Struggling Student

In my clinical observations, I have noticed that there are several students who seem to be struggling. But, the one I focused on in particular was a little boy. For starters, this little boy is extremely sweet and very well mannered. However, he has been labeled as one of the lower-level learners. After spending time with this little guy, I came to realize that he has many problems that may be attributing to his lack of understanding and academic success. He has a speech impairment and at times he is inaudible to understand. I think that he also has a hard time hearing. I noticed that he doesn't seem to hear you when you are talking to him. In addition, he wears glasses, and after much observation, I believe the prescription needs to be changed; because he places his face within an inch of the paper when he is reading or writing.

After completing the "Reading Interest Survey" I talked to him about some of his answers. I came to realize that he seemed to like books and going to library, he just didn't have any reinforcement at home. The only time he is exposed to books is at school. Also, my beliefs about his glasses were correct. He told me that reading was hard, because sometimes he couldn't see the words or letters. I really feel that this child could be successful if given the right opportunities and reinforcement. I also think that it would help if someone took the time to have his hearing and vision checked. It's obvious that he is not getting the support he needs from home.

However, on some levels I feel that the school is trying to meet his needs. He goes to RTI for about 25 minutes in the morning for additional help. But, I don't feel that RTI is enough to meet his needs in the classroom. Many of the activities are face-paced and the teacher moves from lesson to lesson and must keep to the daily schedule. The teacher does have a variety of centers, in which students move at intervals. However, without someone there to help him, I think it is defeating the purpose. I have to say that my host teacher does make an effort to try to work with the students who are struggling the most, at her center. But, usually students move through centers about every 10 minutes, which doesn't allot much time for the students who are struggling.

Also, I noticed that there are several times in the day, when students are watching TV. I feel that this is time wasted, especially for my struggling student. I think that it would be beneficial to use this time to help him and reinforce his letter and word recognition, or simply just allow him to look at books. I hope that while I am in the classroom this semester, I can help him. I have already talked to the RTI specialist about having his hearing and vision tested and she agreed that he could benefit from the testing. I am hoping that something happens soon, because the longer they wait, the more likely he is going to be behind.