroom adaptations that do not reduce content, yet make the curriculum more easily accessible to all learners:

1. Check the readability level of materials and adjust where appropriate.
2. Ask students to repeat instructions to ensure understanding.
3. Use books on tape to allow students to keep up with the reading even if they are slow readers.
4. Provide an outline or a copy of notes and teach students how to make notes memorable rather then taking class time to engage students in the mechanical act of copying.
5. Encourage the use of word-processing software with auditory feedback so students can use higher level cognitive skills without being hindered by writing difficulties.
6. Use proofing aids: proofreader buddy, spell checker, grammar checker.
7. Provide spacing guides: graph paper, vertical lines, darkened horizontal lines to assist students with visual organization.

Avoid Confusing Directions:

1. Look for confusing directions in handouts, tests, and especially project descriptions; even if you provide clarification in class, students might miss it and be confused later.
2. When possible, break instructions down into bullet points. Provide examples whenever possible.

Patterns Are the Keys to Intelligence

* Students will retain information better when patterns are used to connect and organize what is being learned. Patterns might include colored graphic organizers, grouping and classification charts, sequence charts (presenting timelines, story lines, etc.), storytelling instead of lecturing, and having students point out cause and effect, problem and solution, and similarities and differences. Patterns support long-term memory.

Use Audio Cassette Tapes for Feedback

* Students hand in a blank cassette tape with their sub-assignments or drafts. While reviewing the assignment, the teacher records comments about the piece (grammar, content, etc.) on the tape. Teacher hands back the assignment with the tape so the student can listen to the "audio coaching." Audio coaching gives students verbal feedback at different stages of their assignments, enabling them to improve over time.

Have Students Identify Similarities and Differences

* Engage students in classification, creating metaphors or analogies, or categorizing information. This encourages students to connect to previous learning & feeds long term memory.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Susan_Fitzell

Do you have students who have difficulty remembering information for tests? Most teachers do. Here are a dozen sure-fire ways to boost memory in your diverse classroom:

1. Provide visual clues.
2. Create visual images to represent key concepts being taught by using simple clip art or line drawings or symbols. Whenever the concept is presented, present the visual symbol also. Have students draw the visual symbols in their notes, or provide a one-page handout of drawings representing concepts in the unit for students to cut and paste in their notes or on their study cards.
3. Color code notes. When giving notes, connect a color with specific chapters/units being studied. For example, an eight-grade teacher presents the French and Indian War in green overhead marker, and has students write notes using green marker. The next unit may be presented in blue, the next in brown. Caution: Avoid using red and green back-to-back, or blue and purple back to back, as students with color deficiencies may not see a difference between the colors.
4. Create silly ditties out of connected information such as historical events, literary sequence of events, science system parts and function or sports rules.
5. Have students read with a blank piece of paper on the desk and instruct them to mind map the story line, characters, and detail as they read.
6. Have students create mnemonics to remember lists. At the beginning of each class session, quickly review the unit's mnemonics as a whole group, reciting them aloud. If possible, give the recitation a 'rap' beat.
7. Put emotion into your lessons. When introducing new concepts or facts, put on your "drama" hat and use animated expression, modulated voice body language, and hand gestures to bring the concept alive. tudents may announce that you are 'nuts' but if their test scores go up, nuts is good.
8. Ask students what they already know about a topic before you teach it. Have them list three things they want to know about the topic. Teach the topic, and then ask students to come up with connections to their own lives. For example, "Have you ever experienced the feelings that Juliet describes?" "Do you think the problems Madame Curie faced exist today?"
9. Have students print key facts to be tested on index cards using colored markers. Use a different color for key words/cues in the facts. Have students write a question for the fact on the other side of the index card.
10. The brain is social. At the beginning of class, during a transition period, or at the end of class, have student pair with a partner and spend 5 minutes reviewing using their study cards. Use a kitchen timer to signal the end of review.
11. Create visual diagrams or flow charts of the step-by-step process for using machines, cooking, computer instruction, physical education games, body system process, etc. Have students review by presenting the diagrams without the words for the students to complete. Some students may need a word/phrase box.
12. Create time sequence charts with titles for major eras of history. Then create a mnemonic to represent the titles in sequence.



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Susan_Fitzell

"How are skills learned? By experience. How, then, are they best taught? By coaching. I, the teacher, can tell you rules for writing -- grammar, forms of felicitous phrasing, types of argument. I can show you examples of good and bad writing, and with the aide of an overhead projector, I can demonstrate for you how to analyze a piece of work. However, until you write and I criticize your writing, your expository skills and the thinking behind them lie latent."

--Theodore R. Sizer, Horace's Compromise

I had an experience just this week, that drove this point home. I have been training in the martial arts for almost three years. For the past year, I have been studying Kickboxing along with a formal style of Kung fu. I have been learning the skills, and the rules, necessary to effectively defend myself. In the academic world, this would be similar to learning grammar rules, dissecting sentences, and practicing penmanship. The pieces are studied and practiced. Individual skills are tested. Form is learned. I am told and shown what works, how it works and why it works, just as academic teachers "tell" their students how to write. However, I have seldom had the opportunity to apply those skills.

Tuesday night, I put on huge boxing gloves, and protective gear. I got into the boxing ring to kickbox with another woman. She is about my height, but a body builder. Her muscle mass makes me look like Oliveoil. We touched gloves to show respect and good sportsmanship and began. The blows came at me, hard and fast. She hardly kicked, which should have been to my advantage. But, I was so overwhelmed by the power behind the hits to my head that I couldn't think. It didn't hurt through my gear; rather, it was psychologically debilitating. All those skills that I had learned were useless in the moment. I couldn't apply them. My confidence hit bottom. My emotions ran the gamut from frustration to anger to humiliation. I was coached through it. My coach was in the ring, guiding, encouraging, making sure the situation was safe. I think I went two rounds. I really don't know. Time was a blur. Was it worth it? Absolutely!

The coach spent time with me afterward, encouraging, analyzing the situation, pointing out style differences, suggesting alternative strategies. Only now, do all the skills, pieces and techniques have meaning. He stressed that I needed to feel the feelings, understand them, recognize them -- so when I experienced them again, I'd know what to do with them. Experience, coaching, critiquing are critical aspects to the learning process. I understand so much more because I have had the experience and the coaching. When I practice the skills, I can now visualize their application. When I practice my Kung Fu forms, I have a better understanding of the "spirit" needed behind the motions. Something clicked. I've reached a new level. Knowing I'll be in the ring again, also adds extra motivation and determination to the skills practice. Now that my skills have meaning, I have more drive.

I often gain tremendous insight into my role as teacher and learner from my martial arts experience. It seems that the physical nature of the martial arts makes the paralleling abstract concepts of the academics very concrete.

Before this week, I have seldom had the opportunity to use my skills "in the ring." My early experiences with sparring, were not coached. Two people were put together and simply told to practice fighting skills. I reinforced sloppy habits and gained little skill. High school teachers expect students to know how to write. With the possible exception of writing courses, students are given writing assignments, told what to do, and left on their own. Rarely do these students have the skills, or the experience of meaningful application.

With much drill and practice of parts and pieces, form and style, martial arts students become quite good at specific skills. Until those individual skills are put to the test in the ring, however, meaningful learning does not occur. Just as it is necessary for the martial artist to use self-defense skills in realistic situations to gain understanding, meaning, and the ability to analyze and apply those skills, the academic student needs to write, to think, to analyze, to apply his or her knowledge, and then write again. Just as it is important to have the martial arts coach in the ring, encouraging, guiding and critiquing, it is important to have the academic "coach" in the classroom encouraging, guiding and critiquing, showing the way, but allowing the student to learn by experience, by doing, by being coached, and doing it again.



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Susan_Fitzell

Class rule: No putdowns, no exceptions... not by students or by the teacher.

Mat and Rick walk into the classroom putting each other down jovially. Friends, they often banter with each other for fun. Today, however, Matt's teasing suddenly struck a tender chord with Rick. Rick flushed. Suddenly, they were pushing, shoving, and shouting angry words at teach other. The friendly teasing has escalated to trouble.

Sarcasm and putdowns are at best a risky source of humor in the classroom. Even if it never turns to blows, it could unwittingly cause hurt feelings or confuse students who have difficulty reading and interpreting social cues. Given a teacher's inability to know how each student will react to sarcastic humor, a "no putdown" rule can save a lot of heartache and, at the same time, create the foundation for a caring inclusive classroom community.

Why might some teachers or students resist this rule? Sarcasm and put-downs have become an acceptable form of entertainment and humor in our society. Because of this cultural acceptance people, young and old, rationalize that it is OK to denigrate another person in the name of 'teasing", good-fun, and humor. Unfortunately, this belief system causes problems:

* There are people, students included, who cannot read the difference between sarcastic humor and intentional meanness. Many learning disabled students are in this group.
* Students learn best in a safe, non-threatening environment. How does the teacher draw the line between what is humor and what is bullying or mean?
* I used to tell my students, "Even if someone laughs at your teasing, how do you really know what they are feeling? Would most students, especially male students 'show' their hurt?" I talked to a young woman with an eating disorder who shared with me "one line" someone said to her in the seventh grade that sent her into the spiral of the eating disorder. She could pinpoint the putdown to that moment in time. Also, remember the student shooter in San Diego? He laughed off the putdowns he had to endure. Then he showed up at school with a gun.
* I ask, "How do we know that our words meant in fun are taken as they are meant?" Is it worth the risk?
* What if we encouraged our students to share when words came across as putdowns even when the person using the putdown is the teacher? What kind of environment would that create in our classrooms?
* Many adults who use sarcastic humor become very defensive when this rule is suggested. Why do you think that is? We need to ask ourselves, "What kind of room do I want to run? What kind of community do I want to create in my classroom? How do I achieve that?"
* People who use sarcasm as humor are not bad people. Rather, they are conditioned by their upbringing or our media culture to enjoy it, accept it, and use it. Awareness is the first step to change.

What do you do when someone uses putdowns in the classroom?

* Immediately address it. Remind students of the rule and of the goal of having a "safe place" in your classroom.
* If repeated, have a private conversation with the offender. When appropriate, require restitution. For example: Student must give the person two kind comments for each putdown.
* Enforce the classroom discipline policy.
* If it's you, the teacher, admit your mistake, apologize and try harder next time. You are making progress and creating positive change. Keep up the good work!



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Susan_Fitzell

Online quizzes can be a great learning opportunity for students. There are websites that offer teachers or parents the ability to create a quiz to test students on any subject matter. This can make studying for a test a much more enjoyable process, and help a student to better retain the information. There are also sites where students can create their own quizzes for each other to study and test themselves with. Using online quizzes in this manner can make learning more entertaining helping to make preparing for a big test less stressful. Since we all do better on tests when we are relaxed, this can help to take unneeded pressure off and improve test scores. Giving students an advantage like that can be invaluable on current and future test scores.

Quizzes can also be used to sharpen skills for trivia players. With a wide variety of subjects available for online quizzes, these can be used as a practice before a big trivia night. This gives quiz takers an advantage since they are keeping their skills sharp and go into the trivia tournament ready and focused. It is also fun to use these quizzes to learn about a new topic. Learning in this manner is more enjoyable than just reading and memorizing information. When information is learned in a fun environment it is more easily retained. Using online quizzes anyone can learn a vast amount of new information in a relaxed and entertaining way. This can even be used as a way to study new office and policy procedures for a job.

There are so many types of quizzes available online it is difficult to know where to start. Begin by deciding what the goal of the quiz is, to have fun or to study. Then search for quizzes in the subject needed and narrow down to the site you want to use. Finding the right quiz website for you can be done by reading site reviews online and gaining insight from other users. Some sites are geared more towards experts in a field of study, and some are more general pop culture based quizzes. Either way, with a little research, anyone will find a vast amount of quizzes that they will enjoy, and if not they can create as many of their own quizzes as they like. This creates endless ways to enjoy online quizzes and keep the excitement every time.

Find out more about online quizzes or play quizzes and earn money.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Edward_Enio

Diamonds are a gift that are passed from generation to generation. They are an important heirloom that is appreciated by many. This makes them a long term investment that requires thought and care. One wants to be certain that they are buying a real diamond and not a fake diamond. Though there are many discount sales offering diamonds at unbelievable prices, one needs to do their homework to insure that they are getting a quality real diamond. Otherwise, you may be wasting your money.

So how does one differentiate the two? To begin with, one has to understand first the basics of diamonds before shopping for them. This will help you to avoid purchasing a fake diamond and giving yourself the ability to identify them. This can save you a lot of time and money, so take some time first to understand what diamonds are really are.

The Carat of the Diamond

Diamonds have four characteristics, which are carat, clarity, color, and cut. First, the carat is the weight of the diamond. There are five carats from every gram of diamond. Bigger diamonds will increase in carats, thus making them cost more money. In weighing diamonds, one has to take the exact weight, for every point is important. One full carat is 100 points, so if someone tries to sell you a diamond a few lines away from one gram, do not buy it as one gram. It is important that the carat of a diamond is measured with precision and accuracy.

The Clarity of the Diamond

Second is the clarity of a diamond. There is a system of range in measuring the clarity of a diamond, which is by the way, answers how clear it is. A diamond with perfect clarity is said to be flawless, although there are also internally flawless diamonds, which means they still have minor blemishes, but only on the outside. Diamonds classified as VVS1 or VVS2 have very, very small inclusions, with the latter being more visible than the former. VS1 and VS2 have very small inclusions while SI1, SI2, and SI3 have small inclusions. I1, I2, and I3 have inclusions that could be seen without using any instrument.

The Color of the Diamond

Third is the diamond's color. This can be classified using the letters starting from D to X. the whitest diamonds are classified as D, and the color changes, the classification does too. There are diamonds that are different in color, so one must not be surprised to come across with blue, green or red diamonds. These are commonly irradiated, and in any way, secure the guarantee of the diamond's color and clarity. It feels wonderful to be confident about your diamonds.

The Cut of the Diamond

And fourth is the diamond's cut. This is also referred to as the shape of a diamond, which could be oval, pear, or round. A diamond reflects light more brilliantly if it is proportionately cut. Cut is measured by percentages, so when you ask about the cuts percentage, 60% is a descent percentage and is reasonably balanced for most shapes.

Identify Real Diamonds

Now that you know the qualities of a diamond, you are all set to determine whether a diamond is a fake or the real thing. The first one you can try is known as the newspaper test. To try this, put your diamond over the print on any newspaper. Try to read the newspaper through the diamond. If you cannot read it, do not worry, because chances are the diamond is a real one. If you can not read the newspaper, don't worry as the chances are higher that the diamond is a real one.

The next thing that you can do is to do the fog test. Real diamonds clear away quickly when exposed to fog. Other precious stones linger longer. If the diamond you have just fogged is taking a bit longer to shed off its fog, then it must be a fake.

Using a diamond tester and a jeweler's loop can also help in detecting fake diamonds by checking the refraction of the light and any scratches on the diamond, respectively. Try to subject diamonds to as many tests as possible. If the results are rather vague, secure the diamond's certification. The most reliable certifications are issued by the European Gemological Laboratory or the Gemological Institute of America. Certified diamonds are more expensive because the certification process generally costs at least $100. Yet, this certification helps create peace of mind.

Buying diamonds is both an investment and luxury. Before indulging in this activity though, know your real diamonds first and protect yourself from fake ones.

Many enjoy diamond stud earrings as a beautiful accent to almost any outfit. They are one of the most desired gifts one can give.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rachael_Stone

Looking for a way to get kids practicing math skills? You could use commercial math games but these can be costly. For a fun math game that helps children to practice addition or multiplication, just grab a deck of playing cards and you are ready to go.

Yes, believe it or not there are heaps of math games inside that one deck of playing cards. Try these to get started and then why not try inventing your own. You can practice adding, multiplication, comparing numbers and countless other math skills.

Multiplication Over and Under

This game is an ideal way to practice times tables. Use a pack of cards with the colored cards removed. The Aces count as one. Deal all of the cards out to the two players. One player is the Under 30 player and the other is the Over 30 player.

Each player turns over a card at the same time and the two numbers are multiplied together. If the answer is below 30, the Under 30 player gets the cards. If it is more than 30, the Over 30 player keeps the cards. If the answer is exactly 30 each player takes back their card and puts it back in their deck. When all the cards have been played the person with the most cards is the winner.

Highest Number

Children love this fun math game that practices comparing numbers. Use only cards from Ace (which is valued at 1) to 9 for this game. Next choose the number of digits to be used in the numbers for this game, e.g. 2 digit numbers like 24 and 79; 3 digit numbers like 713 or 921; 4, 5 or 6 digit numbers. Each person is dealt that number of cards. Players arrange their cards to make the largest possible number with the cards that they have been dealt, e.g. with cards 2, 5 and 8 a player should make 852.

The player with the highest number in each round scores a point. The winner is the player who scores the most points.

First to Fifty Addition

Players take turns to deal two cards to each person. Every player then turns over the two cards they have been dealt, adds the two values and tells how much this is, e.g. 5 and 7 make 12. The player with the highest total keeps the two cards while the other cards are placed back in the deck which is shuffled and dealt again. Players total the value of the cards they have won until a player reaches fifty and wins.

First to Fifty Multiplication

Play this game the same as First to Fifty Addition however instead of adding the two cards to get a total, multiply the two numbers on the cards, e.g. 7X6 is 42. Players will still add the value of the cards that they win to get to fifty.

These fun card games can be played by a parent and child at home or in a classroom with children playing in pairs, in small groups or with the whole class being divided into 4 or 5 teams. So why not grab an old deck of cards and start playing?

Teresa Evans is a teacher and parent who uses math games to get kids excited about math. At MakingMathMoreFun.com she shares her favorite math games including board games, card games and game sheets. Visit http://www.makingmathmorefun.com to receive your own Free 7 part math games collection.

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