Factual description of the scenario
The whole case scenario takes place for a whole academic year. John is an 10 years old child. He was a funny kid. He made everyone laugh with his antics. He was good at making ridiculous faces. He was good at people. And one day his teacher said, "We're going to go around the room and each take a paragraph." We were reading a story about the Sebastian and his very large family.
A young girl started the story and then it was John's turn. He was haltingly trying to sound out the first word.
"Se-baaa-sss-ti-aaaniii."
Everybody knew it was wrong. And there was a long, stunned pause. How could he not know that? How could he barely be able to read?
He was bright red. His head was bowed so far forward it was practically on his desk. It was his moment of reckoning.
One of the other boys started giggling. "Sebastian," he said, a little too loudly. "It's Sebastian, man."
"Yeah, yeah," said John, stretching his mouth into a sick grin. He tried to make a joke. He tried to keep reading.
"Can someone take over for John?" the teacher said.
This was the start of a new age for John. His secret was out. All knew there was something wrong with him. He started to be treated differently. His humor was less lighthearted. Kids felted that he was just a stupid kid. Except John wasn't actually stupid. He was quick and kind and funny. He just couldn't read well yet. But "yet" wasn't good enough. It was too late.
Attitude and behaviour of the protagonist student
John started to be treated differently. His humor was less lighthearted. On the other hand, he started to be less expressive. He started not to play with the rest of the class. He used to stay inside the classroom, or spend more time at the computer room playing games or staring at internet sites with soccer news. He started to make absences and progressively made less interaction in the classroom.
His motivation in school homework was significantly reduced. This aimed in some course failures at the middle of the season. The failure made him more isolated to the rest of the classroom.
Attitude and behaviour of the classmates
His students treat him differently. His humor is less light-hearted. They just stared at him and call him “alien”. Sometimes, when he speaks to his classmates, they laugh at him, and this really annoys him. The other children make fun at the way in which he uses words and also laugh at him when he has trouble reading in class. Sometimes they ask the teacher to let him do all the reading.
Attitude and behaviour of the teachers
The teacher in our scenario seemed inappropriate to follow the case. Specific actions are needed in order to make John feel better and comfortable within his learning difficulty. People are all different, and some of them have a lot more trouble with things that are basic for the majority of other people.
When kids aren't learning to read on time, for example, there's a lot of panic. And there shouldn't be, because kids learn to read at very different points. Some kids don't learn to read until they're 14, and then they read like everyone else. And no one can tell that they were a kid who didn't read until they were 14.
Kids are like that with learning in general. Not every eight-year-old brain is ready to absorb the information that a nationally approved 3rd grade curriculum demands it process. And then what happens when they don't learn it on time? They learn that they are "slow." They might get left behind.
Attitude and behaviour of the parents
John comes from a large family. He is the middle of three boys. Parents did not notice any change or problems. John is a clever boy and he is always funny and happy.
The family has been informed by the teacher. The teacher mentioned the case in the classroom and asked his parents to support him in his homework. He asked them to try to improve his self-esteem since the situation has reduced the way he feels about himself.
Although they seemed willing to help, no results have been made till the beginning of the second semester. At a later stage, the teacher realized that they did almost nothing in purpose for this goal.
Attitude and behaviour of the school director
The school head teacher has already held a meeting with the class teacher, the psychologist and asked to meet the parents (the latest were not available). He also shared the subsequent stages, asking to be informed at every new step of the case. For the time being, he is just observing the situation.
Attitude and behaviour of other actors
Other actors in this case are policy makers. They become aware of what was happening during the different meeting with other members of the school (school director and teachers), in the various moment in which they have been involved in the case scenario. No further action has been defined by them.
Attitude and behavior of the protagonist
The problem exists here. John started to be treated differently. His humor was less lighthearted. On the other hand, he started to be less expressive. He started not to play with the rest of the class. He used to stay inside the classroom, or spend more time at the computer room playing games or staring at internet sites with soccer news. He started to make absences and progressively made less interaction in the classroom.
His motivation in school homework was significantly reduced. This aimed in some course failures at the middle of the season. The failure made him more isolated to the rest of the classroom.
The student should be helped to get out of his new safe zone. Get outside to the school community.
Participation is the key for him. Useful resources to help John can be founded in the guidelines for students on the SSN portal (
http://schoolsafetynet.pixel-online.org/GL_guide.php?ta=4&tg=4). Among them we select and recommend the following:
The student should follow several steps
- Acknowledge of the difficulty (Step 2 of “Guidelines for Students with Learning Difficulties”) using some help from
- Request for an advice or ask for a proper supervision from his teacher (Step 3 of “Guidelines for Students with Learning Difficulties”) using some help from
- Teacher Evaluation (Step 5 of “Guidelines for Students with Learning Difficulties”) using some help from
- Accomplish a Learning Path (Step 6 of “Guidelines for Students with Learning Difficulties”) using some help from
- Moving forward (Step 7 of “Guidelines for Students with Learning Difficulties”) using some help from
Attitude and behaviour of the classmates
His classmates treat him differently. His humor is less light-hearted. They just stared at him and call him “alien”. Sometimes, when he speaks to his classmates, they laugh at him, and this really annoys him. The other children make fun at the way in which he uses words and also laugh at him when he has trouble reading in class.
The classmates should get into the solution of the problem. They should not be a part of the problem. The diversity is something really crucial for everyone in his class to be understood. Proper programs should be developed for his classmates. Useful resources to help John can be founded in the training sources of the School Safety Net Portal, available for students (
http://schoolsafetynet.pixel-online.org/DB_tsource.php). Among them we select and recommend the following:
Some more helpful sources are available at the Publications section of the School Safety Net Portal (
http://schoolsafetynet.pixel-online.org/DB_publications.php), available for students
Attitude and behaviour of the teachers
The teacher in our scenario seemed inappropriate to follow the case. Specific actions are needed in order to make John feel better and comfortable within his learning difficulty. People are all different, and some of them have a lot more trouble with things that are basic for the majority of other people.
When kids aren't learning to read on time, for example, there's a lot of panic. And there shouldn't be, because kids learn to read at very different points. Some kids don't learn to read until they're 14, and then they read like everyone else. And no one can tell that they were a kid who didn't read until they were 14.
John should be helped by the teacher. For example, work reading from a fun and social content. It would also help to use cooperative learning strategies and peer tutoring. Teachers need training to learn to deal with such cases and know how to manage the class in these situations. It would also be desirable to have support staff.
In the classroom and at school could work respect for different learning rates and diversity. All type of abilities should be assessed. For example, as positive is to have good skills in math or language as having good skills to draw, dance, sing or make laugh. The educational team must be informed and possibly propose solutions: inviting the child to reading sessions in lower classes, enrolling him in a library, remediation and adaptation to school language, ask help from a homework support program, a volunteer with some time to spare
Useful resources to help John’s teacher can be founded in the guidelines for teachers on the SSN portal (
http://schoolsafetynet.pixel-online.org/GL_guide.php?ta=4&tg=4). Among them we select and recommend the following:
The teacher should follow several steps
- Identification of Needs (Step 3 of “Guidelines for Teachers helping Students with Learning Difficulties”) using some help from
- Suggest an individual plan to attain concrete results and Prepare an individual plan in cooperation with the guidance counselor or the school psychologist. (Step 4 of “Guidelines for Teachers helping Students with Learning Difficulties”) using some help from
- The phases for Preparing Individual Education Plan would be the following:
- Forming the team who will prepare individualized education program.
- Determining the student’s level in educational performance.
- Determining appropriate educational environments and the support programs which will be applied in these environments.
- Preparing individualized educational programs.
- Setting long and short term aims.
- Determining appropriate teaching materials and teaching methods.
- Preparing a timetable and deciding on its way of assessing by determining responsibilities for carrying out Individual Education Plan, observing it and deciding on its way of assessing.
- Evaluation of the Education Plan (Step 5 of “Guidelines for Teachers helping Students with Learning Difficulties”) using some help from
- Monitoring (Step 6 of “Guidelines for Teachers helping Students with Learning Difficulties”) using some help from
- Increasing Classroom Performance (Step 8 of “Guidelines for Teachers helping Students with Learning Difficulties”) using some help from
Attitude and behaviour of the parents
The family has been informed by the teacher. The teacher mentioned the case in the classroom and asked his parents to support him in his homework. He asked them to try to improve his self-esteem since the situation has reduced the way he feels about himself.
Although they seemed willing to help, no results have been made till the beginning of the second semester. At a later stage, the teacher realized that they did almost nothing in purpose for this goal.
Family should participate in the solution. Teachers do not work only on their own. The most appropriate approach for children and parents is that the parents accept the problem and they choose to help their children.
They should consult to the professional experts and institutions in order to apply oral and written tests to the students with learning difficulties.
Useful resources to help John’s parents can be founded in the guidelines for parents on the SSN portal (
http://schoolsafetynet.pixel-online.org/GL_guide.php?ta=4&tg=2). Among them we select and recommend the following:
The parents should follow several steps
- Identification of the difficulty (Step 2 of “Guidelines for Parents helping Students with Learning Difficulties”) using some help from
- Requesting an advice (Step 3 of “Guidelines for Parents helping Students with Learning Difficulties”)
- Speak with the teacher about the problem and ask for help.
- Ask the teacher to evaluate what your child do by oral evaluation techniques.
- Families have an important role in eliminating learning difficulties. Parents should definitely avoid blaming the child, criticizing them heavily and using long preachy and insulting way of speech. Please note that the child's learning difficulties are not the results of laziness, lack of intelligence or misbehavior.
- Being understand as well as showing patience for the child is the key to recovery.
- Allow the children to reveal inner self and see their differences. Support them to do what they want and what they can do. Your support will motivate them more.
- Note the improvements occurring within the plan.
- Assessment of Improvement (Step 8 of “Guidelines for Parents helping Students with Learning Difficulties”)
Attitude and behaviour of the school director
The school head teacher has already held a meeting with the class teacher, the psychologist and asked to meet the parents (the latest were not available). He also shared the subsequent stages, asking to be informed at every new step of the case. For the time being, he is just observing the situation.
Useful resources to help the school director can be founded in the guidelines for Head Teachers on the SSN portal (
http://schoolsafetynet.pixel-online.org/GL_guide.php?ta=4&tg=1). Among them we select and recommend the following steps:
- Communicate with the classroom teachers to obtain information about the students’ academic and social situations
- Analyze the students’ in-class and out-of-class behaviors
- Examine and evaluate the students’ academic performance and calculate the average of the overall academic scores to identify the students who perform less well. Examining the students’ scores and comparing the results with each other’s will give you concrete information and statistical data about the situation.
- Planning for action (Step 4 of “Guidelines for Head Teachers helping Students with Learning Difficulties”) using some help from
- Examine the efficiency of the plan applied. Constantly ask the school psychologist and the classroom teacher about the application status of the plan using some help from
- Provide assistance to the classroom teacher and the school psychologist when necessary.
Use some material from the Training Sources of the School Safety Net Portal available at
http://schoolsafetynet.pixel-online.org/DB_tsource.php
Among them we select and recommend the following:
Attitude and behaviour of other actors
Other actors in this case are policy makers. They become aware of what was happening during the different meeting with other members of the school (school director and teachers), in the various moment in which they have been involved in the case scenario. No further action has been defined by them.
Psychologists should produce several inputs for all actors in the case scenario. Sociologist should make clear that there are difference intelligences in the student development. Useful resources to help the school director can be founded in the guidelines for Policy Makers on the SSN portal (
http://schoolsafetynet.pixel-online.org/GL_guide.php?ta=4&tg=1). Among them we select and recommend the following steps:
- Receive daily stories from their teachers and school directors. Try to get into the daily situation of the school practice.
- Search for information sources at European level. Despite any cultural differences and different approaches in the educational system, common strategies can be applied in most European countries. Selected material that can be used in available at
- Drawing up the strategy (Step 4 of “Guidelines for Policy Makers helping Students with Learning Difficulties”)
- Provide a source of different tools in order to help teachers understand the current situation within the classroom. Different tools are available from selected sources so that teachers and school counselors will be able to have information about their students
- Process Monitoring (Step 6 of “Guidelines for Policy Makers helping Students with Learning Difficulties”)
- Adjust the strategy according to the feedback received
- Establish Continuously Bilateral Communication Channel (Step 8 of “Guidelines for Policy Makers helping Students with Learning Difficulties”) using material such as
- Essential Tools. Increasing Rates of School Completion: Moving from Policy and Research to Practice. A Manual for Policymakers, Administrators and Educators http://www.ncset.org/publications/essentialtools/dropout/dropout.pdf