ABSTRACT:
Because of recent legislation, students with mild disabilities frequently receive science instruction in the general education classroom. Elementary teachers therefore have the challenge of teaching science to children with a wide range of abilities and preparing them to pass the federally mandated assessments in science. The emphasis in the general education science curriculum is on high-level cognitive skills which is challenging for students with learning problems. This article reviews characteristics of students with learning and behavior problems and then presents some ideas for practice to help these students and their teachers have a positive experience.
Key Words: instructional modifications, learning problems, mild disabilities, science
With the passage of the Education IOr All Handicapped Children’s Act of 1975 and its subsequent amendments, and the most recent education law of 2002, No Child Left Behind, there has been increasing emphasis on teaching students with disabilities in general education classes. Whether it is referred to as “mainstreaming,” placing children in the “least restrictive environment,” or using an “inclusive” model in the schools, the focus is on children with and without disabilities being taught together using the same general curriculum. This trend presents a challenge to teachers who will be responsible for instructing students of all levels and abilities. In addition the emphasis in science instruction on high level thinking skills, problem-solving, and an inquiry approach to teaching is challenging for many students and teachers and could present particular difficulties for students with learning problems (Palincsar, Magnusson, Collins, & Cutter, 2001).
Nevertheless, elementary teachers are responsible for instructing all students in the same curriculum and assuring that all students pass the federally mandated assessments developed by every state. The purpose of (his article is to address this challenge by reviewing characteristics associated with the high prevalence mild disabilities and suggesting some strategies and modifications for teaching science to children with learning and behavior problems.
Students With Mild Disabilities
Because of the recent legislation and the current emphasis on including children with special needs in the general education curriculum, children with learning, intellectual, and behavioral disabilities frequently receive science instruction in the general rather than special education setting. It is important for elementary teachers to be familiar with characteristics that many of these children exhibit so they are able to make appropriate modifications in science instruction.
Many students with mild disabilities are below their peers in the basic academic skills of reading, mathematics, and writing (Olson & Platt, 2004), which could interfere with science instruction. The science textbooks and related reading materials, for example, are often written 2 or 3 years above the actual reading levels of students with disabilities.
Problems in processing information are also typical of students with special needs. Memory problems, for example, are common among students with learning and intellectual disabilities (Raymond, 2000) and could interfere with recall of science information presented in lecture and class discussion. Other examples of processing deficits common among children with learning and other mild disabilities include problems with visual processing and auditory processing (Kirk, Gallagher, & Anastasiow, 2003). Visual processing problems make it difficult for students to understand science illustrations and demonstrations shown to the class, whereas auditory processing deficits interfere with the ability to follow class discussion of science experiments, hypotheses, results, and conclusions.
Organizational deficits are also symptoms of learning and behavioral disabilities (Kirk et al., 2003). This difficulty often leads to problems in science when students are required to follow certain rules and procedures for conducting experiments in the classroom. They may have trouble organizing the materials for an experiment, keeping their notes in the appropriate format, and putting materials in the proper locations for safety and efficiency in the classroom.
Attention problems are typical of many students with intellectual, learning, and behavioral disabilities (Olson & Platt, 2004). Students have trouble, for example, following directions for a science project, following through on all steps for the project, and attending to lessons that require extended periods of concentration.
Generalization is a difficult task for students with mild disabilities (Raymond, 2000). In science classes, it is often necessary to learn the steps of inquiry and then apply them throughout the year to various projects. A student who has trouble generalizing will not be able to apply these same steps in a variety of situations. The steps only seem applicable to the specific situation in which they were learned and first practiced.
Negative attitudes can also create difficulties for students with special needs. Because of their cycle of frustration and failure, they may have trouble staying motivated and focused on a task. They often learn early that school experiences are very difficult and then give up putting forth the effort needed to succeed (Olson & Platt, 2004). For many science assignments and tasks, a great deal of time and effort is often required over a long period of time. If a student gives up before he even understands the parameters of the assignment, he will not have a chance for success.
Many students with behavior and learning disorders have difficulty with social skills; they may have trouble establishing and maintaining relationships and may not be readily accepted by others (Olson & Platt, 2004). Very often in science classes, projects and experiments are conducted with partners or in small groups. This grouping creates problems for students with special needs because of their inability to be successful in social situations.
Finally, students with disabilities frequently have language disorders either receptive, expressive or both (Raymond, 2000). Science vocabulary, therefore, could be extremely difficult to understand. The complex, technical, and abstract wording could make the entire science lesson confusing and prevent accomplishment of related objectives.
Modifications for Science Instruction
Several strategies for teaching science have been researched and recommended for students with special needs. These ideas will help bridge the gap between the typical characteristics of students with learning and behavior problems and their need to master the general science curriculum in the elementary classroom.
In research studies conducted by Palincsar et al. (2001), with elementary science instruction, the conclusions supported collaboration between general and special education teachers. This team approach would bring together ideas about science content, science methods, and individual learner needs. The special education teacher can assist the students with learning problems who are having difficulty with vocabulary such as compound, mixture, and solution, and assist students with behavior deficits who are having difficulty working in groups to make mixtures. While the classroom teacher is an expert in the science content and methods, the special education teacher can ensure that all students understand the lesson and accomplish the objectives.
Presenting material in a variety of formats whenever possible will also help students with disabilities learn science. A science experiment on seed germination, for example, can often be presented using multiple senses: (a) listening to a discussion of factors necessary for germination (auditory), (b) observing results with seeds growing in various conditions (visual), (c) participating in the planting and recording of data (kinesthetic and tactile), and (d) discussing the conclusions (oral). In this way science can readily be taught using a multisensory approach often recommended for students with learning problems (Alexakos, 2001). Using tape recorded textbooks, either through a library or made by the teacher, is another way to present traditionally visual material in the textbook through another modality (Munk, Bruckert, Call, Stoehrmann, & Radandt, 1998).
Although it may be more complicated to effectively structure cooperative learning groups when students with disabilities are included, the benefits for social and science skills would make the effort worthwhile. The opportunities for success would be enhanced for students with disabilities especially if specific responsibilities are given to each student based on his or her ability level (Alexakos, 2001; Munk et al., 1998). Students who have oral language deficits could contribute to a project on health by creating the visuals illustrating the classification of food eaten over a period of time into the food groups; students with written language deficits could orally present the results of the project to the class.
Using themes, which is often recommended in science instruction, can be a valuable approach for students with disabilities. The themes focusthe content on a few main ideas, and therefore it would not seem overwhelming for students with processing and memory problems. Since themes such as earth, energy, and human growth cut across several subject areas and also incorporate several topics within the fields of science, this approach can help students generalize, which is often a problem (Cawley, Poley, & Miller, 2003). In addition, themes can foster understanding through relationships to familiar concepts and personal experiences in the real world (Salend, 1998).
Another strategy to keep the content and nature of science from seeming overwhelming to students with special needs is to break down the material so they will not have to focus on too much information at one time (Alexakos, 2001). Because of the memory, organizational, and attention problems of students with mikl disabilities, this focus on only a small amount of material will enable learning to occur with more success and positive attitudes.
Science lessons, incorporating student activity and involvement, recommended in science standards, have many benefits for students with special needs. This type of lesson enables the teacher to modify the paee according to student ability, to teach generalization (Cawley el al., 2003) and to improve memory of content, behavior, and focus which are all potential problems for students with disabilities (Bianchi, 1999). Furthermore, research by Mastropieri and others (1998) supports activity-based science lessons for improvement in achievement and attitudes of students with disabilities.
TABLE 1. Suggestions for Teaching Science to Students With Learning Problems
Learning strategies are recommended fur teaching students with mild disabilities and can be used for science instruction. Mnemonics is one example of a popular learning strategy that can be incorporated into science lessons to assist with the memorization of factual information, lists, steps, and difficult vocabulary words (Munk et al., 1998). Learning strategies are beneficial because they encourage students with disabilities to be more independent. They learn to monitor their work and develop active learning styles critical for student with disabilities (Scanlon, 2002).
Because many students with special needs have oral or written language deficits, it is important to modify lessons with their language levels in mind when using lecture format and science textbooks. Vocabulary can be taught and clarified prior to the lesson and outlines or study guides can be used to keep students’ focus on main points (Munk et al., 1998).
Evaluation of student performance in science can also be modified for students with disabilities. In addition to traditional science tests, teachers could use projects, oral and written reports, problemsolving activities, and portfolios to evaluate student achievement and mastery of content (Salend, 1998).
Conclusion
These recommendations for effective science instruction for elementary students with mild disabilities are summarized in Table 1. They represent a collection of ideas to help students with disabilities achieve science objectives. Although science standards recommend problem-solving and high level thinking skills, some degree of structure and explicit instruction will help students succeed (Bianchi, 1999; Gersten & Baker, 1998). These ideas are critical for students with special needs but will also be valuable for many students without disabilities. Finally these suggestions can be adjusted for other areas of the curriculum to ensure success in all subjects.
REFERENCES
Alexakos, C. (2001). Inclusive classrooms. Science Teacher, 68(3), 40-43.
Bianchi, L. (1999). Less-able children’s learning in science. Printarv Science Review, 60, 20-22.
Cawley, J. K, Foley, T. E., & Miller, J. (2003). Science and students with mild disabilities. Intervention in School and Clinic, J. (3), 160-171.
Gersten, R., & Baker, S. (1998). Real world use of scientific concepts: Integrating situated cognition with explicit instruction. Exceptional Children, 65(1), 23-35.
Kirk, S. A.. Gallaghcr. J. J., & Anastasiow, N. J. (2003). Educating exceptional children. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
Mastropieri, M. A., Scruggs, T. E., Mantzicopoulos, P., Slurgeon. A., Goodwill. I,., & Cluing, S. (1998). A place where living things affect and depend on each other: Qualitative and quantitative outcomes associated with inclusive science teaching. Science Education, 82(2), 163-179.
Munk, D. D., Bruckert, J., Call, D. T., Stoehrmann, T., & Radandt, E. (1998). Strategies for enhancing the performance of students with LD in inclusive science classes. Intervention in School & Clinic, 34(2), 73-78.
Olson, J. L., & Platt, J. C. (2004). Teaching children and adolescents with special needs. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill.
Palincsar. A. M., Magnusson. S. J., Collins, K. M., & Culler, J. (2001). Making science accessible to all: Results of a design experiment in inclusive classrooms. Learning Disability Quarterly; 24(1), 15-32.
Raymond, E. B. (2000). Learners with Mild Disabilities. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
Salend, S. J. (1998). Using an activities-based approach to teach science to students with disabilities. Intervention in School & Clinic, 34(2), 67-72.
Scanlon, D. (2002). PROVE-ing what you know: Using a learning strategy in an inclusive class. TEACHING Exceptional Children, 34(4), 50-54.
Marree M. Steele is a professor in the Watson School of Education at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington.
Copyright HELDREF PUBLICATIONS Fall 2004
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