Supporting learners with literacy difficulties in the secondary classroom

We’ve all experienced: Class clown Talking rather than settling Not paying attention

What areas are affected? Reading Spelling Writing Memory Concentration Personal organisation Self-esteem metacognition

problems Become discouraged very quickly due to lack of initial success ‘Inattentive / lazy’ – they may be working harder than everyone else No new motivation – little experience of success Lack self-confidence Appear to avoid work Disorganised Lack stamina Have a poor self-image

Before units / tasks begin Provide equipment checklists Send a list of upcoming vocabulary home to parents with explanations of meanings Seat students near the board, out of direct sunlight, away from fluorescent lights

Starting out on tasks Always write page and question numbers on the board Encourage students to discuss the nature of tasks before starting individual work Ask students to repeat what they have to do Issue one task at a time Make learning intentions clear Provide models and/or templates for layout

Continuing through tasks Have a series of mini-break activities students can opt into when they need to Allow students to ask those around them for help Provide print outs of notes If there are a range of tasks, prioritise them if they don’t all need to be completed Consider setting time limits

Getting to the end of tasks Summarise what you’ve covered Create opportunities to practice Think of ways to create extra time – have an additional non essential task, hand out notes instead of copying Don’t automatically set unfinished reading/writing as homework Make sure homework is recorded correctly

Planning tasks Plan activities which access a wide range of learning styles – use visual aids, move around Handouts are varied in style – notes, mindmaps, charts, diagrams Have a range of extension tasks for other students to allow those who need extra time to take it. Make sure ict equipment such as laptops, headphones is organised

Accessibility not simplification Differentiation Accessibility not simplification Presentation by : The teacher The learner

Reading Decoding Processing Comprehension Picking up where they left off

Reading bigger text Increased line spacing Avoid shiny whiteboards & glossy paper Large-print Reinforcement material Consider recordings Advanced warning if they have to read aloud

Close reading passages Problems with multiple choice Finding key information in a passage Need to reread information to understand it again

Support with close reading passages Extra time List of vocabulary required for cloze passages Have a class revision session before a test Text to speech Identify instruction words To find information: Note down what you’re looking for, highlighting key words Scan the page until they find these words

Checking readability Word Click the File tab, and then click Options. Click Proofing. Under When correcting spelling and grammar in Word, make sure the Check grammar with spelling check box is selected. Select Show readability statistics. After you enable this feature, open a file that you want to check, and check the spelling. When Outlook or Word finishes checking the spelling and grammar, it displays information about the reading level of the document.

Flesch Reading Ease Score – 100 point scale – the higher the number, the easier it is to understand Aim for between 60-70 Flesch – Kincaid grade level score – rates text on a US grade-school level – i.e. a score of 5 means a 10 year old can understand it (5th grader). Aim for a score of approximately 7 to 8 Don’t take out subject terminology – make sentences shorter

Try to avoid italics /underlining Other tricks Try to avoid italics /underlining Key information should be separated and highlighted – e.g. in a box Break up continuous prose with bullet points / numbers

Writing Don’t penalise for presentation/spelling Encourage alternatives – ICT, recording Rest time Issue spelling prompts Provide blank copies of charts / diagrams / tables for completion

Extended writing Offer paragraph headings / opening phrases / suggested vocabulary Allow rests ICT List key words / terms Support to find their place in the process if they get lost Accept alternatives – mind maps, diagrams, bullet points, recorded voice files

Note-taking Listening Delays in processing information Inability to listen and write at same time Inability to read handwriting Copying Copies rather than understands Unsupported copying should never be the only source of subject information

Note-taking Provide skeleton notes in advance – key headings Give full lesson notes which they can highlight while others are note-taking Photocopy pages from a book so they can highlight it Encourage to read 1st and last sentences of paragraphs Consider recording the lesson Specific teaching about how to store notes – dividers, order

Listening Delays in processing requests / information Reluctance to respond Missing important information such as page numbers

Listening solutions Summarise what you’ve said at the end Repeat instructions several times / at key points Use physical prompts – e.g. use fingers for listing tasks Write page numbers down

Delays in processing lead to seemingly irrelevant contributions Discussion Delays in processing lead to seemingly irrelevant contributions Problems with turn taking Interrupting in case they forget

discussion Teach turn-taking explicitly, including cues Encourage pupils to wait for responses before moving on Ensure classmates respond appropriately

Organisation / coordination Forgetting books, equipment, homework Following the wrong timetable Getting lost Lateness Taking a long time to settle

Organisation strategies Provide checklists for books / equipment Communicate with parents about timekeeping / homework Try different timetable formats – different days in different colours Keep in class til crowds disappear Consider teaching laboratory/ workshop safety in a multi- sensory way so they use all of their senses to determine safety

Using ict Word processing Audio books Text to speech Speech recognition

Supporting parents Many parents only discover their own dyslexia when their children are diagnosed. You cannot expect support to be readily available at home Potential emotional impact: guilt, frustration, anxiety, exasperation Reassurance Use the homework diary as a two way tool