Removing barriers to achievement

Differentiation

Small changes make a big difference

Difficulties• Working memory and processing• Reading with or without comprehension

difficulties• Poor vocabulary knowledge or recall• Getting ideas down on paper• Poor motor skills, writing

Activity!!

Poor working memoryunderstand well, but forget quickly

I really don’t remember

what we did last lesson.

How come everyone else seems to

remember it all – bet the teacher thinks I’m stupid. Ok, so that’s

how I’ll behave!

I thought I’d done that piece of coursework.

But I can’t find it – so I guess I didn’t. I’m in

trouble again!!

What’s that word I need? OR

What’s that word mean that he

just said?

Short term auditory memory

Miss, what are we supposed to

be doing?

What did you just say?

Pupil: I’ve finished.Teacher: No you haven’t, I also told you to do….Pupil: Oh.

Do what?

Verbal Instructions

• Give them one at a time, check everyone has done it before giving next instruction

• Have series of instructions written down/on board for pupils to refer to

• Provide a checklist for pupil(s) to tick off as they complete each task

Processing

Poor readers/comprehenders

• Prepare a reduced version of text

• Find a simpler text

• Provide a glossary

Activity!!!! – Please copy this down as fast as you can

Трудно к сочинительству экземпляра быстро если вы не можете прочитать или сказать по буквам очень наилучшим образом или иметь сочинительство затруднения.

Problems with copying

• Poor spellers and readers are writing letter by letter – often make mistakes – then unable to read back

• Miss out a line

• Find it difficult to keep their place

Subject vocab – need to build in overlearning

•Top ten topic vocabulary or *subject specific words. Lists on paper and/or VLE. Must allow overlearning – won’t be recalled otherwise (games, tests, regular homework)

*It’s not just the obvious topic words, it can be other words that can cause huge confusion, indent, proof read, assessment focus, text, punctuation – esp for S&L impaired pupils

Find time to talk to those with difficulties – ask them how you can help

Support their weaknessesUse their (relative) strengths

•Strengths: Often better visual or kinaesthetic learners

Homework•Give out homework at the beginning of the lesson

•Why?

•Those pupils who are slow writers, poor copiers (due to poor spelling/poor motor skills), disorganised etc. can have plenty of time to get it down – they are not rushing at the end to pack and get out!

•You can explain it later in the lesson.

Background of presentions

• Change background to a colour

• Why?

• pupils who find black on white makes letters blurry/ makes lines fuse into one another/ letters slide down page etc. it helps and can sometimes SOLVE this issue. Blue seems to work particularly well.

weak writing skills

Allow them to show what they know in a variety of ways, e.g. mindmap, bullet points

Copying from board: write each line in a different colour – easier to find their place

Avoid extensive copying

supporting weak writing skills/motor skills

• Create Cloze sheets• Have writing frames/templates available in

classroom• Drawing grids etc. can be REALLY difficult to

complete for those with poor motor skills. Unless that is the focus of the task/assessment, provide the grid

• Teach planning skills (from spider diagrams to linear plan in paragraphs)

Can’t get started when writing. . .

• A blank piece of paper is often very daunting. .

Advice from Dyspraxia Foundation:Blank pages can be threateningProvide templates with headings to help individuals work through an activityTeach mind-maps, spider diagrams, lists

Research• Research: written questions which must be answered • Limit number of facts to find• Break big questions into smaller steps• Provide key words • Teach pupils how to skim and scan (Skim = general info –

Scan = searching for key words/information)

Given a gener al r esear ch quest ion e.g. Find out about t he Elizabet hans, t he dyslexic has no idea wher e t o st ar t , and t he Asper ger ’s pupil has no idea when t o st op!

Most of us

do most of this

most of the time

OverlearningOverlearningOverlearning