Page 31 - ELG1801 Jan Issue 453
P. 31
REVIEWS & RESOURCES
You may need help
to identify pupils
with learning
differences
4. Phonological awareness Make the classroom infer your meaning – spell it out.
Although it is not easy to evaluate the accessible for all Explain and demonstrate how language
phonological systems of somebody with whom patterns work, rather than leaving students to
we don’t share a first language, there are a Regardless of the cause of any individual make their own assumptions.
couple of things to check: learner’s issues, we still need to accommodate
Perception of rhythm – ask the learner to their difficulties. There are many simple things Offer multisensory and
clap back a simple rhythm. that can be done to make the classroom more multimodal activities.
Phonemic manipulation skills – ask the accessible for everybody: Suggest additional activities that allow
learner to say a very familiar word but with the learners to use all sensory channels at once;
first phoneme missing. If this is easy, move on Provide opportunities for acting out dialogues, using tokens to represent
to asking him/her to remove the final sound, or recapping and reviewing sentence or narrative structure and talking
a medial sound. Help students to develop better memory through writing tasks all add extra dimensions.
strategies. Using technology allows learners to alter the
5. Speed If visual memory is stronger, encourage presentation and layout of a page to suit them.
Many neurodiverse learners process the use of memory pictures, mind-maps and
information more slowly, or less accurately, visualisation techniques, such as ‘The Roman Nurture self-awareness and self-
than their peers. We can evaluate this by: Room’. esteem.
Asking the learner to name a series of If auditory memory is stronger, strategies Help students to reflect on how they are
pictures of objects as fast as possible – using the such as repeating words with varying volumes, learning, what is going well and what needs
first language if desired singing example sentences, or clapping rhythms more attention.
Asking the learner to say the months of may be more helpful. Take every opportunity to catch a student
the year as fast as possible forwards, and then doing something good, and praise him/her for
backwards (in the first language). Listen Break large tasks / words into it. Share this with their peers, family and other
carefully for hesitation, or self-correction, or manageable chunks tutors, if possible.
even missing months. Guide students to plan writing step by step, Build a culture of collaboration and mutual
and to develop pre-reading techniques that respect in your classroom.
.6. Interpreting the results help them explore texts in sections.
Once we have observed the learner Encourage them to plan their time using
performing these kinds of tasks, we might a diary or calendar, so that they spread their Dr Anne Margaret Smith runs ELT
decide whether the pattern of difficulties work over the available time. Well – an organisation which offers
indicate an SpLD – when considered in the CPD, materials and resources for
light of the background information we have. Give really clear instructions and teachers as well as holistic
If we can account for the difficulties any other explicit feedback. assessments and tuition for
way then an SpLD becomes less likely. Do not assume that students will be able to neurodiverse learners. eltwell.com
editorial@elgazette.com 49
