[SENco-forum] learning styles

do you know, I wish secondary schools (and primary for that matter) kept out the  'concrete' maths equipment a lot longer - you know, the centicubes, the multi-link, the base 10 blocks etc - dyslexia schools keep this sort of thing in the classroom for a long time. 
It's like using the wooden letters, the squidgy plastic letters, plasticine to make letters etc that we use  - I can only really use these things in my 1:1 lessons with struggling readers in the privacy of my teaching room if I am to spare these children's embarrassment when they get to secondary schoo. PityJanice Wray Secondary SENCO, Herts

> From: SEN at tringham.net> To: senco-forum at lists.becta.org.uk> Subject: RE: [SENco-forum] learning styles> Date: Thu, 13 Dec 2007 11:49:51 +0000> > It is easy to mix cognitive & learning styles. Whether they are actually> 'learning styles' they are definitely the persons preferred way of learning.> For example you have heard that those with APD ( or other Speech and> communication issues) have great difficulty listening to and understanding> what has been said. As do those with dyslexia whose visual processing or> understanding of text has been disrupted. These students will definitely> have a preferred way of learning and it will not be the more usual classroom> auditory or text based lessons if they are to do it efficiently.> > It may be better to sort sheep from goats based on VAK than by SEN so that> the students can learn in the way that best suits them. Schools are> becoming more multi-sensory but it still helps to know predominate learning> preferences. Beyond the VAK you have those who want to work alone or in> groups, with or without peripheral noise or music playing or those who need> to move or fiddle in order to learn.> > It would be impossible to accommodate everything all the time, but knowing> why you have success more easily when learning in a particular way can help> students work on their weaker areas in a positive way as opposed to> attributing their failure solely to themselves rather than a serious clash> of 'learning style'. Nobody minds working hard if there is something to gain> at the end -but who wants to work hard for nothing?> > 'Learning style' makes it sound as if there is a choice when for some it is> impossible to get input in & sticking in any other way without a huge amount> of effort. A quick survey of teachers and EP's would probably find they are> auditory learner with good access to text. No wonder it is so hard to> change perceptions or ways of working. Many teachers do not take me> seriously until they try a few kinaesthetic based strategies be it for> writing, reading or spelling etc.,(or other visual or auditory ones) and> find the children can suddenly understand the information when presented in> a different way. Like smokers, those converted make the best advocates for> multisensory teaching or acknowledging that children need different forms of> input whether you call that 'learning styles' or not.> > I am kinaesthetic. I like visual input, but cannot visualise. I have good> auditory skills, but I find it hard to drive if music is playing and I> cannot 'hear' the car. I learn instantly by seeing & doing, like real life> case studies to make sense of things and rely on tactile feedback for touch> typing and particularly cooking. There are no recipes that say 'add milk> until the mixture resists in a certain way!'> > Sharon Tringham> > PS The local secondary enjoyed spending a day looking at this area, sorting> the children into VAK, teaching each group appropriately and getting better> attention & responses. Teachers were unsure though where to place a child> with severe dyslexia wearing all three badges!> As a learning experience it was good for staff & students and even if they> couldn't keep it up all the time it made them all more aware.> > -----Original Message-----> From: senco-forum-bounces at lists.becta.org.uk> [mailto:senco-forum-bounces at lists.becta.org.uk]On Behalf Of Philip> MacMillan> Sent: 13 December 2007 10:32> To: Paul and Philippa Bodien; senco forum> Subject: Re: [senco-forum] learning styles> > > Before spending your money on learning style inventories you might want to> look at the work of thise who have critiqued the idea of 'learning styles'.> There is really very little in the literature to show that they exist and> have a significant effect on learning outcomes.> > Philip EP> > > No virus found in this outgoing message.> Checked by AVG Free Edition.> Version: 7.5.503 / Virus Database: 269.17.1/1182 - Release Date: 12/12/2007> 11:29> > 
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