The Remedial Classroom: Organization and Management

A remedial program primarily helps students address language skills deficits by helping them

acquire self-confidence to face their own weakness and overcome these through the

acquisition of self-help strategies. A thorough assessment must be conducted before organizing

a remedial program, while consistent monitoring is imperative in managing the program.

Below are general instructional guidelines that should be considered (Strickland, 1998 cited in

Gunning, 2003 and in Vacca, Vacca, and Gove, 1991):

ü Instruction is systematic when it is planned, deliberate in application, and proceeds in an

orderly manner. This does not mean a rigid progression of one-size-fits-all teaching.

ü Intensive instruction on any particular skill or strategy should be based on need. Thus,

intensity will vary both with individuals and groups.

ü There is no substitute for ongoing documentation and monitoring of learning to determine

the order in which skills should be addressed and the level of intensity required to help a

child or group of children succeed in a particular area.

ü To track specific goals and objectives within an integrated language-arts framework, teachers

must know the instructional objectives their curriculum requires at the grade or year

level they teach.

A. Organization

In organizing a remedial program, one must consider the following factors:

1. CURRICULUM

a. Base goals and standards for language learning on theory and research.

b. Relate teacher beliefs and knowledge about instruction to research.

c. Organize the curriculum framework so that it is usable

d. Select materials that facilitate accomplishment of school goals.

2. INSTRUCTION

a. The program must identify instructional strategies and activities for learners.

b. Instruction must be based upon what we know about the effective teaching of

language skills.

c. Those involved in designing or selecting instructional activities need to consider the

variables that contribute to success in language learning, given its interactive and

constructive nature.

d. Time must be provided in the classroom for practice.

e. Composing should be an integral part of the program.

f. Students should be given opportunities to become independent and to self-monitor

their progress.

g. The climate in a school must be conducive to the development of students.

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h. The school must develop an organizational structure that meets individual needs of

students.

i. The program must provide for coordination among all language programs offered in

the school.

3. ASSESSMENT

a. Use assessment to guide instruction.

b. Develop scoring guides and rubrics.

c. Seek alignment among various layers of assessment.

B. Management

School-based remedial sessions tend to involve 3 to 10 learners, and typically last between 30

to 50 minutes, depending on whether they are in the elementary or secondary level. A plan to

maximize the utilization of that time should be a high priority. To ensure that the program is

effective, one must consider the six components of an ideal remedial program (Manzo &

Manzo, 1993). These principles may also be applicable in remediation for other skills aside from

reading.

1. The orientation component. The orientation component provides continuity and focus to

the remedial session. It may be an engaging question or statement related to local or national

news, or even school life. It must focus on structured routines, materials, equipment, venue,

people involved, and the objective of the program.

2. Direct Instruction Component. This is the instructional heart of the remedial session. It

should never be traded away, even for one period, without some compelling reason.

3. Reinforcement and Extension Component. This period of time ideally should build on the

direct instructional period and be spent in empowered reading, writing, and discussion of what

was read. Writing activities may vary from simply listing key words to summarizing and

reacting.

4. Schema-Enhancement Component. This unit of time should be spent in building a

knowledge base for further reading and independent thinking. It is an ideal time to teach study

skills such as outlining, note taking, and memory training. Ideally, it should flow or precede

Component 3.

5. Personal-Emotional Growth Development. There is little learning or consequence that can

occur without the learner involvement and anticipation of personal progress.

6. Cognitive Development Component. This component should contain an attempt to enhance

basic thinking operation such as: inference, abstract verbal reasoning, analogical reasoning,

constructive-critical/ creative reading, convergent and divergent analysis, problem-solving, and

metacognition.