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SPOTLIGHT ON SEND Dyslexia and the


Matthew Effect In her regular column for Education Today this month, independent Specialist Teacher and Assessor JOANNE GLADDERS looks at the Matthew Effect and its applicability to Dyslexia.


Assessors who assess for Specific Learning Difficulty – Dyslexia have to work to the standards as set out by the Specific Learning Difficulty Assessment Standards Committee (SASC). An Assessment Practising Certificate (APC) is important to an assessor as it shows that they are working at the standard expected for assessors. An APC has to be renewed every three years and to do this an assessor has to submit an anonymised report for review by an assessment body. In addition, a comprehensive review of professional development as to how they are maintaining their knowledge has to be submitted. Why do I share this with you? As part of my professional development I


have just undertaken a period of mentoring and, as part of this, I have considered how a learner’s language skills can impact upon their reading skills and how those reading skills can impact upon language skills. We expect this to be the case for young people with Speech and Language difficulties but this can also be the case for a young person who potentially has a Specific Learning Difficulty – Dyslexia. As part of my mentoring discussions, I was introduced to the Matthew Effect.


So, what is the Matthew Effect? Wikipedia explain it as: The Matthew effect of accumulated advantage, Matthew principle, or Matthew effect for short, is sometimes summarized by the adage " the rich get richer and the poor get poorer ". The concept is applicable to matters of fame or status, but may also be applied literally to cumulative advantage of economic capital.


This idea was mooted by Keith Stanovich in 1986. This visual from


Delaware Department of Education explains it well. A learner who struggles to read will not develop a love for reading and


will therefore avoid reading at all costs. This will mean that they don’t improve their vocabulary and understanding of language as they will not want to be seen as a struggling reader. This will, in turn, affect their language ability as they will not develop an understanding of language. Subsequently this will impact upon their comprehension skills. The key question for me as an assessor is how do we distinguish


between a specific Speech and Language difficulty and a Specific Literacy Difficulty? It is possible for a learner to have difficulties in both areas and this makes it very hard to unpick. However, if we turn to the Rose Definition (2009) it is clear that we need to look for evidence in other areas to support our diagnosis. Educational history and background information are key to this process.


Dyslexia is a learning difficulty that primarily affects the skills involved in accurate and fluent word reading and spelling. Characteristic features of dyslexia are difficulties in phonological awareness, verbal memory and verbal processing speed. Dyslexia occurs across the range of intellectual abilities. It is best thought of as a continuum, not a distinct category, and there are no clear cut-off points. Co-occurring difficulties may be seen in aspects of language, motor coordination, mental calculation, concentration and personal organisation, but these are not, by themselves, markers of dyslexia. A good indication of the severity and persistence of dyslexic difficulties can be gained by examining how the individual responds, or has responded, to well founded intervention.


(Rose Report, 2009) To conclude, why do I consider this important? Consider the learners


that you teach; is there anyone that fits into the Matthew effect outlined above? If so, how can you support them to develop their language skills? How could you enrich their understanding of vocabulary and instil confidence for them to ‘have a go’ at reading to develop their learning.


Tailoring phonics instruction for


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


Phonics and reading is at the heart of literacy development. For children with SEN it's also the foundation of their communication which is essential for their overall progress. The government's recent publication has put the use of systematic synthetic phonics programmes at the forefront of teaching. To ensure pupils with SEN make the progress they should with reading, it's essential teachers tailor all instruction to meet individual needs of pupils. With that said, the British Dyslexia Association has suggested 25% of children cannot learn to read by learning phonics alone.


Bedrocks of literacy An effective whole-school literacy strategy should include activities that support children with SEN in developing reading, spelling, fluency, and comprehension. These foundations include: • Speech sound awareness - to be able to split words into their individual sounds • Knowledge of the alphabet • Map out the sound of a letter to their written form So how can teachers ensure they're catering for all of their student's


needs?


Blended learning One way is to use a blended learning approach which involves using different resources and methods to suit each child. This could include using technology, apps, books and games that focus on letter sounds as well as whole words and meaning. SEN pupils will often benefit from explicit teaching of phonics through small group or one-to-one sessions. It's important these sessions are interactive and fun with plenty of opportunities for pupils to practise.


Clear and consistent feedback SEN pupils in particular need clear, consistent, and specific feedback to help them understand what they're doing well and what they need to improve.


Differentiation It's also important for teachers to differentiate phonics instruction according to each pupil's needs. This could involve differentiating the speed, level, and type of instruction. For example, some pupils might need more time to learn new sounds or words while others might benefit from being taught in a small group.


Orthography and morphemes Research suggests that knowledge of orthography (how words are written) and morphemes (the smallest grammatical unit of speech) should be taught alongside phonics. This can support the learning of phonemic, morphemic and orthographic units in words simultaneously.


Multi-sensory teaching Using wooden, plastic or play dough letters allows for a multi-sensory experience. Encouraging children to trace with their fingers too is a great way to learn the physical representation of letters.


Embed non-phonic words Using mnemonics for words like 'said' supports the memory and recall for students with SEN.


Identify barriers early Regular formative testing of your student's reading progress ensures that any potential issues can be addressed and supported straight away. Whilst the teaching and learning of phonics certainly has its place in the


curriculum. It's imperative that teachers remember that it's not the only avenue to reading progress for children with SEN. Getting 'stuck' can be detrimental to their self-esteem and confidence. Being flexible and tailoring your literacy toolkit to each individual student


can ensure that every child's reading journey will adequately cater to their needs.


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


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