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Special Educational NeedsCross-Border
Professional ExchangeProgramme under
PEACE II
InclusiveDyslexia-Friendly Practice
i
Foreword
Every day, individual teachers and school staff bring dedication, imagination and skillto their work with children. By sharing these more widely across school communities,we ensure that all children on this island have greater opportunities to achieve totheir full potential.
The Special Educational Needs Cross-Border Professional Exchange Programmewas funded under Measure 5.5: ‘Education, Cross-Border School and Youth Co-operation’ of the European Programme for Peace and Reconciliation in NorthernIreland and the Border Region of Ireland (Peace II). The programme enabledteachers, educational psychologists and other professionals from the bordercounties of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland to build on peace andstability by coming together and exchanging experiences and models of bestpractice. These participants formed three North-South cluster groups and basedtheir joint programmes of work on the key areas of Autism, Dyslexia andMarginalised Youth, respectively.
Through the project, close links were forged in the field of special education, Northand South. The benefits to the whole of the island are many, as the clusters sharedand learned from each other’s good practice and began to develop their expertisetogether. These links extended beyond the professional; they increased mutualunderstanding and respect and have led to the formation of positive and sustainablerelationships.
We owe our gratitude, in the first instance, to all those who so willingly gave of theirtime and expertise to participate in the core work of the project. We are also gratefulto the members of the Steering Group, to the Special Education Support Service forits work in overseeing the project, to Seamus McDermott of Monaghan EducationCentre, who so willingly gave us a home, and to Andrea Quinn, the Project Manager,whose commitment and enthusiasm added greatly to the success of the project.
This resource, as well as those produced by the other two cluster groups, are theresult of a truly collaborative effort and they reflect the wealth of knowledge andexperience within those groups. We hope that they will be an invaluable tool toteachers throughout both education systems.
John Hunter Breandán Ó Murchú
Project Principals
May 2006
iii
Acknowledgements
Peace II
Department of Education, Northern Ireland
Department of Education and Science, Dublin
Steering Committee: SEN Cross-Border Professional Exchange Programme
Special Education Support Service (SESS)
Monaghan Education Centre
Andrea Quinn, Project Manager
Betty Treanor, Project Administrator
A special word of thanks is extended to all the students, school personnel, casecontributors and many others who engaged in and supported the activities of theproject, thereby contributing enormously to the development of this publication.
v
Cluster Participants (Dyslexia)
Rosetta McMahon St Mary’s Boys’ National School, Monaghan
Paula Coleman St Mary’s Boys’ National School, Monaghan
Martin McGlade Harberton Special School, Belfast
Sandra Bradford Harberton Special School, Belfast
Eileen Saunders Harberton Special School, Belfast
Doris Walker Harberton Special School, Belfast
Maeve Conlon St Clare’s National School, Manorhamilton
John Conlon St Clare’s National School, Manorhamilton
Tom McCully Belmont House, Derry
Nuala Begley Belmont House, Derry
Charlotte Brady Dromore National School, Donegal
Clare Bryne Dromore National School, Donegal
Michael McMullen Dromore National School, Donegal
Mary McGranaghan Dromore National School, Donegal
Kathryn Bell Dunclug College, Ballymena
Carrie Lee Dunclug College, Ballymena
Marie McElvaney Castleblayney College, Castleblaney
Deirdre McHugh National Educational Psychological Service
John Finlay Psychological Services, Southern Educationand Library Board
Ann-Marie Casserly St Angela’s College, Sligo
Sandra Smyth North Eastern Education and Library Board
Helen Nelson Cottown Outreach Centre, Bangor
Caroline Porter Cottown Outreach Centre, Bangor
Eugene Toolan St Angela’s College, Sligo
Jackie Lambe University of Ulster
Marleen Collins Department of Education, Northern Ireland
vii
Contents
Introduction 1
Section 1 Striving to Achieve Dyslexia-Friendly Practice:Two Approaches
Approach A – Developing a dyslexia-friendly 4mainstream school
Approach B – The Special School for pupils with 8dyslexia as a Centre of Excellence
Section 2 Children with Dyslexia:Feelings, Thoughts and Behaviours
2.1 Emotional Reaction 21
2.2 Follow-on Effects on the Child’s Learning Style, 24Responses to Tasks and Self-Esteem
2.2.1 Task-related behaviours 24
2.2.2 Self-esteem 25
2.2.3 Acting-out behaviour 25
2.3 Intervention Strategies 26
2.3.1 Teacher-pupil relationship 26
2.3.2 Developing the child’s emotional 27communication skills and maintainingintegration and relationships with peers
2.3.3 Developing a structure for identifying 27successes and progress
2.3.3.1 Strategy for handling errors / 27feedback from adults
2.3.3.2 Positive thinking strategies 28
2.3.4 Helping teachers with their common reactions 29
2.3.5 Colleges of education – training 30
2.3.6 Parent / ‘child as learner’ relationship: 30homework technique for parents
2.4 My Child with Reading Difficulties: 31Some Hints for Parents
Section 3 Improving School and Classroom Practice
3.1 Tips for Inclusive Dyslexia-Friendly Practice 35
3.2 ICT Software Programs Supporting Dyslexia 42
3.3 The Toolkit 52
3.4 Support Booklets: 54
l Moving to a Post-Primary School:A Parent’s Booklet
l Moving to a Post-Primary School:A Pupil’s Booklet
l Tips for Teachers of Pupils withDyslexia in Post-Primary Schools
Appendices
Appendix 1: Steering Committee 65
Appendix 2: Resources and Suppliers of Software 67Supporting Dyslexia
viii
1
INTRODUCTION
The ‘Inclusive Dyslexia-Friendly Practice’ is designed for use with pupils whohave dyslexia as well as for teachers and parents who work in this area.
Programme participants from Northern Ireland and the border counties cametogether to investigate, share and promote best practice for pupils who havedyslexia. They researched the idea of creating an inclusive dyslexia-friendly schoolwith an emphasis on ICT, in order to develop benefits for pupils, teachers andparents alike. This resource pack represents their accumulated work carried outover an eighteen-month period, in mainstream and special education, at primary,and post-primary level and in collaboration with an associated support service.
The participants present two approaches to creating inclusive dyslexia-friendlyschools. They used the British Dyslexia Association (BDA) standards and theaccompanying ‘Achieving Dyslexia-Friendly Schools Information Pack’1 as points ofreference. The impact of dyslexia on the emotional development of both the childand his / her family is also presented, with some suggested strategies for addressingthe main challenges. The section on improving school and classroom practicesincludes a number of resources. Practical tips for achieving an inclusive dyslexia-friendly school are included. ICT software that supports dyslexia is examined,together with the question of how pupils can use ICT to help their learning.
The toolkit has been created as a practical resource for learning and teachingwhich can be used in every classroom. Its main aim is to provide some practical tipson strategies that participants have used in their work involving pupils with difficultiesarising from dyslexia. Therefore, it includes classroom aids and equipment togetherwith information on how to use them. All of the comments included reflect theparticipants’ personal experiences. A number of support booklets have also beendesigned. Two of these booklets outline strategies for the pupil and his / her parentswith regard to the transition from primary to post-primary school.
It is important to note that while the focus of the work is the development of inclusivedyslexia-friendly practice, this resource pack can be of benefit, not just to pupils withdyslexia, but to all pupils.
1 www.bdadyslexia.org.uk/dfs.html
3
SECTION 1
Striving to Achieve Dyslexia-FriendlyPractice: Two Approaches
Outlined below are two different organisational approaches to achieving dyslexia-friendly practices.
Approach A: Developing a dyslexia-friendly mainstream school.
Approach B: The Special School for pupils with dyslexia as a Centre of Excellencein itself and as a support for outlying mainstream schools.
Description of Approach A
This approach addresses some of the challenges faced by mainstream schools inbecoming dyslexia-friendly. Approach A was devised using the BDS standards andthe accompanying ‘Achieving Dyslexia-Friendly Schools Information Pack’ as pointsof reference. Creating guidelines for the development of a dyslexia-friendly schoolrequires a great deal of planning. Key elements include Whole-School Consultation,Assessment and liasing with parents and outside agencies. It is also essential to seta specific timeframe for implementation and to identify those who have responsibilityfor key actions.
Description of Approach B
Approach B is based on four main standards, also drawn from the BDA standardsand the accompanying ‘Achieving Dyslexia-Friendly Schools Information Pack. Thestandards also reflect the excellent work carried out to date in similar existing specialprovision, north and south.
The four standards:
n Leadership and Managementn Teaching and Learningn Creating a Climate for Learningn Partnership and Liaison
It is intended that formal adoption of these standards will assist in ensuringcontinuity, progression and improvement and that which is best for the child willremain the central focus of any intervention or planned strategy. The Centre for thepurpose of this document is defined as a service that has a primary function toprovide support to pupils with dyslexia, their parents and their schools.
The following templates are designed to facilitate the selection and prioritisation ofindicators with some suggested associated actions (for both Approach A andApproach B).
4
Ap
pro
ach
A:
Dev
elo
pin
g a
Dys
lexi
a-F
rien
dly
Mai
nst
ream
Sch
oo
l
Ele
men
tO
bje
ctiv
esT
imef
ram
eR
esp
on
sib
ility
The
pup
ill
Tha
t th
e pu
pil i
s m
ade
awar
e of
the
ir di
fficu
lties
and
w
ithen
cour
aged
to
expr
ess
his
/ he
r co
ncer
ns t
o ap
prop
riate
sta
ffdy
slex
ial
Tha
t th
e pu
pil r
ecei
ves
supp
ort
rega
rdin
g em
otio
nal o
r
beha
viou
ral i
ssue
s l
Tha
t th
e pu
pil i
s as
sist
ed in
iden
tifyi
ng h
is /
her
uni
que
lear
ning
st
rate
gies
l
Tha
t th
e pu
pil i
s in
volv
ed in
IE
PP
lann
ing
lT
hat
non-
dysl
exic
pup
ils a
re m
ade
awar
e of
dys
lexi
a
Who
le-s
choo
ll
New
sta
ff, s
ubst
itute
and
tem
pora
ry t
each
ers
and
clas
sroo
m
cons
ulta
tion
assi
stan
ts b
e m
ade
awar
e of
pup
ils w
ith d
ysle
xia
lP
rovi
sion
is m
ade
for
trai
ning
of
scho
ol s
taff
lTe
ache
rs m
ake
prov
isio
ns in
the
ir pl
anni
ng f
or p
upils
with
dys
lexi
a l
Teac
hers
info
rm c
olle
ague
s of
any
pup
ils w
ith d
ysle
xia
as t
hey
pass
on
thei
r cl
asse
s, t
o en
sure
sm
ooth
tra
nsiti
onl
Teac
hers
are
mad
e aw
are
of a
nd f
acili
tate
d to
atte
nd in
-ser
vice
co
urse
s on
dys
lexi
a. A
rran
gem
ents
are
mad
e to
allo
w /
enc
oura
ge
them
to
atte
ndl
Pro
cedu
res
are
in p
lace
to
aid
tran
sitio
n to
sec
ond
leve
l
5
Ele
men
tO
bje
ctiv
esT
imef
ram
eR
esp
on
sib
ility
Cla
ssro
om
lT
hat
all t
each
ers
are
mad
e aw
are
of p
ossi
ble
clas
sroo
m
man
agem
ent
and
man
agem
ent
stra
tegi
es in
dea
ling
with
the
pup
il w
ith d
ysle
xia:
orga
nisa
tion
lS
eatin
g po
sitio
n, b
lack
boar
d w
ritin
g an
d al
tern
ativ
esl
Cha
lks
/ m
arke
rs /
pen
s /
penc
ils,
crea
m p
aper
and
fon
t si
ze
lP
eer
supp
ort
and
grou
p w
ork,
whe
re a
ppro
pria
te
lK
ey w
ords
/ c
lass
room
/ w
hole
-sch
ool l
abel
s
lC
lass
room
lang
uage
Teac
hing
sty
les
lT
hat
teac
hers
are
mad
e aw
are
of t
he s
uita
bilit
y of
the
ir
teac
hing
sty
les
and
adap
t th
ese
to s
uit
the
part
icul
ar p
upil
with
dy
slex
ia
Ass
essm
ent
lT
hat
ther
e is
a s
yste
m o
f as
sess
men
t in
pla
ce t
o in
itial
ly id
entif
y
pupi
ls w
ith li
tera
cy d
iffic
ultie
s an
d th
at s
peci
fic in
terv
entio
ns a
rere
view
ed p
erio
dica
lly
lT
hat
ther
e is
reg
ular
who
le-c
lass
mon
itorin
g to
ass
ess
prog
ress
an
d to
une
arth
une
xpec
ted
diffi
culti
es
lT
hat
the
pupi
l with
dys
lexi
a is
ass
esse
d in
ter
ms
of h
is /
her
kn
owle
dge
rath
er t
han
liter
acy
abili
ty
Inte
rven
tion
lT
hat
ther
e ex
ist
clea
rly d
efin
ed c
lass
room
inte
rven
tion
and
supp
ort
pr
ogra
mm
es
lT
hat
suita
ble
lear
ning
cha
lleng
es a
re s
et f
or t
he p
upil
with
dys
lexi
a
lT
hat
pupi
ls w
ith d
ysle
xia
are
affo
rded
the
opp
ortu
nitie
s to
wor
k in
a
varie
ty o
f ab
ility
gro
upin
gs s
o th
at le
sson
con
tent
tea
chin
g, w
ill
be c
ogni
tivel
y ch
alle
ngin
g
6
Ele
men
tO
bje
ctiv
esT
imef
ram
eR
esp
on
sib
ility
Mul
ti-se
nsor
y l
Tha
t th
e te
ache
r is
mad
e aw
are
of t
he v
ario
us s
trat
egie
s th
at
teac
hing
m
ay b
e im
plem
ente
d w
hen
deal
ing
with
pup
ils w
ith d
ysle
xia
stra
tegi
es
Hom
ewor
kl
Tha
t co
nsid
erat
ion
be g
iven
to
the
follo
win
g:1.
Who
can
rea
d /
writ
e ho
mew
ork
for
pupi
l at
hom
e?
2.W
ritin
g do
wn
hom
ewor
k 3.
Mon
itorin
g tim
e sp
ent
4.P
rese
ntat
ion
form
at m
ay v
ary:
ora
l, ill
ustr
ate,
min
d m
aps,
ou
tline
s, p
roje
cts,
com
pute
r us
e
ICT
lT
hat
part
icul
ar a
ttent
ion
is p
aid
to t
he f
ollo
win
g:1.
Sof
twar
e us
age
2.F
ont
size
/ s
ize
3.S
cree
n co
lour
Writ
ing
lT
hat
cons
ider
atio
n be
giv
en t
o va
ried
pres
enta
tion
of w
ritin
g to
in
clud
e m
ind
map
s, s
pide
r w
ebs,
bul
let
char
ts,
flow
cha
rts,
m
arki
ng s
yste
m,
use
of c
olou
red
pape
r /
note
book
s /
copi
es
Rea
ding
lT
hat
the
oppo
rtun
ities
for
sha
red
/ pa
ired
read
ing
and
‘Rea
dalo
ng’
are
avai
led
of o
n a
regu
lar
basi
s
7
Spe
lling
lT
hat
reso
urce
s av
aila
ble
for
the
deve
lopm
ent
of s
pelli
ng in
clud
e sp
ellc
heck
ers,
mag
netic
and
woo
den
lette
rs,
sand
pape
r le
tters
an
d di
ctio
narie
s
Res
ourc
esl
Tha
t am
ple
and
appr
opria
te r
esou
rces
are
mad
e av
aila
ble
to e
ach
clas
s te
ache
r to
sup
port
the
pup
il w
ith d
ysle
xia
or S
ever
e Le
arni
ng
Diff
icul
ty (
SLD
)
Par
ents
lT
hat
pare
nts
are
mad
e aw
are
of s
choo
l’s p
olic
y on
dys
lexi
al
Tha
t co
mm
unic
atio
n be
twee
n th
e sc
hool
/ t
each
er a
nd p
aren
ts is
ef
fect
ive
lT
hat
the
scho
ol n
otifi
es p
aren
ts o
f co
ncer
ns r
egar
ding
pos
sibl
e dy
slex
ia a
t an
ear
ly a
ge a
nd t
hat
pare
nts
are
activ
ely
enco
urag
ed
to e
xpre
ss c
once
rns
and
know
to
who
m t
hese
con
cern
s sh
ould
be
addr
esse
d
Ele
men
tO
bje
ctiv
esT
imef
ram
eR
esp
on
sib
ility
8
Ap
pro
ach
B –
Th
e S
pec
ial
Sch
oo
l fo
r P
up
ils w
ith
Dys
lexi
a as
a C
entr
e o
f E
xcel
len
ce
1.
Set
ting
of t
arge
ts t
o ac
hiev
eC
entr
e of
Exc
elle
nce
stat
us
2.
Pol
icie
s th
at a
ddre
ss t
he n
eeds
of
pupi
ls w
ith d
ysle
xia
3.
Use
of
stra
tegi
es,
to a
ssis
t th
epu
pil w
ith d
ysle
xia
to a
cces
s th
ecu
rric
ulum
in h
is /
her
ow
n sc
hool
/cl
ass
setti
ng
lT
hey
are
outli
ned
in t
he C
entr
e’s
deve
lopm
ent
plan
lP
lans
are
in p
lace
for
mon
itorin
g on
an
ongo
ing
basi
s
lT
hey
have
bee
n de
velo
ped
in c
onsu
ltatio
n w
ith a
wid
e ra
nge
of s
take
hold
ers
incl
udin
g sc
hool
s, p
upils
, pa
rent
s /
care
rs a
nd b
oard
offi
cers
lT
hey
are
effe
ctiv
ely
com
mun
icat
ed t
o th
ose
stak
ehol
ders
lIs
sues
rel
atin
g to
SE
N,
diffe
rent
iatio
n an
d in
clus
ion
are
addr
esse
dl
Lear
ning
and
tea
chin
g ar
e sp
ecifi
cally
add
ress
ed in
pol
icie
sl
Pas
tora
l car
e is
incl
uded
and
str
esse
dl
Sub
ject
wor
k is
app
ropr
iate
whi
le m
ater
ials
mat
ch r
eadi
ng a
bilit
yl
Ass
essm
ent
and
mon
itorin
g ar
e in
clud
ed in
pol
icie
sl
Mar
king
hom
ewor
k is
incl
uded
in p
olic
ies
lP
artn
ersh
ips
with
par
ents
is in
clud
ed in
pol
icie
sl
Par
tner
ship
s w
ith s
choo
ls is
incl
uded
in p
olic
ies
lB
ehav
iour
,pa
rtic
ular
ly t
hat
asso
ciat
ed w
ith d
ysle
xia,
is in
clud
ed in
polic
ies
lIn
divi
dual
tea
cher
’s p
lann
ing
incl
udes
suc
h st
rate
gies
Sta
nd
ard
1:
Lea
der
ship
an
d M
anag
emen
t
Th
ere
sho
uld
be
evid
ence
of:
Man
ifes
ted
by
fact
th
at:
9
Sta
nd
ard
1:
Lea
der
ship
an
d M
anag
emen
t
Th
ere
sho
uld
be
evid
ence
of:
Man
ifes
ted
by
fact
th
at:
4.
Tra
inin
g w
orks
hops
/ in
form
atio
nse
min
ars
prov
ided
for
par
ents
and
teac
hers
fro
m m
ains
trea
m s
choo
ls
5.
An
annu
al r
epor
t on
the
wor
k an
dpr
ogre
ss o
f th
e C
entr
e fo
r sc
hool
gove
rnor
s an
d /
or m
anag
ing
bodi
es
6.
Pla
nnin
g f
or c
ontin
uous
prof
essi
onal
dev
elop
men
t (C
PD
) in
spec
ific
area
s
lT
here
is p
artn
ersh
ip w
ith o
ther
age
ncy
staf
f, e.
g. p
sych
olog
y se
rvic
esl
All
staf
f ar
e tr
aine
d to
OC
R1
leve
l 4 (
or e
quiv
alen
t) a
nd a
ll st
aff
are
prov
ided
with
the
opp
ortu
nity
to
achi
eve
leve
l 5l
Sup
ply
staf
f ar
e pr
ovid
ed w
ith g
uide
lines
on
dysl
exia
-frie
ndly
tea
chin
g /
pupi
lspr
ofile
sl
The
re is
reg
ular
Con
tinui
ng P
rofe
ssio
nal D
evel
opm
ent
(CP
D)
in t
he c
onte
xt o
fch
angi
ng n
eeds
1O
xfor
d C
ambr
idge
and
Roy
al S
ocie
ty o
f Art
s (O
CR
)
Com
plet
e as
app
ropr
iate
Com
plet
e as
app
ropr
iate
10
7.
The
rea
l im
pact
of
the
wor
k of
the
Cen
tre
8.
Exp
licit
refe
renc
e to
Cen
tre
ofE
xcel
lenc
e st
atus
in C
entr
e’s
indu
ctio
n pr
oced
ures
for
new
sta
ff(a
nd s
uppl
y st
aff)
9.
The
com
mitm
ent
of t
he C
entr
e’s
man
agem
ent
to e
nsur
ing
that
the
Cen
tre
is a
dequ
atel
y re
sour
ced
l75
% o
f pu
pils
sho
w im
prov
emen
t in
rea
ding
quo
tient
/ r
eadi
ng a
ge a
nd s
pelli
ngqu
otie
nt /
spe
lling
age
lD
ata
is a
vaila
ble
to s
how
gen
eral
sat
isfa
ctio
n le
vels
fro
m p
upils
/ c
arer
s an
dsc
hool
sl
Pup
ils h
ave
acqu
ired
tran
sfer
able
cro
ss-c
urric
ular
lear
ning
str
ateg
ies
lD
ata
is a
vaila
ble
to in
dica
te in
crea
se in
con
fiden
ce in
how
mai
nstr
eam
teac
hers
add
ress
the
nee
ds o
f pu
pils
with
dys
lexi
a
Sta
nd
ard
1:
Lea
der
ship
an
d M
anag
emen
t
Th
ere
sho
uld
be
evid
ence
of:
Man
ifes
ted
by
fact
th
at:
Com
plet
e as
app
ropr
iate
Com
plet
e as
app
ropr
iate
11
10.T
he C
entr
e’s
com
mitm
ent
tosu
ppor
ting
mai
nstr
eam
sch
ools
to
achi
eve
a dy
slex
ia-f
riend
ly e
thos
11.
The
Cen
tre’
s re
cogn
ition
of
and
addr
essi
ng t
he n
eeds
of
staf
f, ot
her
pers
onne
l and
par
ents
who
may
be
dysl
exic
Sta
nd
ard
1:
Lea
der
ship
an
d M
anag
emen
t
Th
ere
sho
uld
be
evid
ence
of:
Man
ifes
ted
by
fact
th
at:
Com
plet
e as
app
ropr
iate
Com
plet
e as
app
ropr
iate
12
1.
Und
erpi
nnin
g kn
owle
dge
lT
here
is a
rai
sing
of
awar
enes
s of
cla
ss /
sub
ject
tea
cher
s’kn
owle
dge
of t
hena
ture
and
indi
cato
rs o
f dy
slex
ia,
stra
tegi
es f
or s
uppo
rt a
nd h
ow t
o ac
cess
avai
labl
e so
urce
s of
info
rmat
ion
(e.g
. D
epar
tmen
t of
Edu
catio
n (D
E)
Gui
delin
es,
BD
AD
ysle
xia-
Frie
ndly
Sta
tus
Gui
delin
es e
tc.)
lT
he s
ervi
ce is
use
r-fr
iend
ly a
nd f
ully
acc
essi
ble
to a
ll sc
hool
s (e
.g.
publ
icis
ed‘h
elp
desk
’with
cle
arly
adv
ertis
ed t
imes
)l
At
leas
t 50
% o
f st
aff
will
hav
e ga
ined
/ b
e w
orki
ng t
owar
ds O
CR
Lev
el4/
5/A
MB
DA
1m
embe
rshi
p or
equ
ival
ent
lS
taff
are
acce
ssin
g on
goin
g C
PD
tha
t pr
omot
es p
rofe
ssio
nal c
ompe
tenc
el
The
re is
pro
visi
on o
f on
goin
g C
PD
to
clas
sroo
m a
ssis
tant
s en
surin
g th
at t
hey
are
seen
as
valu
ed m
embe
rs o
f th
e te
achi
ng t
eam
who
kno
w h
ow a
pply
supp
ort
stra
tegi
es f
or p
upils
with
dys
lexi
a an
d al
so r
efer
bac
k to
the
cla
ssro
omte
ache
r an
d /
SE
NC
O f
or a
dditi
onal
/ d
iffer
ent
stra
tegi
esl
Cen
tre
staf
f ar
e m
akin
g th
eir
pupi
ls a
war
e of
the
nat
ure
of t
heir
diffi
culti
es,
whe
re a
ppro
pria
te,
incl
udin
g ar
eas
of s
tren
gth
and
pref
erre
d le
arni
ng s
tyle
sl
Cla
ssro
om t
each
ers
are
awar
e of
the
nat
ure
of t
heir
pupi
ls’d
iffic
ultie
s, in
clud
ing
area
s of
str
engt
h an
d pr
efer
red
lear
ning
sty
les
lT
here
is a
rai
sing
of
awar
enes
s am
ongs
t te
ache
rs a
s to
the
sui
tabi
lity
of t
heir
teac
hing
sty
les
(e.g
. m
ulti-
sens
ory)
Sta
nd
ard
2:
Teac
hin
g a
nd
Lea
rnin
g:
Su
pp
ort
Sch
oo
l Im
pro
vem
ents
fo
r P
up
ils w
ith
Dys
lexi
a
Th
ere
sho
uld
be
evid
ence
of:
Man
ifes
ted
by
fact
th
at:
1A
ssoc
iate
Mem
bers
hip
of t
he B
ritis
h D
ysle
xia
Ass
ocia
tion
13
2.A
sses
smen
t an
d id
entif
icat
ion
lT
here
is a
dvic
e an
d as
sist
ance
to
the
scho
ol o
n de
velo
ping
sys
tem
s an
das
sess
men
t to
iden
tify
pupi
ls w
ith d
ysle
xia
thro
ugho
ut t
heir
educ
atio
nw
ith a
n em
phas
is p
lace
d on
ear
ly id
entif
icat
ion
and
spec
ific
inte
rven
tions
lS
yste
ms
and
asse
ssm
ents
tha
t of
fer
furt
her
diag
nost
ic in
form
atio
n to
scho
ols
on p
upils
with
dys
lexi
a ar
e av
aila
ble
lA
dvic
e to
sch
ools
on
the
need
to
clos
ely
mon
itor
and
eval
uate
pup
ils’
prog
ress
and
tar
gets
is p
rovi
ded,
and
pro
visi
on is
adj
uste
d as
nec
essa
ry
lP
upils
’pro
gres
s an
d ta
rget
s ar
e m
onito
red
and
eval
uate
d by
Cen
tre
staf
f, an
d pr
ovis
ion
is a
djus
ted
as n
eces
sary
Sta
nd
ard
2:
Teac
hin
g a
nd
Lea
rnin
g:
Su
pp
ort
Sch
oo
l Im
pro
vem
ents
fo
r P
up
ils w
ith
Dys
lexi
a
Th
ere
sho
uld
be
evid
ence
of:
Man
ifes
ted
by
fact
th
at:
14
3.
Pro
gram
mes
of
lear
ning
lT
here
is a
ran
ge o
f cl
early
def
ined
inte
rven
tion
and
supp
ort
stra
tegi
es,
diss
emin
ated
to
clas
sroo
m t
each
ers,
in u
sel
Upd
atin
g of
tea
cher
s on
cur
rent
inte
rven
tion
prog
ram
mes
and
pro
visi
on o
fgu
idan
ce o
n su
itabl
e le
arni
ng c
halle
nges
occ
urs
lT
here
is p
rovi
sion
of
expe
rtis
e to
mee
t di
vers
e le
arni
ng n
eeds
, w
hich
ens
ure
pote
ntia
l bar
riers
are
ove
rcom
el
Pro
visi
on o
f ad
vice
to
clas
sroo
m t
each
ers,
tha
t w
ill e
nsur
e th
at t
hey
have
bee
nm
ade
awar
e of
pot
entia
l bar
riers
to
achi
evem
ent
and
how
bes
t th
ese
can
beov
erco
me
is o
n-go
ing
l‘P
en p
ortr
aits
’on
all p
upils
with
dys
lexi
a (t
o be
ava
ilabl
e to
all
teac
hers
incl
udin
g su
pply
tea
cher
s) t
hat
will
incl
ude
indi
vidu
al t
each
ing
and
lear
ning
stra
tegi
es a
re p
rovi
ded
lA
n ex
empl
ar o
f a
pen
port
rait
on a
pup
il w
ith d
ysle
xia
for
clas
sroo
m t
each
eren
surin
g be
st p
ract
ice
is p
rovi
ded
lT
he S
EN
CO
and
/ o
r S
enio
r M
anag
emen
t Te
am (
SM
T)
are
awar
e th
at c
are
ista
ken
to e
nsur
e th
at p
upils
’cog
nitiv
e ab
ility
is t
aken
into
acc
ount
in a
ny s
ettin
gor
str
eam
ing
syst
em s
o th
at t
each
ing
pres
ents
pup
ils w
ith d
ysle
xia
with
an
appr
opria
te le
vel o
f co
gniti
ve c
halle
nge
lC
lass
tea
cher
s ar
e aw
are
that
pup
ils s
houl
d ha
ve o
ppor
tuni
ties
to w
ork
in a
varie
ty o
f gr
oupi
ngs
– w
orki
ng c
olla
bora
tivel
y in
mix
ed-a
bilit
y gr
oupi
ngs,
with
an a
dult
in g
roup
s fo
rmed
on
the
basi
s of
app
ropr
iate
, sh
ared
lite
racy
/m
athe
mat
ical
lear
ning
obj
ectiv
es e
tc.
Sta
nd
ard
2:
Teac
hin
g a
nd
Lea
rnin
g:
Su
pp
ort
Sch
oo
l Im
pro
vem
ents
fo
r P
up
ils w
ith
Dys
lexi
a
Th
ere
sho
uld
be
evid
ence
of:
Man
ifes
ted
by
fact
th
at:
15
4.
Use
and
pro
visi
on o
f in
form
atio
nab
out
lear
ning
sty
les
in o
rder
to
enab
le p
upils
with
dys
lexi
a to
lear
nm
ore
effe
ctiv
ely
in t
he c
lass
room
setti
ng,
wor
king
in t
ande
m w
ithcl
assr
oom
tea
cher
s to
pro
vide
aco
ntin
uity
of
appr
oach
, in
clud
ing
mul
ti- s
enso
ry t
each
ing
and
lear
ning
opp
ortu
nitie
s
5.
Use
and
pro
visi
on o
f in
form
atio
n on
met
hods
tha
t en
able
the
pup
ils w
ithdy
slex
ia t
o le
arn
effe
ctiv
ely
byre
cogn
isin
g th
eir
lear
ning
sty
les,
refle
cted
in t
he a
ppro
ach
toho
mew
ork
lP
upils
are
tau
ght
a ra
nge
of le
arni
ng m
etho
ds,
e.g.
min
d m
appi
ng,
sum
mar
isin
g, q
uest
ioni
ng e
tc.
lT
here
is p
rovi
sion
for
one
-to-
one,
sm
all-g
roup
tea
chin
g an
d sp
ecia
list
supp
ort,
whi
ch is
dic
tate
d by
nee
d –
liter
acy,
num
erac
y, c
once
ptre
info
rcem
ent
etc.
lLe
sson
s re
flect
the
use
of
mul
ti-se
nsor
y te
achi
ng m
etho
ds a
nd a
resc
hedu
led
with
ade
quat
e fr
eque
ncy
that
ref
lect
s th
e IE
Pl
Wor
k is
rec
orde
d us
ing
a ra
nge
of f
orm
ats
whe
re p
ossi
ble
(e.g
. bu
llet
poin
ts,
stor
y bo
ard,
flo
w c
hart
, sc
ribed
ora
l / r
ecor
ded
etc.
)
lS
epar
ate
shee
ts,
scrib
ed in
to h
omew
ork
diar
ies
or r
ecor
ded
on a
dic
taph
one
are
prov
ided
lH
omew
ork
is d
iffer
entia
ted,
incl
udin
g ch
oice
of
reco
rdin
g m
etho
dl
Hom
ewor
k is
dis
cuss
ed w
ith p
upils
and
par
ents
Sta
nd
ard
2:
Teac
hin
g a
nd
Lea
rnin
g:
Su
pp
ort
Sch
oo
l Im
pro
vem
ents
fo
r P
up
ils w
ith
Dys
lexi
a
Th
ere
sho
uld
be
evid
ence
of:
Man
ifes
ted
by
fact
th
at:
16
6.
App
ropr
iate
pro
cedu
res
/ po
licie
s in
pla
ce
7.
Pro
visi
on o
f ad
vice
and
gui
danc
e to
SE
NC
O/S
MT
to e
nsur
e ex
iste
nce
ofco
rrec
t pr
oced
ures
/ p
olic
ies
lM
arki
ng a
nd a
sses
smen
t w
ill e
nsur
e pu
pils
are
ass
esse
d on
the
bas
is o
fth
eir
know
ledg
e (r
athe
r th
an p
oor
spel
ling)
. M
arki
ng is
for
suc
cess
and
iden
tifyi
ng d
evel
opm
ent
and
impr
ovem
ent
poin
tsl
Asm
ooth
pro
gres
sion
thr
ough
sch
ool,
part
icul
arly
dur
ing
all t
rans
ition
phas
es,
is e
nsur
edl
The
dev
elop
men
t of
‘life
ski
lls’,
such
as
prob
lem
sol
ving
, de
cisi
onm
akin
g, s
tres
s m
anag
emen
t, co
mm
unic
atio
n an
d em
otio
nal l
itera
cy is
enco
urag
edl
The
pro
visi
on o
f in
-hou
se e
xper
tise
to m
anag
e re
ason
able
exa
min
atio
nad
just
men
ts a
s w
ell a
s sc
hool
exa
min
atio
ns a
nd t
ests
is e
nsur
ed.
Pro
visi
on is
mad
e in
goo
d tim
e an
d th
roug
hout
the
sch
ool c
aree
r so
tha
tpu
pils
are
tau
ght
how
to
use
the
time
and
any
reso
urce
s ap
prop
riate
ly
Sta
nd
ard
2:
Teac
hin
g a
nd
Lea
rnin
g:
Su
pp
ort
Sch
oo
l Im
pro
vem
ents
fo
r P
up
ils w
ith
Dys
lexi
a
Th
ere
sho
uld
be
evid
ence
of:
Man
ifes
ted
by
fact
th
at:
Com
plet
e as
app
ropr
iate
17
1.
Pro
visi
on o
f ad
vice
by
Cen
tre
staf
fon
the
impl
emen
tatio
n of
acc
ess
stra
tegi
es a
nd d
ysle
xia-
frie
ndly
teac
hing
str
ateg
ies,
with
sup
port
evid
ence
acr
oss
all c
urric
ular
are
as
2.
Pro
visi
on o
f in
form
atio
n to
cla
sste
ache
rs r
egar
ding
app
ropr
iate
clas
sroo
m o
rgan
isat
ion
and
adap
tive
prac
tices
lC
onsi
dera
tion
is g
iven
to
seat
ing,
ligh
ting
and
the
posi
tion
of r
esou
rces
lK
ey w
ords
are
hig
hlig
hted
and
res
ourc
es a
re c
lear
ly la
belle
dl
Info
rmat
ion
is p
rovi
ded
on n
on-w
hite
pap
er (
e.g.
cre
am)
with
acc
essi
ble
font
/ la
yout
, w
here
rel
evan
tl
Alte
rnat
ives
to
copy
ing
from
the
boa
rd a
re p
rovi
ded
lU
se o
f ov
erla
ys,
whe
re a
ppro
pria
te,
is s
uppo
rted
lC
olla
bora
tive
lear
ning
and
pee
r su
ppor
t is
ava
ilabl
el
ICT
is u
sed
to s
uppo
rt p
upils
’lea
rnin
g. C
ompu
ter
scre
ens
/ fo
nt s
izes
are
adju
sted
whe
re a
ppro
pria
tel
An
audi
t of
res
ourc
es is
ava
ilabl
e w
ithin
sch
ool f
or s
uppo
rtin
g pu
pils
with
dysl
exia
, e.
g. m
agne
tic le
tters
, IC
Tso
ftwar
e, e
lect
roni
c sp
ellc
heck
,lit
erac
y ga
mes
e.g
. ‘g
oody
box
’
Sta
nd
ard
3:
Cre
atin
g a
Clim
ate
for
Lea
rnin
g f
or
Pu
pils
wit
h D
ysle
xia
Th
ere
sho
uld
be
evid
ence
of:
Man
ifes
ted
by
fact
th
at:
Com
plet
e as
app
ropr
iate
18
3.
Pro
mot
ion
of s
elf-
este
empe
rmea
ting
all t
he w
ork
of t
heC
entr
e
4.
Sup
port
and
gui
danc
e av
aila
ble
tocl
ass
teac
hers
to
enha
nce
thei
r ow
nab
ility
to
addr
ess
the
need
s of
pupi
ls w
ith d
ysle
xia
5.
Exi
sten
ce o
f ef
fect
ive
mea
sure
s to
deal
with
har
assm
ent
or b
ully
ing
lT
he in
divi
dual
and
his
/ h
er d
iver
sity
is v
alue
dl
Effo
rt a
nd a
chie
vem
ent
in a
ll ar
eas
is p
rais
edl
Str
engt
hs a
re p
rom
oted
lO
ppor
tuni
ties
for
succ
ess
are
prov
ided
lA
stre
ss-f
ree
lear
ning
env
ironm
ent
is p
rovi
ded
Sta
nd
ard
3:
Cre
atin
g a
Clim
ate
for
Lea
rnin
g f
or
Pu
pils
wit
h D
ysle
xia
Th
ere
sho
uld
be
evid
ence
of:
Man
ifes
ted
by
fact
th
at:
Com
plet
e as
app
ropr
iate
Com
plet
e as
app
ropr
iate
19
1.
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pla
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o un
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e ba
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on w
hich
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and
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orts
the
ir ch
ild.
Thi
ssh
ould
incl
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refe
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e to
the
Cod
e of
Pra
ctic
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he C
entr
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s fo
rke
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form
ed (
and
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and,
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o pa
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nsul
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lP
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effe
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and
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edl
Par
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are
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to e
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hey
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4:
Par
tner
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Wid
er S
cho
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Co
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un
ity
Th
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sho
uld
be
evid
ence
of:
Man
ifes
ted
by
fact
th
at:
Com
plet
e as
app
ropr
iate
20
4.
Wor
king
in p
artn
ersh
ip w
ith p
upils
lP
upils
are
invo
lved
and
are
hel
ped
to u
nder
stan
d th
eir
dysl
exia
. T
heir
achi
evem
ents
are
val
ued
lH
elp
with
em
otio
nal a
nd b
ehav
iour
al is
sues
is a
vaila
ble
to p
upils
lP
upils
are
ass
iste
d in
iden
tifyi
ng t
heir
own
lear
ning
str
ateg
ies
and
are
help
edto
impl
emen
t th
em.
Info
rmat
ion
to m
ains
trea
m t
each
ers
is r
ecor
ded
and
dess
emin
ated
lP
upils
are
invo
lved
in I
ndiv
idua
l Edu
catio
n P
lan
(IE
P)
plan
ning
lP
upils
’str
engt
hs,
inte
rest
s an
d ne
eds
are
iden
tifie
d an
d in
clud
ed in
the
ir IE
Ps
and
in g
ener
al p
lann
ing
lA
pupi
l adv
ocac
y se
rvic
e, m
ento
rs a
nd c
ouns
ello
rs is
pro
mot
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here
appr
opria
tel
A‘c
an d
o’cu
lture
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oted
lT
he s
tigm
a is
rem
oved
and
rol
e m
odel
s fo
r pu
pils
are
pro
vide
d
Sta
nd
ard
4:
Par
tner
ship
an
d L
iais
on
wit
h t
he
Wid
er S
cho
ol
Co
mm
un
ity
Th
ere
sho
uld
be
evid
ence
of:
Man
ifes
ted
by
fact
th
at:
21
SECTION 2
Children with Dyslexia:Feelings, Thoughts and Behaviours
IntroductionChildren with dyslexia often share common problems in the areas of feelings,thoughts and behaviours. To be able to empathise with, and understand the child, itis important to be aware of the effects of dyslexic difficulties on a child’s feelings(emotions), thoughts (cognition) and behavioural development, and to be able toidentify these effects, when presented. It is critical for the child’s development thatteachers and parents find ways to support the child in managing these challenges.
However, we often only look at what a child does, e.g. tends not to finish work setfor him1 (poor task completion), finds a variety of ways of avoiding starting a piece ofwork (task avoidance), or displays poor spelling performance on class assessmentsor in written work. The most common difficulties for such children arise from thechild’s emotional reactions to his experiences of failure in the learning environment,and the associated strategies he develops for dealing with these. These reactionscan affect the child’s thinking strategies, as well as trigger a range of behaviours.The single most common and most powerful negative impaction for the child withdyslexia is the denial of the ‘thrill of success’, which is, in fact, the single greatestmotivator towards learning, and the most significant basis on which self-esteem isbuilt.
2.1 Emotional ReactionThe child finds himself being set literacy activities to do, on a frequent basis, manytimes a day, every week day, for a large part of the year, for many, many years. Thisusually occurs in a public arena involving people of high emotional significance for thechild, i.e. parents, peers and teachers. These very activities are repeated failureexperiences. As the child grows older he becomes increasingly aware of how muchvalue adults and peers place on these skills, how much they may affect future lifeprospects, as well as how disruptive they can be in terms of lesson flow, home life etc.
As a secondary consequence, the dyslexic problem creates stresses for the adultshelping the child, of which the child will become increasingly aware. Suchexperiences can render the child very sensitised to the effects on parents andteachers of such difficulties, manifested possibly as confusion, frustration, and evenanger. Consequently, they can become keen and astute observers of the reactionsand the passage of thoughts and feelings across the faces of those with whom theyare working. In the absence of a breadth of life experience, the child is vulnerable
1 The personal pronoun ‘he’ is mainly used in this document for the sake of simplicity for the reader
22
and highly likely to take on the responsibility for such situations, and to come to feelat fault.
An almost inevitable outcome will be a developing sense of anxiety, which can onlybecome more intense over time, and more deep-seated. High level anxiety istypically a brief experience for most people, and is most usually associated withexternal indicators such as trembling or shaking, breathing difficulties, and vocalhesitations. However, such a feeling over repeated exposure, with low level andgradual origins, can, over time, become hidden from the observer, and so familiar tothe child experiencing it, that he actually comes to see such a state as relativelynormal. Hence, there is usually an absence of external signs of anxiety.Nevertheless, there are outward signs, in the child’s learning style, thinking style andresponses to activity demands. These changes in learning and thinking styles, andresponses to activity demands can be seen as adaptive ways of minimising stressesor anxieties.
A real-life event in the experience of a pupil as observed by an EducationalPsychologist (EP) is as follows:
Sharon (15-year-old pupil) had been experiencing severe difficulties allher life in reading and writing. After several interview sessions, sherevealed that she worried a lot about how her mother felt about herdifficulties. She said she knew that her mother often felt stressed andfrustrated by her difficulties.
Her mother had admitted that she found Sharon’s problems very difficultto cope with and would get extremely frustrated, and even angry at times.However, she was absolutely convinced that her daughter would not knowthis, because she was always very careful to hide this from her, for fear ofupsetting her.
On further questioning, Sharon said she always knew when her motherwas stressed about her efforts to read, because her mother alwaysbreathed in and held her breath when she was frustrated or annoyed ather reading attempts.
Sharon had become sensitive even to the sound of her mother’s intake ofbreath.
23
The following are possible worries that can arise in the family:
It is our job, as education professionals, to ensure that children who areexperiencing serious literacy difficulties, do not feel responsible for these orfor the interpersonal and practical issues that arise from them. Furthermore,we must ensure that all of the important people in a child’s life understand thenature and origin of these difficulties, and can empathise with the child. It isalso our responsibility to ensure that these adults know how to minimise thestresses on the child, as well as how to maximise the child’s capacity toaccess the curriculum and learn. Achieving this aim requires work withparents and teachers as well as with colleges of education.
24
2.2 Follow-on Effects on the Child’s Learning Style, Responses toTasks, and Self-Esteem2
2.2.1 Task-related behaviours
Reluctance to The child becomes worried about making mistakes ortake a guess getting things wrong, or just being unsuccessful YET
AGAIN. An adaptive strategy therefore is to avoid the riskof error by avoiding making guesses. Sometimes it is muchless painful to fail without effort than to put in a lot of effortand then fail.
Reluctance to This strategy helps to avoid the pain, fear and worry ofre-check work finding that the last effort was incorrect. It also holds the
possibility of bringing the activity to an end more quickly.
Distractibility The child may be highly distractible during literacy activitiesor activities that require a written or reading response.Such a strategy may be pure avoidance, or may simplyreflect a belief that success on the task will not be possible.
Poor listening The child may demonstrate poor listening skills. Oneskills possible explanation is that the child finds it hard to listen to
instructions because he is worrying about the outcomes ofthe activity. It is hard to take in information whenpreoccupied with something else. An everyday example ofthis, is the common experience of not rememberingsomeone’s name when first introduced to that person.This is because you may be anxious about theconversation that will follow, and do not give full attention tothe name.
Over-literal The child may take an over-literal understanding ofunderstanding instructions, especially in interpersonal situations. The child
may have become overly keen to please the adult (to avoiddispleasing or disappointing the adult), and so learns to doexactly what the adult says. The problem with this is thatvery few instructions are meant to be taken absolutelyliterally. Further attempts to explain a way out of themisunderstanding simply leads to greater misunderstandingand frustration for both adult and child. Of course, somechildren may be naturally literal-minded, irrespective of theemotional context.
2 The task behaviours may also serve as useful supplementary ‘Indicators’ of dyslexic problems.
25
Immediate ‘first The child may look for immediate solutions, which oftenimpression’ lead to superficial solutions. This means that the child doessolutions not fully scan the task initially. The child may havein problem- developed an absence of a basic expectation of success,solving tasks which would be necessary for developing the confidence
needed to scan, to persevere or to re-check initialhypotheses.
Losing The child may ‘lose’ essential equipment / books. This canequipment / be a good strategy for avoiding the stress of failurebooks experiences by reducing the likelihood of having to do the
task, or by reducing the time available for the task. Thesepotential failure experiences are not only embarrassing(which is painful), but can also lead to further loss of self-esteem (which can be even more painful).
Other The child may adopt a variety of other strategies, feigningavoidance feeling unwell, seeking to go to the toilet, sharpeningstrategies pencils, finding ways to bring the task to an end quickly
(i.e. gives up very easily and quickly), talking to otherchildren etc.
2.2.2 Self-esteemThe child may worry about how other children and adults view him. This may showby way of the child making more negative comparisons between himself and others,‘putting himself down’ etc. He may express more doubts about his ability orcompetence. The child may also seek high levels of reassurance, feedback orattention. Common reactions are ‘feeling stupid’, ‘feeling different’ (‘I am neverpicked to do cool things because I can’t read or remember things like everyoneelse’), ‘not being understood – confusing dyslexic with stupid’, ‘feeling embarrassed’(From a survey by South Cumbria Dyslexia Association and ManchesterMetropolitan University).
2.2.3 Acting-out behaviour
l Attention seekingThe child may seek higher levels of attention, e.g. seeking guidancemore often, talking and laughing with others, shouting out answersand not taking turns.
l ClowningThe child may seek a role as the class joker or character, by way ofobtaining positive feedback from peers.
26
l AggressionA child experiencing high levels of failure who may, coincidentally,also have poor relationship skills, may resort to aggressive behaviour,especially when frustrated or feeling threatened by a task.
l WithdrawalA child may adopt a strategy of withdrawal or of ‘disappearing’, inorder to avoid the stress of failure experiences.
2.3 Intervention StrategiesThere is a wide range of possible intervention strategies for dyslexic difficulties. Thefollowing is a small set of possible interventions targeting some of the most commonfacets of the emotional consequences of dyslexic difficulties.
2.3.1 Teacher-pupil relationshipPossibly the most important aspect of a successful approach to helping the child willbe the quality of the relationship between the adult and the child. This needs to befounded on understanding and empathy.
A survey by South Cumbria Dyslexia Association and Manchester MetropolitanUniversity revealed that both primary and secondary pupils place more importanceon a teacher’s personal characteristics than on the provision of support materials.They rated teachers who get angry, teachers who rush them, teachers who don’tencourage them to answer questions, teachers who shout, as ‘difficult to learn from’.After analysing comments from dyslexic children about what they found difficult orpositive in class, one researcher on the Manchester study concluded: ‘It isinteresting that the underlying theme is the emotional climate in the classroom,rather than any specific techniques or special methodology. They want calmnessand security, the feeling that teachers might actually like them…’. It may be thatteachers need to make extra effort to communicate these things to such children.The usual way of communicating these things may not be perceived by dyslexicchildren as being supportive enough.
The earlier example about a pupil being aware of someone’s breathing illustratesjust how important tone of voice, facial expressions and body language can be.These things cannot be taken for granted with pupils who are highly sensitive tosuccess and failure. Each learning experience represents a significant extension oftrust to the adult. This must be recognised.
Supportiveness, friendliness and nurturance can all be communicated by tone ofvoice (soft, relaxed, calm) and warm and gentle ‘eye contact’ (not staring, noravoiding focus). Frequent encouragement and supportive comments are necessary(always tied in to real efforts or success, and not patronising or false).
27
2.3.2 Developing the child’s emotional communication skills and maintainingintegration and relationships with peers
Circle timeIf done well, ‘circle time’ activities can provide safe, nurturing and secure emotionalspaces for communication between children. This is a necessary prerequisite forgoing on to build and maintain positive peer relationships and mutual understanding.
Special timeThis is where a teacher contrives to allow a child to spend time with the teacher in aone-to-one context, engaged in a neutral activity, e.g. putting up a class displaytogether, helping to put out equipment for a lesson, helping to tidy the class. Thisallows time for the child to learn how warm and friendly the teacher is. The activityhelps to provide an ‘external focus’ rather than teacher having to resort to false andstrained ‘let’s get to know each other by talking to each other’ context.
2.3.3 Developing a structure for identifying successes and progress
2.3.3.1 Strategy for handling errors / feedback from adultsAs mentioned, a child with dyslexia may be extremely sensitive to what he perceivesto be errors and failures in his work (in all areas of the curriculum). Therefore howerrors are handled or marked is vitally important. It will continue to be important, ofcourse, to provide encouragement for what the child does know, and so a specificstrategy for handling errors is very important. This involves firstly, praising effort,drawing attention to the aspects of his ‘guess’ that were correct, then helping him tofocus on where to make an improvement. In this way, mention of ‘mistakes’ or‘errors’ can be avoided, and attention is focused on what he does know. Thus,‘errors’ can come to be seen as hypotheses that lead to learning, rather than asfailure. This approach also focuses the child’s attention on the fact that he hasacquired many skills already.
For example, take Spelling:If the child spells ‘chair’ as ‘chere’, the word ‘chair’ has five letters and five positions.This makes ten features, each representing 10% accuracy. The child could firstly beroutinely praised for effort, then the child’s attention can be drawn to the fact thatthree of the letters are correct, and two positions are correct, making 50% of thisspelling correct. The child can then be asked to focus on the word again to work onthe rest of the 50%. Again if the child spells ‘black’ as ‘belak’, we note that there areten features. We praise the effort, draw attention to the fact there are four correctletters and two correct positions, (making 60% correct) and so we can say prettygood. We can then begin to focus on the other aspects, e.g. the child is over-lengthening the sound ‘b’ to ‘be’ etc.
In maths, for example, if the child’s effort is as follows:15
–13–––
12
28
It may, at first sight, seem that the child is totally confused. However, when wepraise effort first we see that the child:
l identified that the task involved subtractionl subtracted correctly on the ‘units’ sidel lined the numbers upl is likely to have begun the problem on the correct side (units side)
Thereafter, the child can be encouraged to re-check, with help from theteacher.
2.3.3.2 Positive thinking strategiesChildren experiencing dyslexic difficulties often find that their confidence in otherareas of the curriculum is also significantly affected. This can have serious‘knock-on’ consequences in those areas too, leading to giving up, losing motivation,or just withdrawing effort. The following may help in these circumstances:
Positive self-talkA child who displays high levels of anxiety related to certain tasks needs to beencouraged to use positive thinking strategies such as positive self-talk to help himovercome any ‘emotional blocking’ derived from experiences of failure in literacy.Teachers often model this to children by saying things like ‘you can do it’, ‘it lookshard but I know you will be able to work it out’. Adults as role models can also helpby talking their way through problem-solving situations, in the presence of the childin order to give him a ‘verbal view’ of someone else’s internal speech process.These approaches will help the child develop good problem-solving strategies,encourage him to come back to a problem that he finds difficult, or to guess and tore-check his work.
Self-monitoring and evaluatingWork with special needs children can be frustrating for both the teacher and thechild. Progress is not always clearly evident and can happen slowly over time. Forthis reason, devising some goals for the child that are achievable and measurablecan be important in relation to feedback for both the teacher and the child. Helpingchildren to give themselves feedback by evaluating their own learning can berewarding for all, and helps promote children’s confidence in themselves. It involvesthe child in the learning process and helps him clearly see the progress he hasmade. Self-monitoring and evaluating can be done in many ways. Helping childrenmeasure their attainments against their own previous attainments, monitoring theirspelling progress by either colouring over spellings on a page once they have beenlearnt, graphing their spelling progress over time are some such examples.
Explaining success and failureA child who believes there are a lot of things he can’t do (as a result of failingexperiences in literacy) may be reluctant to try anything new (in other subject areas).He may believe he will fail at the new things as well. To attempt to do something, weneed to firstly believe that it is possible for us to achieve it. The way we think about
29
our competence in taking on a task and the reasons and explanations we have forour success and failure are important. They impact on our self-esteem and thedegree of responsibility we will take for our learning. Some ways of explainingsuccess or failure are more helpful than others.
Making external attributions such as attributing success / failure to luck or taskdifficulty implies that the child has no ability to affect the result because these arefactors outside his control. Another unhelpful way of thinking is to attribute failure toa factor which is fixed and cannot change, e.g. ‘I don’t have the ability to learnsomething’, implies that working hard will have no effect on the outcome and it isuseless to even try. The most damaging explanations for failure involve internal,fixed and uncontrollable attributions. For example, following a test (in a non-literacybased area) a child may think that he failed because of his dyslexic difficulties(internal, fixed and uncontrollable).
The most helpful way of thinking in this context is to attribute failure to internal,changeable and controllable factors because this gives the possibility for changeand a more positive result in the future. For example, ‘I failed because I let mynerves get the better of me’, ‘by having more confidence I can put more work in’.
How can we as teachers can help children think positively about task performancesin areas outside of literacy?
1. Encourage the child to believe he does have some control over hislearning.
2. Avoid giving ability-based attributions when talking to children, e.g.‘You are clever,’ could be replaced by ‘You worked hard.’
3. When a task has proved difficult for a child, help him explain hisdifficulty by saying that success requires persistence.
4. Challenge any unhelpful reason a child gives for his success or failureand suggest an alternative, e.g. ‘I can’t do physics, I’m hopeless at it’is challenged by saying, ‘No, everybody finds the work you are doingat the moment hard. It’s not that you are hopeless. It will just takemore practice and explanation.’
5. Sometimes a teacher can help a child by taking the blame for taskdifficulty, by saying things like, ‘No it’s not that you are no good atthis, maybe I just didn’t explain it well enough / maybe I set thequestions too hard.’
2.3.4 Helping teachers with their common reactionsIt should not be underestimated how stressful a teacher can find trying to help adyslexic child. Teachers, will not uncommonly, find a child who is struggling withreading to be a significant source of worry and self-doubt. Teachers will often blamethemselves for not being able to resolve the child’s reading problem. They will
30
expect too much of themselves, i.e. ‘I am a teacher, I am supposed to be able tosort these problems out’. The teacher may, as a result, come to feel invalidated,reacting in any of a variety of ways. Teachers will need help to become ‘problemfocused’, i.e. gauging their success in working with the problem, by the extent towhich they can provide the experiences the child needs, rather than by the progressthe child makes.
2.3.5 Colleges of education – training
Colleges of education play an enormous role in helping teachers to become skilledin identifying children who experience dyslexic difficulties, and in understanding theemotional stresses faced by such children. Specialised training for student teachersin relation to dyslexia can ‘set the scene’ for a lifetime of good work in this area.
2.3.6 Parent / ‘child as learner’ relationship: homework technique for parents
A major emotional focus for a child can be the area of homework. This is often asource of great stress and frustration for both parent and child and has greatpotential for raising levels of anxiety. The psychodynamics are not hard to analyse.The parent / carer is the principal source of security in the child’s life. Any perceiveddamage to this relationship, justifiable or not, can seriously increase any pre-existinganxiety level. For a school-age child, the parent may only see the child duringweekdays for a few hours a day. Half an hour to one hour (or even more in somecases) of this time may be spent doing homework. If stresses run high during thistime, the child may be experiencing a significant amount of his time with the parentas stressed or negative. It is not inconceivable that a sensitive and vulnerable childmay worry unduly about the effect of reading difficulties on how his parents think orfeel about him.
Parents may need help or guidance in how to approach reading at home in a waythat does not exacerbate the difficulties, increase anxiety or damage the parent /child relationship. This, in essence, means finding a way to read together thatavoids making the errors which are the source of the emotional stresses in the firstplace.
31
2.4 My Child with Reading Difficulties: Some Hints for Parents
The following information and practical suggestions are designed to try to helpparents and their children avoid being exposed to unnecessary stresses with regardto their child’s reading difficulties.
Is my child the onlyone with thisproblem?
What ‘label’ should Iuse for thisdifficulty?
The first thing to realise is that you and your childare not alone in this area of difficulty. Many,many children face this kind of difficulty. Forsome children the problem is quite small and forothers it is a major concern. In some cases it is asource of minor irritation and a littleembarrassment. In others, it is a major source ofunending frustration and upset, withcorrespondingly devastating effects on self-esteem, confidence and progress.
Reading difficulties have been around for a verylong time indeed, in fact, as long as reading andwriting have been around! It is a difficultyrecognised by all. The reality is that each childhas his own unique pattern of strengths andweaknesses in learning to read.
Although different people / professionals may givethe reading difficulty different labels (specificreading difficulty; dyslexia etc), the important factis that there is a difficulty, and that all thoseinvolved with the child need to plan and co-ordinate efforts to help.
Question Response
32
Is learning to readjust a matter ofeffort and practice?
What kinds ofworries aboutreading can childrenhave?
Many people often see ‘learning to read’ asinvolving only memory skills and practice. Inother words, they see ‘learning to read’ as purelya ‘thinking activity’. But this is not strictly true.Learning to read requires certain ‘emotionalstates’. That is to say, reading is best when aperson is relaxed and confident. Worries, fears oranxieties about reading can have a devastatingeffect on learning. Unfortunately, worries, fears oranxieties are not always visible or obvious. Infact, children learn quickly to hide them. Somechildren have greater difficulty than others inacquiring certain skills, for reasons beyond theircontrol. For example, earlier hearing difficultiescould have interfered with the development ofsound discrimination skills, making the earlystages of reading more difficult. There could also,for example, be a reading problem runningthrough the family history.
Children with reading difficulties can often think ofthemselves as ‘stupid’, or ‘slow’ compared to theirpeers. This can seriously undermine their self-esteem and confidence in areas where readingskills are required and over time, in other areastoo. They may make many more mistakes in theirreading, and other work, than their peers. Theymay worry that this will be a source ofdisappointment, worry and upset for their parents.They may worry that teachers, friends andparents will think they are lazy or just not tryinghard enough.
Question Response
33
How can theseworries affect achild’s learning?
Anxieties about failure tend to ‘narrow’ thinkingskills. They tend to make a child very self-conscious, forcing them to think only of one thingat a time. This can be disastrous for readingbecause it is a skill that requires lots of things tohappen at the same time. The child may forgetthings from one moment to the next. This can bebecause his attention or focus is misplaced due toanxieties about failure, stopping normal memoryrehearsal, and affecting short-term memory.
Worries about failure may also motivate a child tominimise or avoid these worries by becomingreluctant to start, by ‘losing books’, by suddenlybecoming chatty about anything and everything,by offering to do housework, by ‘feeling unwell’,etc. These can be signs of high levels ofdiscomfort, but can easily be misinterpreted as‘laziness’. The child may also start to guess wildlywhen in difficulty. This would be because hethinks any guess is better than none, and at leastthis gives some percentage of a chance ofsuccess.
Question Response
Worries that may arise in families
34
What about your feelings How can I help reduce my ownas a parent? worries and help my child increase
in confidence?
You may find it baffling, frustrating,exasperating and evenheartbreaking to watch yourchild struggle with reading.
You may wonder is your child justlazy or ‘deliberately obstructive’.
You may find it difficult not tocorrect or interfere.
You may find it difficult to avoidgetting upset or even angry and itmay be difficult to hide suchemotions from your child.
Recognise that your feelings are natural.
Learn more about your child’s difficultyand that will help you to cope.
Learn to recognise the signs of anxiety.
Give your child more control by allowinghim to choose his own books and bygetting ready for reading by himself.
Help your child to relax by making thereading a pleasant time, by talking aboutthe story, introducing humour, andmaking connections between the storyand your child’s experience.
35
SECTION 3
Improving School and Classroom Practice
3.1 Tips for Inclusive Dyslexia-Friendly Practice
TIP 1 Use coloured chalk and markers for board work
TIP 2 Write alternate lines in different colours on black / white board oruse two colours and alternate between these
TIP 3 Number each line clearly or have the board lined with numbers ateither end.
1. Name the characters in the story? 1.
2. Describe the inside of the well? 2.
3. Who fell into the well? 3.
4. What did the goat do? 4.
5. Why do you think the fox fell into the well? 5.
TIP 4 Introduce cream-coloured paper instead of white
Some pupils with dyslexia find it difficult / uncomfortable to read black print on whitepaper. Letters can start to blur and move on the pages. This has been described aswhite ‘rivers’ appearing in the text. This is why we recommend cream / off-white /coloured paper or coloured transparencies.
Cream / off-white paper may be more costly to produce and schools find it moreexpensive to purchase. To overcome this, join with other schools when ordering,and buy in bulk. Some companies are willing to negotiate special deals for largerorders.
Print all notices, handouts and tests on the cream / off-white paper. Using onlycream / off-white paper also eliminates the practical difficulties which can occurwhen distributing the sheets in the classroom – who gets the ‘special’ paper andwho does not!
TIP 5 Use coloured transparencies
Coloured transparencies may be placed over plain white paper to assist pupils withdyslexia in reading. It is advisable to try a number of colours and allow the studentto choose the colour that suits best.
36
TIP 6 Prepare keywords
As the name suggests, keywords are the relevantvocabulary pertaining to each subject. Learningkeywords before introducing a new topic reduces stressand anxiety associated with reading new material.
l Use flash cardsl Use word matsl Use labels (equipment, rooms, subject-related words)l Use PowerPointl Use keyword posters
TIP 7 Train pupils in the use of mind maps / concept maps / spider webs
Dyslexia-friendly learning methods for class and homework include the use of thefollowing:
l Mind mapsl Concept / spider websl Bullet pointsl Flow charts.
These methods are dyslexia-friendly and are ideally suited to planning out a piece ofwriting or revising something you need to remember or learn.Start off with a central image and add branches as they occur. Use keywords,colours and images to help pupils absorb and remember the information.
A Pupil’s Mind Map
38
Resources for developing mind maps / spider websl Mind Maps for Kids, by Tony Buzan, ISBN 0-00-719776-4l Removing Dyslexia as a Barrier to Achievement, by Neil McKay, ISBN
190384203-4Computer Programs for mind mapping include Kidspiration, Inspiration and MindGenius.
TIP 8 Use multi-sensory methods
There are many pathways for learning. Each pupil has a preferred learning styletherefore teachers should try to include visual, auditory and kinaesthetic methods intheir teaching.Read the work – (visual)Write it – (kinaesthetic)Say it – (auditory)Summarise it – this introduces thinking skills.
TIP 9 Use approaches such as ‘Readalong’
‘Readalong’ is a very simple but extremely effective reading initiative that is suitablefor all ages and class groups, primary and secondary. Whilst it requires some initialorganisation, once it is up and running, it is very straightforward and user-friendly.
How it works
A. PlanningIn order to operate Readalong each pupil requires the following:
l Walkman (audiotape or CD). It is advisable to allocate a specificWalkman to each pupil, number it and note accordingly.
l A selection of books – many of major book companies now publishup-to-date titles in book form with accompanying tape or CD.
l If desired, pupils may be given a Readalong folder where they cankeep an account of all the books they have read and reviews of each,if appropriate.
B. Operationl Each pupil is allowed to choose a book from a selection appropriate
to his / her individual reading skills / age.l The pupil listens to the tape / CD as he / she reads text silently.l At the end of the class, the pupil takes note in his/her folder of the page and
place on the tape / CD for the following day. It is important to ensure that noother pupil interferes with tape / CD in between lessons.
l If suitable, when a book has been read, a simple book review may becompleted to encourage writing skills.
Points to noteIt may be advisable, if doing Readalong for the first time, to purchase books on CDrather than audiotape. If using audiotapes, check that your Walkman has a
39
rev counter so that pupils may easily find where they were if the tape has been usedby someone else.
Some of the more advanced packs also have a workbook attached and these canbe used very successfully in conjunction with Readalong.
TIP 10 Introduce Paired Reading / Paired MathsBoth Paired Reading / Paired Maths / Paired Spelling are powerful techniques andinvaluable supports for all pupils including pupils with dyslexia.
Paired Reading can be approached in a variety of ways, but always involving thecore principle of simultaneous reading aloud.
In the home the fluent reader / leader can be a parent / guardian, grandparent oranother family member. In school, thoughtful, sensitive pairing between junior andsenior pupils can be very rewarding and a beneficial experience for both.
Paired Maths programmes using games, can be organised for both home andschool use, adopting similar arrangements and approaches as used in PairedReading.
Appropriate mathematical games can be sourced and provided to pupils to supportthem in their acquisition and development of basic numeracy skills. In Paired Maths,the emphasis is on fun and games and, for the pupil, the rediscovery of maths as anenjoyable subject.
Paired Reading / Maths resources
Paired Reading, Spelling & Writing, The Hand Book for Teachers and Parents(Cassell) Keith Topping
Paired Maths Handbook: Keith Topping & Judi Bamford: David Fulton PublishersISBN – 185346-497-X
Games and Activities with Dice – Claire PublicationsPlaying Card Games (Ann Wrigley) Claire Publications www.clairepublications.com
Useful sites for maths games:
www.primarygames.co.ukwww.primaryresources.co.uk
TIP 11 Consider seating position
Seat the pupil in a position where you can give help easily, minimisingembarrassment. The pupil should face the front of the room so he / she can easilysee the teacher and the board. The mid-front of the class can be a good position.
40
TIP 12 Concentrate on positive marking
Positive marking
When marking a pupil’s work it is important to try to do so in as positive a way aspossible. Try to concentrate on what is correct. It is soul-destroying for a pupil to behanded back a script which is covered in red marks. (Research has found this to beof very little educational benefit.)
Some useful hints for correctingMinimise the amount of mistakes you highlight – concentrate on THREE mistakesand give TIPS on how to avoid these in the future.Acknowledge THREE successful / positive aspects of the pupil’s work.
TIP 13 Differentiate homework
Homework strategiesA reader and / or scribe can help. Allow a parent, siblingor peer to read and / or scribe homework for pupil.
Check:l that homework has been copied down correctlyl that homework is given out before the end of the lessonl that plenty of time is allowed to write down homeworkl that pupils show you that they have written down their homework.
Modify homework:l reduce length and number of pieces of workl avoid unnecessary writing of questionsl set a maximum time to be spent on each subjectl ask parents to monitor and record time spent on homework in journall have pupils time themselves and draw a line across the homework
page at the end of the specified time.
Modify homework format:l try oral or audio taped homeworkl allow use of mind maps, illustrations, projectsl allow homework to be done using a computer.
Success Tips Think
42
3.2 ICT Software Programs Supporting DyslexiaInformation and Communication Technology (ICT) is the technology required toaccess and handle information and to aid communication. All pupils should be givenopportunities to apply and develop their ICT capability through the use of ICT toolsto support their learning. Using ICT can help in the initial learning process and canalso be used to provide lifelong support strategies.
A modern computer provides a multi-sensory environment where sound and imagescan be used to supplement the written word and calculations. Other items oftechnology can also be supportive, such as a hand-held tape or minidisc recorder, aportable spellchecker, a digital camera or a scanning pen.
A school may wish to assemble an ICT toolkit that can be used to assess the needsand support their students with dyslexic tendencies. A starter kit should include:
l an up-to-date computer with a sound card
l access to the Internet and email
l printer
l selection of support software on the computer that allows multimediafeedback
l word processor
l database for storing references / contacts.
Acquiring literacy skills is usually the key priority for these students. Carefully chosensupport software programs can help students with dyslexic tendencies in all areas ofliteracy (and numeracy). On basic word-processing, adjustments to font size,spacing / paragraph and screen background can make a difference to a child withdyslexia.
Change Change Change
font and style spacing / paragraph screen background
Go to format Go to format Go to format
Click on font Click on paragraph Click on background
(Comic Sans & Arial) Change the line spacing Click on the colour
Click on Comic Sans / Arial to 1.5 or double you want the screen
Click on regular Click OK to be
Click on preferred font size Click OK
Click OK
43
The use of software programs can offer opportunities for those with dyslexictendencies to work independently and successfully. Using appropriate softwareprograms can provide opportunities to revise, to practise and learn new skills. Goodprograms should provide an environment that can offer support and practice on aregular basis. However it must be stressed that no software program can replace askilled specialist teacher.
The teachers involved in this project compiled the following list of resources andsuppliers of software (North and South) that we find useful in supporting studentswith dyslexia in our classes (Appendix 2). The list of suppliers is not exhaustive. Itshould also be remembered that whatever software benefits the student withdyslexia will also benefit all other students in the classroom.
It is important to select these software programs carefully, so they meet thestudents’ needs. Consequently, the project participants sought to evaluate some ofthese software packages in a collaborative way. The following seven softwarepackages were chosen for consideration:
l Phoneme Track
l Wordbar
l Kidspiration
l Literacy Activity Builder
l Young Writers Workshop
l Dyslexia Screener
l Penfriend XP
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Software Evaluation – Phoneme Track
Name of Publisher: SEMERC
Title of the Software: Phoneme Track
Age range: 5-7 yrs Level (Primary or Post-Primary): Primary
Educational Value:
What goals and objectives will this software help the student obtain?
Development of phonetic skills and awareness.
How does the program tie into the curriculum?
Improves literacy skills – it doesn’t (one person’s view).
How does it improve teaching and learning?
Breaks the lesson down into small steps – spelling.
How does the program help the teacher?
Helps the SEN teacher develop goals for IEP.
Content:
Can the software be individualised for different learners?
Yes
Is the presentation of information appropriate for students with dyslexia?
Yes – good graphics – child friendly – ‘cartoon’ voice – nice for younger children –clear voice
Is the level of language appropriate?
Yes – for primary only – clear instructions
How difficult is it for students to work independently with the software?
Pupils can work independently – immediate feedback.
Any drawbacks? Or other comments? Please continue overleaf if necessary.
It is a computerised version of the PAT programme and would not suit pupils atpost primary level – wonderful to use with an interactive white board – would beinterested to see the other programmes in the series especially Spell Track.
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Software Evaluation – Wordbar
Name of Publisher: CRICK
Title of the Software: Wordbar
Age range: 9+ Level (Primary or Post-Primary): Both
Educational Value:
What goals and objectives will this software help the student obtain?
Support for writing – improves sentence structure and creative writing – improvespunctuation and more complex sentence structures – spelling – structured writing– writing goals in any subject – independence and confidence – to write storiesand essays without the worry of having to look up spellings – speed up the writingprocess – accuracy.
How does the program tie into the curriculum?
Improves writing skills – cross-curricular a huge advantage – good for keywords inall subjects – use for procedure frames.
How does it improve teaching and learning?
Gives keyword and phrases – essential for the student with dyslexia to proceed –scaffold for writing – pre-teaching specific vocabulary – creative writing – grammarand syntax in English.
How does the program help the teacher?
Allows the teacher to build in support for independent writing – gives key wordsand phrases – teacher can make their own grids for specific topics – reducespupils dependence.
Content:
Can the software be individualised for different learners?
Yes – very easily.
Is the presentation of information appropriate for students with dyslexia?
Yes, but some learners may need some help – no icons / pictures with the wordgrids to help comprehension and inferential reading.
Is the level of language appropriate?
Not difficult – can work at any level.
How difficult is it for students to work independently with the software?
Not difficult but it would help if there were icons with the words – lots of guidanceis needed initially. (Note: the purpose of Wordbar is to move user on from Clickerwhich is why there are no icons. If the user needs icons he should use Clicker).
Any drawbacks? Or other comments? Please continue overleaf if necessary.
Specific to word grids and not paragraph and essay format – can accessspecialised vocabulary for different subject areas through www.learninggrids.com –very similar to Clicker but more suitable for older pupils – post primary.
47
Software Evaluation – Kidspiration
Name of Publisher: Tag Learning Limited
Title of the Software: Kidspiration
Age range: 10 + Level (Primary or Post-Primary): Both
Educational Value:
What goals and objectives will this software help the student obtain?
Organised thinking process – presentation of work – learn how to design mindmaps – good for revision – very visual tool.
How does the program tie into the curriculum?
Useful for ordering skills – sequencing – might encourage less motivated pupils towrite - organisation of existing and new material and knowledge – could tie into allareas of the curriculum – good for revision.
How does it improve teaching and learning?
Enhances pupils work – helps to organise the information to be imparted –stimulating / motivating resource – interactive element involves discovery learning– it’s fun.
How does the program help the teacher?
It encourages the pupils to put their thoughts on paper using pictures andkeywords – teacher could use mind maps as a template for pupils to fill in theirown ideas.
Content:
Can the software be individualised for different learners?
Marginally – pupils can choose their own style – can be as simple or as complexas the learner wants.
Is the presentation of information appropriate for students with dyslexia?
Yes, for some, but can be of limited use to those with phonological deficits –software too difficult to use – pictorial layout useful and supportive.
Is the level of language appropriate?
Yes.
How difficult is it for students to work independently with the software?
Probably not so difficult for older pupils once they have mastered its use – quitechallenging – a lot of teacher support needed initially – too busy – too muchfunctionality.
Any drawbacks? Or other comments? Please continue overleaf if necessary.
Over-complicates with excessive functionality – more useful to teacher thanchildren – perhaps mind maps as a pen and paper exercise would be morebeneficial and less time-consuming – more suited to post-primary – limited by theknowledge base of the students.
48
Software Evaluation – Literacy Activity Builder
Name of Publisher: BlackCat
Title of the Software: Literacy Activity Builder
Age range: 4 – 11 + Level (Primary or Post-Primary): Both
Educational Value:
What goals and objectives will this software help the student obtain?
Literacy skills development – improve vocabulary and punctuation – phonologicalawareness – spelling – close – sequencing – word search – whatever goals theteacher sets.
How does the program tie into the curriculum?
Cross-curricular – encourages students to work independently – multi-sensory toolCan be adapted to all subjects.
How does it improve teaching and learning?
Motivating and immediate feedback for pupils – fun – activities suitable for specificproblems and activities – the best teacher tool ever – teachers can createprofessional looking programs on any topic in minutes – engaging for the child –empowering for the teacher – could be used in ‘over teaching’ and ‘over learning’.
How does the program help the teacher?
Teacher can make it relevant to their specific teaching goals – wonderful teachers’ tool.
Content:
Can the software be individualised for different learners?
Yes – highly individualised.
Is the presentation of information appropriate for students with dyslexia?
Yes – highly visual and user friendly – immediate feedback.
Is the level of language appropriate?
Yes – the language can be differentiated as the teacher inputs the language / vocabulary.
How difficult is it for students to work independently with the software?
Pupils can work independently and can create their own activities – it is so easy forthe pupils to use.
Any drawbacks? Or other comments? Please continue overleaf if necessary.Excellent resource – extremely helpful for teachers – no need to have the softwareat home – can upload the resources to the school website – can be used for anylanguage – no sound as yet – comprehension exercises should be included –expensive – danger of being used to produce unfocused low grade ‘worksheets’ butsimilar applies to most software and indeed paper publications – superb – everyteachers dream – would be interested in an add-on for ‘Comprehension’ – can beused with an interactive whiteboard.
49
Software Evaluation – Young Writers Workshop
Name of Publisher: Granada
Title of the Software: Young Writers Workshop
Age range: 4 – 13+ Level (Primary or Post-Primary): Both
Educational Value:
What goals and objectives will this software help the student obtain?
Good for the writing process but lacking in correction facility – ability to write in arange of styles for a variety of purposes – independent writing – assist and supportcreative and functional writing – useful as a writing tool for only a small number ofpupils with dyslexia – provides a student with good ideas as a starting point in thewriting process.
How does the program tie into the curriculum?
Good for the more independent writer – functional writing genre in English –creative, newsgroups, media, captions.
How does it improve teaching and learning?
Seems of limited use in teaching as such – may suit home learner – exposespupils to a variety of writing genre.
How does the program help the teacher?
Additional resources available in the teacher’s toolbox (photos, video clips) tosupport writing – could help less motivated pupils to write – more able studentscan work ahead on their own.
Content:
Can the software be individualised for different learners?
Not really.
Is the presentation of information appropriate for students with dyslexia?
Highly visual but a bit immature – can’t change font size or style – no spellcheck orspelling prompts – would be more useful for students who do not have a spellingdifficulty.
Is the level of language appropriate?
Limited.
How difficult is it for students to work independently with the software?
Initial teacher support required – depends on the learner – doesn’t encourageindependent work in that it isn’t self-corrective and involves teachers’ feedback andinstruction.
Any drawbacks? Or other comments? Please continue overleaf if necessary.
Visuals are very good but would require a high degree of independence, keyboardskills and a degree of spelling ability – would suit very few children with dyslexia –no immediate feedback for students – can’t insert own graphics or videos –overload of study hints.
50
Software Evaluation – Dyslexia Screener
Name of Publisher: Granada
Title of the Software: Dyslexia Screener
Age range: 5 – 16 Level (Primary or Post-Primary): Both
Educational Value:
What goals and objectives will this software help the student obtain?
Identify particular deficits in specific areas of spelling, word syllables – as ascreener – indicator of dyslexia tendencies – unsure, but would like to try it!
How does the program tie into the curriculum?
Doesn’t really tie into the curriculum – as a diagnostic tool – looks at phonologicalskills, e.g. syllable counting, spelling skills, visual processing and language-basedactivities.
How does it improve teaching and learning?
Informs the teacher of strengths and weaknesses – specific target areas todevelop IEPs – understanding of difficulties and the beginning of improvement.
How does the program help the teacher?
Teacher can make it relevant to their specific teaching goals – provides guidancefor planning and intervention – could be useful as a battery of tests / assessments.
Content:
Can the software be individualised for different learners?
Yes, for different ages but not necessarily for different learners – it produces arecord for each learner.
Is the presentation of information appropriate for students with dyslexia?
Wonder about the font size and graphics for younger children – presentationseems very clear – the graphics could be more colourful – screen is very busy attimes – yes, visual and oral.
Is the level of language appropriate?
Some of the language in the reading section is complex and multi-syllabic whichcould be difficult for the student.
How difficult is it for students to work independently with the software?
Reasonably OK but would have difficulty with the reading – primary pupils wouldneed support and supervised administration of test.
Any drawbacks? Or other comments? Please continue overleaf if necessary.
Readability questionable due to standardisation scores listed – graphics and soundneed improving in some places – easy administration – useful as a screening toolto highlight areas of need – some query regarding its practical use, are therestudies to support usage? – there is a place and a need for this software in thegeneral area of dyslexia screening.
51
Software Evaluation – Penfriend XP
Name of Publisher: Penfriend
Title of the Software: Penfriend XP
Age range: 7 + Level (Primary or Post-Primary): Both
Educational Value:
What goals and objectives will this software help the student obtain?
Helps spelling, confidence and speed in composing text – assists writing andspelling – freedom to create stories and pieces of writing without constantly havingto ask for spelling help.
How does the program tie into the curriculum?
Cross-curricular – encourages students to work independently – can be adapted toall subjects.
How does it improve teaching and learning?
Motivating and immediate feedback for pupils – increases confidence andmotivates – helps the students to become more independent – speeds up the rateof work.
How does the program help the teacher?
Teacher can make it relevant to their specific teaching goals – it is easy forteachers to select preferences, edit lexicons and add topic-specific vocabulary.
Content:
Can the software be individualised for different learners?
Yes – a major feature is the ability to edit lexicons – can adjust the rate and type ofvoice.
Is the presentation of information appropriate for students with dyslexia?
Yes – assists the writing process – pupils can hear and read the wordsimultaneously.
Is the level of language appropriate?
Yes – one can build an appropriate lexicon for a specific topic – languagedetermined by the user.
How difficult is it for students to work independently with the software?
Pupils can work independently and can create their own written work – I found itquite difficult to operate – initially difficult but would become automatic withpractice – students and teachers would need to learn how to use this program.
Any drawbacks? Or other comments? Please continue overleaf if necessary.
Excellent resource – extremely helpful for students – word prediction and speechfeedback are valuable features – some input may be needed if pupil wants to usea word that isn’t in ‘lexicon’ that he / she cannot spell – found it complicated –could be very useful in the senior section of the primary school, after training –more suited for post-primary.
52
3.3 The Toolkit
The toolkit includes:
1. Coloured markers/ chalk / pens / highlighters
2. Coloured paper
3. Coloured transparencies
4. A dyslexia-friendly dictionary
5. A magnetic board / magnetic letters
6. Spellcheckers
7. Stress ball
8. Triangular pencils / grips
9. Some materials to add to the toolkit
10. DVD – a comprehensive guide to using the toolkit.
Toolkit contents (description and suppliers)
1. Coloured markers / chalk / pens / highlighters
Coloured highlight pens can draw attention to key points in a text. Pupils can usethem to highlight the main information and, that way, they won’t have to read thewhole page again.
Highlighter pens may be used in identifying words in words or letter strings andpatterns in words.
2. Coloured paper
Contact a number of local office or school suppliers for best value when ordering foryour own school.
3. Coloured transparencies
Coloured transparencies may be sourced through your local school suppliers.Eye-level reading rulers are also a useful tool. These transparent rulers reduceglare, improve focus and assist tracking in reading. They are available fromCrossbow Education, Brocton, Staffs. www.crossboweducation.comTel: 01785660902
4. Dyslexia-friendly dictionary
The ACE Spelling Dictionary is an aurally coded dictionary. As the vowel sounds arethe biggest source of difficulty in the English language, it confronts these byclassifying words according to the first one in each. To use the dictionarysuccessfully, there are a few stages that need to be thoroughly understood. Theseare outlined in the introduction of the dictionary.Ace Dictionary ISBN 1855032147, (Moseley D., Nicol, C.)Available from Easons, Better Books (01384 253276) and Carrolls Education Ltd.Dublin.
53
5. Magnetic boards
Using magnetic boards / workbooks with letters / letter tiles in a wide variety oflearning experiences and activities affords students from Junior Primary to Post-Primary classes the opportunity to use more than one learning channel. This multi-sensory learning and teaching approach supports pupils in:
l alphabet work
l phonological awareness activities
l reading and spelling words by analogy – cat, mat, rat …
l learning spellings.
Magnetic boards / workbooks with letters / letter tiles are particularly useful forspelling work if using the ‘Make and Break’ model (Neil Mac Kay: ‘RemovingDyslexia as a Barrier to Achievement’ ISBN 190384203/4).
To use the ‘make and break’ model:
l a store of magnetic letters / letter tiles can be located on a largemagnetic board / whiteboard
l pupils use their own individual magnetic boards / booklets
l pupil asks for a word and is given the necessary letters in randomorder to place on their board
l clap the syllables several times and say it while clapping.
Then ‘Make and Break’
1. Make the word using all the letters.
2. Break the word into syllables.
3. Make the word and sound out the syllables.
4. Break the word by jumbling up the letters.
5. Make the word saying the letter names.
Repeat stages 1 – 5 as appropriate / necessary and then proceed to a conventionalmethod of learning spellings for example – Say, Look, Cover, Write and Check.
SuppliersPupil Magnetic Whiteboard (roughly A4 Size), available from In-Class Educational –Phone +353 1 6014 766, LDA, and Early Learning Centres.Magnetic Workbook (spiral bound magnetic folder LLD1280 – LDA), available fromCarroll Educational Supplies Ltd – Phone +353 1 612 0860.Magnetic Letter Tiles, available from LDA, Phone +441223357788.Magnetic Upper and Lower Case Plastic Letters, available from Early LearningCentres.Magnetic Wooden Letters, available from LDA, Phone +441223357788.
6. Spellcheckers
There are many spellcheckers available. One example is the Franklin Spellchecker.This is a portable dictionary and thesaurus containing complete definitions for over200,000 words, phrases and definitions, along with 800,000 synonyms and aphonetic spellchecker. The portable dictionary and thesaurus might be useful tomost students. However, it is of particular use for those with difficulties arising fromdyslexia.
7. Stress balls
Writing can be a physically strenuous exercise for many pupils. Stress balls can helpto reduce muscular tension in hands and arms.
8. Triangular pens / grips
These are very useful aids for pupils who tire easily from writing. They also can helpimprove writing style and presentation. They are available from most well-knownschool supply companies.
9. Some materials to add to the toolkit
l Alphabet stripsl coloured paper / notebooks / exercise booksl flip booksl keyword displays / notebooks / word matsl mirrorsl phonix linksl sandpaper / wooden lettersl speaking spellcheckerl reading pensl talking books / workbooks / walkman head setl tracing paper.
10. DVD – a comprehensive guide to using the toolkit
(See inside cover).
3.4. Support Booklets
(Note – the Support Booklet section has been placed in printer’s pairs, so that theycan be photocopied and folded as booklets).
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6.
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tea
cher
bef
ore
they
sta
rt.
lH
ave
all t
he n
eces
sary
uni
form
and
equ
ipm
ent
boug
ht a
nd n
amed
ingo
od t
ime.
Sep
tem
ber
1.
The
re w
ill b
e an
incr
ease
in t
he n
umbe
r an
d si
ze o
f bo
oks
and
equi
pmen
t. H
elp
orga
nise
boo
ks,
put
the
bigg
er b
ooks
at
the
back
of
the
bag,
nea
r th
eir
back
.
2.
Hel
p to
col
our
code
, la
bel a
nd o
rgan
ise
book
s by
usi
ng t
imet
able
.P
ut t
heir
nam
e on
eac
h bo
ok.
3.
Writ
e in
tea
cher
's n
ame,
by
subj
ect,
on t
imet
able
and
pra
ctis
ere
adin
g th
is w
ith y
our
child
. If
they
can
not
rem
embe
r th
e na
mes
,en
list
the
help
of
a fr
iend
.
4.
Pre
pare
and
pra
ctis
e ch
eckl
ist
and
upda
te r
egul
arly
, w
here
nece
ssar
y.
5.
You
r ch
ild m
ay in
itial
ly s
how
sig
ns o
f tir
edne
ss d
ue t
o di
ffere
nces
inro
utin
es,
this
is c
omm
on a
nd n
eed
not
be a
sou
rce
of w
orry
.
Tra
nsfe
r fr
om p
rimar
y to
pos
t-pr
imar
y ca
n be
a d
iffic
ult
tran
sitio
n fo
r m
any
pupi
ls.
It ca
n be
mor
e so
for
pup
ils w
ith d
ysle
xia.
The
re a
re m
any
way
syo
u ca
n he
lp e
ase
this
tra
nsiti
on.
At
the
beg
inn
ing
of
the
year
, b
efo
re y
ou
r ch
ild l
eave
s p
rim
ary
sch
oo
l,co
nsi
der
wh
ich
po
st-p
rim
ary
sch
oo
l w
ou
ld m
eet
you
r ch
ild's
nee
ds.
Mak
e co
nta
ct a
nd
ask
to
mee
t th
e H
ead
, P
rin
cip
al o
r th
eir
dep
uti
es.
lB
ring
copi
es o
f an
y re
port
s.
lLi
st t
he im
port
ant
info
rmat
ion
abou
t yo
ur c
hild
.
lF
ind
out
if th
ere
is a
n op
en d
ay /
nig
ht a
nd if
it is
pos
sibl
e to
tak
eyo
ur c
hild
with
you
.
Ask
fo
r in
form
atio
n a
bo
ut
sch
oo
l
Exa
mp
le o
f q
ues
tio
ns:
1.W
hat
optio
n su
bjec
ts a
re a
vaila
ble?
2.
Is
it n
eces
sary
to
take
a s
econ
d or
thi
rd la
ngua
ge a
s an
opt
ion?
3.
Is t
here
a g
ood
rang
e of
pra
ctic
al s
ubje
cts
avai
labl
e?4.
Is
the
re a
cces
s fo
r al
l pup
ils t
o a
guid
ance
cou
nsel
lor?
5.
Wha
t ex
tra
prov
isio
n or
sup
port
will
be
avai
labl
e fo
r yo
ur c
hild
?H
ow w
ill it
be
orga
nise
d?6.
H
ow a
war
e ar
e th
e su
bjec
t te
ache
rs o
f dy
slex
ia?
7.
E
xtra
cur
ricul
ar a
ctiv
ities
: w
hat
is a
vaila
ble?
8.
If st
ream
ing
or s
ettin
g is
use
d in
the
sch
ool t
o or
gani
se t
each
ing
grou
ps,
how
is t
his
done
? 9.
Is
the
re h
elp
avai
labl
e at
ent
ranc
e as
sess
men
t?10
. If
the
child
has
ver
y go
od m
aths
abi
lity
and
wea
ker
verb
al s
kills
,w
ill it
be
poss
ible
to
do h
ighe
r le
vel m
aths
?11
. If
the
pupi
l has
diff
icul
ty in
tak
ing
legi
ble
and
com
plet
e no
tes
incl
ass,
cou
ld p
hoto
copi
es b
e m
ade
avai
labl
e?12
. D
oes
the
scho
ol p
rovi
de a
ny a
ltern
ativ
e pr
ogra
mm
es?
Que
stio
ns t
aken
fro
m ‘U
nder
stan
ding
Dys
lexi
a –
a G
uide
for
Sch
ools
’.
AC
D-R
OM
pro
duce
d by
a jo
int
initi
ativ
e of
the
Dep
artm
ents
of
Edu
catio
n,N
orth
and
Sou
th.
32
Movin
g t
o a
P
ost-
Pri
ma
ry S
ch
oo
l:A
Pu
pil
’s B
oo
kle
t
Sp
ellin
g
Cor
rect
spe
lling
hel
ps im
prov
e yo
ur w
ork.
Spe
lling
s m
ay d
ivid
e in
to:
Pro
per
no
un
s an
d t
erm
s
lN
ames
lT
itles
of
book
s
lP
lace
nam
es
lba
ttles
in H
isto
ry
lke
y w
ords
in S
cien
ce
Eve
ryd
ay w
ord
s
The
re,
thei
r, co
uld,
sho
uld,
of,
and,
for
, w
hen,
whe
re,
wha
t,th
ese,
tha
t.
Way
s o
f im
pro
vin
g y
ou
r sp
ellin
g
lU
se c
lues
and
tip
s –
thin
king
of
your
ow
n cl
ues
lP
erso
nal d
ictio
nary
– w
rite
wor
ds o
n di
ffere
nt p
ages
lU
sing
A.B
.C.
lU
nder
sub
ject
hea
ding
s.
lW
ords
you
use
a lo
t.
lA
way
to
lear
ning
spe
lling
s Lo
ok a
t it,
Say
it,
Cov
er it
, an
d W
rite
it, C
heck
if it
is r
ight
.
lC
heck
spe
lling
s tw
o le
tters
by
two
lette
rs.
lA
spel
lche
cker
will
hel
p.
18
Ho
w d
o y
ou
kn
ow
po
ints
are
im
po
rtan
t?
lTe
ache
r re
peat
s a
fact
.
lS
omet
hing
is w
ritte
n on
the
bla
ckbo
ard.
lTe
ache
r sp
ells
a w
ord.
lTe
ache
r sa
ys t
hat
it is
impo
rtan
t.
No
tes
will
hel
p y
ou
wit
h:
1.
Hom
ewor
k
2.
Rev
isio
n be
fore
tes
ts.
Sel
f-h
elp
tip
s
lN
ew p
age
for
ever
y to
pic
or s
ubje
ct.
lW
rite
dow
n ‘k
ey’w
ords
.
lB
e br
ief.
lD
raw
and
labe
l dia
gram
s.
lU
se a
bbre
viat
ions
.
lT
ry t
o sp
ell i
mpo
rtan
t w
ords
cor
rect
ly.
lA
sk q
uest
ions
if y
ou d
o no
t un
ders
tand
.
lN
umbe
r yo
ur p
ages
.
lU
se a
hig
hlig
hter
for
impo
rtan
t po
ints
.
lK
eep
note
s in
col
oure
d fo
lder
s (t
he s
ame
colo
urs
as y
ou h
ave
chos
en f
or e
ach
subj
ect)
.
lM
ake
sure
the
not
es a
re in
ord
er.
lF
ollo
w t
he t
extb
ook
durin
g cl
ass.
Sug
gest
ions
for
you
r ne
w s
choo
l – r
ead
them
thr
ough
with
an
adul
t.
Wh
at w
ill b
e d
iffe
ren
t?
ãD
iffer
ent
teac
hers
for
diff
eren
t su
bjec
ts.
ãY
ou w
ill c
hang
e cl
assr
oom
s fo
r so
me
subj
ects
.
ãY
ou m
ay h
ave
a lo
cker
(w
ith k
ey o
r co
de)
to k
eep
som
e bo
oks.
Sel
f-h
elp
tip
s
ãP
ick
a co
lour
for
eac
h su
bjec
t.
ãM
ake
a si
mpl
e m
ap a
nd c
olou
r ea
ch c
lass
room
in t
he c
olou
r yo
uha
ve c
hose
n fo
r th
e su
bjec
t ta
ught
the
re.
ãS
tay
clos
e to
you
r cl
ass
/ fr
iend
s.
ãT
hink
abo
ut m
akin
g ne
w f
riend
s.
ãIf
you
get
lost
ask
for
hel
p fr
om a
frie
nd,
or g
o to
the
sec
reta
ry’s
offic
e.
ãG
et y
our
timet
able
and
col
our
the
subj
ects
in y
our
chos
enco
lour
s.
ãY
ou w
ill h
ave
mor
e bo
oks
and
equi
pmen
t.M
ake
a ch
eck
list
for
each
day
.
27
Usi
ng
yo
ur
tim
etab
le
lTa
ke t
ime
to r
ead
and
unde
rsta
nd (
ask
for
help
).
lC
olou
r co
de y
our
subj
ects
.
lW
rite
the
teac
her’
s na
me
by t
he s
ubje
ct o
n th
e tim
etab
le.
lM
ake
a co
py o
f yo
ur t
imet
able
for
use
at
hom
e.
lC
over
you
r te
xts
and
book
s in
the
col
ours
as
you
have
pic
ked
for
each
sub
ject
.
lD
ecid
e w
hich
boo
ks n
eed
to b
e le
ft in
you
r lo
cker
and
whi
ch y
oune
ed t
o ta
ke h
ome
for
each
day
– u
se h
omew
ork
jour
nal t
o he
lp.
Mon
day
Tue
sday
Wed
nesd
ayT
hurs
day
Frid
ay
Eng
lish
Mat
hsS
cien
ceE
nglis
hA
rt
Geo
grap
hyH
isto
ryS
cien
ceM
aths
Art
His
tory
Geo
grap
hyE
nglis
hF
renc
hM
aths
R.E
.E
nglis
hR
.E.
Fre
nch
Mat
hs
Pre
par
e yo
urs
elf
for
each
cla
ss –
eac
h d
ay!
lH
ave
all t
he t
extb
ooks
and
pap
er /
pen
cils
you
nee
d fo
r th
atcl
ass.
lC
lear
eve
ryth
ing
else
off
the
desk
into
you
r ba
g.
lS
ettle
qui
ckly
.
lLi
sten
car
eful
ly.
lP
ick
out
the
impo
rtan
t po
ints
.
lN
ote
them
dow
n, o
r us
e a
min
d-m
ap.
Taki
ng
no
tes
du
rin
g l
esso
ns
can
hel
p y
ou
to
:
lco
ncen
trat
e
lun
ders
tand
lpu
t th
e id
eas
into
you
r ow
n w
ords
lre
vise
.
36
Ho
mew
ork
lIt
is im
port
ant
you
reco
rd t
he h
omew
ork;
ask
a f
riend
if y
ou m
iss
it.
lLi
sten
car
eful
ly t
o ho
w t
o re
cord
hom
ewor
k.
lA
sk,
if yo
u do
not
und
erst
and.
lW
rite
it on
the
day
it is
set
, w
rite
whe
n it
is d
ue a
nd t
ick
it w
hen
done
.
lH
omew
ork
may
invo
lve
1.
Rea
ding
2.
Lear
ning
fac
ts
3.
Res
earc
hing
info
rmat
ion
4.
Doi
ng w
ritte
n w
ork.
lF
ind
a qu
iet
plac
e, n
o te
levi
sion
or
othe
r di
stra
ctio
ns.
lH
ave
ever
ythi
ng y
ou n
eed
befo
re b
egin
ning
.
lM
ake
a st
udy
plan
ner
to k
now
the
tim
e fo
r fin
ishi
ng e
ach
part
of
the
hom
ewor
k.
lTa
ke s
hort
bre
aks,
for
exa
mpl
e, 5
min
utes
eve
ry 3
0 m
inut
es.
lTo
end
, ch
eck
your
tim
etab
le a
nd p
ack
your
bag
rea
dy f
or t
hene
xt d
ay.
Get
rea
dy
for
the
nex
t d
ay
Use
a c
heck
list.
Pac
k yo
ur b
ag e
very
nig
ht.
Dia
ry /
jour
nal
Sha
rpen
erS
pellc
heck
er
Per
sona
l Dic
tiona
ryP
ens
Pen
cils
Boo
ks
Rul
erTe
xtbo
oks
Rub
ber
Cal
cula
tor
Pac
k yo
ur s
ubje
ct t
ext
and
book
s; u
se y
our
timet
able
to
know
wha
t to
pack
.
Sto
re a
ll sc
hool
boo
ks in
one
pla
ce a
t ho
me.
54
Mem
ory
lA
void
unn
eces
sary
rot
e le
arni
ng.
lTe
ach
effic
ient
str
ateg
ies
to s
uppo
rt m
emor
y, f
or e
xam
ple,
head
ings
/ r
ehea
rsal
/ s
eque
ncin
g.
lG
ive
dire
ct,
expl
icit
inst
ruct
ions
to
incr
ease
cha
nce
of r
eten
tion,
reca
ll an
d un
ders
tand
ing.
Lea
rnin
g
lLi
nk p
revi
ous
know
ledg
e w
ith n
ew in
form
atio
n.
lB
reak
dow
n le
arni
ng in
to s
mal
l seq
uent
ial s
teps
.
lP
rovi
de w
ritte
n or
ora
l sum
mar
y at
end
of
less
on.
Beh
avio
ur
lB
uild
con
fiden
ce a
nd s
elf-
este
em t
hrou
gh t
he d
evel
opm
ent
ofar
eas
of s
tren
gth
or in
tere
sts.
lM
ake
sure
goa
ls a
re c
lear
and
acc
essi
ble.
lB
e co
nstr
uctiv
e an
d po
sitiv
e to
mai
ntai
n m
otiv
atio
n.
lE
ncou
rage
pos
itive
sel
f-ev
alua
tion.
lR
ewar
d ef
fort
as
wel
l as
succ
ess.
For
mor
e in
form
atio
n se
e ‘U
nder
stan
ding
Dys
lexi
a, A
Gui
de f
orS
choo
ls’p
rodu
ced
by a
join
t in
itiat
ive
of t
he D
epar
tmen
ts o
f E
duca
tion
Nor
th a
nd S
outh
.
Tra
nsiti
on f
rom
prim
ary
to p
ost-
prim
ary
is p
artic
ular
ly w
orry
ing
for
pupi
ls a
nd p
aren
ts o
f a
child
with
dys
lexi
a.
lIt
will
tak
e th
e ch
ild lo
nger
to
adju
st t
o m
ovin
g ro
und
the
scho
olan
d to
fin
d w
here
the
y sh
ould
be
at a
ny p
artic
ular
tim
e.
lT
hey
may
be
emba
rras
sed
by t
heir
liter
acy
and
num
eric
ski
lls,
poor
mem
ory
and
lack
of
orga
nisa
tion.
lT
hey
may
be
wor
ried
that
new
tea
cher
s ar
e no
t aw
are
of t
heir
prob
lem
s an
d th
ink
they
are
stu
pid.
Ge
ne
ral
pri
nc
iple
s
lW
ork
with
the
pup
il in
the
dev
elop
men
t of
str
ateg
ies
to h
elp
her
/ hi
m t
o ov
erco
me
or c
ope
with
dys
lexi
c di
fficu
lties
.
lA
ccep
t th
at e
very
one
lear
ns d
iffer
ently
, an
d re
cogn
ise
each
pupi
l’s le
arni
ng d
iffer
ence
. B
e aw
are
of d
iffer
ent
lear
ning
sty
les
and
be f
lexi
ble
in y
our
teac
hing
sty
le.
lF
oste
r po
sitiv
e se
lf-es
teem
in t
he p
upil.
Giv
e ge
nuin
e pr
aise
whe
neve
r po
ssib
le;
prom
ote
activ
ities
tha
t yi
eld
succ
ess.
lId
entif
y pu
pil's
str
engt
hs a
nd le
arni
ng s
tyle
s to
fac
ilita
te o
ptim
umle
arni
ng.
27
Cla
ssro
om
man
agem
ent
lE
quip
men
t sh
ould
be
labe
lled
and
a lis
t gi
ven
to c
hild
, th
is w
illgi
ve t
ime
for
child
to
prac
tise
deco
ding
wor
ds.
lK
ey w
ords
/ s
ubje
ct-r
elat
ed w
ords
cou
ld b
e di
spla
yed,
or
give
alis
t fo
r ea
ch s
ubje
ct f
or c
hild
to
prac
tise
at h
ome.
lW
orks
heet
s sh
ould
be
sim
ple,
with
larg
e pr
int
and
clea
r sp
acin
g.
lLi
sten
ing
activ
ities
nee
d to
be
inte
rspe
rsed
with
‘doi
ng’a
ctiv
ities
.
lB
uild
up
a ba
nk o
f re
sour
ces
for
the
pupi
l. T
his
will
not
be
your
last
pup
il w
ith d
ysle
xia,
and
you
will
be
mor
e pr
epar
ed f
or t
hene
xt o
ne.
lE
mpl
oy v
isua
l and
ora
l stim
uli i
n th
e cl
assr
oom
env
ironm
ent.
lP
rovi
de o
ppor
tuni
ties
for
indi
vidu
al,
smal
l-gro
up a
nd w
hole
-cla
ssw
ork.
lO
utlin
e co
nten
t of
less
on a
t ou
tset
and
sum
mar
ise
at e
nd.
List
out
the
mai
n le
arni
ng p
oint
s or
ally
, or
in w
ritte
n fo
rm.
lIf
note
s m
ust
be t
aken
by
pupi
ls f
rom
boa
rd t
ry o
ne o
r al
l of
thes
eap
proa
ches
to
boar
d w
ork:
1.C
lear
scr
ipt
2.
Diff
eren
t co
lour
ed c
halk
/ p
en f
or d
iffer
ent
sect
ions
3.
Num
bere
d lin
es a
t ea
ch e
nd
4.
List
bul
let
poin
ts a
t th
e be
ginn
ing
of t
he le
sson
, gi
ving
tim
efo
r ch
ild t
o co
py t
hem
.
Sp
ellin
g
lU
se a
mul
ti-se
nsor
y ap
proa
ch:
Look
/ S
ay /
Tra
ce /
Cov
er /
W
rite
/ C
heck
.
lD
evel
op s
ubje
ct-s
peci
fic li
sts
in a
per
sona
l wor
dboo
k /
dict
iona
ry.
lS
ubje
ct-s
peci
fic w
ords
sho
uld
be t
augh
t in
con
text
.
lP
rese
nt s
pelli
ngs
in d
iffer
ent
form
ats
to p
rovi
de in
tere
st a
ndm
otiv
atio
n (m
nem
onic
s/ p
ictu
res
etc.
).
lU
se g
ames
to
rein
forc
e an
d m
otiv
ate,
whe
re a
ppro
pria
te.
lE
ncou
rage
and
hel
p pu
pils
to
use
dict
iona
ries,
the
saur
i, sp
ell
chec
kers
and
enc
yclo
paed
ias.
lD
o no
t ov
er c
orre
ct s
pelli
ng s
o co
nten
t is
lost
.
Wri
tin
g
lA
void
leng
thy
copy
ing
and
dict
atio
n. P
rovi
de p
hoto
copi
es w
here
poss
ible
.
lE
ncou
rage
pup
ils t
o pr
oofr
ead
writ
ten
wor
k.
lT
rain
pup
ils t
o pl
an w
ritte
n w
ork
usin
g he
adin
gs a
nd s
ub-
head
ings
ahe
ad o
f tim
e.
lM
ind
map
ping
is a
n ef
fect
ive
way
to
plan
, ex
tend
and
rev
ise
writ
ten
wor
k.
lTe
ach
sim
ple
step
s in
seq
uenc
ing
writ
ten
wor
k ap
prop
riate
to
subj
ect.
36
Wh
ole
-sch
oo
l is
sues
lP
upils
sho
uld
know
tha
t th
ere
is s
omew
here
the
y ca
n go
for
hel
pan
d ad
vice
. If
poss
ible
, gi
ve t
hem
a n
ame,
pla
ce a
nd t
ime
slot
s to
cont
act
teac
her
or s
enio
r pu
pil f
or h
elp.
Bui
ldin
g a
trus
tre
latio
nshi
p is
impo
rtan
t.
lS
hort
bre
aks
may
be
need
ed in
exa
ms.
lB
e aw
are
of r
egul
atio
ns f
or e
xter
nal a
sses
smen
t /
exam
inat
ion
conc
essi
ons
and
spec
ial a
rran
gem
ents
.
Str
ate
gie
s
Rea
din
g
lD
o no
t as
k pu
pil t
o re
ad a
loud
, un
less
he
volu
ntee
rs o
r is
giv
entim
e fo
r pr
epar
atio
n.
lS
impl
ify la
ngua
ge a
nd r
educ
e un
nece
ssar
y in
form
atio
n in
wor
kshe
ets.
lP
rovi
de a
ltern
ativ
es f
or w
ritte
n te
xt w
here
pos
sibl
e.
lH
ighl
ight
diff
icul
t w
ords
in t
ext.
lA
sk c
hild
to
read
pas
sage
the
nig
ht b
efor
e so
the
y ar
e no
tm
eetin
g it
for
the
first
tim
e in
cla
ss.
lP
hoto
copi
ed s
umm
ary
note
s ar
e us
eful
. H
and
out
at e
nd,
sopu
pils
list
en r
athe
r th
an t
ry t
o re
ad a
s yo
u sp
eak.
Try
to
incl
ude
ata
sk s
uch
as c
loze
pro
cedu
re o
r hi
ghlig
htin
g ac
tivity
.
lH
ave
pupi
l sitt
ing
near
you
to
avoi
d di
stra
ctio
n an
d of
fer
disc
reet
help
.
lH
ave
larg
e tim
etab
le d
ispl
ayed
in f
orm
roo
m a
nd e
ncou
rage
pup
ilto
ref
er t
o it
to id
entif
y ite
ms
that
the
y ne
ed t
o br
ing.
lH
and
out
revi
sion
she
ets
wel
l bef
ore
exam
s an
d m
ake
sure
pup
ilha
s fu
ll se
t.
lM
ake
use
of f
act
that
the
hum
orou
s /
‘ridi
culo
us’i
s re
tain
ed in
the
brai
n be
tter
than
any
thin
g el
se.
lE
ncou
rage
wor
d pr
oces
sing
.
lE
ncou
rage
cur
sive
writ
ing.
Org
anis
atio
nal
ski
lls
lE
ncou
rage
use
of
pers
onal
not
eboo
ks a
nd p
erso
nal c
heck
lists
to
rem
ind
pupi
l of
equi
pmen
t ne
eded
eac
h da
y.
lE
ncou
rage
use
of
regi
stra
tion
times
to
mak
e su
re p
upil
has
all
nece
ssar
y eq
uipm
ent.
lD
raw
atte
ntio
n to
dis
play
ed c
lass
tim
etab
le.
lE
ncou
rage
col
our
codi
ng t
o id
entif
y bo
oks
/ te
xts.
54
65
Appendix 1
Steering Committee – SEN Cross-Border Professional ExchangeProgramme
John Hunter, Department of Education, Northern Ireland
Breandán Ó Murchú, Department of Education and Science
Susan Carnson, Department of Education, Northern Ireland
Jimmy Malone, Department of Education and Science (to January 2005)
Carmel Reilly, Department of Education and Science (to June 2005)
Niall McLoughlin, Department of Education and Science
Siobhán Fields, Department of Education and Science
Michael Travers, Department of Education and Science
Marina Ní Threasaigh, Department of Education and Science
Joan Crowley O’Sullivan, Special Education Support Service
Seamus McDermott, Monaghan Education Centre
Joan Walshe, National Educational Psychological Service
Maureen Costello, National Educational Psychological Service
Linda Shields, Educational Psychologist, Southern Education and Library Board
Eugene Toolan, St Angela’s College, Sligo
Stuart Rooney, Psychological Services, Southern Education and Library Board (to February 2005)
67
Appendix 2
Resources and Suppliers of Software Supporting Dyslexia
Title Suitable for Description Suppliers North and South (not all listed)
Phoneme Primary For pupils who have Granada Learning Ltd.Track KS 1 - 2 difficulty memorising 0161 827 2927
spellings. Andrews Award Systems+353 1 493 0011Diskovery+353 1 806 3910
Wordbar Primary Grids of words, which iANSYST – Ltd 0800 018 0045Post-Primary sit alongside word Andrews Award Systems KS 2 - 4 processor. +353 1 493 0011
Users can see and Diskoveryhear words they +353 1 806 3910wish to use.
Kidspiration Primary Graphic organiser to iANSYST – Ltd 0800 018 0045Post-Primary combine pictures and Andrews Award SystemsKS 2 - 4 text to represent +353 1 493 0011
thoughts and words. Diskovery+353 1 806 3910
Literacy Primary Helps to create Granada Learning Ltd. Activity Post-Primary interactive literacy 0161 827 2927Builder KS 1 - 3 activities using nine
activity frameworks.
Young Primary Helps to create iANSYST – Ltd 0800 018 0045Writers KS 2 factual and creative Andrews Award SystemsWorkshop writing skills in a +353 1 493 0011
stimulating EdTech Software Ltd.environment. 1850 923 459
Gael Linn+353 1 6751200
Dyslexia Primary Evaluates non-verbal Granada Learning Ltd.Screener Post-Primary reasoning, phonological 0161 827 2927
KS 2- 4 processing, spelling, Andrews Award Systemsspeed of information +353 1 493 0011processing, reading Diskoveryand vocabulary. +353 1 806 3910
Penfriend Primary Speech feedback and AVP - 01291 625439XP Post-Primary predictive text. Andrews Award Systems
KS 2 - 4 Supports independent +353 1 493 0011working and improves Diskoveryaccuracy and +353 1 806 3910vocabulary of written iANSYST – Ltd 0800 018 0045work.
Read & Primary Provides speech and iANSYST LtdWrite Post-Primary spelling tools needed 0800 018-0045
KS 1-4 to read, compose and Andrews Award Systems proofread written +353 1 493 0011material. Promotes Diskoveryindependent working +353 1 806 3910and improves accuracy and vocabulary of written work.
Word Primary 36 different games AVPShark Post-Primary which use sound, 01 291 625439
(Junior graphics and text to Andrews Award Systems Certificate) reinforce word +353 1 493 0011KS 1 - 3 recognition and Diskovery
spelling. Facility for +353 1 806 3910creating own word Carroll Education Ltd.lists and tailoring +353 1 6120860to pupil’s needs. EdTech Software Ltd.
1850 923 459
Numbershark Primary 30 different games AVPPost-Primary covering addition, 01 291 625439(Junior subtraction, Andrews Award SystemsCertificate) multiplication & +353 1 493 0011KS 1 - 3 division which add Carroll Education Ltd.
meaning and +353 1 6120860understanding to EdTech Software Ltd.these operations – 1850 923 459lots of rote practice.
Spellmate Primary Pupils enter own lists AVPKS 1 & 2 and then choose one 01 291 625439
of the four games to Andrews Award Systemshelp them practise and +353 1 493 0011 learn correct spellings. Diskovery Teachers are provided +353 1 806 3910with feedback.
68
Title Suitable for Description Suppliers North and South (not all listed)
69
Lexia Primary Interactive, phonic- Andrews Award SystemsBasic Post-Primary based activities, which +353 1 493 0011 Reading KS 1 - 5 reinforce sound- Diskovery
symbol +353 1 806 3910correspondence and Lexia Learning Systems Inc.automatic word 01 969 640364recognition. Exercises EdTech Software Ltd.branch automatically 1850 923 459depending on pupil’s performance, providing practice on areas of specific difficulty.
Harberton Primary pupils Structured programme www.harbertonschool.co.uk Reading who have with a limited Programme been unable vocabulary. Aims to
to learn to build strong read using foundations with commercially strategies to produced tackle unknown reading words.materials
Wellington Primary Over 250 activities School Box. Ref:Square KS 2 & 3 including talking http://c2kschoolbox.granada- CD-ROMs books, phonic and learning.com/special_index.html
sequencing exercises. AVP – 01 291 625439Andrews Award Systems+353 1 493 0011Diskovery+353 1 806 3910
TextThing Primary Creates nine text- AVP – 01291 625439Post-Primary based, multi-sensory Andrews Award SystemsKS 1 - 4 reading and literacy +353 1 493 0011
activities, for pupils Diskoveryof all abilities, with any +353 1 806 3910 piece of text you import. You can also choose from the selection of 100 texts supplied.
Title Suitable for Description Suppliers North and South (not all listed)
70
Writing Primary Provides symbol Widgit Software Ltdwith Post-Primary support in writing www.widgit.com Symbols KS 1 -3 and communication. +44 (0) 1223 425 558
Includes talking word Schoolbox. Ref: processor with pictorial http://c2kschoolbox.granada-spellchecker, symbol- learning.com/special_index.htmlsupported word Andrews Award Systems processor, grids for +353 1 493 0011 writing and grids for Diskoveryprinting. +353 1 806 3910
Clicker Primary A writing support iANSYST – Ltd 0800 018 0045 KS 1 & 2 which provides on- Andrews Award Systems
screen word banks +353 1 493 0011and speech. Can be Diskovery +353 1 806 3910used across the EdTech Software Ltd.curriculum. 1850 923 459
AcceleRead Primary Using computer iANSYST – Ltd 0800 018 0045Post-Primary speech-to-text Andrews Award Systems
AcceleWrite KS 1 – 3 software to improve +353 1 493 0011 reading and writing Diskoveryskills through +353 1 806 3910structured phonic exercises.
Speedy Primary Promotes keyboard iANSYST – Ltd 0800 018 0045Keys KS 1 - 3 awareness and Andrews Award SystemsTyping spelling. +353 1 493 0011Tutor Diskovery
+353 1 806 3910
Catch Up Primary Interactive activities to iANSYST – Ltd 0800 018 0045 CD1 and KS 1 - 3 support reading Andrews Award Systems CD2 intervention +353 1 493 0011
programmes. Diskovery+353 1 806 3910
Word Primary For pupils who have Granada Learning Ltd. Track Post-Primary difficulty memorising 0161 827 2927
KS 2 & 3 spellings. Andrews Award Systems+353 1 493 0011Diskovery+353 1 806 3910
Title Suitable for Description Suppliers North and South (not all listed)
71
Eye Track Primary Helps improve and Granada Learning Ltd. Post-Primary develop areas of 0161 827 2927 KS 1 - 3 visual perception. Andrews Award Systems
+353 1 493 0011Diskovery+353 1 806 3910
Alphabet Primary Provides opportunities Granada Learning Ltd.Track KS 1 & 2 to reinforce alphabet 0161 827 2927
awareness Andrews Award Systems+353 1 493 0011Diskovery+353 1 806 3910
Spell Primary Supports consistent Granada Learning Ltd.Track KS 1 & 2 and accurate spellings. 0161 827 2927
Andrews Award Systems+353 1 493 0011Diskovery+353 1 806 3910
Title Suitable for Description Suppliers North and South (not all listed)
Recommended