- Promote generalization. It is important for learners to apply the strategy
in various situations and with other tasks. This transfer is often not
automatic for adults with learning disabilities. Consistent, guided practice
at generalizing strategies to various settings and tasks is therefore vital for
adults with learning disabilities.23 It would be favourable for practitioners
and learners to document the demonstrated success of generalizing the
strategy so that it is not only learned, but is also confirmed at the same
time.
The steps outlined in the SIM are not linear. In fact, quite often a practitioner
may model the strategy, encourage the learner to practice, provide feedback
and go back to modeling the strategy again to help the lea rner use the strategy
more effectively. The modeling phase of the model can be a process within
itself. The transfer from modeling to having the learner practice will most
likely be gradual, with the practitioner providing less and less supports
(scaffolds) as the learner practices with the strategy.
Direct Instruction
There is ample research supporting direct instruction as an effective
instructional method for individuals who may enter a learning situation with
skill deficits.24 The direct instruction model provides a framework to teach
basic skills, such as understanding how to make simple sentences to more
advanced skills, like finding the main idea in a reading passage. In direct
instruction, skills are taught in sequence until learners can master them and
generalize them to new untaught situations. The acquisition of the big picture
does not come easily for many adults with learning disabilities. Therefore,
skills need to be broken down into sub-skills. The use of direct instruction can
be compared to trying to climb a set of stairs - learners cannot reach the top
until they have mastered each step. The following example helps to illustrate
this point: when teaching reading skills, the first area is basic phonics,
followed by more complex phonics, then decoding skills, then beginning
comprehension and then more complex analysis, etc. Each new skill area
builds on the previously learned knowledge.
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