by Paula Rutherford 
ISBN 978-0-9797280-4-4 
302 pages
Publication Date 2010
Order #1103

Meeting the Needs of Diverse Learners is designed to help teachers build skillfulness in recognizing, respecting, and responding to the needs of the wide range of diverse students in today's classrooms. This book provides an array of strategies for use with gifted students, English Language Learners, and students with special needs. The author's background as a general education teacher at the secondary and elementary levels, coupled with a graduate degree in special education and years spent working with students with learning disabilities, sets the stage for a clearly articulated belief in teachers and learners and for realistic and practical approaches to our work. A CD-ROM of tools is included.

Areas of Focus

• Teaching and Learning in the 21st Century 
  This chapter examines how standards-based education and differentiation can be used together to promote appropriately high levels of achievement for all students.
• Who Are Our Learners?
  This chapter explores the similarities and differences in our learners and provides insight into how they are likely to respond to classroom instruction.
• What Do You Do When…?
  This chapter provides options for meeting the needs of the wide range of students in our classrooms, including gifted students, struggling learners, students with special needs, and second language learners, and for addressing some familiar scenarios we all encounter: students who give up, students who do not do homework, students who are disorganized, students who already know what we want them to learn, etc. 
• Scaffolding and Extension Tools
  This chapter presents over 40 strategies for supporting and extending the learning of our students. The information is research-based and supported by practical examples of classroom use.
• Literacy Across the Curriculum
  This chapter includes additional strategies and examples for supporting and extending the learning of our students with an emphasis on vocabulary development, reading, writing, speaking, and listening in all content areas.

eBook available               Facilitator's Handbook available

What educators are saying:

"WOW - this is the book teachers & school districts have been waiting for! I've looked at literally hundreds of resource books for teachers, but I've NEVER before found one this extensive or this "user friendly". This is the "soup to nuts" compendium of practical strategies and tools for teachers to meet the needs of EVERY student that could walk through their classroom door. Just ASK Publications' "Meeting the Needs for Diverse Learners" should be on the desk of every teacher - where else could they find - distilled down to the essentials, the "why", "how to" and "what then" of methodologies to meet the challenges of the "At-risk", "Struggling", "Special Needs", "Gifted & Talented" and "English Language" learners - all in one easy to use reference work! Even in these hard economic times, this book has moved to the top of our "must buy" for next year. All I can say is, "Thank you, Paula, for creating a tool that will help every teacher, no matter what their experience level!"

Betsy A. Geery
Professional Development Center Coordinator
Las Cruces Public Schools
Las Cruces, New Mexico
 

"We’ve always known that each student in our classrooms is different yet all too often we ignore this reality and treat them as if they were all the same. This just isn’t good enough, anymore. Rutherford’s latest book provides educators with the tools they need to close this persistent knowing-doing gap and reach every learner. Students are different and the only way that all students can learn is if we deliver learning opportunities that are relevant, rigorous, and respectful. Meeting the Needs of Diverse Learners delivers the strategies to work with all the students in our classrooms in the same way Rutherford provided the practical know-how in Instruction for All Students and Why Didn’t I Learn This in College?"

Jeff Craig
Assistant Superintendent
OCM BOCES
Syracuse, New York 
 

Meeting the Needs of Diverse Learners is an awesome resource for districts like Beeville Independent School District that are implementing Response to Intervention at all levels. The book provides information for educators who work with average students, as well as English language learners, gifted, or struggling students. There is information our teachers can use to gain understanding in topics such as learning styles and multiple intelligences. The book also includes strategies for all subjects and grade levels. I especially liked the graphic organizers and math strategies.  

Nancy Jones, Ed. D.
Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction
Beeville ISD
Beeville, Texas

For orders outside of North America, click here for important shipping information.