Summary
Student’s Strengths
Being one of the youngest students in the classroom, James (4 years) demonstrates a variety of strong qualities, specifically in building blocks and retelling stories. These two directions contribute to the overall development of the child and strengthen his communicative and wiring skills. For example, the boy likes to play with magnetic shape tiles, LEGOs, and other blocks that can be re-organized, changed, combined, and knocked over with time. These games help James improve his math skills, learn colors, and differentiate shapes that fulfill the environment. Multiple observations are necessary to show how visual literacy is improved with age. Children have to interpret meaning from visual images and navigate the world independently (Lopatovska, 2016).
Another important skill of James is related to his listening and retelling activities. The teacher admits that the boy moves fast around the classroom and sometimes distracts other students during language time. When he is asked to share the content, it is not difficult for him to mention the necessary details. This strength is properly developed due to the involvement of James’s parents. They read stories every night, discuss local traditions, and focus on their cultural background. Communication within a family is a crucial factor in James’s education.
Students’ Areas of Needs
As much as the student has positive progress, some gaps need to be addressed to understand the worth of a tangible learning experience. One of the most evident challenges in James’s behavior is his hyperactivity. He does not focus on his routine tasks like putting away his bag and lunch properly. He is fascinated about doing the things he likes instead of being involved in activities that a teacher asks. In fact, many teachers report attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) as a serious challenge when interacting with students and making them keep on task and optimize learning processes (Lawrence et al., 2017). As a result, such students need more time to complete their tasks and meet the deadlines set. The teacher must not punish or criticize the student, which leads to decreasing his desire to study and think creatively. James needs more time to finish each activity and get ready for new tasks.
Another area of improvement for James is his disruptive behavior and the inability to listen to the teacher’s instructions. In the description of the student, the teacher mentions that James is not always willing to do the work required. Instead, he prefers to use his favorite building blocks and LEGOs instead. Therefore, the need for stronger motivation cannot be ignored in this case. James shows good results in completing shape-related tasks, but his drawings remain careless because of his hyperactivity. The boy knows a lot of information about animals, their skills, and their forms. However, it is hard for him to focus on the task from the beginning, and the teacher should spend more time calming him down and observing some results.
In-Class Intervention
Instructional time plays an important role in children’s development as it is the period when teachers take responsibility for all students’ activities. James is hyperactive and loves attention. Therefore, the most efficient way to involve him would be through direct engagement in a lesson. The most evident classroom activity, which James needs support with, is the tray activity. It is evident by his reluctance to work on them. The reason why he expresses little interest in them lies in the lack of engagement. At the same time, he is invigorated by LEGOs and sorting items with tweezers. Subsequently, the solution is to instruct James to use the tweezers to construct items similar to his favorite LEGO toys.
James’ ability to remember the stories narrated by the teacher can be used to the benefit of students who experience difficulties recalling them. It is possible to instruct James to stand near the teacher and then relay details about the story while using his hyperactive behavior (gestures, voice) to accentuate the specifics of the narrative. This intervention would accomplish two goals. First, it would remove the problem of James wasting his energy on distracting other students. Second, it would sharpen his listening and speaking skills.
James’ lack of discipline can be tackled with routine-based interventions. There are three most common routines he follows: rushing to meet friends, knocking over the LEGO building, and going noisily outside. Each of these activities triggers the reward circuitry in his brain. Instead of allowing him to engage in these activities immediately, it would be more helpful to let him know beforehand. However, James ought to be instructed to put away his bag, gather the remains of the building blocks, and be silent when walking outside. The teacher should warn James that in case he misbehaves, he will not be allowed to do any of those activities. As a result, his routine will be enhanced to include the proper behavior followed by his favorite pastime.
A Multi-Lesson Academic Intervention Plan
Targeted Behavior, Reasons, and Goals
In this classroom, the target behavior for James has controlled hyperactivity and better concentration on each task. The reasons for this intervention include the impossibility to control the distraction of other students during a lesson and the necessity for James to complete every activity from its beginning to the end within the offered time limits. The creation of a favorable learning environment (standing and articulating instead of sitting) is necessary for James (to enjoy a variety of tasks), his peers (to focus on classroom activities), and the teacher (to obtain positive results in listening from students). The goal statement is to motivate the student and regulate hyperactivity by promoting optional tasks and arranging the environment. It is expected that with time James will listen to the teacher, cooperate (not interrupt) with peers, and complete tasks before the deadline.
Instructional Procedures
The instructional procedures for this multi-lesson academic intervention plan have to be gradually promoted within the classroom. First, James gets a new place in the classroom as per his needs and the needs of other students. Second, the teacher introduces new activities – relaying stories and building LEGO-like constructions in trays. Finally, the teacher informs James about the upcoming activity, which he likes, but, first, he has to behave properly.
Progress Monitoring
Monitoring the progress of the intervention is possible by assessing James’s personal achievements and the work of his peers in the classroom. On the one hand, James should demonstrate obedience in completing different tasks. He is interested in choosing between activities and sharing his progress with the teacher. Finally, James is not the last one to line up or get back to his seat. On the other hand, his disruptive behavior does not challenge other students, and the quality of story retelling is improved among all students. If these measures prove to be fruitless, the teacher can consult James’ parents on how to better instruct him and ask for help in disciplining him.
References
Beaton, A. M., & Beaton, A. (2019). Building an engaging community: Practices and interventions that support students in schools. In J. A. Fredricks, A. L. Reschly, & S. L. Christenson (Eds.), Handbook of student engagement interventions (pp. 345-358). Academic Press.
Lawrence, K., Estrada, R. D., & McCormick, J. (2017). Teachers’ experiences with and perceptions of students with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Journal of Pediatric Nursing, 36, 141–148. Web.
Lopatovska, I. (2016). Engaging young children in visual literacy instruction. Proceedings of the Association for Information Science and Technology, 53(1), 1-5. Web.