Literacy ‘Outside the Box’….

Usually pairing the term ‘Outside the Box’ with discussion of remedial support of children’s literacy difficulties would be enough to raise concerns about programmes that offer little in terms of substance.  However, sometimes children can be difficult to engage in any task involving literacy and a creative approach may be needed.  However, this does not have to be at the expense of what guides good literacy teaching practices, evidence based approaches, and links to the curriculum.

“My child just doesn’t want to read!” 

When a child is reluctant to read, it is of upmost importance to firstly identify the underlying reason why.  Reluctance is commonly a sign that there is a problem with reading.  A comprehensive assessment will help to identify if a child has a specific learning difficulty that is making reading a task they want to avoid and what the nature of the problem is.  For the children with specific learning difficulties, a systematic evidence based programme targeted at areas in which a child has weaknesses is crucial for improving skills.  With skills comes confidence and with confidence often comes greater engagement and willingness to read.

Sometimes children with improved skills or even children with competent reading skills may still avoid reading.  The motivation to read may be low or a negative attitude towards reading may have developed for other reasons.  Confidence in reading skills may be low.  There may be poor role models in the child’s life, particularly if parents had similar reading difficulties and are not big readers.  Also the issue of the ‘reluctant male reader’ has been well studied.  Research has also highlighted the different reading interests of boys and girls, and the view of reading as being an activity for “girls” has been well documented. Of course, children also commonly complain that texts are simply ‘boring’. 

High Interest Texts

The difficulty of finding high interest books suitable for children of low reading ability is a constant battle for the parents and teachers of struggling readers.  Hi Lo Fiction series are popular in the resources of Learning Support Teams and often include graphic novels, comic books, books with non-fiction and science fiction themes, or sports themed reading materials.

An example of an ‘Outside the Box’ series of books is the Goal! Reading Series.  These soccer themed readers leverage on children’s love of soccer and have been linked to follow the UK’s Letter’s and Sound’s Programme.  This is a systematic phonics based literacy programme used in early years in UK schools.  The Goal! Readers are colourful and full of soccer themed pictures featuring local soccer stars.  They include fiction and non-fiction titles and have also been found to be popular with struggling readers up to the age of 14. 

More Soccer and Reading

The UK is the home of many great ‘Outside the Box’ approaches to encouraging literacy.  For the past 11 years, the UK Literacy Trust has run the ‘Premier League Reading Stars’ programme.  This football themed literacy project is a reading intervention programme that uses football to inspire children to read more and is linked to the national curriculum.  The programme builds on evidence that footballers can influence the way children, particularly boys, view reading.  It contains reading journals, badges and certificates.  ‘The Tactics Book’ provides 10 curriculum-supported literacy sessions, written by literacy experts and there are also a range of online challenges to be completed. 

Rugby League Reads

In Australia, the Rugby League Reads programme was developed by Suzan Hirsch, who is a lecturer at the ACU in boys’ education. The programme was developed in conjunction with the NRL to increase the engagement of students in reading by using their interest in Ruby League.  This school-based programme provides teachers with a practical syllabus with links to literacy resources with a Rugby League theme.  Both literary and factual texts are available and these can be used by teachers as samples for reading or writing that are linked to the syllabus.  Reading materials include the Rugby League Reads Magazine and Rugby League home readers.  The programme also aims to use sports starts as role models for reading.  Importantly, the programme incorporates important Boy’s Education strategies and research.

Focused Footy

Recently at the Literacy and Learning Centre we ran a school holiday programme that aims to utilise children’s love of sport to encourage the development of important skills.  While the majority of remedial work takes place at school or in after school tutoring programmes, the Focused Footy programme was run in the school holidays and much of the activities took place at a football ground in a local park.  The programme was developed in response to parents’ requests to provide something different to engage children’s interests in literacy. 

The programme was run by a teacher with Special Education background and a PE teacher who is also a professional rugby union player.  The aim was to leverage off children’s interests in taking part in a holiday sports camp to reinforce and teach important literacy concepts.  Topics covered included knowledge of grammar, vocabulary, and discussion with children the important roles these play in literacy.  A range of skill based sports games was developed mixing popular footy games such as Oztag and ‘Bullrush’ to include literacy activities.  The programme also provided practical and supported opportunities for writing practice on sports based themes (eg, creating a personal footy card, making a fitness plan etc) and support in creating an exposition or narrative.  Giving the opportunity for children to meet other children who are struggling with literacy is also a good way for children not to feel isolated and alone with their struggles and to develop self-esteem. 

Thinking “Outside the Box”

The creativity of those working with struggling readers shows that it is possible to motivate reluctant readers when a bit of "Outside the Box" thinking is applied.  It is the responsibility of those involved in supporting children with literacy difficulties or who are reluctant to read to keep up to date with research about best practices and programmes.  However, when children are reluctant to read, questions need to be asked about how we can modify our approaches to make the learning experience a more engaging experience for the child.  The examples discussed above show that there are creative ways to work with children and that this does not have to be at the expense of best practice and evidence based approaches.

SCHOOL HOLIDAY PROGRAM

Rugby and Reading          League and Learning

The Literacy and Learning Centre is running a unique school holiday programme for kids who love footy and being active, but who could also benefit from some extra support for their literacy skills. 

The Focused Footy Program will be run in the next school holidays -- 7 to 11 July 2014 from 9.00 to 3.00. Cost for 5 days is $250.

Contact the Centre for more details or to register your child for a place in the program.

Navigating the remedial maze

NAVIGATING THE REMEDIAL MAZE: MAKING INFORMED CHOICES ABOUT WHAT WILL HELP A CHILD WITH LEARNING DIFFICULTIES

When parents see their child struggling with school work, the natural response is to help in any way they can. 
 
There are, however, a myriad of support services available which can make choosing the best way to help a confusing and potentially costly process.
 
There are a number of ways in which parents can ensure they make informed decisions about how best to support their child. Some suggestions are outlined below:

(1) Arrange for an assessment:  An accurate assessment by the School Counsellor or a private Psychologist can help with planning the most appropriate support for a child who is struggling to learn.  Knowing exactly what the nature of the problem with learning is can help a teacher or tutor to put together a targeted teaching programme. For example, a child with reading comprehension difficulties may be struggling for a number of different reasons. They may be experiencing difficulties because their language skills are poor, they are not able to read fluently, or because they are unable to accurately decode new words. The focus of remedial work will be different in all three instances. Parents should be sure to ask lots of questions following any assessment and leave with a clear understanding about why their child is finding it difficult to learn.  If there are multiple areas of concerns, an assessment can help parents to prioritise remedial support. 

(2) Think critically about what is being offered.  If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Organisations that make sweeping claims and offer a 'cure' for learning disorders are often very costly and may produce little improvements in skills. 
 
(3) Use reliable sources to help make your decisions.  Talk to your child's Paediatrician, the School Counsellor, or a Psychologist if you are having trouble making decisions. There are also a number of reliable and independent resources available on the internet.  For example, the Macquarie University Special Education Centre has put together a series of "briefings" which explores the evidence base for many widely available remedial approaches. From Irlen Lenses to Sound Therapy to Cogmed, MUSEC has examined whether there is independent research to support particular therapies and makes recommendations about how likely these approaches are to help.  http://tiny.cc/95vqex
 
(4) Choose programmes or remedial support programmes that use evidence based approaches to remediation.  There is a well established research base that tells us what works in helping children with learning difficulties.  In Australia, a National Enquiry into the Teaching of Literacy in Australia was conducted (also known as the Rowe Report) and this identified five key areas as being important for literacy instruction:

1. Phonemic Awareness – the ability to hear, identify, and manipulate individual sounds (phonemes) in spoken language;
2. Phonics – learning the relationships between letters and sounds, and how to use these for reading and spelling new words;
3. Fluency – the ability to read quickly and naturally, to recognise words automatically, and to group words quickly;
4. Vocabulary – to learn about new words and their meanings;
5. Comprehension – to understand what is being read and developing higher order thinking skills.

These recommendations mirror those made in international investigations into best practice literacy instruction by the International Dyslexia Association and the Independent Review of Teaching of Early Reading in the United Kingdom (aka the Rose Report).

Examples of commercially available evidence based programmes following these principles include MultiLit, MiniLit, Alpha to Omega, Toe by Toe Reading programme, Fitzroy Reading Programme,  and Ants in the Apple. Teachers with Special Education experience may also use the same principles to create individualised remedial programmes for children with complex learning needs following an educational assessment completed by a Psychologist.

(5). Have realistic expectations.  Children with learning difficulties may find most literacy and learning tasks very challenging -- even when those children have otherwise adequate intellectual ability. Explicit instruction and repeated practice is essential for children to make sometimes even small or modest gains in progress.

Children learn at different rates -- but by choosing remedial programmes and approaches wisely and being consistent in providing support, parents can optimise their child's chances of improving their skills. 

FIVE REASONS WHY ASSESSMENT IS IMPORTANT WHEN YOU ARE CONCERNED ABOUT YOUR CHILD'S READING, SPELLING, OR LEARNING

In March, the focus of at the Literacy and Learning Centre is on assessment.  Parents are often keen launch into tutoring or remedial work, and often question the benefit or need of putting their child through a sometimes lengthy and costly assessment process.  Below, five reasons why assessment is important when you are concerned about your child’s reading, spelling, or learning are identified. 

(1)       A comprehensive assessment accurately identifies why your child is having difficulties with reading, spelling and learning.  This is important because it identifies the best way to help your child.  A good assessment will also pinpoint areas of strength, which can be used in planning programmes and to build self-esteem.

(2)       An assessment is the first step in planning the best way to help your child and, when there are several areas of concern, can be a good way of deciding what to target first. 

(3)       Assessment results can form the basis for detailed recommendations about the best way your child’s school or existing tutor can provide assistance.   For parents seeking assistance outside of school, assessment results can also form the basis for remedial teaching / tutoring programmes.  For example, remedial teaching / tutoring programmes that are individualised to target each child’s particular difficulties with reading, spelling, or learning -rather than those using a “one size fits all” approach -- can help keep children engaged in the learning process and make learning more time efficient. 

(4)       Assessment results provide a baseline from which progress in tutoring or support programmes can be monitored.  This is crucial because it determines whether or not remedial programmes are effective.

(5)       Parents are important decision makers for their child and need to understand why their child is struggling to learn.  When assessment results are explained to parents in a way that is clear and easy to understand, parents become better advocates for their child.   Knowing exactly what sort of help to ask for can make it easier to get the right support for your child at school.

 If you are worried about any aspect of your child’s learning, firstly discuss these concerns with your child's class teacher or school support staff.  They will be able to tell you what support is available at the school, or help to direct you to specialised support in the private or health sectors. 

Should my child be assessed for reading difficulties?

When a child is struggling with reading or spelling, many parents wait before they get the problem assessed.

Often parents feel that their child’s problems in learning to read are just temporary, that their child will ‘catch up’ with their peers, or that they are being overly concerned parents. 

Even when they have arranged for their child to complete an educational assessment, many parents still question the need for such an assessment.  

Studies, however, show that 3 out of 4 children who have been identified as having poor reading skills in Year 3 and who did not receive assistance early in their schooling will continue to struggle with reading in high school and beyond. 

Research consistently shows that early identification and early intervention is crucial for helping children who are experiencing difficulties in learning how to read and spell to develop adequate literacy skills.


 

What are the signs?

In many cases, it is possible to identify the child at risk of later reading difficulties even before they have started school.

The Preschool aged child at risk of later reading difficulties may have problems with learning rhymes, in correctly pronouncing words, and in remembering the names and sounds of letters.  If this is the case, a Speech Pathologist can help you to assess your child’s pre-literacy skills and provide programming support. 

The child in Kindergarten and Year 1 may have difficulty in learning to link letters with sounds, finds it hard to learn to ‘sound out’ words, complains that reading is hard, and avoids tasks that involve reading. 

If you are concerned that your school aged child is struggling with any aspect of literacy, there are a number of things you can do.  Firstly, speak to your child’s class teacher and alert him or her about your concerns.  Request an assessment be completed by the School Counsellor or you may choose to arrange for a psycho-educational assessment to be completed outside of school. 

Identifying what the problem is the cornerstone of getting the right sort of help for your child.  Doing so early means that, not only can your child get support to develop his or her literacy skills, but also to avoid a blow to his or her self-esteem. 

"Ready for School" 

FINAL GROUP FOR 2012

 

Start date for the next 6 week group is Monday 12th of November of October 2012.

Please contact the Centre for further details or to book a place for your child.

Preparing your child for school

Is your child starting school next year? Would you like to prepare yourself and your child for the transition to school? You are invited to hear some practical tips for parents with children attending their first day at school.

Clincial Psychologist Sandra Graudins of the Literacy and Learning Centre will explore common reasons why a child might find it difficult to make the transition from Preschool to Kindergarten.  She will also discuss common reasons why a child might find it difficult to settle into school and where to go for help.

Date:        16 October 2012

TIme:        10.30 to 11.30
Where:      Bay Room, Five Dock Library
                   Level 1, 4-12 Garfield Street,
                   Five Dock  2046
Cost:          Free
Bookings: Essential.
Please call (02) 9911 6310 to reserve your place.