EDUC 2301
11-21-10
Book Club Essay

Classroom Success for the LD and ADHD Child, written by Suzanne H. Stevens, is a fantastic book that targets the needs of children with learning disabilities in today’s classrooms. She describes how students who are not doing well in school, might be labeled as lazy, careless, or spoiled in regards to their attitudes towards school, when in fact this might not be the case at all. The simple fact is these students need additional help in their studies. She outlines how it’s hard to find a balance between a student being lazy, and one that truly needs help, i.e. learning disability. She describes the classroom setting for special needs children through the 1980’s leading up to today. There is a vast difference between the attention LD and ADHD children are receiving today, as compared to the early 80’s. As research and technology has improved, so has our ability to help and recognize the needs of our children in today’s classroom. She discusses the need for teachers to be open-minded and develop a new way of thinking. She states, “Teachers have to develop a whole new arsenal of techniques for solving student’s problems.” The author gave many examples of teachers who were “ignorant” to the fact that they were hurting “these kids,” instead of helping them succeed. She gave examples of teachers who would hold to a “One Size Fits All” teaching mentality and how that was not always successful for all students. In teachers defense she cites the lack of training and resources teachers had regarding students with special needs. One of my favorite quotes from the book is how the author states, “Within each student is the information that can explain the failure.” What she means is the students are willing to tell us what’s wrong; we just have to know the right way to ask. I guess that is easier said than done, but I thought that was a good theme in her story. As teachers, we need to be able to adapt and do our best to relate to our students. Another key point that stood out to me was the author talks about the cliché of going back to basics. She points out those educators of the past did not have to deal with the internet or video games. Throughout the story, the author gave examples of students in different scenarios as it related to their studies. There was a student that was failing biology, not because she did not know the content, but because she could not spell the words correctly. The story went on regarding the mother and teachers disagreement on the grading of the test. What the story concluded to was the young girl needed help with her spelling and her mother making the point she is being graded on the wrong content. The teacher agreed to grade the test in two parts: content and spelling. It was a touchy subject. I could relate to this, because I can remember as a young student, my mom fought for what she believed was right with me. I was in a situation where the teacher knew by my answers I understood the content, but I got a failing grade because I had spelling issues. It was a “No Pass, No Play” moment. Reading that part of the story was a weird time capsule moment for me. In conclusion, this book helped me realize that it is possible and easy to misinterpret the signs of a struggling student. What we might see as laziness or incompetence on the part of a child may in fact be a sign for help. As a parent of a 3rd grader, and a kindergarten student, I plan to be more cautious not to jump to conclusions. As a future teacher, I know I must do the same. Teachers are not mind readers, and there is no crystal ball to look into the future. We must continue to excel and learn from our daily experiences from the ones who teach us the most about ourselves as parents, friends and educators: our children. “What educators need to do is understand the techniques that promote successful learning in modern children, and design facilities, programs, and instructions accordingly.” – S. Stevens.

Classroom Success for the LD and ADHD Child
Written by Suzanne H. Stevens.
This book is unique in its emphasis on educating parents, teachers and other professionals – all those who must join efforts to lead LD/ADHD children reach their full potential in class. Offers practical suggestions on: adjusting teaching techniques, adapting tests and other materials & adjusting classroom management procedures.