Home | How It Works | Stats Login | Register         Case: Retention Mr. A recently attended a faculty meeting where they presented current educational research. Based on this research, retention was stated as being one of the least effective ways to help a student. Mr. A was shocked because he has several students in his class whom he is not sure how they were promoted. Sally is in the third grade, but performs on a kindergarten level. She cannot read, or even write her name. Mr. A is only told to differentiate in order to best meet Sally's needs. Mr. A differentiates his heart out, but knows that when spring comes along, the mandated state standardized test will not be differentiated in the slightest. How can Mr. A most effectively help Sally in order to to better prepare her for fourth grade? Solution: (Rates are posted for this solution!) Mr. A needs to teach his students were they are currently. If that is on a kindergarten level, then that is where he needs to start. He can teach a mini-lesson to the whole group on grade level, build in small group rotations and centers, and use the high performing or gifted students who show leadership to be peer tutors and mini-professors. Mr. A needs to find the lower children's strengths and interests, utilize them to engage the student and offer them to raise their own bar to build those student's confidence and growth. Another way that I have found to reach low performing or IQ students is that many of them are very "street savvy" they have more common sense and defensive mechanisms to provide for survival. Utilize these mechanisms to build academic milestones as well. A portfolio or interactive journal is a great way to encourage these students, and enables them to see their own growth. These notebooks offer the students the ability to see what they have accomplished, utilize their notebooks to look back at notes, and receive instant feedback from the teacher through a checklist on work completed. This promotes more self responsibilty but also self-esteem and confidenc in themselves.