Instructional strategies and curriculum design for at-risk students

Abstract

The number of students experiencing academic underachievement or who are potential dropouts is increasing (Alderman,1990). These at-risk students have the ability and desire to learn, but are heading towards failure in pursuit of a formal education because of interference from personal, school, or community related issues. A review of the literature shows that students who are atrisk of failure will respond positively when emphatic teachers using individualized instruction, continuous student paced programs, reward systems, and technology assisted instruction, truly believe in their potential academic capabilities. Providing opportunities for these students to set realistic goals, offering challenging, yet manageable, relevant course work, highlighting key concepts, and using maps and charts will engage and motivate at-risk students as they work through their educational materials. This study includes a sampling of social studies lessons, reflecting and incorporating the findings summarized in the literature review, thus appealing to the unique needs of at-risk students placed in a multi-grade, alternate classroom. This type of curriculum design and delivery, along with successful instructional strategies, takes planning and patience but may be the first step toward reversing the cycle of educational failure these students are experiencing in our schools.