Understanding and Addressing Processing Speed Deficits in ...

Processing speed refers to the pace at which you are able to perceive information (visual or auditory), make sense of that information, and then respond. In a ... Skiptomaincontent UnderstandingandAddressingProcessingSpeedDeficitsintheClassroom KristineBurgess,M.S.Ed.(ReadingDepartmentHeadatLandmarkHighSchool) Intheclassroom,processingspeedinvolvestheabilitytotakeininformation,understandthatinformation,andthenformulateanoral,written,orphysicalresponse.Forstudentswithslowprocessingspeed,thisprocesscantakemuchmoretimeandenergy. Breadcrumb Home LDTopics Teaching&Instruction UnderstandingandAddressingProcessingSpeedDeficitsintheClassroom Whatisprocessingspeed? TheLandmarkSchoolOutreachProgram’smissionistoempowerstudentswithlanguage-basedlearningdisabilitiesbyofferingtheirteachersanexemplaryprogramofappliedresearchandprofessionaldevelopment. ViewallLandmarkresources. Processingspeedreferstothepaceatwhichyouareabletoperceiveinformation(visualorauditory),makesenseofthatinformation,andthenrespond.Inamannerofspeaking,processingspeedissimplytheamountoftimeittakestogetsomethingdone.Whenastudenthasslowprocessingspeed,certainacademictaskscantakethemlongerthantheaveragestudent.AccordingtothecoauthorsofBrightKidsWhoCan’tKeepUp,“processingspeeddoesinteractwithotherareasofcognitivefunctioningbynegativelyimpactingtheabilitytoquicklycomeupwithananswer,retrieveinformationfromlong-termmemory,andrememberwhatyou’resupposedtobedoingatagiventime”(BraatenandWilloughby,2014,p.4). Therearethreemaincomponentswhenconsideringprocessingabilities: visualprocessing:howquicklyastudent’seyesperceiveinformationandrelayittothebrain(suchasreadingdirectionsornoticingateacher’shandgestures) verbalprocessing:howquicklyastudenthearsastimulusandreactstoit(suchasfollowingoralinstructionsorparticipatinginadiscussion) motorspeed:howstrongastudent’sfinemotoragilityis,leadingtoacademicfluency(suchasfillingouttimedmathworksheets) Intheclassroom,processingspeedinvolvestheabilitytotakeininformation,understandthatinformation,andthenformulateanoral,written,orphysicalresponse.Forstudentswithslowprocessingspeed,thisprocesscanbecumbersome,asittakeslargeramountsoftimeandenergyforeachsteptotakeplace. Commonsignsofslowprocessingspeed Therearemanysignsthatastudentmayhaveslowprocessingspeed.However,processingspeeddeficitscanoccurinthecontextofanadditionaldiagnosis.Forinstance,ADHDisoftenassociatedwithslowprocessingspeed(Butnik,2013).Therefore,itisimportantthatformaltestingoccursinanysituationwhereastudentappearstopresentwithprocessingspeeddeficits.Thesechecklistshighlightsomeofthecommonsignsthatmightindicateaneedforformalassessmentbyatrainedpsychologist. Alleviatingslowprocessingspeedintheclassroom Whiletherearenumeroussuggestionsforinterventions,workingtoreduceanxietyandslowthepaceoftheclassroomareimportantfactors.Anxiety,forthemostpart,playsasimilarroleinprocessingspeedasitdoeswithworkingmemory:studentscanbecomeanxiousaboutthefactthattheyarenoticeablyslowerthanotherstudentsandarestrugglingtokeepupinclass.Inaddition,students’anxietycancausethemtobecomeslowerintheirprocessing,sincetheirenergyisbeingdevotedtomanagingthatanxietyratherthanprocessingtheinformationbeingpresented.Itisevensuggestedthatanxiousstudentswillworktowardperfectingtheworktheydocomplete,andtheseperfectionisttendencies,inturn,willslowdowntheiroutput(BraatenandWilloughby,2014,p.6).Therefore,implementingstrategiesandbeingawareofstressorsisincrediblyimportantforthesuccessofstudentsintheclassroom. HowDoesThisConceptConnectToLandmark’sTeachingPrinciples™? Byunderstandingprocessingspeedandhowitcanimpactstudentsintheclassroom,teacherscanshowcaseLandmark’sfirstteachingprinciple:ProvideOpportunitiesforSuccess.Whenteachersunderstandthestrengthsandweaknessesoftheirstudents,instructioncanbetailoredtoavoidfrustrationandallowforstudentsuccess.Also,researchhasshownthatthemoreapersoncompletesatask,themoreautomatic(andquicker)theresponsebecomes(BraatenandWilloughby,2014,p.14).Therefore,inordertoappropriatelyallowstudentstheopportunitytoparticipateactivelyandpromptly,teachersmustfollowLandmark’sfourthteachingprinciple:EnsureAutomatizationThroughPracticeandReview. FreeLandmarkTeachingStrategies Formoreinformationonhowtobestaddresstheneedsofstudentswithslowerprocessingspeed,pleaseseetheattachedstrategies. Checklists ClassroomStrategies Likedit?Shareit! Like 0 Dislike 0 References (Referencesforboththistextandtheattachedclassroomresources) Braaten,EllenPh.D.(2014).“CopingwithSlowProcessingSpeedAtHomeAndAtSchool.”TheMGHClayCenterforYoungHealthyMinds.http://www.mghclaycenter.org/parenting-concerns/grade-school/coping-slow-processing-speed-home-school/ Braaten,EllenPh.D.(2014)“IntrotoProcessingSpeed.”TheMGHClayCenterforYoungHealthyMinds.Retrievedfrom:http://www.mghclaycenter.org/parenting-concerns/grade-school/intro-processing-speed/ Braaten,EllenPh.DandWilloughby,BrianPh.D.(2014)BrightKidsWhoCan’tKeepUp.NewYork:TheGuilfordPress. Butnik,S.(2013).“Understanding,Diagnosing,andCopingwithSlowProcessingSpeed.”DavidsonInstituteforTalentDevelopment.Retrievedfrom:http://www.davidsongifted.org/db/Articles_id_10782.aspx Kelly,Kate.(2015).“ProcessingSpeed:WhatYouNeedtoKnow.”Understood.org.Retrievedfrom:https://www.understood.org/en/learning-attention-issues/child-learning-disabilities/information-processing-issues/processing-speed-what-you-need-to-know Topic: ProcessingDeficits,Teaching&Instruction LDOnLineismadepossiblebyagenerousgrantfrom BacktoTop Visitoursisterwebsites: ReadingRocketsLaunchingYoungReaders StartwithaBookRead.Explore.Learn! ColorínColoradoHelpingELLsSucceed AdLitAllAboutAdolescentLiteracy Close