This week we released the revised Working with children with intellectual disability (revised) ebooklet. The revised ebooklet includes recommendations for how to help students with a mild to moderate intellectual disability in the classroom. Topics covered include: Working with a teachers aide and others in the classroom General classroom strategies Giving instructions Make reasonable adjustments to […]
While learning to read seems effortless for many children, for some it can be challenging. As children are assessed mid-year, alarm bells can start to ring for those children who have not shown appropriate literacy growth. The following inclusive strategies, will assist early readers and help reduce the impact of dyslexia on those who have […]
While learning to read seems effortless for many children, for some it can be challenging. As children are assessed mid-year, alarm bells can start to ring for those children who have not shown appropriate literacy growth. A specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia can be slow to manifest or be identified. For example, a young […]
Children’s literacy skills begin developing long before they begin school. Some might argue that they begin in the womb, where we now know the foetus begins learning the difference between language patterns such as sounds, syllables and vowel lengths. [1]Partanen E, Kujala T, Huotilainen M, et al. Learning-induced neural plasticity of speech processing before birth. PNAS. […]
Over the past two weeks Murray and I have presented about common learning disabilities in Canberra and Geelong. Students with learning difficulties account for about 16% of all students in the average classroom. As a result, we need to be continually planning and amending our teaching practices to suit the learning needs of both the […]
I was talking with a teacher recently about the power of text-to-speech software, and the big changes she’s seen not only in the output of work of one of her Year 6 students, but also his improved attitude to writing. Using the software on his laptop he is now able to write two or more […]
Yesterday 160 teachers, psychologists and other school professionals in NSW gave up their afternoon to attend our Five common learning difficulties: Key teaching strategies presentation. The two hour presentation, hosted by Braddock Public School, was jam-packed with the six key teaching strategies for learning difficulties, followed by specific recommendations for the learning disabilities associated with […]
I recently attended a professional learning seminar with Learning Difficulties Australia (LDA) that focused on apps for students with learning difficulties. During the presentation a teacher helped set the speech function on my iphone. The directions were simple, ‘Go to settings, general, accessibility, speech selection ‘on’, highlight words.’ Now using the microphone next to the […]
Processing speed relates to an individual’s ability to perform simple repetitive cognitive tasks quickly and automatically.[1] Schneider, W. J., & McGrew, K. (2012). The Cattell-Horn-Carroll model of intelligence. In, D. Flanagan & P. Harrison (Eds.), Contemporary …continue. Issues with processing speed only become evident once a person knows how to do a task, rather than in the initial […]
Children with a language difficulty have trouble understanding, using and processing language. Approximately 6 per cent of school-aged children have significant speech and language problems.[1] Speech Pathology Australia 2003 sourced from http://www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au/ In some parts of Australia, the number is as high as 13 per cent. [ref] McLeod, S., & McKinnon, D. (2007). Prevalence of communication disorders compared […]
Previously we wrote abut how children with dyscalculia (mathematics disability) lack an intuitive grasp for number. They experience significant difficulties in understanding the size or quantity of a number and the relationship of numbers to one another. Children with dyscalculia display significant mathematical delays when compared with peers or to benchmarks or standards. They […]
Children with dyscalculia (mathematics disability) have a poor sense of number. They experience significant difficulties grasping and understanding the size or quantity of a number and the relationship of numbers to one another. Approximately 3 to 6 per cent of children suffer from dyscalculia. Despite its prominence, most teachers, psychologists, and many researchers know very […]
Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that affects up to 5% of children. These children have difficulties with: Phonological processing. Problems associated with connecting written letters to their corresponding sounds (phonemes) are reflected in an inability to rapidly name letters and their common associated sounds. Hence, children struggle to decode letters and words when reading, […]
FREE learning difficulties screening tool to use with students in the first year of school. The screening tool can be completed by a pre-school or early years primary school teacher. The person completing the form must have known the child for at least four weeks. How you use the tool is up to you and […]