Disadvantaged and Under-achieving Students

I teach at a Title 1 school.  Many of our students come from difficult circumstances.  We are always looking for strategies to help boost these kids and give them a better chance at being successful in school and in life.   Below is a list of little things that can make a big difference.

Disadvangated and Under-achieving Children

1.  Disadvantage and under-achieving children need more time on task.

2.  Structure and routines are vital for their sense of safety, nourishment, and care.

3.  Disadvantaged and under-achieving children need background knowledge.  Do not assume they have a great deal of background knowledge or conceptual knowledge.

4.  Disadvantaged and under-achieving children do not have a strong oral language foundation.  Vocabulary, vocabulary, vocabulary!

5.  Disadvantaged and under-achieving children need more intensity and multiple practices.

6.  Disadvantaged and under-achieving children are highly distractible. Maximizing learning begins with minimizing distractions.

7.  Disadvantaged and under-achieving children need a lot of feedback.

 

And this from a Solution Tree pamphlet: “At the center of learning is uncompromised, no-nonsense literacy instruction.”