[senco-forum] glue ear, listening skills and behaviour [Scanned]

Interesting that you should raise this today.

Yesterday was a School Training Day so I had the TAs all to myself, (well those who were not ill or said becuase they don't work Friday they were not coming in, except they are paid for all Full training days not prorata, another story)

Amongst the things we discussed was Spelling and how in the secondary setting and integrated support the TAs could help.  Using the LOOK SAY COVER WRITE CHECK method I had designed some  sheets to use.  It was interesting of the KS3 spellings I selected how many the group made mistakes with.  It was not because they are not educated, but it was how they actually say the word themselves, some incorectly, or how the confused some of the syallables. It provoked a very good and amusing discussion and had us looking at various spelling rules and lists.

Recently I read an article  by Lindsay Peer, on Glue Ear and Dyslexia, and the common traits of poor spelling as not hearing the sounds correctly as neural pathways developing and therefore having to take time to re-route the messages in our brain which takes additioanl time, hence slow processing and as we also then try and confirm what we come up with.  This is increased if speech is also impaired due to mis-hearing or speech impediment.

If anyone konws where I can find this article or book I would be graeful. 

My spelling is more than a lottle dodgy and teaching spelling and Phonics to the childen is my worst nightmare, but once doing it I enjoy it.  Why?

Well I constantly had Glue ear, so never heard the high frequency vowels, along with a lisp. so I 'ssssssched' everything.  My parents come from differnt parts of the country, mum from 'Salf London' my dad from 'Suferk', both with strong accents.

For years I though Soldier and Shoulder were the same thing!  I linked them due to the soldier's uniform having big shoulders!  As for soldering, which my grand-dad did, I was very confused.  this is when my dad took me for a hearing test and speech therapy.  Even now the phonemes disappear from my brain when I am tired and words are mispronounced.  This is especially so if I have not heard them much.

In today's climate children hate working quietly and only ever half listen to waht is said.  How many times do we need to tell the page numr of the text book we are using.  I now resort to also writing it on the board and point, if they look up as they call out 'What page?'

Along with developing Thinking Skills, I now do starters of following instructions and this is beginning to help the groups focus.  One the child knows waht to do, and not just half, then they can get on and do the task rather than ply up until they get the individual attention they each demand.  In a class of 30 this leaves a lot doing noting until seen so they just misbehave.

There shoudl be a good MA Thesis here for anyone interested!!

Susie Pinder

________________________________

From: senco-forum-bounces at lists.becta.org.uk on behalf of Paul and Philippa Bodien
Sent: Sat 01/12/2007 02:52
To: senco forum
Subject: [senco-forum] glue ear, listening skills and behaviour [Scanned]

Can we start a thread on glue ear, listening and behaviour?

I think listening skills - poor listening skills probably due to glue ear -
underlies a lot of "behaviour" that teachers wish to modify.  The GP, in the
UK, who came out one weekend night to our screaming 2 year old prescribed
antibiotics as he said his ear drum was really inflamed.  He also said that
in the past they did not have antibiotics and the ear drum would just have
burst, the pus would have drained and the ear drum likely have healed again
all on its own.  But he could not deny a child medication in the face of
such pain and distress.  He said that as a result of antibiotics, glue ear
was now prevalent and this was a medical dilemma.  Our son did get repeated
ear infections and glue ear.   The same GP was worried.  He gave him a basic
hearing test and did two things. He prescribed a very strong decongestant to
give to the boy each time he started  a cold - this was to  keep his
Eustachian tubes clear of goo and prevent the build up that gives bugs a
fertile medium in which to thrive.  He advised getting his ears tested at 4
years of age in a soundproof booth with headphones by an audiologist.
Otherwise, he advised we were heading for grommets and he really did not
want to go down that route.  We followed his advice and it was really
helpful.  Damage to listening and hearing was avoided.
Untreated glue ear is silent and does lots of damage, not only to hearing
but also to listening.  Dilys Treharne has observed that sound therapy - The
Listening Programme and then Earobics, can make a difference to some
children.  Keith Holland uses the Johansen Sound Therapy, which Dilys has
observed can also get good results (I say "can" as Dilys finds that children
respond in varying degrees from a lot to none at all.)  Sound therapy and
assessment of auditory processing is currently being researched.  If anyone
is interested in receiving Dilys' article from Skeptic to Convert, I can
send as an attachment.

Martin M, can you add anything to this thread please?  Keith?

Philippa

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