[SENco-forum] learning styles

From: SEN at tringham.net> To: senco-forum at lists.becta.org.uk> Subject: RE:

I agree that using concrete materials can help with learning but is it the 
materials or the one to one mediation of the learning that is causal
Philip EP
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "WrayJanice Wray" <jwwray14 at hotmail.com>
To: <sen at tringham.net>; "Becta Senco" <senco-forum at lists.becta.org.uk>
Sent: Friday, December 14, 2007 3:07 AM
Subject: RE: [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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