SPOTLIGHT ON SEND Turning theory into practice


In her regular column for Education Today this month, independent Specialist Teacher and Assessor JOANNE GLADDERS continues her look at reading and phonics and explains how theory can easily be turned into practice.


Following last month’s article where I considered phonics teaching at secondary school, I thought I would share with you how this work is progressing. The key message I shared last month was the importance of questioning what we do and how we do it. In addition, I would like to add why we do it. At the heart of the changes and initiatives we implement our young people should be at the heart of it. A Speech and Language Therapist Colleague and I led staff awareness


training at a Special Secondary School. Our key aim was to know what phonics is and its importance in reading and spelling. A key outcome was why phonics is applicable at secondary school. So why does it matter? How do we as adults use our phonic skills on a daily basis?


Take the following sentences: Hay dos personas tocando la guitarra Hay un perro y un gato El niño querría un trozo de pastel de chocolate Hay nubes en el cielo


Without using google translate – how would you approach reading the sentences and decoding their meaning? Would a picture help?


How does the picture aid your understanding? How often do we omit giving the young people visual cues to aid them with their understanding? What skills did you use? What made it easier? What made it harder?


The skills most adults would use include: • Chunking words into syllables and use their sound knowledge (phonics) • Thinking in sounds when they write new or challenging words • Making links to words they already know how to spell • Using vocabulary knowledge


Reading is incredibly complex, and the following diagram demonstrates this.


Underpinning phonic skills are just part of the whole reading process. However, they are an important part of both reading and writing. Why is this important at Key Stage 3 and 4?


In order to achieve, learners need to be able to: • Know and use the alphabetic code • Blend • Segment • Writing skills • Apply to word (vocabulary), sentence and comprehension level • Be fluent in their application


The DFE Reading Framework 2021 states 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.


Consider how you could support your learner’s in applying their phonic skills in the classroom. How can you support and / or enhance their skills?


February 2022 Key literacy skills for


pupils with SEN In her column this month regular contributor HANNAH RIX, SEND English teacher and co- founder of Readingmate Ltd, looks at literacy in a SEND context.


Following the publication of the government’s systematic synthetic phonics programmes, literacy is on every school’s agenda. Teachers are acutely aware of the fundamental role literacy has in a child’s life. These skills really are the bedrock to all learning which means it has to be a key area of focus in schools, but especially for students with SEN. In my experience, if you have


high expectations of your students, the likelihood of their success is greater. Therefore, strategic, targeted and appropriately differentiated literacy interventions are paramount for these students to excel. It goes without saying that the methods you employ should


entirely depend on the student’s needs. When delivering any intervention for your students with SEN, it’s integral to maintain a flexible approach. With that in mind, consider how your students with SEN approach the foundations of literacy: speech and sound awareness, knowledge of the alphabet, ability to write the sound of a letter to their written form. It’s important not to consider phonics-based teaching as the


only path to reading progress. Dwelling on these skills for too long can significantly impact their confidence and overall engagement with reading. When teaching non-phonetic words to my students I’ve


found using rhymes and mnemonics to help memorise the spelling of these. If you’re using mnemonics, try not to make it too complicated and keep the narrative simple and entertaining. For example, ‘does’ would be ‘Dave Offered Ellie Sandwiches’. An additional change I found hugely impactful and involved


minimal effort was organising our library shelves like a ‘shop window’. Having your library appropriately resourced (based on your learner’s preferences and abilities) is essential for your students with SEN (but can also be beneficial for all students too). Have your books facing forward, organise by themes (to cater to interests and hobbies) and make sure book displays live beyond the library too – classrooms, school hall, communal areas or even the playground (weather pending). Make reading an option everywhere in your school, for every child. By doing this, I’m certain you’ll see attitudes towards reading shift and a love of reading grow. All of which should have a profound impact on literacy skills as a whole. Some other useful tips include: keep outcomes or


expectations clearly displayed in a visually pleasing format, use a multi-sensory method when teaching spellings (read it, say it, cover it and write it), provide word list/vocabulary banks to support independent writing and reading, avoid speaking whilst having your back turned to pupils (they should be able to see your face and mouth whilst delivering instructions) and ensure you’re using a total communication approach (find the right combination of communication methods) when supporting your students. Whatever you decide to employ within your setting, keeping


instruction of any and all literacy skills to short, sharp bursts is imperative to keep your learners engaged, entertained (most importantly) enthused about literacy.


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