Strategies For The Primary Child

STRATEGIES TO USE WITH THE PRIMARY AGED STUDENT AND THE C-PEN READER PEN 

 Children who experience reading difficulties will be introduced to a range of strategies and evidenced based programmes to help them overcome the issues they are facing when learning to read.  Their difficulties may include dyslexia, cognitive issues and hearing loss.   

The C-Pen Reader Pen is another supportive strategy which has been shown to help the student with dyslexia.  Therefore, to ensure you get the best use of the pen within the classroom environment we have put together a step-by-step guide to support the individual learning needs of your students. 

1.    How to hold the pen: It can be incredibly frustrating for the student who finds it difficult to hold the pen and they will often state ‘it isn’t working’.  Getting to grips with the pen and feeling comfortable is a positive step forward:

·      Place your index finger along the top of the pen, resting comfortably, place your thumb along the bottom of the pen, the rest of your fingers should fall comfortably behind the pen.  Wave it around, got a good grip?  Excellent, not too tight and if too loose it will fly across the room (not a good idea).

·      Now pop the front of the pen onto your paper or page, did a light come on?  Excellent because that is what needs to stay on!  Practice putting the light on and off!

·      You will notice a ‘window’ which if you move your head lower to the page you can see the words through.  You need to line that window up with the words, have a go, keep the pen on the page, the light lets you know you are doing it, and flow across the page.  How did that feel?

This may take time for some students, but perseverance is worth the time and effort as soon you will have a student who is showing independence!

2.    The printed word.  The type of text the student is wishing to be supported with reading is quite important at primary age.  Therefore, if your student requires larger gaps between each line then continue to do this, if they need a larger font, you can print up to 22 and that should work fine.  Contrasting text on coloured paper does work, but it must be a good contrast, black on green, blue, yellow should work well.

3.    When to use the reading pen?  The following strategies have proven to be a good basis for primary aged students of when to use the pen and how to use it alongside the other strategies that work for them, such as sounding out, sight recognition and overlays.

a.    Ask the student to look at the line of text and see if they recognise or know any of the words.

b.    Perhaps there are words they would like to sound out, if this works for the child’s way of learning encourage them to keep doing this.

c.     Do they use an overlay, now is the time to pop that on and see how the line of text looks to them.

d.    If they have identified a word they are struggling with and their other strategies are not working, then use the C-Pen Reader to read that word.

e.    Now ask the student to try to read the sentence for themselves, once they feel okay with this then use the C-Pen Reader to validate what they believe the sentence to be.

Validation is one of the most important aspects and requirement for the dyslexic child, this is often what prevents the child from moving on to the next piece of work, wanting to make sure they have got it right.  Time can prevent the teacher and/or teacher assistant getting to the student to enable them to keep up with their peers.  The C-Pen Reader will validate, will allow the child to feel proud of their achievements, will give them confidence and the independence to keep going.

4.    Using the C-Pen Reader in a productive and encouraging environment will alleviate concerns raised by some that the C-Pen Reader will prevent a student to learn to read.  Consideration as to why a student cannot read is always worth remember, why are they unable to process these words and what consequences this can lead to?  One such coping mechanism is to step back from learning; after all there is only so many times you can get something wrong.  Think of this from your own perspective, how many times are you willing to keep going before you think it’s time to let it go, you are often not surrounded by 29+ peers to judge you.  Enabling the student to have confirmation what they think they have got right to be confirmed is very powerful!  Equally getting it wrong, but not having this broadcast to everyone nearby, is perhaps less intimidating as the C-Pen Reader comes with headphones!

Good luck with these strategies and implement on a daily basis, eventually you will find you are watching from a distance an independent learner! 

 

 

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ERA Awards Finalists 2018

2018 Education Resource Award Finalists Announced

Handheld scanner solution provider, Scanning Pens has been announced as a finalist in three categories of the 2018 Education Resource Awards (ERA’s).

The awards are independently judged by a panel of expert judges, most of which are teaching professionals, have shortlisted Scanning Pens in the following categories:

·      General Classroom Resource

·      Education Exporter of the Year

·      Supplier of the Year

 

The shortlisting comes as Scanning Pens continues to develop its comprehensive portfolio of assistive products to support schools, academies and multi-academy trusts.

Today’s announcement is a testament to Scanning Pens achievements in the industry and its continued commitment to Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) products that aim to help everyone achieve.

Scanning Pens CEO, Jack Churchill said “ We are thrilled to be announced as finalists in three categories. It is a tremendous achievement for the Scanning Pens team. These awards are an important reminder and help shine a light and recognise what’s needed to shape young lives - giving them the best possible opportunity to fulfil their potential. The Reader Pen is a great tool for people with learning difficulties, it allows all students to feel independent and inclusive.”

The Education Resources Awards (ERA) are now in their 19th successful year, the awards highlight and reward the quality and diversity of educational products, resources, services and people as well as the best educational establishments and the most dedicated members of the teaching profession. The ERA's aims to encourage the raising of educational services & product standards throughout the industry and is recognised throughout the sector as the Accolade of excellence.

Winners will be announced at a gala event to be held at The National Conference Centre, Birmingham on Friday 16th March 2018.

About Scanning Pens

This marks a number of prestigious awards gained by Scanning Pens Ltd including being shortlisted for three Bett Awards earlier this year. Founded in 2003 Scanning Pens is a dedicated supplier of assistive technologies including mobile scanners and reading aids to support people with a diverse range of disabilities. Scanning Pens have recently launched their Succeed with Dyslexia campaign which aims to re-establish self-confidence and provide the opportunity to succeed and champion that anything is possible with dyslexia.

For further information please visit www.scanningpens.com #succeedwithdsylexia

 

 

Dyslexia In The Modern Age

Being diagnosed dyslexia in the mid-90s was definitely an experience, I was diagnosed with it when I was nine years old. My parents spent a lot of time arguing with the school and even having me assessed privately. Over time I learnt to understand my dyslexia and understand how my difficulties and my strengths affected my everyday life.

I’ve always classed myself as severe dyslexic with dyspraxia and tendencies of ADHD and ASD. I’m only 33 but still have a reading age of a nine-year-old and spelling age an eight-year-old.

C-Pen Reader

C-Pen Reader

When I look back to those days when I first found out I was dyslexic, computers were just starting to be used in schools and were just beginning to be used in the home, mobile phones were large and all that you could do it on it was make calls!  If I’d been growing up as severely dyslexic now the advances in the digital age could have really helped me achieve even more than I have.

Without the use of Assistive Technology, I could not do my everyday job. Using Assistive technology to support students and adults in most settings especially in the school or work can really change people’s lives.

If we look at the development of technology over time, having laptops with a colour screen was unheard of back in the early 90s. There was a program that did speech to text but if you didn’t say the word correctly it definitely wouldn’t have worked. Now we can dictate into our phones and to our computer, we also have digital assistance telling is what is going on in the day just by asking a question.

The advances of technology have really changed people with dyslexia’s lives. This one of the main benefits of technology as it helps to creates an independent learner and allows dyslexic individuals to be on a level playing field with their own peers.

It’s all about creating an independent learner and ensuring that we can succeed in supporting every dyslexic person.

Dyslexia - Developing a Toolbox

After a parent has received a diagnosis of Dyslexia, I’m often asked ‘what is the one thing you would recommend for my son or daughter’.   Um, well, there isn’t one thing I’m afraid.  In life we use a range of tools and strategies and it’s the same when supporting students with Dyslexia.  Dyslexia impacts many areas of day to day life so there isn’t going to be one tool that does everything.  Also, Dyslexia varies in how it affects each person – information processing, information storage and retrieval, memory, speed of processing, organisation etc – again reinforcing the need for a multitude of support tools.

In our lives we use a range of tools and techniques to function daily. We use technology, our own internal tools and our support networks living our daily life. It’s the same for students with Dyslexia.

C-pen ReaderPen

C-pen ReaderPen

Human support – human support is vital for us all. We all have and need a support network around ourselves. Not having a support network makes life very hard and leaves us extremely vulnerable.  What’s important is that it is also the right form of human support.  As I’ve written about before, for SEN students, it’s vital that the human support given is about empowering the student to achieve independent working as much as possible.   Human support isn’t about doing for us. Human support is about listening and helping solve our problems and overcome our difficulties.  If we always have someone do something for us we don’t learn ourselves.

Internal Strategies -  linking nicely with human support is also our own internal strategies that help us succeed.  For students with Dyslexia they will have strengths alongside their difficulties (again see previous blog).  What’s important is that they develop internal strategies to counteract their difficulties, mentally and physically.  They have the meta cognition to understand Dyslexia isn’t who they are, that their brain is wired differently, that they have many many talents.  They also know how to overcome difficulties they have using all resources available.  That they won’t give up but also, they know what isn’t a realistic goal for themselves.  For example, their spelling levels may never improve but that’s ok because there is a technology they use for that and so their goal is to get better at using that technology, not keep expecting improved spelling personally.

Technology – technology is all around us.  There is so much available now and it is fantastic.  As a (slightly) older person, I learned to type on a manual typewriter and to be able to use the electric one was a exciting.  It’s amazing how far technology has come since then, how many of us feel lost without our mobile phones now. But in education we are sometimes slow to embrace this, particularly for students with SEN.   Many schools just ban mobile phones from being used in school but, in my opinion, this isn’t the right thing to do.  How about having a correct use procedure instead?  Banning is unrealistic and is also holding back many of our SEN students, particularly those with Dyslexia.  We shouldn’t ban just because we don’t know how to manage it.

There are so many apps available on mobile phones to help students with Dyslexia, some free and some paid for.  British Dyslexia Association and Dyslexia Scotland websites are good for information. But even just being able to use the phone to take a picture of the whiteboard is of massive use to a student with Dyslexia. To be able to set alarms to remind a student where to be and when – huge.

Tablets, laptops all make life easier for students with Dyslexia. Google and Microsoft etc, are improving accessibility on a regular basis.   But remember, there isn’t one tool to do everything.  Ideally, with regard to technology, it is a combination of mobile phone, tablet/laptop and then maybe the C-Pen Reader Pen to read printed text.

Of course, what I haven’t yet mentioned are the very simple ways to support which don’t come in the previous categories – coloured overlays/paper, low visual noise in the environment, using dyslexia friendly fonts and layouts etc.  These still have a major part to play in the Dyslexia toolbox.

So, when supporting students/people with Dyslexia, don’t just look for one thing to support/fix.  Adopt a wide range of tools and strategies.  Work with the student and experiment, try new things, ask them to investigate and develop their own toolbox that will take them through life.  Also, make sure you are providing the right sort of support – empowering.

 

Supporting Dyslexia in EAL Students

Did you know that the English Language is one of the hardest languages to learn? It’s really complicated! We don’t have set rules and our phonemes can be pronounced in so many different ways.  Apparently Spanish and Hungarian are easier languages to learn because they aren’t complicated. They are ‘transparent’ languages – the pronunciation rules stay the same.  English. Nope.  Think of ‘ough’.  Now think of the different ways it is pronounced – bough, cough, through, ought to name a few.   A nightmare.

Because of those difficulties, in education we often see EAL students (English as an additional language), who have no signs of SEN in their native tongue, but who begin to display Dyslexia type difficulties when learning the English language.  The issue for us is recognising whether it is an SEN need, such as Dyslexia, or simply limited knowledge of English.

When learning English, there are two stages of learning.  Basic Interpersonal Communication skills (BICS) and Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency (CALP). BICS is ‘playground language’, enough to interact socially and get by day to day. CALP is classroom academic language.  CALP takes 5 – 7 years!!

BICS can be picked up quite quickly and it’s easy to assume that when an EAL student acquires BICS they are ok.  It’s even easier to presume that because a student has BICS they don’t have dyslexia. However, the CALP is the most difficult part, particularly for dyslexia.  

So how can we tell? Well assessing for Dyslexia in EAL students is difficult as our diagnostic tests are in English.  We could try to translate but that has a whole load of difficulties – ensuring correct translation and the test will have been standardised with a English Native speaking students.  How can you be sure the results are because of a learning difficulty rather than having limited English language knowledge?

There are a few tests/assessments available (free and paid for) which help distinguish SEN in EAL students.  As part of the assessment process  it should also be reviewed whether the difficulties learning EAL are environmental – e.g. poor differentiation in the classroom, not enough time receiving specific EAL support before putting into mainstream.

For older EAL students there are very few/no tests available to identify SEN that can be used to for JCQ Access Arrangements.  When I say no tests, I mean there are no tests that don’t require a certain level of English language to access them. JCQ will not award an access arrangement because of limited English language knowledge. They want to be sure that it is because of an SEN need. For this reason we have to show their difficulty isn’t because they have limited English.  Not easy.

So, bearing all this in mind, how can you support an EAL student that you think has dyslexia.  Well there is good news.

Firstly, for exams you can provide the Exam Reader Pen. This will convert text to speech which will help the student.  Hearing the word read aloud will help with comprehension. The Exam Reader Pen requires no online application. It is centre delegated, normal way of working is the only pre-requisite. The pen can also be used in the English Reading Paper.  Also consider giving supervised rest breaks. Thinking in a different language is massively tiring cognitively so allow breaks to combat excessive tiredness.

With regard to in-class support there is more good news.  Strategies and techniques for supporting EAL are of the same as supporting SEN. So the strategies for supporting EAL with SEN are the same.   There are too many to go into here but basically it boils down to……..(don’t hate me) ……differentiation.  Or multi-sensory teaching.  Using a variety of teaching styles, ensuring information is in different formats, pre-teaching key vocabulary and so on. 

When training I always stress that differentiation/multi-sensory teaching will benefit ALL students, not just SEN, EAL, and SEN EAL students.  ALL students. Research proves it.

So, when working with EAL students, expect some of them to have SEN even if they didn’t in their native tongue.