Whole-Group Response Strategies to Promote Student Engagement in Inclusive Classrooms

Students with learning disabilities are often educated in inclusive classrooms alongside their typically developing peers. While differentiated small group instruction is ideal for students with learning disabilities, whole-group instruction continues to be the predominant instructional model in inclusive classrooms. This can create major challenges for teachers as they aim to actively engage all students including students with learning disabilities. The purpose of this article is to offer techniques for teachers who are including students with learning disabilities in whole-group instruction. Specifically, this article outlines variations of three whole-group response strategies to account for a range of individual student needs. Also, methods for collecting formative assessment data during whole-group instruction to inform instructional decision making are explained. A free website created for teachers to access, download, customize, and print formative assessment charts is introduced.