Chapter 9: Teaching Diverse Learners

limited English proficiency (LEP)

A person's difficulty communicating effectively in English because English is not his or her native or primary language.

multiple intelligences

Howard Gardner's theory that individuals have a broad range of types of intelligence, each to a different degree.

Motivation

Personal incentive or drive to succeed

stereotypes

Preconceived generalizations about certain groups of people.

English Language Learner (ELL)

Students that must learn English while also mastering the content of their regular classes.

special needs

a broad range of physical, mental, social, and behavioral challenges that impact learning

Individualized Education Program (IEP)

a written plan for providing a student with the most appropriate opportunity for learning

learning diversity

differences in learning based on abilities, interests, or experiences

arduous

hard to accomplish or achieve

kinesthetic-tactile learners

learn best by performing hands-on or physical activities

auditory learner

learn most easily by hearing or listening to information

Visual Learning

learn most easily by seeing

Differentiated Instruction

meeting the different learning styles and needs of students using different modes of instruction to match a students' preferred mode of learning, disability, or background

accommodations

modifications to the environment, learning strategies, or materials that are made to help students with particular special needs succeed in the classroom

Special Education

provides adapted programs, extra staff, and specialized equipment or learning environments or materials to help students with special needs to learn

Ethnicity

refers to a particular racial, national, or cultural group including that group's customs, beliefs, values, and often language and religion

Exceptional Learners

students that require special educational modifications and, perhaps, other services that align with their abilities and potential

Learning Styles

the methods individuals prefer and find most effective to absorb and process information

Mainstreaming

when schools place students with special needs in one or more regular classes based on their expected ability to keep up with the standard curriculum

Inclusion

when students with special needs attend regular classes with the requirement that they will receive some benefit from the classes, even if they are not able to keep up academically with class requirements