Dyslexia Difficulty or difference?

A small boy was walking along a beach at low tide, where countless hundreds of starfish, having been washed up, were stranded and doomed to perish. A man watched as the boy picked up individual creatures and took them back into the water. "I can see you're being very kind," said the watching man, "But there are too many of them; it can't possibly make any difference." Returning from the water's edge, the boy said, "It will for that one."

What do we already know?

Grandma’s shopping basket

How is your short term memory?Name one fact that you know about Dyslexia ?

Dyslexia

Tell each other about your favourite film or programme but do not use words with an s or an e in.....

Processing speeds

To appreciate what some students may experience when faced with writing and reading.

How did that feel? What feelings and emotions where you experiencing? What difficulties did you face?

Discuss

Shaky

Thinking of ideas I panic

Too much people chatting

Itchy

I couldn’t do it... I need time to plan

Blocked

Panic

worried

Need time

What should it look like?

My stomach burns

HeadachesI can’t listen to it all !

T s er ons of

We assume that students use phonics and sound to read words.Some students read using pattern and shapes.

This is one of our learning objectives for the session: Have a go!

T s er ons of

What strategies did you use to decode the pattern? As we learn to read we do this automatically and quickly but dyslexics may be very slow.

To appreciate what some students may experience when faced with writing and reading.

To consider definitions of dyslexia

To discuss ways we can support these students in lessons (and in life).

Definition‘ A specific learning difference for any given level of ability, which may cause unexpected difficulties in the acquisition of certain skills.’

Imagine a school that acknowledges that all children learn in a different way.. Nothing new!!! We all try really hard to deliver a curriculum to our students

BUT how do we measure (assess) intelligence ? Exams, coursework... Written!!!!! Mark-able

Specific Learning Difficulty SpLD or Difference...

It’s only difficult because the student learns in different ways...

Difficulty implies something is ‘wrong’ with the learner and is often linked to the responsibility of the SENCO yet these are mainstream students?Many schools are removing dyslexics from their RON.

Reading and spelling.

was

You have 10 minutes to copy this text and find the key words or points.

‘ I feel sick if I read for too long ‘

‘ Am I reading the 3rd line?’

‘My son moves his head up and down when he reads..’

Reading test: dog forgot doodle

This story was read back to me perfectly.

‘I only had 15 minutes so I wrote down the words that I remembered. If I put them in sentences I would forget and panic. Now can I just tell you...?’

I was then told about devastation in south America, storm chasers, climate change and tsunami, gravitational pull in orbit and more.... !!!!

Is it common?Figures vary widely on how the percentage of people who have dyslexia. The figures vary from 4-5% to up to 10% and above. One of the difficulties with being more precise about this is the wide definitions of dyslexia which exist and the wide range of symptoms that can be classified as ‘dyslexic’.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XsJXyJWuzY&feature=related

Some learners are told that they have dyslexic tendencies....

Tendencies???

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKekE10b82s&feature=related

What’s going on the brain when we read and spell?

2mins

4 mins

Dyslexic learners are usually as good as their peers in many things and are fine until, for example, they have to write it down!

Problems seem to occur in 4 main areas:-Auditory sequential memoryRemembering what you hear, and selecting from that information

- Visual sequential memory Remembering what you see, in the order and holding it.

- Processing informationRetrieving, sequencing and presenting information.

-Phonological Awareness AHearing sounds in words, break down words. Ay hey ? hay ?Students have a tendency to be weaker or STRONGER in one or more of the areas than their peers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pKAUR-IVJY

So how can we help?

Multi sensory learning: Remember the 3rd section of the brain for making associations (thinking outside the box!) tends to be strong in dyslexic learners...

Have a go!A personal visualisation that is a multi sensory experience. Take yourself back to arriving this morning. The carpark. Visualise that walk but really be conscious of the sensory experiences that you are going through. A 5 – 10 min moment.

Pick a scenario / learning task and consider how you could help the student to make it a sensory experience.

http://www.tes.co.uk/teaching-resource/Teaching-the-Dyslexic-Child-6049239/

TASKIn subject groups:Using a lesson plan that you have brought with you find areas that on reflection may have been a bit tricky for a dyslexic learner... And a couple of strategies that you could add to support your dyslexic learners.

The LA sees provision and placement for pupils with dyslexia difficulties as lying along a continuum. The continuum of provision ranges from:

Wave 1: Attendance at a local mainstream school with quality first teaching of literacy skills – to include differentiated teaching of literacy as needed. Teacher aware.

Wave 2: Small group support as part of the primary framework e.g. Early Literacy Support, Additional Literacy Support, Further Literacy Support etc. School Action IEP

Wave 3: Specialist programmes delivered either individually or in small groups ( part of an IEP/Provision Map) .

We would expect IEP targets to be monitored and reviewed, by the school and parents, in line with the SEN Code of Practice. School Action +

A moment of relief and just pure pleasure for some!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDBVsghh4z0

Voice recognition Packages

So how can we help?Know who the Dyslexic students are.

Help them find the key words in the learning objectives.

Write them for them on a piece of paper that they can have in front of them (or on post its). (Make this multi sensory by ripping them up into separate words and asking them to select from the words during the lesson).

Write down new key words for them. Encourage them to tell you what they mean.. How do they know that... What else do they know about that word/ fact.. How do they know that? Associations..Analyse what the word looks like. Make the words visual. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CpZAH6elIc&feature=related

Visual: Find pictures or draw or symbols that will help them remember.. A to-do listRhymes... Mnemonics

Use different colours. Write different words in different colours. Encourage them to do this as well.

Picture stories: Draw it.. Story boards

So how can we help?Memory Sticks TechnologyLaptops/ computers

Dictaphones

Go and get photocopies.. Or ask for a print out of the power point page. Memory

Highlighter pens Colour

Find out if the students can demonstrate their understanding in ways other than writing!

Encourage mind mapping (who what where when why how) Visual/ organisation

If a lot is being said (introduced!) in the lesson, write down the key points in the order that they are presented and give these to the students.

Read questions out and ask them to identify the key words.. Do a flow chart with them.. Stage by stage of what the question is asking for....

Memory games: Get eye contact and no distraction and ask them to recount a key element of the lesson so far. Use Kim’s memory game for revision.

Talk

So how can we help?Time: A lot of Dyslexic students cannot tell the time. Give them time checks to stop panicking or drifting off!

Dyslexics have to concentrate VERY hard. After 10 – 15 mins that may begin to fidget/ tap/ glaze over/ chat etc... They have burnt out. They need a brain break! Look out for this and: Provide paper for doodling. Hand rub Breathing Look at pictures Ask them to tell you about something in the lesson that you know that they will know... RefocusWrite a word from the lesson on the desk using finger. (multi sensory)You write an invisible letter on their hand and they make the link to the lesson.

Then refocus with praise.. So you were ..... That’s great because... What do you need to do now?..... How can you do this?... (Confidence and ownership) Then walk away.

4BsBoard Book Buddy Blast I better ask!

Write in planners the key words of the objective as a memory jogger when they get home or start of next lesson.

Task Management Boards:

Pre teach key words and new words (stages)

Charades

Find a word... Word families.. Where have you heard this word before?

Split words into colours: photosynthesis

Bingo

Quack quack

What’s missing from this sentence? Cloze

Consequences for sequencing... E.g. A practical activity or experiment or planning team work

Predict the word

Words on cards.. Point to the correct word.

Mini flipcharts (or mats) on tables.. Topic specific... Visual...

Word bank books... At the back of their work book?? Subject specific

Chinese whispers for key words

Paired/ row/ table/ team work... Pass the book around.. Or students nominate roles.. i.e. Scribe.. Drawer.. Timer..

Match it cardsVisual cards

‘’I start.. You finish ‘’ or ‘’ I finish you start..’’

.

Discuss in pairs 4 key points from this session.

What strategies can you use with your learners? How?

Please give us feedback. What strategies are you able to use?What strategies would you like to use? What prevents this happening?

What strategies are the students using?

10 mins

What do we do at the Roseland?:

-Transfer information DSI more than a year, we retest.- CATS scores.. Verbal to non verbal Approx 20 deviance- Not necessarily reading age- Info from staff : needs imbedding-Wave sheets : needs embedding- Dyslexia Groups, RWI, study skills groups etc..-Readers, exam concessions, visiting exams officers for updates etc..-Encourage the students to be independent.. Learn strategies.-Encourage students to talk and share strategies...

Dyslexia Friendly School

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&v=_e2ur28Uw9k&NR=1

Over to you folks!!!!!