10 Strategies To Promote Curiosity In Learning
Curiosity is crucial to learning. For years, education has responded by admonishing teachers to ‘engaged’ students with ‘engaging content,’ but engagement and curiosity are decidedly different. An engaged student may very well be curious, but such curiosity isn’t necessary for engagement. Engagement is more than paying attention but doesn’t demand an empowered thinker forging into new ideas with an open-mind through inquiry and questioning. That’s curiosity. Read more ›
People find it easier to learn about topics that interest them. Recent neuroscience research has demonstrated that memory is improved when the learning material is something they are curious about.
When I was a special education teacher, my colleagues and I recommended that a Black girl receive special education services because she had difficulty reading. However, her mother disagreed. When I asked her why, she explained that she, too, was identified as having a learning disability when she was a student. 
For many students with differing abilities, assistive technology provides a bridge to overcome barriers to participation and progress in school. 
Educational labeling was first introduced as a way of meeting students’ needs. For instance, a child who was labeled as “gifted” might move up in the curriculum, while a child with dyslexia might need to slow down or even repeat whole lessons or grades. 
More and more high school students with disabilities are planning to continue their education in postsecondary schools, including vocational and career schools, two- and four- year colleges, and universities.
Students with learning disabilities must be able to advocate effectively for themselves. Beginning in the early years and continuing throughout their school lives, students with learning disabilities must be supported in learning how to self-advocate. 
When provided with the foundation of a safe environment, trusted mentors and opportunities to engage, all young people can be empowered to develop the skills they need to become self-advocates and elevate their voices. 
Self-advocacy gives students with learning disabilities the confidence to ask for the tools they need to be successful in the real world. The strategy not only benefits children at school, but in explaining their learning disability to friends and family members. 
Most people have some idea of what “self-advocacy” is, but it helps to define it. At its heart, self-advocacy is the ability to communicate what your needs are. 
