Hammill Institute on Disabilities

Experiencing ConceptsAuthor(s): Jean QuinnSource: Learning Disability Quarterly, Vol. 6, No. 1 (Winter, 1983), p. 91Published by: Sage Publications, Inc.Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1510877 .

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-LDO-- APPLICATION

THE "MAGIC" OF SCIENCE Some simple elementary-level science ex-

periments can be likened to magic. For example, mothballs "dance" up and down in vinegar, and several ordinary kitchen staples, when mixed together, result in a marvelous "explosion."

Each student picks one of the science "magic tricks" and perfects his/her own trick through teacher assistance and by practicing in front of classmates. Questions are invented with the help of the whole class (e.g., What is our magic sand? (salt) What is our magic potion? (vinegar)). Next, a chart which begins "CAN YOU GUESS?" and lists about eight of the student-created questions is made and attached to the front of a rolling "magic" cart. The magician is now ready to per- form. The "show" can be presented to other classes, to parents, at mothers' luncheons, etc. As a Special Day class project, the "Magic Show" is an exciting vehicle for promoting ac- ceptance and a sense of accomplishment.

-Jean Albaum Claremont School District

TEACHING READING BY RECORDING DREAMS

The bilingual "text" that has been most effec- tive with my students is the one they bring with them every morning. It is simply their dreams. The dreams are dictated to the teacher and then transcribed sentence by sentence onto blank paper, usually one sentence near the bottom of each page. Sentences are written in both Spanish and English. The pages are stapled together and the students illustrate them.

Students hear the "book" read in both languages before practicing alone or in groups. The text is mastered very quickly, usually within a day or two. Afterwards the book becomes part of the classroom library where it is available to everyone. Needless to say, the author's classmates are waiting eagerly to see his/her book for which the author becomes the resource

person. Often students begin to include one another in their dreams. Also, role-playing sometimes takes place allowing students to discover the consequences of decisions and pro- posed actions, and thereby promoting rethinking of positions taken on solutions to problems.

-Olivia Simpson Chino School District

EXPERIENCING CONCEPTS The LD teacher establishes one or several

concepts as the idea/word of the week. Using middle as the concept, the middle student may be called on to recite, a child may be asked to hand the middle book to the teacher, or during a math or spelling lesson the students may learn to fold paper in three parts and then write only on the middle part.

Through a newsletter or note, parents may be informed of the concept, idea/word of the week and asked to create ways to reinforce the con- cept at home. Students can then report to the class how their families practiced the word of the week.

Activities in the upper grades might focus on and find in real life more advanced concepts, such as probability, conservation, survival of the fittest, and chemical compounds. Imagine what you could do with such concepts as love, truth, and beauty?

-Jean Quinn Charter Oak Hospital

UNDERSTANDING ATTRIBUTES

To begin instruction in attribute identification, choose an object (or topic) of interest to the students, such as bird feathers, flower, Smurfs, Hot-Wheels, pencil, etc. The tangible object should be collected and contained in a box. List

Volume 6, Winter 1983 91

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