* Literacy, Language and
Numeracy
* Dyslexia
On the menu.
• Summary of ALNAT data to date – some common
problems
• Some strategies to address the problems above
• Dyslexia in the Primary ITO.
- identifying it
- the Dyslexia screening tool
- how to support trainees with it
- some technologies to support Dyslexics.
• The mentoring programme
• Likely LLN/ALNAT changes for 2014.
Some Common problems.
• Fractions – not used a lot anyway
• Ratio problems – big problem.
• Understanding the problem – i.e. the
translation from words into a numeracy
problem. Knowing what formula to use.
• Conversions/place value.
• Estimation
What can we do about it?
• Breaking the problem into its component
parts
• (Paper based exercise)
Dyslexia in the primary sector.
• 10% of the wider population – probably higher in the primary
sector.
• Folk migrate to sectors where they believe they can hide the
problem.
• Most Dyslexics in the workplace would have had no support in
schools.
• Lets be very clear – Dyslexia is not an indication of any form of
intellectual impairment
What Dyslexics see and write.
• Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it donest
mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny
iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit
pclae. (this one not actually Dyslexia)
• Whin I waz gust a litle buy I axed my moder what wuld I be?
What Dyslexics write.
• Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dont
mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny
iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit
pclae. (this one not actually Dyslexia)
According to research at Cambridge University, it doesn’t
matter in what order the letters in a word are, the only
important thing is that the first and last letter are in the right
place.
• Whin I waz gust a litle buy I axed my moder what wuld I be?
When I was just a little boy I asked my mother what would I
be?
So what is Dyslexia?
• The official definition is very clear.
• Dyslexia sufferers: - have persistent literacy learning difficulties
- are otherwise healthy typical adults
- in spite of having high quality instruction
- due to difficulties in decoding groups of letters into
sounds and words.
What is it like to be Dyslexic?
Some group exercises.
• A reading activity
• A general ability task.
• A question from the Dyslexia screening tool
• A look at some alternative perspectives on Dyslexia.
It is not all bad news.
• See in 3-D
• Many compensatory skills
• Sex daily
Screening for Dyslexia.
• Primary ITO now has the capability to screen
for Dyslexia.
• It is not practical for us to screen everybody –
but we can screen those who show signs of it.
• The Dyslexia Adult Screening Tool (DAST) is
what we use. It is free and takes only 35
minutes
• We would like you to refer folk to us.
So – how do we help Dyslexics ?
• The practices that are good to assist dyslexics are good for all
trainees
• We are promoting good practice – that will assist Dyslexics –
as well as regular trainees.
• A look at the new resource.
Dyslexia and what to do about it - A primer for
the primary sector
• Signs to look for – top of p 2.
• Most folk try to hide it – half way down p 2.
• Definition - bottom of p 2.
Support for trainees.
• Technology – smart pens
• Read/speak as you write
• Diagrams – charts etc.
• Allow extra time
What Primary ITO is doing.
• Font change
• Paper colour change.
• Investigating technology support for trainees – in particular
voice to text software and mind mapping software
• Smart pens
Some close relatives to Dyslexia.
• Irlens Syndrome.
A perception issue – related to vision
• Dyscalculia
problems/ delayed development with
numbers
• Dyspraxia
Problems with fine motor skills – writing,
typing and speech control
Irlens Syndrome
• What Irlen’s sufferers see
We can help by
• Changing the font
• Changing the paper colour
• Using filtered glasses – or coloured overlays.
• Ideally 1.5 spacing between the lines.
The Mentoring Scheme
• Approaching 200 trained mentors around the country.
• Some of the visionary tutors have attended mentor induction
sessions.
• It is an expectation that providers/tutors will engage with the
mentoring scheme: - by attending mentor training sessions
- by using mentors.
- by having mentors in your classes as observers and/or
reader/writers
In summary: • Mentors should be your best
friends.
• Mentors will improve the
completion rate for trainees.
• There is no down side
One last thing – changes to the ALNAT for 2014.
• Likely to in be a reading assessment and a numeracy
assessment in 2014.
• The vice is tightening – TEC expects us to administer the
ALNAT to 95% of our trainees at steps 1 – 3, and –
• To reassess 90% of trainees
So – Questions, comments etc.
• ??
• ??
• ??