Teaching Children with Special Educational Needs (SEN)

Prepared by:Khalid Barry-Vice Principal Primary Section

December 2012

Understanding the Problem

“It must be recognized that the area of pupil behavior is highly emotive. It challenges teachers’ sense of their own professional competence and both teachers’ and parents’ self-esteem. emotions often get in the way of constructive planning”

Peter Gray and Sue Panter, Support for Learning, Vol 15, No 1.

Defining the Terms

The term ‘special educational needs’ (SEN) covers a wide range of children. Children have special educational needs if: they have a learning difficulty which calls

for special educational provision to be made for them.

they have a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of children of the same age or have a disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of general educational facilities provided for children of the same age

Special educational needs can also be used as a term for children who need extra provision because they have abilities significantly ahead of their peer group.

o Learning needo Retardedo Feeble mindedo Educationally subnormalo Defectiveo Special educational needso Additional educational needs

Your experience – show of hands

1. My experience of interacting with people with special educational needs is

• A. extensive• B. average• C. minimal.

2. When I have to deal with people with special educational needs I feel

• A. confident• B. not completely confident but okay• C. unsure and a little anxious.

3. When I have learners with special educational needs in my class I feel

• A. confident• B. interested but don’t think I know enough• C. unsure and a little anxious.

Teacher Attitudes Towards Learning

Vs.

Is optimisticThinks ‘ What is working, what have I got right, where can I get help with the other bits?’

Is pessimisticThinks ‘ I got so much wrong, I don’t

know anything about this, it’s not for me, I should give up’

Learning to Control Yourself

Golden Rules

The kids

• Elena• I hate English lessons. We always have to

look at the book. The words make no sense to me. Sometimes the letters move around or I cannot see them properly. I get a headache. This happens in all lessons but it is really bad in English. The teachers say I am lazy. I am not. I try really hard. I get upset and sometimes angry.

The kids

• Kalim• I want to be good at English. It’s important. I try

to listen in class but sometimes I cannot hear the teacher because my friends are talking. I try to concentrate but I like joking with my friends. The teacher is always shouting at me. I sit at the back and hope she cannot see me. She says I don’t care about learning, but I do. I just find it really hard to sit still and concentrate. She doesn’t understand.

The kids

• Ahmed• I like working on my own and on my project

about cars. I know all the names of English cars and where they are made. I like working on the computer or in my book. I don’t like working with other children. They sometimes laugh at me because I do not understand their jokes. They think I am strange. The teacher gets annoyed because I do not look at her when she is speaking. I find that hard.

How do you learn?• I can remember something best if • A I see it written down• B I say it out loud• C I write it out myself or can move around when learning it• I prefer to follow instructions when they are• A written on the board• B explained by the teacher• C demonstrated and I try it out myself• When I have to spell a word • A I picture it in my head• B I say the letters in my head or out loud• C I get a feeling about the word

Processing information styles

• ‘I see what you mean’

• ‘It sounds right to me’

• ‘I get it’

• Our language and behaviour gives an indication of how we are processing information

Do you teach as you learn?

• You might not be including some learners because they do not learn as you do

• Be aware of your own preferences and biases

• Include things you do not like!

• Let learners see it, hear it, feel it!

Differentiation

• The teacher adapts some part of the task, instructions , lesson, or materials to suit the needs of particular learners and to ensure all learners are included in the lesson.

• The teacher takes account of the learners levels, interests and learning styles.

• All learners should achieve the same main aim but they may do this in different ways. They may show their understanding in different ways, for example, by drawing instead of writing.

• Some learners will expand on the main aim and some will achieve it in a more basic way, for example, answering in complete sentences or with one word answers.

What can we differentiate?

• Content

• Task

• Response required

• Environment

Content

• Abstractness – certain learners will need work with concrete facts and objects before they are ready to deal with abstract concepts. For example, it will be easier for some learners to say what their favourite colour is than to guess the colour of hair of a character in the book.

• Complexity – learners need to have reduced number of facts and facts in context not isolation

• Eg If we are reading a book in class, some learners can be asked to focus on one character to describe and other learners can focus on all the characters.

• Variety – some learners will need shorter activities, varied ways of presenting, accessing all learning styles, interests and strengths .

Environment• Layout of the classroom • Is there room for moving around?• Where does the pupils sit• Who do they sit with?

• Psychological environment• Trust, risk taking or not in an activity• Working in smaller groups rather than bigger groups • Making it safe by making rules clear• Getting to know learners, taking their feeling into account

feelings, allowing them opportunities to express feelings • Balance between support and encouraging independence•

Same aim, different exercise

Exercise aim : write some personal information about yourself

• Write a paragraph about yourself.• Write about your age, hobbies, family, hometown,

favourite colour, favourite food, • Ex 1b Complete these sentences about yourself• My name is…………………..• I am ………….years old• I live in………………………• I have….brothers and…..sisters• My favourite colour is………….• My favourite food is…………………..

And some more• Ex 1c Fill in the table with information about yourself• Name• Age• Brothers• Sisters• Favourite colour• Favourite food• Ex 1d• Write about yourself . Fill in the table about yourself .• 1. Name• 2. Age• For questions 3, 4, choose words from the box below.• 3. Favourite colour • Blue green red yellow• 4. Favourite food • Chicken fruit hamburger

Mustafa

• Mustafa never seems to focus on his own work. He is always looking around, laughing with his friends, making jokes and calling across the room when he should be writing. Sometimes he just gets up and goes over to another table. He cannot sit still. He cannot concentrate on one thing and usually does not finish his work. He is always polite to me and can be helpful but seems to never stop talking.

Mazen

• Mazan is always fidgeting, calling out and can’t sit still in her chair. She always wants the teacher’s attention and help. He never starts her work on time because she says she cannot do it on her own. He often stays behind after class and wants to help the teacher. She gets angry when the teacher is helping another pupil and not talking to her.

Strategies• Use visual reminders e.g posters for classroom routines, symbols for

looking at board, symbols to show the order of today’s lesson.eg. a symbol for look, read, talk, work together

•• Build in time to express feelings. For example, show me how you are

feeling today from 1-10, stand up and then sit down when I say the word for your feeling, show me with your thumb how you are, 5 mins personal chat at beginning of lesson

•

• Make comments on the work, not the child. Eg ‘That’s a great story’ not ‘Well done, you ‘ve done that really well.’

• Set time limits. If you do not come back on time, name the feeling the child might be having ‘ I am sorry I did not get back to you. Maybe you thought I had forgotten you but I didn’t’

• Use short ,.competitive games to revise • Sit pupil at the front near the teacher and away from windows, doors,

distractions

• Have non-verbal routines. Eg. Hand up for silence, traffic lights to show if group are on task, going of task, or off task. ,

• Think about the state you are creating. Pacing around the room can create energy but can also stir up the energy in the room. Some children need the teacher to create calm. Don’t give instructions when you are walking around or walking to the board.

• Instructions : Say what you want to happen. Avoid embedded commands e.g Don’t turn round. Say instead ‘Look at the board’

• Give instructions in chunks, on a need to know and without sequencers such as ‘before’

Some specific issues

• ADHD – what does the child need ? Structure, consistency, small chunks, focus on the positive, safety

• Dsylexia – what helps them to remember?Teach visual memorisation strategies, build self-

esteem, play to strengths,chunk information, try different colours

• Behavioural difficulties – what do they need? Notice them being good, acknowledge the positive intentions, the need, see the child , not the behaviour

And finally….

• 3 things you have learned

• 2 things you are going to try out immediately

• 1 thing you would like to find out more about

Want to know more?

• Marie Delaney • The Learning Harbour, Crosshaven, Co Cork, Ireland• Email : the learningharbour@gmail.com• www.thelearningharbour.ie• Teaching the Unteachable, October 2008, Worth Publishing,UK• What can I do with the kid who….2010. Worth publishing,UK• www.worthpublishing.com• www.caspari.org.uk• British Council CiSELT course and forthcoming online SEN course• www.teachingenglish.org.uk/webinars• www.pilgrims.co.uk ‘Dealing with Difficult Learners’