Educational Psychologists Plz! Teaching teachers how to improve children with reading difficulties!?

Question

I got this evil coursework to do, i would like to do it on Children with reading difficulties!

'Please choose one group of children with special educational needs as the focus of your assignment. For example, you may choose gifted (more able) children, children with reading difficulties, specific language impairment, numeracy difficulties, general learning disabilities, behavioural and emotional difficulties or children with autism

Write a short document, drawing on research and theory in
Psychology of Education to advise teachers in a mainstream school on the education of these children.'

is there any good research and what are the current teaching techniques already out there? help from any one who's an educational psychologist or training to become one would be much appriciated!!

Answer 1

It depends on what the reading difficulty is. For dyslexia one needs most things read to them because there isn't a cure for that. For blind students there is a machine called SARA that we use. You should probably define the difficulty, then search within those parameters.

Answer 2

Look at the work of Bruner and Vygotsky - the constructivist theory - they have influenced lots of primary teaching

Also have a read of the national curriculum handbook as this will specify guidance on dealing with learning difficulties and the SEN (Special Educational Needs Code of Practice) I think that's government documentation, but it will provide you with a good subject knowledge base.

The Oxford Reading Tree is the reading scheme in place in most proary schools - using the characters Biff, Chip, Floppy etc - perhaps look at these any analyse them?

You could also evaluate the use of Jolly Phonics - these are the latest way of teaching reading and comes with many pros and cons? Perhaps you could experiement with them versus flash cards?

Another possible experiement is using a more creative, innovative approach to teaching these children - something they may not do already.

Using ICT with the children will almost always get you Brownie points - so consider some programmes to support you.

Good luck!

Answer 3

I am not an eductional psychologist, though am a mother of five and did get a bit of an education and did several months of study in the field of psyhcology and several months in social research.

Among my children you will find one child with severe intellectually and physical disabilities caused by an acquired brain injury. one child with ODD and ADHD, three gifted and talented children and one who is of above average intelligence. I have homeschooled three of my children at various times for apporximately a year each so have some experience in related areas.

to teach reading to anyone takes a solid understanding of what reading is.
1) Reading is the decoding of symbols in an organised manner so that one can make sense of them.
2) Reading is receiving a message communicated in symbols.
3) Reading is understanding symbols individually and grouped.
4) Reading is both very hard work and great way to relax and enjoy.
5) Reading provides information, inspires imagination.

If a child with a severe brain injury is offered to large switches, one is a red square and the other a green circle the switches mean nothing to the child unless the child has been taught to read the messages of the switches. With training many severely disabled children and adults can learn to read the red square means 'stop' and / or 'no' and the green circle means 'go' and / or 'yes'. This is reading in its most basic form. When the child or adult reaches out and touches the red switch this is a response to them reading and understanding the meaning of the symbol of 'red square'.

To read you need to have some manner of receiving the writing. This can be through your eyes, your fingertips, or your skin on other parts of your body. Then you need to be able to make sense of the message that is written. this involves practice, repetition, consequences, and finally understanding.

It is having a solid understanding of reading in its rawest form that can help you learn to teach children of all abilities to read.

For a child with reading difficulties it is necessary that the child learns to ask themselves "Does that makes sense?" after each phrase or sentence.

Many reading difficulites involve some level of dyslexia which can be mild and although annoying easily overcome or a much more severe form which makes reading a great challenge. Either way it is important that books are available to the child that are not only within their present capabilities but beyond their capabilities to inspire them to continue learning to read at higher and higher abilities. Books should be available on a wide range of topics and especially of topics that interest the particular child.

Teaching children to read in code can also assist with learning to read words. for instance see how this simple code relates to the abilitiy to read by sight.

//. ../ ../ .. //. ../

the cat sat on the mat

the lines are tall letters such as t,l,h,f,b,d and the dots are small letters such as a,o,s,e,z,c

by learning to guess at what letters may replace the symbols so that they make sense it means that the student has to question whether the words make sense with one another.

Answer 4

stupid question,hope you dont teach anyone I know answer it yourself is the answer doh