What Report Cards Can Tell You About Essential Skills for Learning

Presented by Erik von Hahn, MD

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Essential Skills for Struggling Learners

To provide the right supports for struggling students in grades pre‐K to 12, your school team needs a thorough understanding of the skills that contribute to learning—and a systematic way to help students with a wide range of learning difficulties. This innovative planning guide is your key to identifying and prioritizing the essential skills that students with and without learning difficulties need to succeed.

Essential Skills for Struggling Learners

Purpose of Essential Skills for Struggling Learners

• Use observations of student performance
• To identify the source of difficulty
• And develop targets for intervention

Developmental underpinnings of learning success

Essential skills for Struggling Learners Essential skills for all Learners

Organization of the book

11 chapters, 11 developmental domains, 11 Frameworks

1. Vision skills
2. Hearing skills
3. Motor skills
4. Formal Language skills
5. Pragmatic language skills
6. Executive skills
7. Affect and self‐regulation skills
8. Social skills
9. Reading skills
10. Writing skills
11. Math skills

Organization of the book

11 Frameworks

• Each framework
• Consists of skill sets and skills
• Presented in a developmentally logical hierarchy

Goals for this webinar

• Goal #1: Link the sections of a report card to the Frameworks
• Goal #2: Link observable behaviors to skills sets/ skills
• Goal #3: Use Essential Skills for Struggling Learners in your practice
• Communication and partnering with specialists
• Intervention
• Communication and partnering with the student and the student’s family

Goal #1: Report cards and Frameworks

Report card sections and associated Essential Skills Frameworks

1. English Language Arts
2. Classroom participation behaviors
3. Math
4. Physical education, art, music
5. Content: Social studies, science, technology

Pause for reflection

Goal #2: Observations and Interpretation

• Observe student performance
• Identify the struggling learner
• Link student performance observations to skill sets and skills

Identify the Struggling Learner

Where is this learner struggling? Where is he succeeding?

Observations from ELA‐ Foundational skills

Observations Which framework will you use?

• Demonstrates understanding of words, syllables, and sounds
• Writing skills when speaking
• Language skills

Observations of Classroom participation behaviors

Where is this learner struggling? Where is he succeeding?

Classroom participation behaviors

Observations

• Listens attentively
• Shows self‐control
• Organizes and takes responsibility for belongings
• Follows directions
• Transitions appropriately

Summary of Observations and interpretations

• Performing successfully: Phonological awareness, Conversations
• Struggling with: Narrative skills, Phonics and fluency, Impulse control and working memory, Arousal (self‐control)

Goal #3: Essential Skills in practice

What do you do? Observe, Intervene, Interpret

Questions?

Certificates

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COVID‐19 Resources

• Recommended reading
• Downloadable resources
• Professional development webinars COVID Education Resources

Thank you!