Dear Writing and Thinking Teacher,

This year, there will be a significant number of students at Bard who have learning disabilities. It’s important that we make these students feel welcome and supported, and help them start the year feeling both positive and encouraged.

For several reasons, Writing and Thinking can be challenging for students with disabilities. Depending on their disability, these students may read or write at a slower pace; have trouble focussing over long periods; or need more time to process complex questions. All of these issues can affect a student’s experience in Writing and Thinking.  

The following recommendations can help students with disabilities have a more positive experience during the program  (and can help the other students, too!):

• Ask students to read “as much as you can” in a time limit, instead of a required amount
• Be encouraging of student writing, even if a student has written less than his/her peers
• When possible, give your students a chance to stand up or move around, particularly after long periods of sitting
• Allow students to take breaks, especially if a student is having trouble focusing
• Give students ample time to think about a question before calling on them to answer
• If a text contains complex vocabulary, provide definitions verbally for the words you feel are the most challenging

If you have any questions about these recommendations, or if you want to learn more about teaching students with disabilities, please reach out to the special education team in room 731.