Down Syndrome

Teach reading early, without waiting for 'readiness'. A four-year study found readers ahead on every language and memory measure.

The cognitive profile described in the literature shows relative strength in visual processing and relative weakness in phonological processing. Teach through the strong channel and train the weak one separately.

Reading together while asking questions and handing the turn back to the child. Associated with gains in language and communication.

Wait longer after asking. The answer is usually there; what is missing is the interval to formulate it.

One instruction at a time, checking understanding before the next — short-term verbal memory tends to be a bottleneck.

Mathematics along the same path as reading: lean on the visual and concrete channel before requiring the abstract symbol.

Articulation difficulty does not indicate comprehension difficulty. Correcting pronunciation constantly silences the student instead of teaching them.

Teach independence routines with the same systematic approach as academic content — they do not happen on their own over time.