Which HS Schedule for Dyslexic/Dysgraphic Student? (school, grades, history)

[calgirlinnc]

We are moving to a new state (TX) with an opportunity to pick our school district. Some districts work on a block schedule (example: in the fall, Math/History/elective/elective; in the spring, English/Science/elective/elective). Class time is much longer. Other districts have A/B schedules. Still another district has 7 classes every day.

Our son is dyslexic and dysgraphic. He struggles in math and English and excels in history and science. (He won the 8th grade history prize at his school but almost flunked math the last quarter). His last school he received NO accommodations. In our current state, he tested too well to "earn" accommodations but clearly needed them to do be able to do his best. For example, his English grade suffered because he was required to read a book a week, which was never going to happen.

Anyway, is one schedule better or worse for LD learners?

[North Beach Person]

Your answers will be all over the map since scheduling is somewhat of a political issue with proponents of all three models you mentioned brandishing studies "proving" theirs is the best and only one.

As a teacher I far preferred the 7 period schedule. My students grades overall were better, they retained more by having class every day. Not to mention that 30 minutes is a out the limit for most people before focus diminishes and attention wanders. That's true especially with kids having learning issues of almost any type.

We went to an A/B several years before I retired and all the promises of higher scores, better achievement and increased student involvement crashed and burned.

What eventually happened was that we kept the schedule (with 5 periods instead of 4) with the longer periods but most graduation required classes met daily.

I will say that it's somewhat strange that he does well in History due to the reading and writing in those classes. He may be an auditory learner and had teachers who talked/explained.