SPOTLIGHT ON SEND


The Reading Framework In her regular column for Education


Today this month, independent Specialist Teacher and Assessor JOANNE GLADDERS looks at the promotion of reading proficiency in line with the DfE’s “The Reading Framework”.


One of the key items on the spring term agenda for one of my schools is promoting the teaching of phonics to support and improve learners’ reading and writing skills. So why is this important to all secondary school teachers? In the document “The Reading Framework” published by the DfE in July 2021 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) The key points I took from the document are as follows: • School Leaders and SENCOs 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 document suggests plotting the pupils on the quadrants of The Simple View of Reading.


• Phonics Programme should be SSP approved and age appropriate. • You can design your own programme, but it must match the guidance on good SSP programmes.


Key considerations • How do we identify difficulties in phonics? • What information do we choose to plot on the quadrant? • What do we use to move learners forward? • How do engage teachers and upskill all their knowledge of skills needed to read and write effectively?


Stop leaving our deaf children behind


In her column this month regular contributor HANNAH RIX, SEND English teacher and co- founder of Readingmate Ltd, reacts to a recent survey highlighting the lack of specialist staff and support for deaf children.


The National Deaf Children’s Society conducted a survey that found two in three teachers don’t know how to teach deaf children. With 35,000 deaf


children in schools across England (vast majority of which are in mainstream schools), this is a devastating and shocking statistic. The lack of specialist staff and support for teachers means that many of these students go on to achieve an entire grade less at GCSE even though deafness isn’t considered a learning disability. Until schools are provided with more specialist support for these deaf children, it’s entirely down to teachers to do what they can to cater to their needs. However, cuts to fund Teachers of the Deaf is having a huge impact on the outcomes of these children. The combination of teachers lacking the expertise and minimal support in schools, means the gap between the hearing impaired and their peers continues to grow. In my experience, I’ve found the reintroduction of face masks hugely detrimental to students with hearing impairments. The majority of their communication with peers and adults completely relies upon being able to lip read and gauge facial expressions. Face coverings are quite literally prohibiting these children from communicating, contributing and being included in society.


Not only do face coverings limit their communication opportunities but they also limit their educational progress too. In our school we use visors or clear face masks where possible or just stand at a distance from the students and don’t wear a covering at all. Teachers are working harder than ever and catering to a huge array of needs. But it’s highly likely you’ll teach at least one deaf child within your career. To support your deaf students, you can:


Scarborough’s “Reading Rope”


In addition to the Simple View of Reading, which was adopted by the DFE in 2007, I find the above diagram really useful. It clearly shows the many layers that are interwoven together which leads to a skilled reader. In order to achieve at GCSE level and beyond our learners need to be skilled readers. These skills are applicable throughout the curriculum areas and therefore all teachers need to be aware of and know how to support learners within their subject areas. Reading recent Ofsted reports it is also apparent that this is a key theme beginning to run through them. Key recommendations state that all staff need to be trained in order to support pupils who have gaps in their phonic knowledge. In addition, there is a need to identify pupils who need support with their phonic knowledge and are supported to enable them to catch up quickly.


The key message coming out of Ofsted reports that focus on this area for development is that pupils with difficulties in this area are unable to read with accuracy and therefore do not access the curriculum as well as they should.


Next month I will look at how this might be translated into practice. January 2022


• Identify communication needs • Communicate slowly with limited vocabulary • Use visual aids to support any new learning • Involve parents in interventions to support learning • Minimise the use of figurative language, idioms and colloquialisms • Provide a quiet area if needed • Remove and/or limit background noise • Model and signal active listening behaviours


• Be aware that group work is particularly challenging so encourage students to talk one at a time


• Repeat and clarify student’s participations or instructions and get them to repeat back to you


• Connect new information or ideas to things the child already knows.


Working in a specialist school, I’m very fortunate to work alongside specialist support assistants who sign for my deaf students, but I know this is very rarely the case in mainstream schools. My primary advice for teachers would be to ensure that every task, environment, and activity is structured and considered from a deaf child’s point of view. Although deafness can be limiting it should not be a barrier to entry when it comes to their education.


If you’re in need of additional support or guidance for your deaf students, The National Deaf Children’s Society has some excellent resources too.


www.education-today.co.uk 19


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