About Our Students
Miguel
11th grader. English Language Learner. EA Level. RFEP.
Identity: Mexican-American. Lower middle class. Speaks Spanish at home. Parents speak Spanish and struggle with English.
Development Needs
Readiness – Struggles with her English writing and grammar skills. If she reads slowly and re-reads material she understands the material. She comprehends books after discussions and participates after another student states an opinion.
Interest – Enjoys soccer and socializing. Very family oriented.
Learning Profile – Miguel works well in pairs. He tends to shy off during group work and works better when he can focus on one other person. Miguel needs extra time to work on his assignments to do his best work. Miguel is also a very visual learner and works well if he can use a graphic organizer.
Differentiation Strategies
Content/Readiness: Allow more time for reading. Ensure class discussions about reading to help aide Miguel in comprehending the material.
Process/Readiness & Affect: Provide graphic organizers to allow Miguel to visualize what he is learning.
Process & Learning Environment/Learning Profile: Allow Miguel to work in pairs. Ensure that I write directions and give Miguel paper copies of things to look at. Provide graphic organizers and encourage him to create his own if it is not a part of the assignment.
Product/Interest & Learning Profile: Provide visual instructions through lists. Allow Miguel to create images with his assignments.
Elena:
Early Intermediate Level ELL
identity: 10th grade, Mexican American, first language is Spanish, upper middle class, Mother & Father are educated professionals, large extended family, visits grandparents in Mexico in summer, shy, & works well in small groups.
Developmental Needs
Readiness – can read and write at early intermediate level, needs assistance with reading, writing & speaking specifically - vocabulary, tenses, & pronunciation.
Interests – Reading, Ballet Folklorico dancing, Mexican Heritage
Learning Profile – kinesthetic & linguistic multiple intelligences, likes working in small groups
Differentiation Strategies
Content/Readiness: Provide material in Spanish because of her Spanish literacy skills.
Process/Readiness & Profile: Work in small groups with Spanish/English bilingual Ss.
Product/Readiness: Allow Elena to use vocabulary sheet to complete assignment.
Dwayne:
11th grader with Specific Learning Disability
Identity: African-American, Lower middle class, English Only Speaker, single family home. Lives with mother and siblings.Developmental Needs Readiness – Speaks only English. Struggles with his literacy skills (decoding and forming complete, complex sentences while writing) Started receiving bad grades and going to summer school in 4th grade.
Interests – Basketball, football, sports, school sports teams, socializing with his friends.
Learning Profile – Dwayne is an extremely kinesthetic learner, he also enjoys group work but does not want to be in charge of the group.
Differentiation Strategies
Content/Readiness: Give adequate time to allow Dwayne to read and comprehend the material. Allow extra time to complete assignments, especially reading and writing assignments.
Process/Interest: Allow Dwayne to work in groups. Try to incorporate basketball/sports into his assignments which helps motivate him.
Product/Readiness: Continue to motivate Dwayne to do his work (specific request made by him) Allow for revisions after I give feedback and speak directly with Dwayne about his work.
Alex:10th grader with a Specific Learning Disability
Identity: White, Middle Class, English Only Speaker, no information about family provided on task stream, but he takes medication daily for asthma and uses inhaler.
Developmental Needs
- Readiness - Struggles with literacy skills (acquisition of sound/symbol relationships, word identification, & decoding, demonstrated in reading & writing). He reads at the 7th grade level.
- Interests – no information is provided about Alex’s interests except that he does not readily join in whole-class conversations or contribute to group learning situations. He tends to sit alone and break and lunch.
- Learning Profile – Little information is provided about his learning preferences except that he self-isolates.
- Content/Readiness: Provide vocabulary sheet with images and word definitions.
- Process/Interest & Profile: Provide supports for a group activity – such as specific roles for each member & group with Ss. that Alex has had success working with in the past.
- Product/Readiness: Verbally assess through class to confirm understanding.
Daniel: 11th grade student who suffered a serious motocross injury.
Identity: White, English Only, Middle Class. Suffers from seizures (very rarely) Suffered serious motocross accident.
- Readiness – Daniel can read at grade level and when given adequate time , can produce well constructed work. Because of his accident, Daniel now has issues trying to articulate what he is trying to say though he has the answers in his head.
- Interests – Very interested in motocross despite his injury. Very social.
- Learning Profile – Daniel is a very kinesthetic and visual learner.
- Content/Interest: Allows his reading to be motocross related.
- Process/Profile: Ensure that Daniel has adequate time to absorb the material. Give Daniel time to process before he responds to a question. Ensure Daniel knows that I expect an answer from him but call on other students first so Daniel can complete his thought.
- Process/Interests: Allow for assignments written about motocross. Daniel also enjoys talking about his accident; allow him time to do so. (This helps him work through it)
- Product/Readiness: Allow Daniel to revise his work if he chooses to get a better grade. Daniel will many times, rush through his assignments without getting his full thoughts out, thus writing incomplete thoughts.