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Session 7

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Instructions for Session 7 Task

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Write three new things you learned about learners with learning difficulties.

Write three things you are going to try with a student in the future.

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Patricia Berenzon

Karen Oberman - Ayanot High School

Three things I learned about LDs:

• Only 10% of kids have learning disabilities. It really looks more to me in the school I work in. More like 99%.
• The warning signs - memory difficulties. I have a girl in my class who has really bad memory problems. It is so bad that she asked to see a doctor for it. She is a really good student, but I would never think to maybe relate her memory problems to learning difficulties. It is something that I will talk to the school counselor about.
• Visual input - Leaving the walls around the board clear of any material, because it might distract a kid with LDs.

Three things to try with LDs students in the future:

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• Classroom Environment: Paying more attention to kids who suffer from the bright light in a classroom, from the room temperature & from the noise, although in that area I do let the kids be with headphones when I give classwork.
• Having a set of positive rules - It is something I should start they year with when getting a new group to work with.
• Designing shorter tasks for the whole class, without mentioning it is for those who have LDs.

Alex Litzky, Herzog, Beit Hashmonai

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Galit Elkarif-Tzur Western Galilee High School

Gali Asa Shittim Darca

Three things I learned about LDs:

• Creating ground rules for class time that states the positive actions that are expected of students can help LD students behave better.
• Break longer assignments down into separate stages and deal with one stage at a time.
• The font style, colour and type of page can influence the ability of LD students to read.

Three things to try with LDs students in the future:

• I would like to create nicer/warmer environment in my class, using positive classroom management.
• To write down positive classroom rules- with the help of my students.
• Use different methods when introducing new material, writing on the board/computer presentations/ games.

Hila Aknin- Karnei Shomron

Orith Baidani Manof

What I have learned:

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• Motorical problems can lead to cognitive difficulties.
• Many youngsters disguise their disabilities via behaviour issues.
• Students that can cope and accommodate in L1 may find it impossible to do so in L2.

What I will try:

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• Granted that students must be taught to make efforts, and not being excused from challenges, I will carefully choose the types of tasks and challenge my students with something that is within their reach.
• While requiring respectful behaviour, I will make it my aim to look beyond behaviour to find each students’ needs. I will address those needs as soon as possible to defuse the child’s need for such behaviour.
• While working with the student I will ask what helps him/her in L1, and together we will use those mechanisms in English. I will also give the student enough time for this process.

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Shani Ben-Aroya Eastern Mediterranean International

Three new things I learned about learners with learning difficulties:

• The visual stress and reading difficulties caused by glare, also called Meares/Irlen syndrome, is a problem that many non-dyslexic people also share. It can be reduced by coloured filters – sheets of transparent coloured vinyl - which are placed over the text. Different people will find different colours most helpful
• Important to make it easy for students to ask for repetition; bear in mind that it is important to use the same language when you do repeat so that you do not change the construct and defeat the purpose of the repetition;
• Students who cope with Learning Difficulties and were never diagnosed when they were younger, may forget they have these needs but the same issues may crop up later in life, e.g. in the case of learning a second language, applying for jobs etc

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Three things I will try with a student in the future:

• Use many different learning strategies - visual, kinesthetic, oral in order to try and engage students who learn in different ways. I do this regularly but it is easy to forget to differentiate.
• Don’t issue too many instructions at the same time. Break tasks down into their component parts and issue the instructions for each part one at a time;
• Take an inventory of how students think they learn best. Have students make a chart similar to the one below of their strengths and challenges so that they, as well as you, can learn from their perceptions of how well they read, write, remember, listen, speak, attend and get ideas out.

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Gilat Bental, Neve Hadassah

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Three things I knew intuitively but was relieved to learn they are substantiated by research:

• It is most important to focus on students’ ‘islands of competence’ (Brooks) and stress their strengths rather than their disabilities, i.e weaknesses.
• It is not always easy to distinguish between learning disabilities and normal ESL learning problems. Not every learning problem is a learning disability.
• Different strategies will be of more or less value to different students.

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Three things I will try with my students:

• I will use the ABLE kit in order to identify areas of difficulty.
• In JHS I will not hesitate giving my students extra time to complete their assignments if they need it. I believe that it is important at that stage to encourage them to like English and feel they can succeed in acquiring it, that they are competent.
• I will try to avoid the stress caused by glare and use more pastel coloured matt-finish paper.
• I will take an inventory of how my students feel they learn best and try to to match my teaching accordingly, so it suits the individual learning style of my students.

Laura Berdichevsky - Nofey Habsor

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As teachers, most of us are familiar with all the aspects of LD. After reading most of the articles and websites posted on session 7, I would say that the following statement specifically defines what LD is:

Learning Disability is the term currently used to describe a handicap that interferes with someone’s ability to store, process or produce information.

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In the future, I will consider

• Administering tests in alternative formats such as orally or on computer;
• Presenting material using graphic and/or sensory media;
• Combining both auditory and visual stimuli, say it and write it on the board whenever possible,

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In addition, I agree with the following statement:

Instead of making things easier for them (like accommodations and lower level classes) we need to teach them how to learn from their mistakes and pick themselves up and try harder.

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And I would add that praising small achievements certainly helps LD students to pick themselves up and try harder.

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Elisheva Baruch Herzog School

Three things I learned (I was reminded) about learners with learning difficulties:

• These are learning differences.
• We have to help the learner overcome his/her difficulties and it can be done in many ways in the classroom.
• Reading is very important and each student has to learn how to read, each one at his/her own pace.

Three things I am going to try with my students in the future:

• I will try to teach my students to have grit-to persevere, to get up when they fall, to see themselves in a marathon, to be strongly motivated to follow through on their goals. By the way, I think that we, the teachers, should be the first ones to be gritty!
• Lots of independent reading.
• Find and emphasize my students’ strengths after I know their weaknesses.

Nicole Georgy - Kfar Hayarok

3 new things I have learned about students with learning difficulties:

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• Identifying LDs quickly is key to the students’ success
• Students who cope with LDs and were never diagnosed may forget they have LDs but the same issues may crop up later in life, e.g. in the case of learning a second language
• Up to 10% of learners are estimated to have an LD and in Israel, 40% of ESL learners have accommodations

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Strategies I will try in the classroom:

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• Try and boost students with LD’s self esteem by giving praise at the aspects of English they are good at e.g. break texts into shorter chunks and adapt tasks for students that have trouble with longer texts
• Place students with LDs at the front of the class/ allow them to use headphones if it helps them or ensure class silence to minimise distractions
• Allow students with LDs more time to complete tasks if they need it
• Use many different learning strategies - visual, kinesthetic etc in order to try and engage students who learn in different ways

Husam Ganem Alnahda JHS

· Learning disabilities look very different from one child to another. One child may struggle with reading and spelling, while another loves books but can’t understand math. Still another child may have difficulty understanding what others are saying or communicating out loud. The problems are very different, but they are all learning disorders.

· It’s not always easy to identify learning disabilities. Because of the wide variations, there is no single symptom or profile that you can look to as proof of a problem. However, some warning signs are more common than others at different ages.

· If you’re aware of what they are, you’ll be able to catch a learning disorder early and quickly take steps to get your child help.

If your child is a visual learner, they:

• Learn best by seeing or reading
• Do well when material is presented and tested visually, not verbally
• Benefit from written notes, directions, diagrams, charts, maps, and pictures
• May love to draw, read, and write; are probably a good speller

If your child is an auditory learner, they:

• Learn best by listening
• Do well in lecture-based learning environments and on oral reports and tests
• Benefit from classroom discussions, spoken directions, study groups
• May love music, languages, and being on stage

If your child is a kinesthetic learner, they:

• Learn best by doing and moving
• Do well when they can move, touch, explore, and create in order to learn
• Benefit from hands-on activities, lab classes, props, skits, and field trips
• May love sports, drama, dance, martial arts, and arts and crafts

Rada Goldfeder - Eshel Hanassi

Principles of Teaching English to Students with Disabilities

Although there are no major differences between teaching regular students and students with disabilities, the following principles are very important when teaching the latter group:

• use of multiple means of presentation, to provide various ways of acquiring information and knowledge (e.g. peer activities, use of video, computer technology)

• providing students with alternatives for representing learning success (drawing, projects, etc.)

• tap into students’ interests, offer appropriate challenges and/or increase motivation

• respect for students’ learning styles and personal attributes, while still focusing on the required learning outcomes.

I am going to try focus on skills that are needed most, including some of the following:

• writing out instructions

• writing point form notes

• filling out forms

• teaching gestures that English speakers recognize

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Yael Ganan - Ulpanat Tsfira

3 things I have learned

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• Teacher’s reading out loud in class can prevent students from learning how to read accurately.
• I learned what GRIT means and how imoprtant it is for students’ success.
• Unlike in Israel, in many countries, learning disabilities are not recognized or not dealt with.

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3 things I will try with students

• I will try to use the ABLE kit in order to learn more about my students’ strengths and weeknesses.
• I will assign students to read by themselves in class both quietly (library books) and out loud to their partner (passages learned in class).
• I will try to implement visual aids and different learning strategies in my lessons.

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Name: Sara Garelik School: Ulpenat Tzfira

What I learned from this session:

1- Create a positive learning environment: focus on what students can achieve rather than what they can not- especially with the students with LD.

2- Highlight objectives and structure activities clearly- write the components of the lesson on the side, the students can prepare themselves.

3- Utilise all the senses for learning- by teaching with various methods- multi-sensory(using visual aids, rules and trying to explain it in different ways), students with LD can connect to the method that is easier for them.

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What I will try to apply in my classroom:

1- put more effort in the needs of my students- if they need more time or in a different method of learning.

2- positive environment - show them how everyone can achieve, sit with the weaker students and re-explain.

3- Reduce noise and any other things that can cause distraction to students, it will definitely help them focus and make for more effective lessons.

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Inna Donov - Western Galilee High School

Three things I’ve learned about students with learning disabilities:

• All learning disabled (LD) students are different: they have a wide range of disorders that vary from one student to the other. Thus, the approaches that can work perfectly with the one learning disabled pupil, can be absolutely unsuitable for the other one.
• LD students are sensitive to distractions, i.e the teacher should reduce noise and any other things that can cause distraction to the students.
• LD students can benefit from regularity and structure, i.e a lesson structure should remain the same each time, so that the students know exactly what they are doing and why.

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Three things I would like to try with my students in the future:

• To consider creating tests in alternative formats, such as oral ones or on a computer.
• To take an inventory of how students think they learn best, i.e have them make a list of their strengths and challenges, so they and I can learn.
• To develop the activities and work pages where the students can find their success in, instead of focusing on things the students are struggling with.

Zimrat Harband - Neve Channa

Lora walters - Ulpanat Meiron

Pnina Wolf - Herzog

Name: Galit Vizel School:Maayan Shahar

Three new things I learned about learners with learning difficulties:

1.Many experts feel that language deficits begin early in life and eventually disappear, only to re-emerge later in life when there is a new circumstance to be dealt with that places different and/or unexpected demands on language and its use (Wallach and Butler 1984, p. 15).

2. We need to look at the profile of strengths and weaknesses (Levine, personal communication).

3.Teachers to look for what he calls students islands of competence (Brooks, personal communication) and play to each individual’s strengths.

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Three things I will try with a student in the future:

1.I will take an inventory of how students think they learn best. Have students make a chart similar to the one below of their strengths and challenges so that they, as well as you, can learn from their perceptions of how well they read, write, remember, listen, speak, attend and get ideas out (Michele Tissiere, personal communication).

2.I will not give so many instructions at the same time. I will break tasks down into their component parts and issue the instructions for each part one at a time.

3. Whenever appropriate, present material using graphic and/or sensory media- this is something I have been doing for years and I will continue doing it since the results prove it and in addition, it makes the love the language even more.

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Yael Van Der Meer - Eynot Yarden

Thing I have learned:

• I found Martha-Sue Hoffman’s (1984) division of ways that learning problems manifest themselves in school into four categories of difficulties very interesting and new. (A Guide to Learning Disabilities for the ESL Classroom Practitioner)
• I learned what GRIT is…
• Dr. Judit Kormos’ clip helped me better understand the specific effect of LD on language learning.

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Things I will Try

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• Finding pupil’s “Islands of competence” (A Guide to Learning Disabilities for the ESL Classroom Practitioner)
• Use the same language when I repeat something in class so that I do not change the construct and defeat the purpose of the repetition;(same article)
• Have a set of positive rules rather than “don’t does”(Strategies for Teaching English to Students with Learning Difficulties)

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Leah Weizmann Yeshivat Hashomron

Name: Bat-El Zaga

School: Ulpenat Even Shmuel

Vered Zusmanovich - Ben Shemen School

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3 things I've learned about these students:

- Some students with dyslexia may be sensitive to their surrounding (temp., light & noise).

- These students should activate their different sensory channels to acquire language (hearing, seeing, saying & writing) successfully. They need to be aware of the shapes of the letters, their sounds, how to pronounce them & how to use their hand to write them).

- Some students are having more difficulty learning L2 because they have the same difficulties in their L1 (phonology, sound system, memory, perception, sequencing, oral/speech & reading fluently).

3 things I'm going to try in the future :

- L shapes: I'm familiar with the magic window technique, but the L shape is even better. Two L shapes from cart can be put on a page from a book and block the rest of the page so the learner can observe and focus only on what's inside the text window.

- Dedicate time differently for reading: learners with more reading difficulty will know in advance during my lessons, which they are permitted to read by themselves more minutes than others, and do later even half of the reading comprehension assignments, without stressing them to read fast like others. Hopefully it will motivate them to overcome their reading difficulty.

- Being clear and praise: from now on I'll notice even more than usual about the tasks/instructions I give in class. I'll make sure they are clear and structured without any possible of different way to do them. And regard praising, I'll notice to comment positively also about the learners' process of learning and give feedback about specific improvement I've seen.

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Name: Chagit Ziv School: Ulpanat Tsfira

Three things I learned about learners with learning difficulties :

• Research suggests that ADHD is a neurological disorder stemming from inefficiencies in the brain - It’s important to know that these students aren’t to be blamed.
• A traditional classroom is very stressful for ADHD students who find it difficult to sit still , remain quiet and concentrate on a task.
• A multi - sensory approach works best when teaching learners with ADHD.

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Three things I’ll try with my students :

• I’ll place students who are particularly sensitive to distractions toward the front of the class.
• I’ll make a list of ground rules for class time that states the positive actions that are expected of students.
• With students who suffer from Attention Deficit disorder - ADD , I’ll focus on short activities,

I’ll break up long tasks into smaller chunks that are more manageable.

Rina Haviv from Ben Shemen

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Eyal Hadad - Neria Sdot Negev

Students that can't cope and study in L1 may find it difficult to do so in L2.

Up to 10% of learners are estimated to have an LD and in Israel, 40% of ESL learners have accommodations .However all LD's students are different: there is a wide range of disorders which vary

from one student to the other. There for what is good for one student is not

good for the other one.

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learned what GRIT means and why it is important.

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I will use more multi sensors activities.

I will try to use the ABLE kit in order to learn more about my students.

I will try to find ways to improve the GRIT.

Anna Heifetz Galil Maaravi

Three things that I learned:

• Students with Ld should be taught to read and cope with short texts.
• In some countries Ld are not diagnosed and not treated (just like it used to be when I was a child.)
• Multi sensory approach may help my students to learn better.

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Three things that I’m going to try in class:

• Give more time to students with LD, if they need.
• Write down instructions and a lesson plan on the board.
• Read texts aloud in class

Ravit Chason - Eynot Yarden

Three things I have learned (or knew intuitively and now I know for sure:

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• It takes “Grit” to succeed. Every student can learn and achieve academic goals if they learn hard enough.
• The factor called "auditory ability" is often responsible for differences in FL learning
• Up to 10% of learners are estimated to have some degree of learning difficulty. I thought they were much more.

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Three things that I’m going to try in class:

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• I will bring to class old headphones that I have and let students who want that put them on their ears in order to reduce the level of noise.
• I will have students make a chart with their strengths and challenges.
• I will try to be less afraid of letting LD students experience frustration and insist that they try to read and learn from their mistakes.

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Pam Harazi-Kannot

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Carniya Yaakov, Kiryat Yearim

What I have learned about students with learning difficulties:

• How important Grit is and how much it can affect their success.
• Dyslexia origins in neurobiological which causes difficulties understanding differences between different sounds.
• The ABLE kit helped me to better understand HOW students with learning disabilities think and learn.

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Things I want to try with my students in the future:

• I want to start using the ABLE kit for assessing our students
• I will try making sure students with dyslexia have enough space around them.
• Working in workbooks or on worksheets: creating worksheets that are more clear and less distracting and creating the “L”-shaped cards.
• Letting students choose their teammates for pair work.

Tom Ifrach - Neve Hadassah

Three things I learned about learners with learning disabilities:

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• One in ten students suffers from Dyslexia related problems.
• There are over than sixty different learning disabilities.
• “Looking at the learning disability is too limiting.” All the profile of the student must be taken into account.

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Three things which I am going to try with a student in the future:

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• Give different assignments in class.
• Coloured sheets.
• Help to develop independent study skills.

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Merav Cohen -

Yarden High School

Shir Katzman Beit Chinuch Yarkon

Learning difficulties that I have learned about with my students:

How important Grit is for their motivation.

Dyslexia causes difficulties that doesn’t let the student express himself.

The ABLE kit helped me understand my students better and how I can help them express themselves

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I need to try with my students in the future:

I want to start using the ABLE kit for 7th graders special education class

Students with deslexia will need a different environment or more space

Working with games and cards. Choosing things that are out of the box.

Let students choose their work.

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Galit Carmeli-Hartuv school

Three things I have learned about learners with learning difficulties:

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• Dyslexic students have shorter memory spans when it comes to processing a language.
• LD students have a difficulty to put together a sentence without grammar mistakes, verbally and writing.
• One out of 10 students may be dyslexic.

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Three things I am going to try with students in the future:

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• Since LD students need more repetition of the material learned, I will use various ways to repeat new vocabulary like games and flashcards.
• I will try to use learning techniques that will stimulate as many senses as possible, such as visual (pictures), hearing ( play a recording), bring a actual objects ( touching and smelling).
• Use of IT-information technology which can help dyslexic students, as they stimulate all senses and can match the pace and repetition needed. They also give immediate feedback.

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Ayelet Lonweagrt - Kedma

Things I learned:

1. It is not always easy to distinguish between permanent language-learning problems and normal second language problems.

2. ADHD is not a learning disability (LD), but it’s common in kids with LD.

3. That some of the students may learn how to speak very well although they have problem writing and reading and working on oral proficiency can be a great success with them and will make them believe in themselves and have GRIT.

Things I will try to do:

1. Make it easy for students to ask for repetition, and use the same language.

2. Not to jump from one topic to another, without warning.

3.In order to help students I’II try not just to write on the board but also tell it or play it as

much as possible.

Name: Nicole Look School: Mayan Shachar

3 Things I Learned:

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• Students that may cope even with accomodations in their first language, may find it impossible to cope with a second language.
• A tendency to raise one's hand, but saying the incorrect answer may be a sign of word-retrieval difficulty (and not just the wrong answer).
• Many students with a learning difficulty may disguise their difficulty via behavioural issues.

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3 Things I Will Try in Class:

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• I will be more accommodating and flexible with students with learning difficulties, by trying out alternative formats of tests and tasks.

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• I will enforce more positive rules in the classroom, instead of a list of “do nots”, as well as give praise for positive actions.

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• When repeating certain things, to continuously repeat it in English and not jump straight into to their L1 language. In order not to change the construct and defeat the purpose of the repetition to begin with.

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TANYA MOVSHOVICH - YOANA JABOTINSKY

#teamyoana

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Name:Varda Morell

School: Ulpanat Tsfira

3 things I learned:

• Even if students have dispensations for reading, we should encourage them to read short texts by themselves.
• What “GRIT” is and why it is so important for LD students.
• There are over 60 different learning disabilities!

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3 things I will try in my classroom:

• I will let my students read passages from the book independently instead of reading all of them aloud in class to everyone.
• Reduce noise in the classroom.
• Create options of alternative assessment that fits my students’ needs.

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Tzipporah moskovitz

Amit nachshon

Three things I learned about students with learning disabilities

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I would like to focus on dyslexia because I am working with a student currently and this new information really resonated with me.

• Students with dyslexia often have difficulties with memory- My student is not retaining information and it is very frustrating for me. This new information changes that for me
• Help students use their senses to learn, have him sing, finger spell, and move around to retain and learn the information
• Ask my student how he learns well. What helps him. My student is in 8th grade so I think he will be able to answer this question

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Three things I will try in the future:

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• Give clear learning objectives for my class with learning difficulties- tell them what I want to cover by the end of the lesson- i know this but it is important to hear it again and then apply it
• Learn more about a writing slope to help students with handwriting
• Learn more about how the brain learns new information and tell it over to my students

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Einav Mahlebani - Tom High school

Yehudit Minerbi - Kfar Maimon

New things I leared:

Dyslexia affects many aspects of producing and using language except for difficulties in reading and it is difficulties with spelling and processing spoken information

Learners with dyslexia have shorter memory spans in

They have smaller working memory capacity

Things I will try

Don't issue too many instructions at the same time. Break tasks down into their component parts and issue the instructions for each part one at a time;

Providing an overview of the session’s objectives and activities

Divide text into shorter sections

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Zara Mamont - Ort Yami Ashdod

I always knew that there are a lot of students with different types of Learning Disabilities including dyslexia, dysgraphia and especially students with attention deficit disorder and hyperactivity. But the numbers given in the articles and websites are enormous and that was really surprising for me.

I liked the idea of Grit and I totally agree that our students should be encouraged and taught to go for their long-term goals rather than to get accommodations for their disabilities. And we must keep in mind that the learning disability is not an indicator of less intelligence, on the contrary, people with learning disabilities very often have personal strengths in other spheres.

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The Guide to Learning Disabilities suggests a lot of useful tips for teachers who deal with students with learning difficulties. I’d like to point out the following three of them:

• Allow time in advance for students to think about items to be covered in class. Provide plenty of pre-discussion, pre-writing, pre-reading lead time and other pre-teaching activities;
• Frame material by relating it to past classroom or personal experience and highlighting new material;
• Combine both auditory and visual stimuli, say it and write it on the board whenever possible

Rochelle Mesica Hertzog High School

Rachel (Marin) Tobol

School: HaKfar Hayarok

3 new things I have learned about students with learning difficulties:

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• Students who cope with LDs and were never diagnosed may forget they have LDs but the same issues may crop up later in life, e.g. in the case of learning a second language
• Identifying LDs quickly is key to the students’ success
• How to identify LDs with the ABLE kit.

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Strategies I will try in the classroom:

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• Try using many different learning style techniques such as kinesthetic, audio, visual, and reading and writing
• To have students with LDs sit in the front of the classroom
• Allow those students to include verbal responses through a recorder

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David Moshe-Shitim

Reut Melker - Nofey Golan

Moshe Na Or Neve Sraya, Brosh

Helwi Najami from Misgav JHS

Three new things I learned about learners with learning difficulties are,

• Students with LD have shorter memory spans and smaller working memory capacity.
• How important is GRIT. “we need to be gritty about getting our kids grittier. “
• Learning disability is inherited.

Three things I’m going to try with a student in the future are,

• To reduce the level of distraction in class to help LD students focus. And try to bring students who are sensitive to distraction to the front of the classroom
• To break down tasks into component parts and provide more of pre-discussion, pre-writing , and pre-reading lead time.
• To give clear learning objectives; make sure the learners know by the beginning of the lesson exactly what they are going to achieve and how.

Dana Sabag- Merchavim

• I learned that learners with learning difficulties can and should red on their own even if it is hard and challenging for them at the beginning.

2. I also learned that some of them may learn how to speak very well although they have problems writing and reading and working on oral proficiency can be a great success with them and will make them believe in themselves and have GRIT.

3. Many of them will not be able to read in 7th grade but there is hope. We shouldn't give up and we must try work with them and believe in them and make them feel it is possible.

I will try some of the things I’ve learned here:

• The first is to give oral tests in JHS because it is another strategy and a very important skill to practice, which can also help students in general improve their language skills.
• I’m going to use the Able kit in my work. It is new to me and there are some great ideas for me and my staff.
• The individual student’s plan is also useful, and although it is very long I can use a few parts when I work with LD students and adjust it to their needs and my goals.

Thank you !

Natali Svirsky - Ayanoyt

I work in a school where the percent of LD students is relatively high, so I try always to read as much as possible about dyslexia, dysgraphia and other LDs. So I cannot say that I learned anything new from these specific articles. But at the same time I must remember that LD students are very different. I also sometimes forget that they are extremely easily distracted and that even they look as if they are very attentive, sometimes they simply do not hear me.

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The things I am going to practice in class are:

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I am going to divide the learning material into smaller parts, and then ask what was understood/

I will also give as many positive feedbacks as possible to let the LD students feel they can succeed

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I will give different types of assessment to give them the opportunity to get good grades

Gali Sayag Ramat Hadassah

Jane Simon - Tzafit

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What I learned :

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• The image of “Hurdles” on the track are what dyslexic students experience when they are learning. I liked this image very much because it made me realize the frustration they feel when they hit a hurdle and then another. I see how these hurdles slow down the learning process.
• 2. How important it is not see Dyslexia as a disability but as “Learning Differences” and that they will reach the same goals but not necessarily in the same way.
• How important the classroom environment is and how noise or too bright lights can disturb the concentration of dyslexic students.

What I want to try in my classroom:

• I love the idea of the two cardboard angle pieces that you can put on a text to make the text shorter. So simple and brilliant.
• I’d like to find more games and short films that can be used with subtitles to practise vocabulary.
• I do this anyway but I’m going to do it more by praising more and maintaining motivation for success especially with the students I know that are showing difficulties in the learning process.
• ABLE kit, I would like to use this in the future and show it to the rest of my staff

Emily Singer - Shaked

Three things I have learned (or been reminded of…)

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• I LOVE the analogy to invisible hurdles! They need to work harder to achieve the same thing as everyone around them, and no one even sees it. So frustrating for them!
• I LOVE Robert Brooks’ “students islands of competence.” When we can find that thing a kid can do well and appreciate it, and incorporate those skills into their language learning, we can give the students feelings of success and pride that can help also with the more difficult parts.
• I LOVE the idea of the students’ self-inventory chart. We spend so much time trying to figure out what’s challenging for them. If we ask them, we can get a good portion of the picture, as well as including them in the process. We see them more directly, and they feel seen

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Three things I hope to try

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• The student self-inventory chart. Maybe even at the beginning and end of the year, to see how they perceive their progress.
• Building lessons around their strengths, and praising them for their talents.
• I have used the ABLE kit, but I haven’t yet figured out the best way to use the information in the classroom. My students are so frustrated that they never learned how to read properly and they resent when I try to practice with them “things [they] learned in 3rd grade.” I really need to find a way to re-teach what they need without them feeling patronized.

Rinat Singer Ezer

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Kirill Smolkin - Havat HaNoar HaTsioni

What I learned:

• I enjoyed the GRIT idea. I realize I am gritty myself so when teaching I am often on the right track. It was also interesting to hear that grit is not talent. It’s the ability to persevere and realize that failure is absolutely not a permanent condition
• I learned that ADD and ADHD are (or is) actually the same thing.
• It was important to read about the differences between DYSLEXIA and DYSGRAPHIA

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What I am planning to try out:

• Talk to my students informally and brainstorm ideas of preparing for tests.
• Use frame cards with LD (mostly dyslexic) students. That will easily help them select the part they need to process at the moment.
• I will teach some of my ADD students to make to do lists for English learning.

Zoharit Said - Beer Ami

Three things I have learnt:

• Learners with ADD will need brisk pace to the lesson, while dyslexic learners will benefit from more time to complete activities.
• Students with learning disabilities are often highly sensitive to noise and other distractions.\
• It is estimated that up to 10% of learners have some degree of learning difficulty.

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What I want to try in my classroom:

• Pupils with ADD need short activities and the teacher should break long activities down into separate stages so they can deal with one stage at a time.
• The teacher should give the students a chance to use their skills in the lesson. For example- music, art.
• Provide clear objectives and clear activity structure for the lesson. Preview them at the beginning of the lesson and review them at the end. Make sure the learners understand exactly what they are going to achieve and how.

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Julia Srodey__ Kfar Hanoar Hadati

Yudit Idan - Ben Shemen School

3 THINGS I LEARNED

1) A student with difficulty in foundational language skills in their own native language is expected to have a less positive affect when learning a foreign language and will experience characteristics like higher anxiety and lower motivation. This reinforces the notion that basic language skills serve as the foundation for foreign language learning.

2) I learned that a student who is having difficulty during my lessons may be struggling to do a lack of visual aids or presentations to complement the auditory instruction I present in the class. Learning a foreign language can be made significantly easier by the presence of both auditory and visual presentations of content in class.

3) When students are learning a second language, it can be difficult to tell the difference between permanent language-learning problems and normal second language problems that come about regularly. The difficulties learners experience can be categorized four ways, by word-retrieval difficulties, by selective attention immaturities, by visual, association confusions, and by limited concept manipulation/inner language skills.

3 THINGS I WILL TRY WITH STUDENTS IN THE FUTURE

1) When working with a student in the future I am going to push them to be honest with me about his or her need for extra assistance and have them describe the kinds of problems he or she is having, to take advantage of in-class accommodations, and seek my help whenever they need. This will help build our relationship and make them feel supported in the classroom.

2) I will work on limiting the number of instructions I give at the same time. Additionally, when I do issue instructions I will break them into simple and clear parts. Using fewer words, a better economy of language, will help my students focus on the most important words and assist their learning abilities.

3) During instruction and presentation of new materials I will combine both auditory and visual stimuli. If I say something I will make sure to write or draw it on the board whenever possible. This also includes making powerpoint or using images or google to pull up visual aids or videos of whatever I am teaching my students about. This will help students with processing demands and difficulties related to auditory and/or visual learning.

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Name:- Sara Akiva - School:- Wizo Nahalal

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Three things I learned

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• I learned what GRIT is and how important it is. I enjoyed watching this Ted Talk clip.
• LD pupils are often distracted and are very sensitive to noise, so you need to be aware of the learning environment these pupils are in.
• In many countries (not Israel) learning disabilities are not recognized, neither dealt with too.

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Three things I intend to try with my students in the future.

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• To have LD pupils sit at the front of the class.
• Motivate LD kids by setting up clear and achievable goals
• I will use more repetition more often and in the same language as to avoid distraction.

Joelle Peleg - Kfar Galim

Three new things I learned about learners with learning difficulties:

• Students with LDs are often highly sensitive to noise and other distractions so it is important to reduce noise and any other things to help them keep focus.
• Students with LDs can better substitute for channels that they may struggle to learn through if the teacher adopts a learning approach that is multi-sensory.
• With LDs students, it is important to utilise all the senses for learning by reading the text aloud, using visual and kinaesthetic aids.

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Three things I am going to try with a student in the future

• I will place students with LDs closer to me and the board rather than at the back of the room where they can easily be distracted by what is going on.
• To help with student behavior, I will set a list of ground rules for class time that states the positive actions that are expected of students and I will also praise students positive actions for the rest of the class to see and learn from.
• At the beginning of each lesson I will provide clear objectives and a clear activity structure for the lesson so students understand exactly what they are going to achieve, how and what is expected from them.

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Naomi Feinmesser - Tzvia Katif

3 new things I have learnt:

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• Such a large number of students have accommodations, with 40% requesting hakraa.
• I had never seen the ABLE kit before.
• The importance of focussing on reading in JHS.

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3 things I would like to try in the classroom:

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• Be sure to use a multi-sensory approach.
• Introduce Stop-Drop-Read in order to encourage reading in JHS (started this week and Arona’s article has reinforced my decision).
• Find out what techniques help the learner in L1 and use them in my lessons as well.

Naty Piperno Landesman-Aloney Itzhak

What I have learned:

• Motorical problems can lead to cognitives challenges.
• The definition of Dyslexia as a learning difference, unlike a learning disability.( by definition there’s a big change between the use of the word “difference” which is included in an existing variety. The word “disability” points to a limitation.
• The image of “hurdles on the track” used in the video gives a very clear picture of what dyslexic kids have to face and the following frustration due to these hurdles.

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What I want to try in my classroom.

• I plan to use even more multisensory approach to learning in the class.
• I’ll make even clearer the connection between lessons and I’ll specify on board how the previous lesson ended and go on with the rest….(I already write on the board the ‘Menu” of the day.
• I will make sure that the handouts will be written with clear and big fonts such as Arial or Verdana letter size 14 with no underlying, Italics or too many Capital Letters.

Name: Linda Penias

School: Meshutaf Hof HaCarmel

New things I’ve learned about LD students from the articles and the sites:

• There is a connection between anxiety and learning disabilities.
• I learned for the first time about the The Orton-Gillingham method, which suggests that LD students should simultaneously hear, see, and write sounds/symbols and should be taught rules directly.
• Not new, but it is always good to be reminded of: Students with learning disabilities shouldn’t be treated as if they are less capable. Instead, we should teach them strategies which will help them cope with the difficulty. (i.e: Instead of giving them more time to work on a task, maybe to teach them how to organize their time better, to begin with easier tasks, etc.)

Things I plan to try with my own students:

• I plan to do less reading aloud to my lower level 8th graders. I realized I tend to read aloud many of the texts in order to make it easier for them.
• I intend to apply the multi-sensory approach for learning: To use more flash cards, video clips, board games, art and crafts.

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Limor Tzeiry from Yeshivat Tzvia Katif

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Dalia Zarfaty- Mikve Israel

Three new things I learned about learners with learning difficulties:

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• “Up to 10% of learners are estimated to have some degree of learning difficulty”- That’s all?
• The signs given helped me identify one more student that might have LD- “a tendency to raise one's hand presumably with the correct answer, but ending up not knowing when actually called upon.

· “...An appearance of being forgetful, when in fact the information was never really received or processed.

• “people who have a learning disability are often very bright, even gifted, people.”- Since having a learning disability causes students to underachieve, it is important not to forget this fact.

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Three things I am going to try with a student in the future:

1. “Create a positive learning environment: focus on what students can achieve rather than what they can’t”- “look for islands of competence and play to each individual’s strengths.”

2. “Have a set of positive and clear ground rules”- tell the students what they are expected to do- reward good behaviour.

3. “Use a multi-sensory approach to learning”-try to make each task involve different senses.

Name: Racheli Kastner - School: Ulpanat Tsfira

Three things I learned about learners with learning difficulties.

• Students with LDs find it very difficult and stressful to sit still, remain quiet and concentrate on a task in a traditional classroom.
• It is important to use multiple means of presentation to provide various ways of acquiring information and language.
• It is beneficial to adopt a learning approach that is multi-sensory, since students with LDs can use visual and kinaesthetic aids that make learning easier for them.

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3 things I will try in class:

• I will give Students with LDs a lot of learning incentives- such as small prizes, extra points for completing assignments, etc.
• I will break down into smaller chunks to make learning easier and more manageable. I will also issue the instructions for each part at a time.
• I will focus on each student’s strengths and praise them by reinforcing their competence whenever it is possible .

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Bat El Daniel - Har Tuv

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3 things I have learned:

• Dyslexic students might have visual difficulty such as: sensitivity to black print and the letters jump so they cannot read well. Therefore, it might help if we change the background of the page or let them work on the computer or their phones where the background is changing all the time.
• Dyslexic students have difficulty in getting started and getting organized for the lesson and for the different tasks.
• Dyslexic students have difficulties in recognizing main idea themes and discriminating them from lesser important items.

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3 Things I will try:

• Since dyslexic students suffer from an attention deficit disorder, I will focus on language activities that are shorter in order to allow them to hold concentration and not lose it.
• I will give them more time to complete the tasks.
• I will focus on their strengths rather than their weaknesses in order to boost their self esteem. I will give them easy tasks to start with to build up their confidence.

Glynn Rabin

Shitim Darka High School

Laura Rudich - Yarkon

Three things I have learnt about students with LD:

• The learning process is experienced differently with different Ld’s.
• Classroom environment can affect students with LD greatly in issues such as temperature, light and noise.
• LD’s are probably inherited.

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Some new things I’m going to try implementing in my classes:

• Reduce level of distraction in the room, both visually wise and in the sense of how I would organize the material on the board.
• Frequent notebooks check - as having a structured and known way to make sure students keep up with what’s going on in the classroom helps both the students and the teachers.
• Taking an inventory of how students think they learn the best - this would help improve the lessons as it will enable me to really know my students’ perspective about the learning process.

Lea Rozenfeld - Ulpenat Mercaz Shapira

Debbie Roth from Misgav JHS

Three things I learned about LDs:

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• Classroom environment - a lot of factors might affect students’ ability to focus and their performance since they are easily distracted.
• Encourage independent/silent reading as much as possible so that students are able to understand what is written by themselves.
• Focus on organization and the development of independent learning skills since LD students might have a difficult time getting organized/ready for the lesson.

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Three things to try with LDs students in the future:

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• Use the ABLE Kit to learn more about my students’ abilities/difficulties and how to assess them- especially the 7th graders.
• Break the activities down into shorter ones with very clear objectives since students with LD have shorter memory spans and smaller working memory capacity.
• Differentiated assessment - oral; creative/hands on activities; projects

Nicole Ronen - Hartuv highschool

What I learned:

• There are different techniques to approach students who may are not focused in class. It is important to take into account that students who are incapable with of doing specific activities may just need to different guidance.
• Students with learning disabilities are sensitive to distractions.
• How crucial it is to use regular font for dyslexic students.

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What I will try to do:

• Especially with my special ed. Students, I will put a larger focus on breaking tasks down into smaller component parts and issue the instructions one at a time.
• Bring LD students up front to try and minimize them from distraction.
• Find comfortable worksheets in order to make classwork more accessible to dyslexic students.

Yael Ressa - Eshel Hanassi School

Three things I learned:

+ I learned that dyslexic students are 10% of the overall population of pupils and that they sometimes experience problems in second language acquisition whereas in their first language they don't. They manage to overcome the obstacles by using different techniques they don't in EFL.

+ I wasn’t aware as to how much classroom environment, ie noise, light, temperature, visual input, can be such a significant factor in dyslexic students.

+ Understanding their various difficulties and the importance of adapting my teaching methods so that the students simultaneously hear, see, and write sounds/symbols and that they are directly taught rules for word endings, word order, subject-verb agreement, and declensions.

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Further to these conclusions, in the future I will be using the following in class:

Use various aids that implement usage of the different senses such as I.T, (computer, tablet, Ipads), songs, more active (movement) tasks, colors and flashcards. I will try to keep the texts shorter and as simple and clear as possible. Moreover, in texts I will add a frame around the texts.

Finally, it’s the first time I learn about the term "Grit" and how significant it is for me as a teacher to be grittier and to get my pupils to be gritty! I will definitely work on that!

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Galina Shaulov Eshel Hanassi School

New Tarned:

• Not all learning and attention issues are learning disabilities.
• ADHD is not a learning disability (LD), but it’s common in kids with LD.
• There are interventions, but no medical treatments, for learning disabilities.

What I am going to try:

• break learning into small steps;
• supply regular, quality feedback;
• use diagrams, graphics and pictures to augment what they say in words;
• provide independent, well-designed intensive practice;

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Name: Chavy Schwartz School: Ulpenat Tzfira

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Three things I learned:

• Repeat a lot. Don’t change the words- use the same language.
• Behavior problems may be hiding disabilities.
• The font, type of page and layout affect the LD students’ ability to learn.

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Three things I hope to implement in my classroom:

• The ABLE kit
• Allow students with LD to turn in tasks late
• Use more visual aids and different learning strategies.

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Faygie Schneider

Amit Nachshon

Hadar Shenkar- Amit Kfar Batya “Homesh”

Three new things I have learned about learners with learning difficulties:

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1. It is very important to remember that LDs are not a sign of low intelligence. They are, in fact, in no way a reflection of intelligence level and many people with LDs possess above average intellectual capabilities.

2. Language deficits begin early in life and eventually disappear, only to re-emerge later in life when there is a new circumstance to be dealt with that places different and/or unexpected demands on language and its use.

3. In many countries, learning disabilities are not recognized or, in some cases, they are recognized but not dealt with.

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Three things I am going to try with my students in the future:

1. Give students with learning difficulties shorter language activities, allowing them to hold concentration throughout the exercise. If there are longer tasks, break down the task into smaller chunks that are more manageable and allow the student to break attention naturally in-between.

2. Provide the students at the beginning of the lesson an overview of the session’s objectives and activities, which can help them prepare for the day’s learning. Use the same lesson structure which students with learning difficulties can benefit from some level of regularity and structure in their learning time.

3. Adopt learning approach that is multi-sensory, which can help students with LDs better substitute for channels that they may struggle to learn through. For example: read text aloud, use visual and kinesthetic aids, show video clips in the classroom, play games and more.

Channi Shklar - Da’at Kibbutz Sa’ad

Yael Temam Ohana Hertzog High School

Adele School: NHS

Etti Hadad -Kfar Maimon school

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Things I learned

*Some students can hide their disability or their difficulties by behavior problems.

* The clip helped me understand the effect of LD about language learning.

*Even small praising for small achievement can change or make LD student cope or feel better

and make them want to keep trying.

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Things I am going to try with my students in the future

*Make them understand or be aware their difficulties and mistakes, and make them cope

with it.

* I’ll try to be aware to their needs- ask them how can I make it easier for them and give them

the time they need for it.

*In order to help students I’II try not just to write on the board but also tell it or play it as

much as possible.

Sandra Keren - Yarden School

Hayley Wohlfarth - Amit Nachshon

Sohad Khalaily-Rama High School

Melissa Weglein

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Batel Hoze- Ayanot

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Things I learned about learners with learning difficulties:

1. It's better not to read an entire text to the class. We should allow them to read by themselves.

2. It's better to slow down and to teach them how to read properly because there is no time to do that in high school.

3. Even if some of the students will need accommodations when they'll reach the Bagrut exams, for now, they should be taught how to read short sentences and to understand them.

Things I will try

1. I will try to change the classroom environment every once in a while. Changing a room or even teaching outside can effective.

2. I teach high school students and they already know how to read BUT I will try to let them read a text by themselves by sitting away from them for once…

3. When working in groups, I need to make sure the situation is not stressful.

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