[senco-forum] dyslexia

Sounds good Julie -

I am all for just dealing with what is in front of you ... be it reading
or writing ... and when you think the label is worth appending ... use
it. I am always looking at what are the possible difficulties ahead and
hence forewarned is forearmed ... so when a pupil is finding maths a
hurdle ... you know why ... always looking for the next hurdle and a way
to 'jump over it'!

If authorities have a 'reading programme' that deals with all readers -
great.

The same is true for writing and then maths ...

I have been impressed with my daughters reading programme in East
Lothian ... using the Edinburgh Reading Scheme.

Tks

Stuart

________________________________

From: julie cozens [mailto:juliecozens at yahoo.co.uk] 
Sent: 03 March 2008 20:38
To: Stuart Lucas; senco-forum at lists.becta.org.uk
Subject: Re: [senco-forum] dyslexia - screening/testing/assessment

Stuart Lucas <lucass at loretto.com> wrote: 

1. What do you think is an appropriate age to assess for dyslexia ?
2. What tests are used to assess primary pupils for dyslexia and at
what age? - is it successful?

Here in Devon we (that is the LA EP service, specialist support
teachers, schools) have  moved away from a focus on 'assessing for
dyslexia' - at any age. We have acknowledged that spending a lot of time
effort and resources on identifying a particular group of pupils as
dyslexic - and differentiating this group from other 'common or garden
poor readers' is misguided. 

We do use the term dyslexia  in some cases - to recognise  severe and
persistent literacy difficulties (using the British Psychological
Society definition of dyslexia), but there is no one test able to
identify these pupils and since the label itself tells us nothing about
the childs particular needs - and nothing about how to intervene,  I
wonder what would be gained from a policy of assessing pupils for
dyslexia at 7?

In Devon we are focusing much more on the good initial teaching of
literacy, making Devon classrooms generally more dyslexia- friendly, and
promoting a careful process of assessment through teaching and
appropriately targeted support for any pupils who require it. 

Julie (EP)

Loretto School is a Registered Charity, number SCO13978
Registered Office: 16 Heriot Row, Edinburgh, EH3 6HR, number SCO59500
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