This document provides strategies for tutoring students with learning disabilities. It discusses issues that students with processing disorders or ADHD often have with math, such as difficulties with tasks requiring processing. It notes that students may struggle with the same concepts repeatedly and may become defensive when discussing math. The document also addresses reading comprehension challenges, such as students being unable to read textbooks or comprehend material. It provides strategies for tutors such as using text coding symbols to help students think about text as they read. Bloom's Taxonomy is also mentioned to help create higher-level thinking, though tutors are not expected to use it in sessions. An extra resource packet with tools like vocabulary word maps and A-Z listing is also referenced.

1. Learning Disabilities and Tutoring
Strategies
Christine Scheets and Kaitlyn O’Connell
By PresenterMedia.com

2. •Learning Disabilities
We are not asking you to be a licensed psychologist by diagnosing
them, but if you see something, please let someone know.
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If you see that a student is struggling with the same concept
over and over, please let Accelerate know.
Here’s an example of a math disability scenario…

3. •Learning Disabilities
Students with processing disorders and ADHD typically have
problems with math due to the processing portion of the tasks
required by math. Unfortunately, some athletes get passed
through school until college, where they are then required to
understand everything. This causes gaps in knowledge and for
them to be able to learn the necessary skills to be successful
(i.e., times tables).
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Take one minute to do the activity on the next slide and in
your packet…. only ONE minute!!

4. •Learning Disabilities

5. •Learning Disabilities
This activity is what students with processing disorders have
issues with every time they see math. They will deflect and
want to talk about anything and everything except for math.
If you notice a similar issue, please tell someone in Accelerate.
If they do have an issue that gives them accommodations, they
may qualify for the CEA version of math. The CEA version of
math is all pencil and paper with nothing on the computer.
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The answers were: 63, 98, and 93.

6. •Reading Comprehension
If a student cannot read a textbook (literally cannot comprehend
anything at all), please let Christine know. If they do have a reading
disability, they typically have failed the first or second grade.
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Below is information that may be useful as it relates to
reading comprehension…

7. •Reading Comprehension
Take ONE minute to decode as much as you can, using only the
key provided…

8. •Reading Comprehension
Here is what the decoding should look like:

9. •Reading Comprehension
Some information about our students…
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These are the types of things our students with reading
disabilities face when they attempt to read. They struggle
when classmates are done reading , and they barely have
been able to start. There is an accommodation for some of
our students where their books can be loaded into an app
that shows them the text, while reading aloud. If they
indicate they have this, you may find it useful to use the app
during your sessions.
If they cannot read, they will try to fake it so people do not
know, deflecting to other activities.
Sometimes, it helps a student to listen and follow along at the
same time to comprehend the material.

10. •Reading Comprehension
Strategies to help with reading comprehension…
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We do not want the student-athletes to just read for an hour
long tutoring session with no student-tutor interaction.
You can use text-coding for when the students need to read.
This will help them think about the text while reading it to
have the student better understand the material.
Look in your packet for more information on how text-coding
works when reading.

11. •Reading Comprehension
Information about the article…
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With the Common Core now in schools, there are gaps in
knowledge, which text-coding helps the students to read and
comprehend while going through the text.
Christine has used a text coding system on the first two paragraphs.
“Read alouds” allow someone to read aloud while the other person
listens to the reader’s thoughts. This is so a student understands
what goes on inside a good reader’s head while reading.
If you notice a student has been highlighting when you are going
through text, ask him/her why he/she is highlighting those
passages. You want him/her to be able to justify what they are
marking… many of our students will just make it “pretty.”

12. •Reading Comprehension
Here is the text coding bookmark we use…
Now we will
use the text
coding symbols
to code an
article…
Read aloud the first 2
paragraphs, taking into
account Christine’s
comments. Then go
through the article,
marking up the article
using the text coding
symbols.

13. •Bloom’s Taxonomy
We are not expecting you to use this in tutoring sessions, but
this will help create a higher level of thinking in some students,
helping them become experts in the material.
Evaluation
Synthesis
Analysis
Application
Understanding
Knowledge

14. •Bloom’s Taxonomy
Evaluation
Synthesis
Analysis
Application
Understanding
Knowledge
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EVALUATION = appraise, argue, assess, attach, choose, compare, defend,
estimate, judge, justify, rate, recommend, select, support, value, evaluate
SYNTHESIS = arrange, assemble, collect, compose, construct, create, design,
develop, formulate, hypothesize, invent, monitor, organize, plan, prepare,
propose, setup, test
ANALYSIS = analyze, appraise, calculate, categorize, compare, contrast,
criticize, differentiate, discriminate, distinguish, examine, experiment,
integrate, outline, question, separate, test
APPLICATION = apply, choose, construct, demonstrate, dramatize, employ,
illustrate, interpret, operate, practice, schedule, sketch, solve, use, write
UNDERSTANDING = clarify, classify, describe, discuss, explain, express,
identify, illustrate, indicate, locate, paraphrase, recognize, report, restate,
review, select, summarize, translate
KNOWLEDGE = arrange, define, duplicate, identify, label, list, memorize,
name, order, recognize, relate, recall, repeat, reproduce, retrieve, state, write.

15. •Extra Resource Packet
We are not asking you to give these tools to the students or reproduce for
distribution, but to rather use as an extra tool in sessions.
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VOCABULARY WORD MAP
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A-Z INFORMATION
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Have them take a few minutes to sketch out what you are discussing
to visualize a word. This will help our students remember vocabulary
words better.
Most of our students are visual learners and will remember
information much better by sketching out the content.
Write A-Z somewhere and have the student list everything they know
about the content, using the letters.
3-MINUTE PAUSE
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This will help students figure out what’s going on, while giving them a
short break from the session.

16. What are some
VICTORIES and
CHALLENGES you have
been having in your
tutoring sessions?

17. QUESTIONS?