Learning Support Newsletter
Eighth Edition May 2016
1. EXAM PREPARATION TECHNIQUES
It is that time in the year where students will be taking exams and possibly panicking already. We thought it could be a good idea to send some reminders of certain strategies that can help teachers to prepare students and help them boost their confidence and lower their stress level. The following articles may provide some strategies to cope before and during the exam.
2. LET'S LEARN ABOUT LEARNING DIFFICULTIES
In this monthly newsletter we will be focusing on hearing and speech difficulties.
(Main contributors to this section, Maria Michael, CSW, Nosheen Ashraf ATC-LS)
Different levels of Deafness
Profound hearing loss
Severe hearing loss
Moderate hearing loss
Strategies for Hearing Impaired Learners
- Face them -They need to see your face.
- Slow down –But don’t go too slow.
- Don’t shout –It distorts your mouth pattern and looks aggressive.
- Rephrase –If they can’t understand what you’re saying then rephrase it in another way.
- Context –Set the topic first so they know what you’re talking about; let them know if you are changing the topic.
- Expressions –Use your normal facial expressions; surprise, happy, sad, these show the tone of what’s being said and the size of things.
- Body language –Feel free to show how you feel with your body posture; folded arms/open arms etc.
- Mime –Such as smoking, digging, driving, eating and ironing etc.
- Fingerspell –Fantastic for spelling hard words and names.
- Write –But be careful on this one, many deaf people do not read or write as well as you.
- Never –Say, “Oh never mind” or “It doesn’t matter”, if they don’t understand you. Try again.
- Smile –You’re communicating with another human, enjoy even if it’s a little scary at first. It gets easier.
The following strategies, some of which are very commonly used with ESOL type of learners, are very beneficial for students with hearing impairment.
Try to place the student with students who can offer ‘good models of language’.
On planning seating arrangements, try to pair the student with a responsible peer to repeat instructions and demonstrate tasks.
Use a display board to show key vocabulary (with picture prompts) for a particular topic and regularly remind students that it’s there.
Use the student’s name before asking a question or giving a direct instruction. With EAL students, please ensure you are pronouncing their name correctly.
Try to adopt a ‘show and tell’ approach to instructions. Rather than just saying the instruction, show the student what they should be doing by working through an example.
Give student time (at least 10 seconds) to respond to a question or instruction and then, if necessary, repeat what you said. Say the same words unless you think the vocabulary was too difficult to understand.
Check for understanding by asking the student to show and tell you what they have to do.
Create visual summaries of discussions as you go - mind mapping, flow charts, diagrams, comic-strip format.
Use a hierarchy of questions – start with an open question (“What do you think might happen next?”), then if support is needed frame the question as alternatives (“Do you think x or y?”).
If you cannot understand what the student has said, do not pretend that you have – ask for repetition in different words.
Please click here to find out more about the strategies.
Some useful videos, websites, books and article links:
- Useful guidelines of how to support Deaf/Hearing impaired students - click here
- General Strategies To Support Students With Hearing Impairment - click here
- An interesting article to read Fingerspelling - the alphabet on your hands.
- Strategies For Supporting Students With Handwriting Difficulties - click here
British Sign Language - A Beginner's Vocabulary from Deaf Direct
Better Speech and Hearing Month - Word Search
3. DID YOU KNOW THESE FAMOUS CELEBRITIES WITH SPEECH AND HEARING DIFFICULTIES?
- Jaik Campbell - British comedian
- Emily Olivia Leah Blunt - English actress
- Hugh John Mungo Grant - British actor and a film producer
- Kelly Brown – Rugby player
- Edward Michael "Ed" Balls - British Labour Party and Co-operative Party politician
- Peter Mark Sinclair “Marc” Almond - English singer-songwriter and musician
- Gerry Hughes - First profoundly deaf man to sail single-handed across the Atlantic Ocean
- Joe Swail - Snooker player
- Matthew Ian Gilbert - English rugby union footballer
4. ASSISTIVE LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES (AT)
There are many interesting apps for British Sign Language (BSL) available for iPad and iPhone, some of them are:
BSL Sign Solutions
BSL Dictionary
SignBasic - British & Irish Sign Languages
5. UPCOMING NEWS/EVENTS/FESTIVALS & TRAINING
News Events & Festivals
- Speech and Hearing month is on 1 - 31 May 2016.
- Dystonia Awareness Week is on 3 - 11 May 2016.
- Dementia Awareness Week is on 15 - 21 May 2016.
- Mental Health Awareness Week is on 16 - 22 May 2016.
- National Boost-Your-Self-Esteem Month - TEEN Day is on 31 May 2016.
Training
Assistive Technology Training - Please get in touch with Nosheen Ashraf to book a bespoke session for Assistive Technology Training - Specialist Software Available At Your Fingertips. I can demonstrate a variety of software and tools e.g. read-aloud software and speech-to-text software. Also, show how to setup free apps on iPad/Mobile Phones etc.
Good Practice With Supported Learners
Good Practice With Supported Learners. Please
share any activity differentiation, adaptations or use of Assistive Technology that would work well with your learners. Please click here in order to share good practice with other teaching staff.6. FEEDBACK FOR SUPPORTED LEARNING NEWSLETTER
Please leave your feedback here. Thank you.
Responsible For Layout & Coordination
Nosheen Ashraf
Assistive Technology Coordinator - Learning Support
Nosheen.Ashraf@barnetsouthgate.ac.uk
Phone: 0203 7644347