In partnership with school district staff, our school-based literacy and numeracy support facilitators organized and delivered a professional learning series on Effective Strategies for Supporting Students with Diverse Abilities.  This was organized in response to areas of concern identified by teachers after looking at the needs of our emerging and developing learners.  While the learning series offers strategies targeted for use with our diverse learners, these strategies can benefit any and all learners.

• Visual Schedules - Staff were re-introduced to this UDL (Universal Design for Learning) strategy that allows students to access information visually, making learning accessible for a diverse range of students including learners who have difficulty with language comprehension.  Visual schedules use pictures, words, or objects to communicate a sequence of activities or events that are helpful with transitions, understand what to do next, and when to stop an activity.
• Pomodoro Technique - Staff were introduced to this time management method that breaks work into intervals with short breaks in between.  It is designed to help students work more efficiently and to focus better.
• Supporting Sensory Needs - Staff were encouraged to explore and reflect on their learning spaces and investigate what they could do to set up learners for success.  We looked at strategic seating and at placement of students to reduce distractions for learners; lighting as a way to calm individual students or the class as a whole; and reducing noise as some learners struggle to filter out auditory distractions.