SEN Tweets of the week and dyspraxia


record of what they need to learn. Children with poor handwriting often cannot decipher their own notes and they are also notorious for losing handouts. This is where a learning platform can come into its own, so long as the child knows where to find resources. Some students do not do well in exams because


they have not remembered enough information. They need to start revising earlier for their next exams, to set themselves specific goals and maybe follow a reviewing system so they do not forget the things they learned at the start of the revision process. Make sure that you keep revisiting topics you have


already revised even if it is only for five minutes at the beginning or end of a lesson. Teach them to understand what works best for them.


Some children do better if they speak out loud and do not just read silently. Singing facts along to a tune can also help get them into the memory. This is especially good for learning quotations for literature and history exams and for learning times tables too. Sometimes pupils misinterpret a question. If this


is the case, get hold of past papers and revision study guides with model answers and train them to identify what a question is really asking for. Children are often told to plan but some have no


idea what this means. Get them to jot down everything they know on a subject in five minutes using key words or pictures, then to highlight the bits which would be relevant to particular questions. Making mind maps helps to organise and fix information especially for those who have strong visual skills. Above all, make sure that the facts go into their


long-term memory. Ms Mitchell explains: “As much as 80 per cent of information learned is forgotten within a day. So in order to retain information children need to keep reviewing it until it is securely placed in the long- term memory, otherwise it may not be recalled under pressure.”


SecEd


• Sal McKeown is a trainer and journalist specialising in educational technology and SEN. She is author of the book,How to Help your Dyslexic and Dyspraxic Child.


This week: Professor Dylan Wiliam from London’s Institute of Education called for Ofsted to subject its inspectors to evaluation of their reliability. He also said that 30-minute lesson snapshots were not a reliable measure of a teacher’s ability.


“I asked an Ofsted inspector if they’d ever taught. No, but had ‘observed over 100’. I’ve seen all of ER, am I a doctor?”


@SysThinkReview


“I trust the judgement of my learning mentor/head more than an inspector who’s just


flown in.” @RespectMyCrest


“A failing teacher I know was observed and given ‘good’ by Ofsted. They just get a


snapshot and it’s unrealistic.” @cateca


“I’ve observed lots of lessons. Find it easy to spot faults, but (I am still)


watching a good lesson.” @DexNott www.twitter.com/SecEd_Education


pupils with limited communication skills may not understand what is going on and may find it hard to put their thoughts into words. Sometimes children with dyslexia and dyspraxia


may appear to be aggressive because they cannot engage in subtleties of language, so they make bald statements which sound confrontational. Simon, another of the case studies, says the right


things but in the wrong way: “At times his voice does not reflect the right intonation for what he is trying to convey so he can give the wrong impression. Despite being a good reader, he doesn’t read aloud well because his pitch and tone vary so much.”


Supporting revision


Exam time can be especially stressful. Children with specific learning difficulties are not good at building up ideas and knowledge bit-by-bit. They need to see the whole picture and then can see how the parts they are learning fit into the bigger plan. Unfortunately, many well meaning teachers start at


the beginning and go over the basics more and more slowly. The pupil gets frustrated and still has no idea of what they are supposed to be doing. Sometimes you need to go faster to get anywhere at all. Do not be afraid to give them a map of the whole topic or the whole term’s work and make sure there is a copy of the syllabus that they can consult. Teachers are good at breaking subjects into


manageable bits, but do not be afraid to mention revision guides and study sites to parents. If your school has all the necessary exams resources and examples of past question papers on the learning platform make sure you take children through it and if possible send information home to parents too.


SecEd • February 9 2012


Resources may be available, but that does not mean


that a disorganised child can access them. For some children it is like looking for a needle in a haystack. Check that they know the folders or pathways which are important. Jane Mitchell, a former speech and language


therapist, now runs CALSC, a software company that teaches techniques for improving memory. She says that some children dedicate all their mental energy to recalling facts so they cannot apply them or construct an essay type answer. First of all, make sure their notes are a good


SecEd reader discount


Sal McKeown’s book, How to Help your Dyslexic and Dyspraxic Child, contains advice from experts and case studies of six young people aged 10 to 18. While written primarily for the parent market, it contains insights which will help secondary teachers support children, especially at exam time. The book has a foreword by Tom Pellereau, winner of the Apprentice, and SecEd readers can get a 10 per cent discount if they order online from www.crimsonbooks.co.uk (at the checkout, enter the promotional code SecEd).


STEM Secondment Opportunity


A secondment is available for a senior teacher with National Grid – one of the largest investor-owned energy companies in the world.


“A great opportunity to interact with people using high-end science and engineering skills & find out how they use the knowledge that schools teach.”


Length of Secondment: Two terms Location: Warwick


Funding: A bursary will contribute towards the cost of supply cover Start date: February/March 2012


For an application pack and further details, contact Estelle Khiari Tel:


Email: e.khiari@hti.org.uk Web: www.hti.org.uk


Quote reference: NG 11/12 024 7669 8524


Through its Stretch Secondment Programme, education leadership charity HTI is offering an exciting two-term secondment working within National Grid’s Gas Network Investment Team.


• An exciting opportunity for an established or aspiring school/subject leader with a STEM background and a passion for encouraging STEM students.


• A chance to work with, support and learn from one of the UK’s biggest engineering companies and build links for your school.


• You will lead on a knowledge-capture project among high skill design engineers, meet many National Grid staff and learn about the practical application of STEM in the workplace.


• You will be given significant leadership shadowing opportunities, gain real experience of how management and decision-making works in a FTSE top 100 organisation.


Based in Warwick, the Gas Network Investment Team consists of almost 100 people and is responsible for the planning and development of the Gas National Transmission System – an 8,000km high integrity network routinely carrying 40 per cent of the nation’s primary energy.


The secondment will help to enhance your leadership capability and the successful candidate would be expected to return to their school with a legacy for future pupils, including positive messages about STEM subjects.


Stretch is an initiative created by HTI to provide senior teachers and business with the opportunity to benefit from sharing and exploring transferable skills, knowledge and understanding, via flexible interim projects.


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