Skyler Harwood Diversity and Differentiation in Education Paper #1 2/14/12

In my kindergarten classroom there is a little boy who has some behavioral issues. I asked to not know his diagnosis, because while I will be working with him, I find it best to see him as a child who needs some extra help now and again, and not as his diagnosis. No child needs the same things to succeed, even if they have the same diagnosis. He is very bright. He has full comprehension of the material that we learn in class, and when I can grab his attention long enough to ask him a question, or get him to work on the problem in front of him, he is quick to solve it, but then delays is writing down the answers. He is easily distracted and is often seen staring off across the classroom. When redirected back to his work, he will work for a while, before returning to being distracted. According to Gargiulo and Metcaf Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is characterized by inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity (Pg 103). He has the ability to learn and is very intelligent, however to continue moving forward he needs constant reminders to redirect his focus back onto his work. In observing this student I have noticed that when he is up and out of his seat he is more inclined to be focused on the task at hand. If he is permitted to stand up and wiggle a little bit instead of being made to sit in a chair and be perfectly still he can turn his focus to his academic work instead of the small things happening around him in the

classroom. He still requires a bit of redirection to stay on task, but I notice a significant improvement in his ability to remain on task when allotted some movement. When he is working individually, he is more likely to become distracted. He will just sit there and stare off into the distance for extended periods of time, until redirected. When he does his morning work, he will often be the last one to finish, and will be left at his desk to complete it while the rest of the class moves on with the next part of the day. This provides additional distractions for him, and can cause him to drift even farther from the task at hand. In group settings, such as the morning meeting he sits on his spot with the rest of the class and partakes in the lesson. However, because he is expected to sit quietly, and is having questions posed to him, he often will call out instead of raising his hand and being called on, and will also just talk out of turn about something he has just thought of. When working during centers he has difficulty transitioning between activities with his group, and will have issues with beginning the next center. He always shows up to the next rotation late, which can be a hindrance to other members of his group. However, once he gets settled with a little redirection, he can be an active participant with the rest of the group. This student has a lot of strengths. When he is focused, he has great critical reading skills. He can make feasible predictions about a story, and he also has very nice handwriting. He has a great ability to recognize letters and the sounds that they make. He has picked up on these skills quickly, and can apply them to other situations, such as sounding out a new word, or writing a sentence.

While observing him, I have noticed that he is able to transition between activities more efficiently if he is given timely warnings; a countdown to the transition time, so that he is able to prepare himself for the change that is coming up. If he is given a 3 minute, 2 minute, 1 minute, 30 second, and then a time to move warning he will have the ability to prepare himself to transition between the activities. He also wears a weighted vest, which helps to keep him calm. I believe that this is a part of his behavior management plan, and the vest helps him with some sensory issues, and works to calm him down. It is a very impressive but simple tool that helps him immensely in the classroom. In assessing his work, I think that he could be assessed in the same way that the rest of the class is. I dont believe that he needs any different accommodations for assessing his work. He is a bright boy, who simply needs some redirection when he gets distracted, and benefits greatly from following a behavior management plan. Observing this student for the past few weeks in his kindergarten classroom has allowed me to learn about him as a person outside of his disability. He is a very smart boy who is just inconvenienced in the classroom by lack of focus and impulsivity. Through hard work and perseverance on his part, and the part of the teacher, he has the potential to adapt, and succeed. Source: Garguilo, R., & Metcalf, D. (2010). Teaching in todays inclusive clasrooms. (pp. 102-103). Belmont, CA: Cengage Learning.