When developing a curriculum unit for learning disabled students whose reading skills range from zero to third grade, with independent reading levels even lower and with very poor or no reading comprehension, the teacher must remember not to include many reading materials. Rather, the teacher should include short passages which will interest the students, using familiar words in such a way that the students understand and enjoy the reading. These reading passages can be prepared by the teacher or selected very carefully from different sources according to the subject. Of course, the teacher should include new vocabulary words for study and the improvement of dictionary skills.
I consider the use of audiovisual and manipulative materials of great importance. I agree very much with the statement of my two colleagues Barbara Banquer and Amy Alledort in their curriculum unit entitled “Literature and the Special Education Student”: “We find that the showing of films is highly received by our students. The second viewing could be behaviorally rewarding as well as educationally sound. It would give the students the opportunity to refocus, to pick up conversation that was previously missed or misinterpreted, and could be an appropriate ending activity.”
Week One: The Tainos
Objectives
that the students learn about the Taino Indians, their life style, costumes, etc. in order to compare this later with the life style and costumes of the Indians of Connecticut
The students will improve in their
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reading skills
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oral and reading comprehension
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oral and written expression skills (by enlarging their vocabulary)
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participation in class discussion
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In this unit I intend to teach the students about the Indians living in Borinquen (Puerto Rico before the arrival of Christopher Columbus). Things studied will include their life style—families, nutrition, housing, entertainment, clothing, etc, and some explanation of their economic and political situation.
During the development of this unit the students will:
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read passages
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make comments
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describe pictures
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read maps
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search in the library
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complete written assignments
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draw villages of the Indians’ style in order to compare with the housing of the Indians of Connecticut later.
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The reading passages are taken from
Reading Exercises on the History and Culture of Puerto Rico
and
Historia de Nuestros Indios.
Procedure
The teacher will prepare dittos with the passage for each student in the class. In order to help the students to have a better understanding of the story, a model reading story will be recommended. The teacher will read the story, asking the students to read with him/her, but silently.
The teacher will comment briefly, mentioning the most important aspects of the story, such as: main characters, setting, characteristics of the Indians, etc. Later the teacher will ask the students to read one or two paragraphs each. When the reading is finished, the teacher will initiate a discussion by asking questions such as these:
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1.
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What was the name of Puerto Rico before the arrival of Christopher Columbus on the island?
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2.
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What kind of Indians were living on the island at that time?
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After analyzing the first reading the teacher will tell the students: the Tainos, like any other people in the world, had their own culture, life style, food, clothing, housing, music, entertainment, etc. Let us learn about them, because they are our ancestry.
The teacher will write the word
ancestry
on the blackboard, ask the students to look for the meaning in their dictionaries, and explain this term clearly.
The teacher will continue analyzing the rest of the passages during the week.
Related activity: The bulletin board will be decorated with the drawings, written tasks, and other materials prepared by the students as an artistic expression of their feelings and understanding of the lessons.
