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Slow Learners and EQAO
It is not easy for a parent to see his/her child bringing a poor report card home. One of the reasons for the child's poor result could be a learning disability factor. How fair are the standardized tests for these learners? What could be done to help these students to write and score well in these tests.
This was my first year administering EQAO. From my experience I learned that every child has to be prepared for these kind of standardized tests from the very beginning of the year. These tests are time bound and the children should be given enough practice to finish their work on time. It is a good idea to have similar expectations as in EQAO in regular classroom teaching. However, slow learners may struggle to meet these expectations.
Some of the strategies which may help the slow learners in classroom to prepare them for the standardized tests are:
1. Present the subject matter not just orally but use strategies which different learners
in the classroom will benefit from.
2. Use more visual aids, graphic organizers, role plays, pictures, posters etc. to present the subject matter.
3. Use concrete examples and real world authentic situations to explain. Breaking tasks into smaller parts and modifying expectations for every student according to their abilities, shortening the assignments to ensure success will be some of the things I would do.
4. Seat the child close to the teacher, with a peer who can help the child to be on task but also being careful that the child does not become dependent on his peer .
5. Have a quiet area in the classroom where students who are easily distracted can go and work.
6. During a test ensure that the required materials (dictionaries, manipulatives etc.) are all within reach and visible to the students.
7. I would like to have a class with respectful environment where students help each other and
collaborative learning takes place.
8. Students should be tested for their knowledge and not for their ability of in which way they can present it.
9. Depending on the child’s ability some of the testing adaptations could be:
a) using prompts, in severe cases using a scribe for the child,
b) reading the question/instructions to the child,
c) giving the child an opportunity to present the information in visual form or using a graphic organizer,
d) modifying the test paper based on the individual child’s expectations,
e) giving extra time for completing the test,
f) giving a quiet area to the child during the test etc.
However EQAO does not allow many accommodation options to the students except for reading the question to the child if asked by the child. It also allows the use of dictionaries and thesauri for the Writing sections of the tests. Some prompting is allowed for ESL students or students identified with special needs. In special cases scribing is allowed and extra time may be given to the students universally.