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SPOTLIGHT ON SEND


Challenging and supporting with


appropriate interventions In her regular column for Education Today this month, independent Specialist Teacher and Assessor JOANNE GLADDERS explains how to keep pupil outcomes front of mind when working with young people with reading and spelling difficulties.


Over the last few months, I have shared some of the work that I have been part of, supporting and identifying young people with underlying phonological difficulties which are impacting upon their reading and spelling skills. This stemmed from the document The Reading Framework published by the DFE in July 2021in which it was made explicit that:


Reading is fundamental to education. Proficiency in reading, writing and spoken language is vital for pupils’ success. Through these, they develop communication skills for education and for working with others: in school, in training and at work. Pupils who find it difficult to learn to read are likely to struggle across the curriculum, since English is both a subject in its own right and the medium for teaching. (Page 7)


As part of this process, we have explored the process of reading and


the underpinning skills it requires. I have shared with you the Scarborough reading rope that shows how all the different components are interweaved together and the simpler diagram of the Simple View of Reading. As part of my discussions and questioning of the purpose behind why


we do things with the young people, and the impact of assessments and support on their learning, it became apparent that, actually, sometimes we do things because we can, rather than considering the impact first. Let me explain further. Following the assessment of Years 7 and 8 on their phonological


awareness skills, the Speech and Language Therapist (SALT) and I sat down to plot each pupil on the Simple View of Reading grid. The SALT assesses all the young people using the whole school language assessment and it was this we had decided to use for the language axis. The whole school language assessment focuses very much on the demonstration of the young person’s oral skills; their understanding of language without having to read. Likewise, this was the same for the Phonological Awareness assessments. We debated why we would use this information to plot each person on the simple view of reading. It was very apparent in our discussions that just because the young person might have the oral language skills, that did not necessarily translate into their reading skills. However, as underpinning skills, they certainly indicated capacity to achieve or if a young person warranted further investigation or targeted intervention. The outcome of these discussions was to modify the simple view of


reading and customise it to our work. We amended the axis and customised it to show the simple view of language and phonological awareness. It was very evident as we plotted the young people that there were young people in the top right-hand quadrant that demonstrated good skills in both, but were not replicating these skills in their attainment. Our job as specialist practitioners is to engage in the conversations that


this grid offers us and ensure that our young people are challenged or supported with appropriate intervention. The key message for us was to always question and re-engage with the key aims of why we do something and, more importantly, to ensure that whatever we do has an impact on the teaching and learning which ensures pupil outcomes.


Why are we choosing to censor our children


with SEN? In her column this month regular contributor HANNAH RIX, SEND English teacher and co-founder of Readingmate Ltd, explains how to help SEN students make sense of an increasingly complex world.


Children with SEN are some of the most vulnerable members of our community. This is true for many reasons but in my experience it's mostly because they're so often overlooked when it comes to talking about 'sensitive' or 'difficult' issues – anything from managing and maintaining healthy relationships to understanding the scary and confusing world around them. When I was Literacy and PSHCE lead at a complex needs school, the


pandemic hit. On a Wednesday afternoon, letters were sent home to students telling them not to return to school indefinitely. At the time we all thought it was temporary and we’d be back within a week or so. Little did we know, we weren’t going to see most of those children for over a year. Some of those children still have not returned to school. When we reopened for the few students that did want to return, my team and I rallied around to try and make school as ‘normal’ as possible, until it occurred to me that making school a safe ‘bubble’ that wasn’t reflective of the world around them, would do more harm than good. Instead, we created social stories and role play that mirrored what life was like now. Thankfully, we’ve come a long way since then, and have continued to


support our students in every way that makes them ready for life beyond school. This attitude is something I feel every teacher of SEN students should adopt. In my opinion, just because they’re unable to see, hear, or experience the world in the same way as you or me, that doesn’t mean they won’t feel the same emotions or face the same challenges. Don’t get me wrong: discussing sensitive issues such as the news and


current affairs, e-safety, drug and alcohol abuse, mental health and well- being, puberty, sex and relationships is quite uncomfortable (for you and the student). But we shouldn’t let our own embarrassment get in the way of students’ safety and well-being.


When planning for these kinds of lessons, my advice would be:


• Inform parents and guardians beforehand of the sensitive matters you wish to discuss. Sign post them to helpful websites and resources so they can be prepared for any questions at home


• Use stories to teach the lessons


• Make the most of role play (when appropriate). I found this particularly helpful with discussing healthy and unhealthy relationships. Acting out or reading out scenarios for students to discuss together makes the experience more engaging and less threatening


• Use films and children’s TV clips to demonstrate situations for discussion


• Avoid negative language such as ‘good’ or ‘bad’ and swap for ‘comfortable’, ‘uncomfortable’ or ‘public’ and ‘private’


• Take your time. Spend an entire term on one topic. It’s better to be thorough than rush it and miss understanding • Be open to questions and admit if you don’t know something


• Do your research on the pupils in your class and their personal experiences before tackling anything too difficult


April 2022 www.education-today.co.uk 19


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