Practices for the inclusive classroom

1. Effective Instructional Practice
• Active engagement
• Positive environment
• Plan for all learning styles:
visual, auditory, kinasthetic

2. SEN Students
Provide same text
Must look the same: font, layout, images
Use assistive technology e.g. Apps
Reading Pens

3. Promoting Comprehension
• Discussion
• Read
• Strategies e.g. Building Bridges (whole
school approach accommodating
different learning styles; mixed ability
groups.
• Vocabulary and Language Knowledge
• Integrate the teaching of reading and
writing i.e. teach structure in reading
and writing
• Children don’t learn by being silent

4. How to Teach Text Structure
• Put in on whiteboard and discuss structure:
• Title – what to expect
• Opening
• Main body
• Conclusion
• Very important to teach these strategies in 3rd to
6th classes

5. Graphic Organisers to Model
Writing Procedures
• Key points on graphic organiser: differentiate by
age, topic e.g. biography
• Must be endlessly repeated for all the different
types of writing
• Choose texts for engagement e.g. The Smacking
Debate or books such as The Day The Crayons
Quit
• Give a bank of Aide memoirs suitable for the
particular type of text e.g. Firstly… In my
opinion….
• Use of technology very important
• Self Assessment – give template – do not correct
in the traditional way

6. Co-Operative Group Activities
• 5 or 6 person groups
• Each group has a student leader
• Divide the lesson into 5 or 6 segments
• Each student deals with one segment
• Each student takes plenty of time to re and reread their
segment
• All same segments get together into an ‘expert’ group for
discussion and to practice how they will present the
segment
• Following this they rejoin their jigsaw groups and present
their segment to the group – give time for questions
• Teacher floats to give appropriate direction where
disruption for example is taking place
• Have quiz / plenary session at end

7. Writing
• Discuss structure / aspects of a writing genre –
lots of examples on line
• Model with example
• Use graphic organiser and/or timelines
• e.g. Body Bios:
 Speech bubbles
 Thought bubbles
 Hands hold artifacts
 Heart holds key to a
person

8. EFL and Weak Learners
To teach a word have a system:
MCVIP: Multifaceted Vocabulary Instruction Programme:
Present the word in the context in which it appears in text (whenever possible): “the
attendants insisted…”
Provide a kid-friendly definition: Insist or, the past tense, insisted means someone tells you
strongly that you have to do something, like my mother insisted that I do my homework before
watching TV.
Provide multiple examples of use: I might say, “Our coach insisted we run the play until we got it
right.” Or, “I was hot, but my sister insisted I close the window.” Or, “His mother insisted that he
clean up his room before his friend came over.”
Prompt student use: Think of all the things that your parents insist that you do. Who can share
one? Make sure that you use the word insist, like “My mom insiststhat I…”
Show and briefly discuss a visual image: Look at this picture. Who can explain why I am showing
you this picture for the word insist?
Conclude with a thought question and/or a quick interactive activity:
Thought Question: Do you think it is better for your reading when a teacher insists that you read challenging
books or when you can choose any books you want? Try to use insist in your answer.
Interactive Activity: OK, ready for a little quiz? I am going to say a sentence. If someone in the sentence
insisted on something, say insist. If not, don't say anything. My dad's boss told him he had to work late,
even though my dad didn't want to. My teacher let us choose what we wanted to do for P.E.