SPOTLIGHT ON SEND The simple view of reading
In her regular column for Education Today this month, independent Specialist Teacher and Assessor JOANNE GLADDERS looks at the teaching of phonics in a SEND setting.
How should phonics be taught at secondary school? This is a question that I am currently reflecting on with a secondary school that I work with. Many of the young people have difficulties with their reading and writing skills. This is particularly the case as a result of the pandemic and home schooling. In the document The Reading Framework, published in July 2021, the key points that struck me in relation to answer my question are:
• School Leaders and SENCO’s must take responsibility for making sure all pupils make rapid progress. • The need to determine whether the pupils have difficulty with word reading (decoding), language comprehension or both of these. • The suggestion of plotting the pupils on the quadrants of The Simple View of Reading to glean an overview of need. • Phonics Programme should be SSP approved and age appropriate. • Schools can design their own programme but must match the guidance on a good SSP programmes.
The Simple View of Reading as cited on Phonics International website
These initial thoughts then posed further considerations: • How do we identify difficulties in phonics? • Do we use Accelerated reader and phonic assessment to plot the pupils on the quadrant? • What do we use to move the learners forward in their learning?
The Simple View of Reading is a powerful tool to share with staff and to consider where our learner fit in the different quadrants. Each quadrant impacts upon teaching and learning, and understanding of this is integral to the teaching and learning that takes place within the classroom.
In order to read efficiently and effectively a young person needs both good word decoding skills and good comprehension skills. There are many other factors that can impact upon their skills in these areas. The impact of processing speed, understanding of vocabulary and their retention of what they have read can influence how they read and understand text. This list is not exhaustive and there are many other considerations that can affect reading skills. The answer to my original question, How should phonics be taught at
secondary school? Is still ongoing. The school I am working with and I have made the decision to assess the phonic knowledge of the young people in Years 7 and 8 and to correlate this information with other assessments for example, accelerated reading, CATS, a Whole School Language assessment and a Dyslexia Screener to place the young people on the Simple View of Reading Quadrants. The important message for me to share with you is the importance of
questioning what we do and how we do it. To not shy away from discussing what could be deemed as the impossible – assessing the phonological skills of all of Years 7 and 8 is extremely time consuming but the overarching aim is to enhance teaching and learning by knowing the needs of our pupils and how these could impact their learning.
http://www.phonicsinternational.com/The_Simple_View_of_Reading_model.pdf
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/atta chment_data/file/1000986/Reading_framework_Teaching_the_foundations_of_l iteracy_-_July-2021.pdf
December 2021
How to avoid Christmas calamity
with your SEN pupils In her column for Education Today this month, regular contributor HANNAH RIX, SEND English teacher and co-founder of Readingmate Ltd, reflects on Christmas and how the festive season can cause upset in children with SEND.
Now Halloween has passed it’s acceptable to start using the ‘C’ word, isn’t it? I’m pretty sure I’m not the only teacher who loves this time of year. The nativities, church visits, decorations, all of it fills me with an extraordinary level of excitement. But this excitement isn’t necessarily reciprocated from all
parents. Don’t get me wrong, I’m positive that every parent goes above and beyond to make Christmas special for their little ones. However, some parents I’ve spoken with have said the holidays, especially the Christmas holidays, bring an immense amount of pressure. This comes from a multitude of factors including financial, mental, physical, and emotional strains. For these parents, opportunities for respite are sparse and
the festivities themselves can be hugely turbulent for children with SEN. Naturally, the children I teach rely on routine and consistency both of which are far and few between in school holidays. However, Christmas is another level of disruption. Routine and structures are turned inside out and upside down. Not to mention the fact that many children with SEN may not even enjoy or understand the concept of Christmas. I’ve had several devastating conversations with parents over
the years who are crestfallen by their child’s lack of engagement with, and enjoyment of, Christmas. As a parent, I’m sure one of the things you look forward to most is sharing Christmas with your little ones. When this pleasure is taken away, that must be exceptionally hard to come to terms with. Let’s consider the children’s perspective for a moment: they
crave routine, diligently rely on it, and if it’s not in place, the world doesn’t make sense and becomes very scary. Think of it like this, at Christmas, everything is different: the food, music, people, bedtimes, mealtimes, crowds, lights, sights, and sounds. Add on a hearing or visual impairment, physical or sensory need and it sounds quite daunting, doesn’t it? None of this occurred to me until I started teaching in a
specialist SEN school. Of course, I’d taught children with SEN in my previous schools but not to the degree I do now. As I write this, I certainly don’t want to put teachers off celebrating Christmas with their students. Perhaps just ensure there’s some semblance of normality in the classroom. For example, an undecorated room, quiet space, sticking to the same routine (where possible) and prepare familiar alternatives to the festive activities. There’s no need to throw out the tinsel, do away with the
decorations and cancel Santa Claus. In fact, I implore you to continue with these traditions and make the run-up Christmas the most magical time possible. Because for some of these children, their parents and carers may be so tired from the constant routine of caring for their children that they may not have the energy to celebrate at home. Just make allowances, considerations, and exemptions for those that just want a ‘normal’ school day.
www.education-today.co.uk 19
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