SUPPORTING STUDENTS WITH DYSLEXIA IN THE CLASSROOM. Deirdre Whitlow Friday 12 th September 2014

Transcription

1 SUPPORTING STUDENTS WITH DYSLEXIA IN THE CLASSROOM Deirdre Whitlow Friday 12 th September 2014

2 LEARNING STYLES Individuals learn in different ways. Some people prefer to see the information (visual learners), some will prefer to hear information (auditory learners), while others will learn best by doing- touching, feeling, making (kinaesthetic learners). Visual learners can be subdivided into those who prefer to see text and those who learn best from diagrams and pictures. (Hughes., 1999, p. 41) Find your students learning style online at:

3 According to Hughes (p. 40) During any given class activity it is safe to assume that approximately two thirds of the children are working outside their preferred learning style. Although students have a preferred way of learning they can still learn through other modes, however students whose preferred learning styles are visual or auditory are most catered for in classrooms today.

4 Kinaesthetic learners are disadvantaged in schools because so many learning activities are based upon reading, writing and listening. Once students are taught through their preferred learning styles they not only increased academic attainment but also improved their attitudes to learning and behaviour. (Hughes, p. 45).

5 VISUAL Drawing pictures. Watching videos. Build stories from pictures. Use visual cues to help the students to organise themselves. Colour coding of material to link similar ideas. Making posters about the subject which includes drawings, text & pictures.

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7 AUDITORY Listen only to obtain information. Read a great deal factual information. Listen to teacher talking. Put ideas on to audio-tape. Discuss ideas with someone else. Use a computer with voice recognition. Work with music in the background. Work from recorded books.

8 PERIODIC TABLE SONG

9 KINAESTHETIC Role-play and acting. Discuss information with others. Making displays. Presentations in groups. Walk about while you are thinking. Try ideas out. Try making a collage mindmap using pictures associated with ideas.

10 Activity PERIODIC TABLE Divide class into 8 groups representing 8 groups in periodic table. Give examples of each group at each table so students can walk around and see each group. Group 1- Sodium Group 2- Magnesium & Calcium Etc.

11 DIFFICULTIES EXPERIENCED Difficulty reading and taking notes. Poor reading accuracy, fluency & speed. Continues to experience serious spelling difficulties. Confuses letter sequences. Has slow or poor memory & recall of facts. Difficulty planning, sequencing & organising written text. Lacks self-confidence & has a poor self-image. Poor time management & organisational skills. (adapted from: Ball et al, 2006)

12 According to McPhilips (2003) In class many of the strengths are often masked by the expectation to express them through writing. Teachers should look for skills in practical subjects, original ideas as expressed orally or on computer and for creative talent, (McPhilips., 2003, p. 83).

13 PRACTICAL STRATEGIES Use coloured paper to reduce glare. Suitable fonts include Arial, Comic Sans or Verdana. Provide high structure and clear expectations. Capitalise on the student s strengths. Demonstrate activities so they are clear. Use short sentences and simple vocabulary.

14 PRACTICAL STRATEGIES CONTINUED.. Use self-correcting materials that provide immediate feedback without embarrassment. Provide opportunities for success to help build self-esteem Use computers for class work and homework. Provide positive reinforcement Give time to grow and mature in tasks and work. Place student beside helpful peer.

15 READING & SPELLING Select and highlight most important errors, not all errors focus on the nature of the errors (quality) rather than the number of errors (quantity). Use a rehearsal-reading system. Instead of calling on students at random to read aloud, assign each student a specific passage a day in advance. Start with the student s free writing when selecting spellings to learn. Target specific spelling patterns that the student requires assistance with.

16 Correct spellings positively and allow students credit for correct letters or sounds in words. Encourage the process of drafting and redrafting. Read questions aloud. Limit copying from the board. Write in different colours on the board. Use a graded-reading programme that is appropriate to the student s level of literacy skills as well as his/her interest level.

17 Use line trackers and/or coloured/tinted overlays as appropriate. Encourage students to repeat the directions for completing a task. Demonstrate the task so students are clear on what they have to do. Acknowledge that extra time is needed by students in order to complete tasks.

18 WRITING Allow students to type work using suitable fonts including Arial, Comic Sans or Verdana. Descriptive games to develop vocabulary e.g. The Blue Ball, the big blue ball... (in groups) Get students to write about what is happening in a picture to build descriptive activities.

19 NOTE TAKING Have a notebook with key words for specific subject areas and this is helpful as pupils can learn important words. Provide support with additional recording mechanisms where appropriate (e.g. appropriate literacy software, charts, diagrams, dictaphones, electronic dictionaries, models, voice recognition software and word processors with spellchecker). Give students typed notes instead of asking pupils to copy down notes.

20 THOUGHT SHOWER/BRAINSTORMING Good for developing students vocabulary & ideas. Good logic & order to their work. Good for group work. It also provides assistance with elements of the writing process, such as the using of planning sheets.

21 Begin by brainstorming topics pupils are interested in so they become familiar with the technique. Use of Graphic Organisers are very helpful. Graphic Organisers ( iserfinal.pdf)

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24 BOARD GAMES Tarsia- good for summaries. Bingo. Snakes & ladders.

25 PAIRED READING Paired reading- involves two people reading the information together and if a word is wrong it is repeated correctly and they move on. (Reid, 2007) Good for one on one or at home with parents Great for building confidence. The student decides on the material which interests them and it allows them to experience fluent reading.

26 MNEMONICS The pupil should construct it from their own imagination & the more ridiculous the associations are the easier it is to remember them. E.g. Richard of York gave battle in vain for colours of rainbow. These can also be used for spelling e.g. Walkwe all like ketchup. These can be developed through group work.

27 TAPPING & RECORDING INFORMATION Use appropriate computer software to support reading, spelling and writing (e.g. Wordshark, Numbershark, etc). Encourage the use of spelling dictionaries. Use of programmes such as Jolly Phonics, PAT, Toe by Toe, etc... Allow students to type homework or record information on a dictaphone. Construct logs or diaries of essential words.

28 REPETITION & REINFORCEMENT Over learning is considered so important because the short and long term memory difficulties experienced by Dyslexic children mean that considerable reinforcement and repetition is necessary. (Westwood, 2007) Provide opportunities for the student to relearn and over-learn.

29 REPETITION & REINFORCEMENT When repeating information do this in a range of different ways for example; use memory cards, visuals, headings, summaries, notes, discussion Praise is essential to reinforce a topic. Use closure strategies to enhance learning & retention. E.g. Tell your partner two things you learned today Make topics relevant.

30 MIND MAPPING Teach study skills e.g. highlighting central points, mind-maps This is a visual technique and can provide opportunities for lateral thinking & creativity Start off simple how they spent the weekend and visuals can be used to build memory The move onto topics such as History or Geography. Good for showing the big picture so they can see the end point.

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33 WAIT TIME When asking question give students wait time from when you ask question until you expect answer. Give regular constructive praise and encouragement and maintain high expectations.

34 MULTI-SENSORY TEACHING Multi-sensory methods utilise all available senses together. It is summarised by the phrase hear it, say it, see it and write it, (Reid, 2007, p. 41). Break tasks into small steps and allow adequate time for completion of each tasks. Employ a number of multi-sensory methods when teaching spellings and consider the use of the strategy of look, copy, trace, picture, cover, write and check selectively.

35 MOTIVATION Get attention by using humour, unexpected introductions & other attention grabbers to motivate students to work on new topic. Set Goals or targets. For example by the end of the week... Quizzes- Group work. Competitions.

36 Songs MEMORY Write, recite & repeat. Learn actively Write an account Perform a play Discuss in groups Investigate a problem Get student to identify three things they learned last week and ask the student why do you think you remembered these points- this helps the student to become aware of when & how they learn best.

37 THANK YOU Thank you for listening. Questions?

38 BIBLIOGRAPHY Ball, M., Hughes, A. and McCormack, W. (2006) Dyslexia: An Irish Perspective. Dublin: Blackhall Publishing Carey, D. J. (2005) The Essential Guide to Special Education in Ireland. Dublin: Primary ABC. Davis, P. (2004) Teaching Strategies and approaches for pupils with special educational needs; a scoping study. Nottingham : DfES Publications Frederickson, N. and Cline, T. (2009) Special Educational Needs, Inclusion and Diversity (2 nd Ed). Berkshire: Open University Press Foorman, B.R., Schatschneider, C., Eakin, M.N., Fletcher, J.M., Moats, L.C. and Francis, D.J. (2006) The Impact of Instructional Practices in Grades 1 and 2 on reading and spelling achievement in high poverty schools. Contemporary Educational Psychology, vol, 31, no. 1, pp Humphreys, T. (2002a) Self-Esteem: The key to your child s future. Dublin: Newleaf Humphreys, N. (2002b) Facilitating a positive sense of self in pupils with Dyslexia: the role of teachers and peers. Support for Learning, vol. 18, no. 3, pp

39 Hughes, M. (1999) Closing the Learning Gap. Stafford: Network Educational Press. International Dyslexia Association (2007) Frequently asked questions about Dyslexia [Internet]. Available at: [Accessed on 21 April 2010] International Dyslexia Association (2002) What is Dyslexia [Internet] Available at: [Accessed on 15 December 2009] McCormack, W. (2002) Lost for Words: Dyslexia at second level and beyond. A practical guide for parents & teachers. Dublin; Tower Press. McPhilips, T. (2003) The Learning Support Teacher: A practical Handbook. Dublin; Blackrock Education Centre. McPhilips, T. and Shevlin, M. (2009) Evaluating the teaching and learning experience for the child with Dyslexia in special and mainstream settings in Ireland. Support for Learning, vol 24, no. 2, pp Mortimore, T. (2003) Dyslexia and Learning Style: A practitioner s handbook. London: Whurr Publishers. National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA). (2004) Assessment for learning [Internet]. Available at [Accessed on 24 November 2009]. Ott, P. (2007) Teaching children with Dyslexia- A practical guide. Oxon: Routledge..

40 Reid, G. and Green, S. (2007) 100 ideas for supporting pupils with Dyslexia. London: Continuum International Publishing Group. Professional Development Service for Teachers. (2011) Biology Resources DVD Reid, G. (2007a) Dyslexia (2 nd ed). London: Continuum International Publishing Group. Reid, G. (2007b) Motivating Learners in the Classroom: Ideas and Strategies. London: Paul Chapman Publishing Sousa, D. A. (2001) How the Special Needs Brain Learns. California: Corwin Press Inc. Sousa, D. A. (2005) How the Brain Learns to Read. California: Corwin Press Second Level Support Service. (2008) Using Graphic Organisers in Teaching and Learning. SLSS Townend, J,(2000) Phonological Awareness and Other Foundation Skills of Literacy. In: Townend, J. & Turner, M. (eds) Dyslexia in Practice: A guide For Teachers. New York: Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers, pp Westwood, P. (2007) Commonsense Methods for children with special educational needs. (5 th ed). Oxon: Routledge.