Struggles in reading can impact a student's performance across multiple areas. Poor reading skills make it harder to grasp content in subjects like math, science, and social studies, where comprehension of text is crucial. This can also slow vocabulary growth and language development, affecting communication skills. Additionally, students who struggle with reading may experience lower confidence and motivation, making it harder to engage in learning. Since reading is tied to critical thinking, difficulties can limit the ability to analyze information, and even affect social skills by reducing exposure to texts that help develop empathy and social understanding. How do you consider other content area development when a student is known to be struggling with/in reading?

One thing that teachers must realize while teaching social studies is to be careful that history is on a time line. While we can take events and people and study them, we have to remember that there were events before and effects after. Students need to be taught to look at history based on the information at the time. For example, we cannot use a modern day dictionary to understand documents written in the past. We have to look at the definition of the words based on the time period. We also cannot change the words to "near synonyms" to make it easier for the students. Words are chosen for their meaning. If we change the words, we change the meaning.

I really want to include Science in my school day, but our schedule is so jam packed already, how can I fit it in?

What are your best practices for designing lessons that meet diverse student needs?

I try to connect content to the real world. Today, we were talking about earthquakes, and I related to Hurricane Helene. In math, provide support for students who have not memorized their multiplication facts. Show how they can build a list of multiples to solve the problem. Stop when you are reading a text and have students talk to a partner to check for comprehension. When you are creating your lesson plans, make sure that the activities are varied.

What other ideas can you share to meet these student needs?

Next week is "Celebrate Freedom Week". During that week, students will learn about different founding documents. One key statement that we discuss is, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed". What are some ways that your district explains the idea that government's power comes from the people. (This is a State Statute as well as a set of standards)

I’m loving this idea—what are some ways you build discussion with your students?