[SENco-forum] Dispatches

This is the bit I don't understand.  When children cannot make progress with
'more of the same' be it the repetitive phonics or time with a TA, why does
no one step in with something else?

One reason that Ruth Miskin works is because it has assessment and testing
phases.  Everyone knows exactly where the child stands.  Whatever is put in
place needs this.  If support is not working then use something else.

As a parent I wanted more assessment in order to whittle down what needed to
be tried as I could see time running out for my child. The best the LA
offered was a visiting Dyslexia teacher who chose a basic Dyslexia package
that could be administered by the TA.  There we were - back on the
treadmill.

 The TA went through the book page by page, but without specialist training
was unable to stop when my child stopped and did not know how to move her
forward.  Finally 1:1 with a dyslexia trained teacher and she moved on in
leaps and bounds.  They don't do anything special except get to the root of
each individual child's problem more quickly, and more importantly they
don't allow the child to fail.  Once the material is presented to the child
in a way that they can understand then learning takes place.  As their
success rate grows their confidence grows and with it their desire to stick
at it even when it is tough.

I'm with Jordan.  If a hot pan burns your hand once (or twice!) then you
stop picking it up. It is how we are programmed.  What he needs is someone
with an oven glove until he can recognise and use the pan handle.

Sharon

-----Original Message-----
From: senco-forum-bounces at lists.becta.org.uk
[mailto:senco-forum-bounces at lists.becta.org.uk]On Behalf Of Mary Kelly
Sent: 25 October 2007 11:32
To: 'Maggie Downie'; Janrolnick at aol.com; senco-forum at lists.becta.org.uk
Subject: RE: [senco-forum] Dispatches

Yes, he eventually got ten minutes 1:1 with a TA every day, but it seemed to
me that she was doing more of the same, and he wasn't getting it. She put
the words into his mouth each time.

I'm sure it's true that all but a small minority can be taught to read with
RML. I just think that, politically, it would be better for the SP movement
to stay away from the implication that SEN can be minimized, because it puts
too many backs up. If they concentrate on getting SP into schools for
mainstream teaching, the rest will follow.

Going back to the programme, I do hope that some of the occasions when the
children are talking to camera, that the questions are being asked by TV
people and not teachers. Some of the questions are toe-curling!

Mary

  _____

From: Maggie Downie [mailto:maizie2004 at yahoo.co.uk]
Sent: 25 October 2007 10:04
To: Mary Kelly; Janrolnick at aol.com; senco-forum at lists.becta.org.uk
Subject: RE: [senco-forum] Dispatches

But Mary, if you watched last night's programme, Jordan did get one to one
help and did suceed!  I think I would have picked him up for that much
earlier, but it is sometimes difficult to work out the time sequence of what
is happening in the programme.

I have never met an SP practitioner who denied the existence of SEN.  All
they say is that all, but a very tiny minority of children, can be taught to
read with SP.
Maggie

Mary Kelly <mary.kelly4 at ntlworld.com> wrote:

I've been watching these too, and wanting to get my hands on little Jordan
to help him with his phonological processing skills! I get frustrated with
the SP movement's tendency to deny the existence of children with SEN. It
seems to me that they keep giving Jordan more of the same, and he needs a
little help with the skills needed to access what they're giving him, i.e.
with phoneme blending and segmenting.

It's a shame because I'm convinced that SP is the way to teach reading, and
there is no conflict between accepting that and also accepting that some
children need specialist 1:1 help in order to access it fully. Both are
true, in my book.

I would also like to know what RML can achieve in the leafy suburbs, among
children with every advantage. In other words, where you have a high
percentage of children who will learn to read anyway (more or less despite
the teaching methods!), how much more can RML achieve for such children?

Those are my thoughts anyway,
Mary

-----Original Message-----
From: senco-forum-bounces at lists.becta.org.uk
[mailto:senco-forum-bounces at lists.becta.org.uk] On Behalf Of
Janrolnick at aol.com
Sent: 25 October 2007 08:56
To: senco-forum at lists.becta.org.uk
Subject: [senco-forum] Dispatches

I have been watching the programmes but have recorded them as I have been
out so have only watched the first two. We have been doing Ruth Miskin's
programme for two years now and are absolutely delighted with it. To me it
is just
common sense and I can't understand the critics who say the children are
not
being exposed to really good books etc How can you expose someone to really

good literature when they can't read? However get them on the programme,
teach
them to read - and hey presto - the rest will follow. It's a bit like asking

someone to play a piano concerto before they have learnt their grade 1
pieces!

The TV progs have made me even more determined to make sure all our
children
go to secondary school with a decent level of literacy!

Janice Rolnick
SENCO/AST

  _____

Running out of space again? Storage is now unlimited in Yahoo! Mail Try
<http://us.rd.yahoo.com/mailuk/taglines/isp/unlimited_storage/*http:/us.rd.y
ahoo.com/mailuk/taglines/isp/unlimited_storage/*http:/us.rd.yahoo.com/evt=48
523/*http:/uk.mail.yahoo.com>  it now.

--
No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.5.488 / Virus Database: 269.15.8/1089 - Release Date: 23/10/2007
19:39

No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.5.488 / Virus Database: 269.15.8/1089 - Release Date: 23/10/2007
19:39

No virus found in this outgoing message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.5.488 / Virus Database: 269.15.8/1089 - Release Date: 23/10/2007
19:39