[senco-forum] reading recovery

In answer to Stuart's question about would everyone learn to read if taught
using Toe by Toe... although I have found synthetic phonics to be the key
for most of my pupils, the answer is no, phonics does not work for all in
the first instance.  But as was pointed out by another forumer, synthetic
phoincs works for so many that the few that are left are the ones you need
to really look at.  I would add to that - even within the dyslexic cohort.

In my experience if dyslexic or non dyslexic pupils have visual
difficulties, then the vision needs to be sorted.  My team have produced a
leaflet and two really helpful vision check lists (read and approved by
Keith Holland) if anyone is interested in receiving them as attachments.
Keith Holland flies out to Dubai next week to carry out vision assessments
for us.  We did refer two students where the check ist sindeicated an
assessment was aprorpiate when, on testing, they had good vision.  Keith
recommended using the Beery VMI test as a pre-referral screening as well.
We now use that through our resident psychologist.

Students with ADD/ADHD may need other help too.  One of mine was competely
unable to work with me without Ritalin.  We did try for a whole year
without...

Acceleread Accelewrite has proved to be essential in one particularly severe
case where phonics failed us.  it is useful for many others besides.

Another pupil was able to catch up reading scores (word id, word attack and
passage comprehension) to age and ability level through scrambled reading
(multifonted text) when the purely phonics approach had failed.

One student needed eye movement work - his word id, word attack came up to
expected levels but his passage comprehension did not and this pattern of
response to phonics persisted over time (parents ignored our advice at
first).  He was assessed by Keith Holland, given eye movement exercises and
soon jumped on.

We have not identified anyone with APD blocking their access to literacy but
that may be our inexperience in that area.  I am finding that Dilys Treharne
at Sheffield is very helpful at sharing information.  She uses The Listening
Programme to prime the auditory system and she also uses Earobics 1 after
that if she feels it is appropriate.  Bellis' book What the Brain Doesn't
Hear has also been recommended by Dilys and is proving to be an interesting
read.  I contacted Dilys after looking at Graeme's site.

Philippa