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Case Study
Evenings at Amani’s house are always interesting. By the
time her mom picks up Amani and her sisters from their various after school
activities, it is already time for dinner. While Amani’s mom prepares the meal,
the girls settle down at the kitchen table to complete their homework.
“Mom, Amani won’t stop kicking my chair.”
“Amani keeps tapping her pencil on the table, and it’s driving me crazy.”
“Amani is on the floor playing her Gameboy®.”
Every day it’s the same. Amani fidgets and wiggles until her mom intervenes.
She knows that once she sits down and helps Amani get started on her work, she
will work independently until dinner time. However, there are just so many
other things to do. Will this child ever outgrow this? Why is it so much easier
with the other girls?
Apart from homework time, Amani is an excellent student. According to her
report cards, she participates in class discussions and always completes her
work. Amani loves basketball and enjoys reading stories to her younger
neighbors.
Strategies
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To get rid of excess energy, Amani needs downtime before starting her homework.
For instance, she might come home and shoot baskets outside for 15 minutes. If
she comes in when the 15 minute timer goes off and settles down to work
quickly, she might be rewarded by being allowed to read a bedtime story to the
kids next door.
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Amani’s mom and sisters could take turns helping her start each assignment. For
instance, they might help her do her first math problem, listen as she reads
instructions, or help her with the first sentence of a writing assignment.
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It might be helpful for Amani to have her own homework area away from her
sisters and other distractions. She could help choose the location, seating,
and materials. This area should only be used for homework or other quiet
activities, such as independent reading.
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Case Study
Andrew has become a “poor test-taker.” In elementary school,
he always performed so well; it just does not make sense. He studies the night
before the test for hours. When his dad quizzes him before bed, Andrew can
recall the answer to every single question. Yet when he takes the test, he
blanks out.
“That test was so unfair! She changed the wording of the questions.”
“None of what I studied was even on the test!”
Andrew’s parents also report some frustrations at home. He gets overwhelmed so
easily. If they give him too many instructions at one time or present multiple
options, he freezes or blows up. For instance, when his mom asked him to sort
through his old books to decide which to keep and which to donate to the yard
sale, Andrew had a complete meltdown! It was just too much.
Typically, Andrew is a gentle, sweet boy who likes to please others. He gives
110% in all he does and he loves his various collections of rocks, stamps, and
old records.
“If Andrew’s collections keep growing, we’ll have to buy a bigger house!”
Strategies
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Andrew’s parents should help him obtain structured study guides from his
teacher or his textbook Web site to ensure he is studying relevant information.
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When quizzing him before bed, Andrew’s father should ask the same questions in
multiple ways.
Example: What is the capital of California? (Sacramento) Sacramento is the
capital of which state? (California)
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Andrew’s parents should help him identify a system for sorting, paring down,
and organizing his collections. For instance, if he’s going through his record
collection, label three different boxes: Keep, Donate, Undecided. By including
the Undecided option, he can hold off on difficult decisions and return to them
when the pile is less overwhelming.
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Case Study
April’s motto could be “Act now. Think later.” She has never
had many close friends. It’s not that she’s moody or mean-spirited; she just
has a tendency to say things without thinking first. For instance, when she saw
a classmate at the mall, April noticed the girl had just gotten a new
hairstyle. Before she could stop herself, she blurted, “I liked your hair the
other way. That cut makes your face look fat.” As soon as she said it, she
wished she could take it back; but it was too late. April’s thoughtless
statements are the source of many fights with her siblings, especially when
they are at home alone after school.
April and her mom have had a very strained relationship lately. Her mom thinks
she’s lazy. For example, April is supposed to clean her room on Monday,
Wednesday, and Saturday. This has been a house rule since she was a little
girl. Each time she cleans, April’s mom gets frustrated by her lack of effort.
The room is still a mess! April gets frustrated when her mom makes her clean
her room again.
April and her mom also clash when it comes to completing long-term assignments.
April always waits until the last minute. They have had to make countless
last-minute library trips, and it is not unusual for April and her mom to pull
an “all-nighter” in order to get a project turned in on time.
April is a talented young lady. She loves to read and watch movies, and she’s
fearless and articulate when speaking in front of large groups. April is
interested in studying photography in college. She enjoys taking pictures of
wildlife and landscapes.
Strategies
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April and her parents could watch movies together, identify awkward social
interactions, and discuss how characters handle those interactions.
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April should consider joining a debate team. This would allow her to leverage
her public speaking strengths in a forum that requires her to prepare her
responses ahead of time instead of speaking impulsively.
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April should take pictures of her room when it is clean. Each time her mom asks
her to clean her room, she can use the pictures as a model of what her mom
expects from her.
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Case Study
Homework time has always been a breeze at Miguel’s house. To
help him learn addition, subtraction, and multiplication facts, his dad used to
time him during fact drills and record the time on a chart. Miguel enjoyed
trying to beat his fastest time; he even began competing with his dad!
This year is different. As a fourth grader, Miguel is required to apply his
strong math operations skills to solving math word problems. He gets so
frustrated trying to figure out how to solve the problem, especially when there
are fractions involved. Now he has “melt downs” during homework time or even
avoids doing his math altogether.
Miguel has many strong interests. He enjoys cooking family recipes with his
grandmother, and he loves attending sporting events with his dad. They are
always amazed by how Miguel memorizes recipes after seeing them once and
recalls countless sports statistics.
Strategies
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Miguel’s parent might use measuring spoons or cups to help him visualize
fractions.
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Miguel’s father should incorporate sports analogies to make fractions more
concrete. For example, to demonstrate 1/2 + 1/10,
draw a football field (rectangle) and draw a line to represent every 10 yards.
Have Miguel shade in half the field plus another tenth of the field. Ask him
how many tenths are shaded.
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Help Miguel break a word problem into smaller steps.
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What is the question asking you to find?
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Which information is important?
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Which operations should you use to solve the problem?
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Case Study
“When am I ever going to need to know geometry? There are no
angles to worry about in medicine!”
Minh, a 10th grader, detests geometry! It’s not that she isn’t a good math
student; she just doesn’t “get it.” She knows how to measure an angle, but
proofs do not make sense to her. She already knows she wants to be a doctor, so
why should she have to take this “useless” class to graduate?
Recently, Minh’s parents received a call from school. According to her geometry
teacher, Minh has failed two unit tests and has zeros on four homework
assignments. Without additional tutoring at home or after school, Minh is not
going to pass the class.
Minh loves fixing things. Whenever there is a computer problem, her parents
call on her first. Even as a small child, she loved to take kitchen appliances
apart and put them back together. She likes to understand how things work.
Strategies
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Minh should do research to determine if and how geometry is used in the field
of medicine. She might accomplish this by doing an internet search or speaking
with a physician or medical educator.
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Contact the state AARP or a local senior center, or post a classified ad to
locate a retired physician who would be interested in tutoring Minh in
geometry.
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Help Minh relate aspects of geometry to her interests. For instance, since she
enjoys fixing things and learning how things work, she might enjoy watching a
television show such as Discovery Channel’s “Myth Busters” or “How It’s Made.”
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Case Study
Eight-year-old Randall reads at a very slow pace. He labors
over every word, sounding out each individual letter before forming a whole
word. Randall’s dad struggled with reading at that age, but one day “it just
clicked.” As long as Randall continues to put forth great effort and tries his
hardest, his parents are confident his skills will improve.
Recently, Randall’s six-year-old sister came home with a chapter book. Excited
to be reading such an advanced book, she could not wait to read to the family
before bedtime. Ever since, Randall has refused to participate in bedtime
reading with his family. Instead, he goes into his room alone to draw pictures.
Randall is a talented artist. His favorite drawings are of animals. Even as a
toddler, Randall was interested in the visual aspects of the world around him;
geometric figures and toys around his crib would entertain him for hours.
Strategies
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Randall’s parents could obtain a list of common sight words from his teacher or
on the internet. For each word, Randall could write the word on one note card
and draw a picture representing the word on another note card. He and his
parents can come up with games in which Randall must match the word with the
picture.
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Every good story needs an illustrator. Randall and his sister might alternate
reading and drawing roles each night. While one reads aloud, the other can draw
a picture relating to that night’s reading.
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Children have a hard time believing that even parents and teachers are not
perfect. In a private setting, Randall’s dad might consider sharing his early
reading difficulties with Randall. That way Randall will recognize that people
can overcome barriers and become successful.
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Case Study
Rita does not enjoy reading. She never has. While her
brother can usually be found curled up on the couch with his latest library
treasure, Rita would much rather tune into a reality television show or check
out the latest fashions in a magazine.
Rita excels in most academic areas; therefore, she was placed in an honors
literature class. This semester has been a struggle both at home and at school.
“What is the point in reading these so-called classics? I don’t get all this
symbolism stuff. Why can’t they just say what they mean?”
“There are so many different characters. I keep getting them confused. What
does one have to do with the other? What’s this book supposed to be about
anyway?”
On the other hand, Rita “gets” the literature when she sees it in a movie
format. “Romeo and Juliet,” a play she once hated, is her favorite movie!
“It was just so much more interesting and not as overwhelming when I watched it
on TV. I could see and hear the characters, so I didn’t have to try to keep
everything straight in my head.”
Rita has a great memory, and she loves to tell stories. She includes thorough
details and keeps her listeners engaged at all times. After high school, Rita
would like to go to college to become a fashion designer or filmmaker.
Strategies
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Rita might find literature more interesting and relevant if she integrates her
own interests. For instance, if she’s reading “The Great Gatsby,” she might
look up information about 1920’s fashion or culture. That way, she can get a
better mental picture of the characters.
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Since Rita has strong visual skills, she could consider using story webs or
maps to outline each chapter or section of a book. This will help her keep up
with characters and major events. Rita can find free templates and examples of
tools on sites such as
www.readwritethink.org.
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Rita might benefit from reading a list of comprehension questions prior to
reading each chapter or section. Doing so will enable her to preview the
important details. She could consider asking her teacher for a list of
questions or doing an internet search to find questions. For instance,
www.cliffsnotes.com has a number of free study aids for classic
literature books. Note: Before using internet sources, Rita should check with
her teacher to determine which sources are permissible.
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Case Study
Every day during homework time, Wendy’s parents hear the
same thing.
“But I can’t make the story longer. My arm is tired! My hand hurts!”
“I hate writing in cursive. My teacher says my handwriting is messy, and she
makes me do it all over.”
At times, it is hard to determine whether Wendy is really struggling or just
doesn’t want to do her homework. She has always held her pencil with an awkward
grip, but she’s never really complained until this year. As a third grader, she
is required to write an entry in her journal each night. Her parents have
noticed how her stories are brief and lack detail.
Wendy is a wonderful storyteller! Her oral stories are full of creative ideas
and are quite detailed. An excellent typist, Wendy keeps her stories on her
computer. Some day she hopes to put them together into a book.
Wendy enjoys playing video games, especially those with fantasy and science
fiction themes. She also enjoys leading her younger brother and neighbors in
arts and craft activities.
Strategies
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Wendy’s parents could speak to her teacher to find out the objectives of her
daily journals. If handwriting is not a primary focus, they could ask the
teacher if Wendy may complete her journals via word processor or blog.
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If journal topics are flexible, Wendy’s parents could encourage her to write
about her interests (e.g. science fiction).
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To preserve Wendy’s creative details, her parents might encourage her to tape
record her stories before transcribing them into her journal.
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Case Study
English is Wyatt’s least favorite subject. It frustrates him
so much that he rarely turns in his work. When he does complete his essays and
papers, his teacher comments on his spelling errors, poor grammar, and
disorganization. She constantly reminds him to use the “introduction, thesis
statement, supporting details, and conclusion” format they’ve learned in class,
but Wyatt’s thoughts appear in a random, haphazard mess.
Wyatt’s mom has offered to read over his work before he turns it in, but he is
not interested in the extra assistance. He’s determined to do it himself – if
he does it at all.
Wyatt’s writing struggles are all the more mysterious because he is such an
articulate speaker. His parents often joke that he should use his “debate”
skills to become a lawyer. He has always been a hard worker and takes pride in
his work.
Wyatt loves using his computer. He stays up for hours e-mailing and instant
messaging his friends and researching new software.
Strategies
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Wyatt’s parents could encourage him to research educational software designed
to facilitate the writing process. For instance, some programs and Web sites
provide interactive templates and graphic organizers. Wyatt’s teacher might
even be willing to give him extra credit for conducting this research and
presenting it to his classmates.
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Wyatt could wait at least 24 hours before proofreading his writing. He is more
likely to catch mistakes and make improvements if he is seeing this information
as if for the first time.
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Wyatt could consider preparing for writing as he would for a debate. He might
benefit from articulating his thoughts on a tape recorder or by instant
messaging a friend before settling down to write.
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