Curriculum

Strategies for Learning and Teaching

• Establish a supportive relationship with the student.
• Focus on what the student can do rather than what he/she cannot do and build on his/her strengths.
• Include praise and encouragement as part of the student’s learning and teaching experience.
• Simplify language, repeat words and clarify meanings.
• Observe the student’s learning style and differentiate teaching and learning accordingly.
• Provide the student with tasks that are within his/her capacity.
• Ensure tasks have a clear meaning and purpose.
• Build opportunities for over-learning and repetition into lessons.
• Differentiate questioning as well as teaching.
• Give the student opportunities to generalize knowledge and skills.
• Help students to realize that making mistakes is part of the learning process.
• Incorporate the student’s interests, aptitudes, experiences and skills into learning and teaching.
• Utilize active learning, participation and collaboration with peers.
• Encourage the development of life skills, personal and social skills through all aspects of the curriculum and allow for the fact that these skills may also have to be taught explicitly.
• Pay particular attention to language and communication in all areas of the curriculum.
• Provide handouts/worksheets that minimize the amount of writing required.
• Offer students curricular programs with an emphasis on pre-vocational skills.

Activity-based Learning

Activity-based learning is indulging students in activities by stimulating their senses, such as sight, smell, vision or feeling, and getting them involved in the subject. Besides encouraging kids to enjoy their learning experience, activity-based learning has many benefits, including:

• Helping students memorize information
• Encouraging kids to be independent and inquisitive
• Supporting social development
• Emphasizing the relevance of educational material
• Encouraging kids to express themselves in different ways