1. Dyslexia

2. Aims
To raise your awareness and understanding of Dyslexia and other specific learning difficulties
To understand how Martock School identifies and supports children with Dyslexia/Literacy and Numeracy difficulties
Provide some ideas for supporting your children at home

3. Specific Learning Difficulties
Dyslexia
Dyspraxia
ADHD/ADD
Specific Language Impairments
Autistic Spectrum Conditions

4. Dyslexia Awareness Quiz
How high is your dyslexia awareness?

5. Dyslexia occurs across the range of intellectual abilities.
The following working definition of dyslexia was constructed following the Rose Review.
Dyslexia is a learning difficulty that primarily affects the skills involved in accurate and fluent word reading and spelling.
Characteristic features of dyslexia are difficulties in phonological awareness, verbal memory and verbal processing speed.
Dyslexia occurs across the range of intellectual abilities.
Pick out the main points from the definition.
Talk about how dyslexia affects reading and spelling, phonological awareness, verbal memory and verbal processing speed and that it is across the range of abilities- it is not just ‘bright’ children who can be dyslexic.
Explain how it can sometimes be difficult to identify those children with dyslexia who have difficulties across the curriculum.

6. It is best thought of as a continuum, not a distinct category, and there are no clear cut-off points.
Co-occurring difficulties may be seen in aspects of language, motor co-ordination, mental calculation, concentration and personal organisation, but these are not by themselves, markers of dyslexia.
A good indication of the severity and persistence of dyslexic difficulties can be gained by examining how the individual responds or has responded to well founded intervention.
Thinking of the continuum- from mild to severe. Some may just have poor spelling skills where others may have significant difficulties that continue to persist even though they have had a great deal of support.
Co-occurring difficulties may be evident in some cases e.g. some children may have language difficulties and dyslexia, find maths difficult due to their dyslexic difficulties with sequencing and memory for instance (more on next slide)
Severity and persistence over time can be measured through well founded interventions such as individualised literacy interventions- by carefully tracking their progress over time.

7. Phonological Awareness
Phonological awareness is thought to be a key skill in early reading and spelling development.
It is the ability to identify how words are made up of smaller units of sound, known as phonemes. Changes in the sounds that make up words can lead to changes in their meaning.
So, for example, a child with a good level of phonological awareness would understand that if you change the letter ‘p’ in the word ‘pat’ to ‘s’, the word would become ‘sat’.
Talk through the slide
Ask someone to have a go at the following spoonerisms:
King John
Miss Fit
Smart Top
Train Station

8. Verbal memory
Verbal memory is the ability to remember a sequence of verbal information for a short period of time.
For example, the ability to remember a short list such as ‘red, blue, green’, or a set of simple instructions, such as ‘put on your gloves and your hat, find the lead for the dog, and then go to the park’.
We tend to overload children with instructions- at best they might remember the first and last things you said.
You can often see a child who has poor memory skills as they look to others to see what they are meant to be doing.
Numbers:
2745
49821
357142

9. Working Memory
Pupils with dyslexia are highly likely to have poor verbal memory and verbal processing skills.
Working memory is closely associated with the ability to learn, and academic attainment.
More than 80% of pupils with poor working memory fail to achieve expected levels of attainment in both reading and maths
Hold and process:
2435
93765
523784

10. Verbal processing speed
Verbal processing speed is the time that it takes to process and recognise familiar verbal information, such as letters and digits.
For example, your verbal processing speed is the time that it takes you to look at the following numbers and letters - ‘B’, ‘B,’ ‘C’, 1’, and then realise that the information relates to the name of the television channel BBC1.

11. Red Green Blue Red Yellow Yellow Blue Blue Green Yellow
Red Red Blue Green Blue Red
Green Yellow Blue Red Green
Yellow Red Green Blue Blue
Red Blue Red Yellow Yellow
Ask the staff to have a go at this with a partner.
Say the colour you see (not the word).

12. Developmental Phases of Dyslexia Early Years
Difficulties recalling the label for common objects, colours, names etc
Difficulties remembering nursery rhymes
Slow to pick up phonic skills
Enjoys being read to, but shows no interest in letters or words
Often appears to be “not listening” or “not paying attention”
Later than expected learning to speak clearly
Persistent word-searching

13. Developmental Phases of Dyslexia Primary School
Difficulties continue with reading and spelling.
Continues to write letters and figures the wrong way round b/d, on/no
Has difficulty remembering sequences such as: times tables, alphabet, days of the week etc.
Leaves letters out of words or puts them in the wrong order

14. Developmental Phases of Dyslexia Primary School
Still needs to use fingers or marks on paper to make simple calculations.
Poor concentration and attention.
May have problems understanding what he/she has read.
Takes longer than average to do written work.
Problems processing language at speed.

15. Developmental Phases of Dyslexia Secondary School
As for primary schools, plus:
Continues to reads inaccurately and perhaps slowly
Continues to have difficulties in spelling.
Needs to have instructions repeated.

16. Developmental Phases of Dyslexia Secondary School
Gets 'tied up' using long words, e.g. 'preliminary', 'philosophical'.
Has difficulty with planning and writing essays.
Has difficulty processing complex language or long series of instructions at speed.

17. In addition Poor self-esteem Good days and bad days
Apparent poor motivation
Inappropriate behaviour, which can indicate frustration and anxiety

18. Strengths
Creativity
Thinking laterally and making unexpected connections
Problem-solving skills
Seeing the 'big picture'
Good visual skills, thinking easily in 3-D
Good verbal skills
Good social skills

19. Read the text aloud to your partner Swap half way down the page
Activity
In pairs:
Read the text aloud to your partner
Swap half way down the page
Staff to work with a partner.
Ask them to read out loud and swap half way.
Ask them to think how the activity is making them feel.
Allow time to get to the end.
Walk round and note how they are doing for feedback- stand behind people who are struggling as you can then ask them how they felt about that!
Feedback- usually there is lots of feedback about font/spacing/bdp confusions/small words like was/saw, someone is much better than someone else, making someone feel stressed/stupid/don’t want to do it/ how was their comprehension? Etc…

20. Writing Activity Activity
Tell the staff to think of their most recent holiday and write 5 sentences in your best handwriting.
Before they start add one of two ‘barriers’ -put your pen in your non-preferred hand, and every time you need to write an ‘e’ put instead.
Feedback- did they dumb down the content, was it laborious with their other hand, did they do their best handwriting, did it reflect their verbal ability?

21. ﻑ ﺝ ﻀ ﯟ ﻫﻱ ﺸ ﺙ ﮔ ﻇ ﻀ ﯟ ﯛ ﯥ ﺌ ﺤ ﺧ ףּ צּ Activity
ﻑ ﺝ ﻀ ﯟ ﻫﻱ ﺸ ﺙ ﮔ ﻇ ﻀ ﯟ ﯛ ﯥ ﺌ ﺤ ﺧ ףּ צּ
Activity
Ask staff to copy this onto their sheet (ask them to have a blank space as its harder to copy from the board)
Give them a time pressure.
Feedback- tell them it is the date (in arabic)
Ask them if they feel that writing the long date is that important to all children.

23. Graduated Response to Assessment
Code of Practice (2001)
5:11
The importance of early identification, assessment and provision for any child who may have special educational needs cannot be over-emphasised
……..assessment should not be seen as a single event but rather as a continuing process.
Highlight the last part of the sentence- more to follow.

24. Talk through this diagram from the bottom of the triangle up.
Foundation Stage Profile

25. Explain how this could be used as a tool at the beginning of a graduated response.
A classroom observation of the child could be carried out by Teacher or TA.
One if these ‘wheels’ could be completed.
Look for clusters of difficulties although most will probably have difficulties in a number of areas.
Discuss whether at this stage it is shared with SENCO/Parents.

26. Martock’s Graduated Response Foundation stage/Year 1
Foundation Stage profile
National Curriculum Levels
Dyslexia Checklists/wheel
RWI Phonic, Number box, language, phonological awareness, working memory assessments
Response to small group teaching
Response to 1:1 RWI tutoring/Number box

27. Martock’s Graduated Response
Year 2 onwards
Response to Individual Literacy Programme
Diagnostic Dyslexia assessment

28. Co-occuring difficulties
Assessment may also be needed to establish difficulties with:
Language
Coordination
Maths
Concentration
Organisation
Build a profile of strengths and difficulties

29. Helping at home