[SENco-forum] Reading

It's an incredibly tough code to crack, almost impossible when you have phonoloical difficulties (you can only read braille letter by letter so there are few options other than the synthetic phonics approach), and possibly tactual discrimination difficulites. There is some excellent research going on at Kingston Uni led by Natasha Coppins. Although you are right in your assertion that modern technology is invaluable, there is nothing like being able to hold a book in your hands (even a large bulky braille book) and read it yourself.

Ruth Newbury <rmnewbury at ntlworld.com> wrote:  I have endless admiration for the blind ho use Braille - I can't feel in
enough detail to even read letter by letter.

I did however once teach with a blind teacher - who taught history - and
whose parents used to read homework out to her every night - just think of
all those piles of 30 books - but she read Braille at the speed of light -
it's just how big - and heavy each book was too.

She now says that he rejoices in the new technology - keyboarding - Dragon -
Kurzweil etc - and says that life is much better where written communication
is needed.

Regards

Ruth

-----Original Message-----
From: senco-forum-bounces at lists.becta.org.uk
[mailto:senco-forum-bounces at lists.becta.org.uk] On Behalf Of Alice Chenneour
Randall
Sent: 16 July 2007 13:26
To: senco-forum at lists.becta.org.uk
Subject: RE: [SENco-forum] Reading - Working Memory

My current area of interest is braille dyslexia. Anya's Bell does not in my
mind reflect the challenges of learning braille as a code in itself - places
huge demands on tactile short term memory, the working memory span for
material presented tactually being even shorter than that for verbal - got a
couple of references for those mad or bored enough to be interested.
Alice
(Specialist Dyslexia teacher and QTVI)

SEN at tringham.net wrote:
I always have this same thought about deaf people. Many read without ever
having heard sound. Theoretical stuff about how we learn to read is great,
but the brain is more flexible than we seem able to explain. The trick as
ever is to recognise when the route to learning is blocked and use another.
My favourite example is the boy with dyslexia learning to read using Braille
in the film 'Anya's Bell'. It may not appear to be the most practical option
but it restored his confidence in his ability to learn. We need to be
flexible to support successful learning.
Sharon

-----Original Message-----
From: senco-forum-bounces at lists.becta.org.uk
[mailto:senco-forum-bounces at lists.becta.org.uk]On Behalf Of Clare North
Sent: 16 July 2007 08:45
To: 'Mary Kelly'; 'Maggie Downie'; senco-forum at lists.becta.org.uk
Subject: RE: [senco-forum] Reading - Working Memory

So what about the pupils who can't make the right muscle movements - there
must be a representation of the sounds in their heads. For some pupils, the
sounds are purely an internal representation. - just a thought - I'm not
disagreeing with anything!

Clare

--

No virus found in this outgoing message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.5.476 / Virus Database: 269.10.6/902 - Release Date: 15/07/2007
14:21