care · 2014-05-22 · though a learning disability is a learning problem, not all learning...

CARE

F O R

S P E C I A L C H I L D R E N

A P R I L 2 0 1 4 E D I T I O N

A publication of The Mico University College Child Assessment and Research in Education (CARE) Centre

MICO UNIVERSITY COLLEGE C.A.R.E CENTRE

5 Manhattan Road, Kingston 5

Tel: (876)929-7720-2 Fax: 906-1395

Email: [email protected]

MICO UNIVERSITY COLLEGE

C.A.R.E CENTRE

2 Royes Street, St. Ann’s Bay, St. Ann

Tel: (876)972-1174 Tel/Fax: 972-7719


MICO UNIVERSITY COLLEGE

C.A.R.E RIDGEMOUNT CENTRE

53 Main Street , Mandeville, Manchester

Tel: (876)625-4847 Tel/Fax: 625-4793


In this Issue

Conquering Inattention in the

Classroom: A Closer look at

Hyperactivity, Impulsivity and

Distractibility

Exploring the Impact of Auditory

and Visual Memory on Student

Learning

Handwriting Preparation through

the Development of Fine Motor

Skills

Pre-requisites for Phonics

Instruction

Developing a Sight Word

Vocabulary

Fostering the Fundamental

Reading Process

Reading Comprehension: Its

Effect on Learning

The Importance of Spelling

Teach Early Math Concepts: Help

your Child to Cope

Strategies for Reaching Boys in

the Classroom

The Changing Role of the Teacher

Chaotic Classroom???

Teachers Matter Too! Teacher

Stress and How to Combat It.

References

WEBSITE: www.themicocarecentre.org

Editorial

The vision for this publication arose from the experiences and findings of our clinicians over the years of conducting In-House as well as School-Based Assessments. It has become abundantly clear that the situation regarding the academic functioning of our students is grave, as the needs of the students are great and the teachers are not fully equipped to meet all the special needs. However, we cannot simply throw our hands up in the air and do nothing. And so we take this oppor-tunity to reflect on the journey of special education in Jamaica. This is by no means an exhaustive account, but merely a bird’s eye view. From whence have we come? Where are we now, and how can we help to make a difference in the lives of our teachers and the children of Jamaica. It is our hope that the contents of this publication will assist practitioners in a real way to recognize and address even some of the needs of our students as we partner with the Ministry of Education in saying, “Every child can learn, every child must learn”.

A Bird’s Eye View of Special Education

There is now a recognition, a heightening of awareness about the fact that a significant number of our student population are experiencing “learning problems”. There is a tendency to refer to these as “learning disabilities”. However, though a learning disability is a learning problem, not all learning problems are learning disabilities. A learning disability is an unexplained gap between a person’s level of expected achieve-ment and their current performance; unexplained because the students are of average or above av-erage intelligence, yet they experience challenges in some areas.

The challenges are very real but the situation is not hopeless. We need to remember that even worldwide, special education is a relatively new field. In the early 1970’s for example, many Jamaicans were not even familiar with the term despite the existence of agencies that served the blind, deaf and the physically disabled. So, how did it all begin? Through a bilateral agreement with the govern-

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ment of the Netherlands (1976) a 3-phased project was introduced making special education a vital part of Jamaica’s education system. This was done through the following: Training of teachers in the area of Special

Education at the Mico Teacher’s College (as it was then) – certificate, diploma programme then and now a B.Ed. Degree programme.

Establishment of a Diagnostic and Therapeutic

Centre with a research arm. (Mico C.A.R.E Centre)

Establishment of five (5) special education unit

blocks attached to primary schools in five parishes. Much has happened over the intervening years. We are now at a point where there is a definite increase in the awareness about children with special needs. As the only diagnostic and thera-peutic Centre in the English-speaking Caribbean, the Mico C.A.R.E Centre shoulders a huge re-sponsibility, which is met in diverse ways. Through Public Education – Education Confer- ences, workshops, seminars for teachers and parents, presentations at P.T.A meetings and staff development sessions. Here we impress on all stake-holders the fact that early identification of learning challenges as well as early intervention are KEY! Best practices in the field of Special Education are also shared with participants. Through the In-House Assessment Pro-

gramme we administer in-depth assessments using a multi-disciplinary team approach. From the findings of these assessments, we are able to ascertain strengths and weak-nesses in intellectual and academic functioning which in turn guide the recommen-dations that are made for (a) intervention (internal and external) (b) appropriate school placement, (c) teaching methods to be employed (d) family/parent involvement, (e) referrals to other agencies among many others.

Through our School-Based Assessment Ser-

vice, we assess (in a less in-depth way) large

groups of students for whom we establish current levels of functioning in the areas of Reading, Spelling and Mathematics. The results of this type of assessment determine whether more in-depth assessment is required, or if some students actually require Special Education place-ment, intensive remediation or less stringent approaches. The information garnered also assists classroom teachers with knowledge of their students which can guide the most effective grouping of students, as well as, adjustments which need to be made in the delivery of the established curriculum. As far as Special Education Training goes, The Mico University College has been Jamaica’s leader in the field of Special Education currently offering degrees (B.Ed. and M.Ed.) in Special Education. On-going workshops, seminars and a biennial conference are also offered by the Mico University College C.A.R.E Centre. Other: Other organizations providing educational services for the special needs population include the Jamaica Association for Intellectual Disabilities (JAID), Jamaica Association for Children with Learning Disabilities (JACLD), Jamaica Associa-tion for the Deaf (JAD), Jamaica Society for the Blind (JSB) and private schools. Arising from the observations over the thirty-two (32) years of its existence the Mico C.A.R.E Cen-tre has proposed and gained acceptance for at least one (1) special education course to be in-cluded in each year of the four year degree pro-gramme in regular education. This means that every graduate teacher will have completed at least four (4) special education courses before going into a classroom. It is our hope that as Mico University College leads this charge, all the other teacher training institutions will follow. Some persons are still unaware of developments, such as the Alternative Secondary Transition Education Programme (ASTEP) of the Ministry of Education which is in place for students who have (on as many as 3 or 4 attempts) not shown mastery of the Grade Four Literacy and Numeracy tests. Prior to inclusion in this programme, students are screened by Mico CARE to ascertain their functional levels. They are again screened at

the end of two years ,before they are transitioned The above represents a ‘skeleton’ of the special education system as it currently exists. It is fair to say we here at the Mico University College C.A.R.E Centre now understand much of what is required to deliver a good special education product. The rudiments are in place but all areas need to be strengthened and expanded. However, as we acknowledge that the needs are great we must also acknowledge that we have made significant strides and are actually ahead of the other English-speaking territories in the Caribbean. Some of the needs which exist include more special education facilities for placement of students after assessment. There is also a need for systematic in-service training of teachers already in the classroom and who have limited knowledge of the strategies required for helping children with special needs. Of critical impor-tance, is early identification of this group of children, so that intervention programmes can be implemented. Arising from the obvious need that teachers are experiencing in the classrooms, we here at the Mico C.A.R.E Centre have identified some major areas of need for accelerated growth, solutions and ideas that will motivate you and the children you teach and inspire the teaching and learning spirit in the classroom; such will be the focus of this publication. We will highlight and explain specific areas, describing the impact of each on learning, red flags which the classroom teacher should look out for, as well as recommendations for strengthening the areas of weakness. We trust that this edition will prove to be a valuable keepsake which will be shared with colleagues and parents in the thrust towards fulfill-ing our mandate “Every child can learn, every child must learn”. However a vital component to accomplish the foregoing is the necessary tools for instruction. We invite you to dive in and discover some of those tools!

Allison McGraham

Administrative Manager

Records, Public Relations/Education

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Conquering Inattention in the

Classroom: A closer look at

Hyperactivity, Impulsivity &

Distractibility

In the classroom, students often display behav-iours related to hyperactivity, impulsivity and dis-tractibility. These patterns of behaviour often inhibit the learning processes of students. As such, it is important to raise awareness about these behaviours and provide strategies to manage them in the classroom.

Definition of Terms

Hyperactivity is characterized by excessive activity that interferes with the ability to concen-trate or interact with others (American Heritage Science Dictionary, 2005). Examples of hyperac-tive behaviour include:

constant fidgetting and squirming

often leaving one's seat in situations where sitting quietly is expected

moving around constantly and often running or climbing inappropriately

talking excessively

having difficulty playing quietly or relaxing

always being “on the go,” as if driven by a motor

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having a quick temper

Impulsivity may be defined as unplanned reac-tions to internal or external stimuli without regard to the negative consequences of these behaviours. Impulsivity is manifested when a child: acts without thinking blurts out answers in class without waiting

to be called on, or hearing the whole question

cannot wait for his or her turn in line or in games

says the wrong thing at the wrong time often interrupts others intrudes on other people’s conversations or

games is not able to keep powerful emotions in

check, resulting in angry outbursts or tem-per tantrums

guesses, rather than taking time to solve a problem

often acts without thinking about the consequences of his/her actions

has trouble taking turns or often disrupts games and conversations

has difficulty controlling temper outbursts

Before exploring the nature and implications of distractibility, it would be useful to explore the term "attention span", as it is one of the major causes of distractibility. Attention span is defined as the "length of time during which one (as an in-dividual or a group) is able to concentrate or re-main interested" (Merriam Webster Dictionary, na). There are many factors which could influence the attention span of children. These can range from external noises such as cars passing, issues such as bullying or the time of the day.

Factors affecting Attention Span

A. Level of Interest: Children are usually able to watch their favourite television show or "play game" for hours, but in the classroom setting (if activities are not engaging or do not spark their interest), their attention will not be maintained.

b. Age: A student's age is a very important factor in determining how long he or she is able to pay attention. Younger children have a shorter

attention span than older ones. According to research, the attention span of school-aged children should be calculated by multiplying their chronological age by 2 to 5 (Wesson, 2011;

Studydog.com ).

The attention span of your class is usually the length of your

least attentive child, especially if he/she becomes disruptive

when bored.

c. Fatigue: Children who are tired are less likely

to pay attention in class. This can be seen as it

is usually more difficult for students to maintain

attention in afternoon sessions. Try to get as

much work done early in the morning versus

after lunch. Also do not wait until it is close to

break or lunch time to highlight the important

points.

d. Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

(ADHD): There are some students who may

have conditions/disorders which could be

affecting their attention level- for example

ADHD (Thomas, n.a). Behaviour manage-

ment strategies and professional help should

be sought for these children.

e. Emotional Challenges: Students who have

experienced trauma, abuse or faced stressful situations at home may have challenges. In this

case, the student may need counselling to

assist him/her.

The culmination of all these attention challenges is

distractibility, in which the mind is easily diverted by small and irrelevant stimuli. A child who is easily distracted will often:

make careless mistakes have trouble staying focused and is

easily distracted have difficulty remembering information

and following instructions have trouble staying organized, planning

ahead, and finishing projects become bored with a task before it is

completed frequently lose or misplace homework,

books, toys, or other items appear to not pay attention to details or

to listen when spoken to daydream frequently process information slowly struggle to follow instructions

How do hyperactivity, impulsivity,

disorganization and distractibility affect

the learning process?

When children are hyperactive, they tend to “miss information” that is being shared in the classroom. They face challenges with starting and completing tasks as well as working within a time limit. This is often required in class work, tests and examinations. Doing home work, reviewing infor-mation, preparing for upcoming classes and studying are also challenging for a child who is hyperactive. These factors all have a negative im-pact on the child’s academic performance, which may eventually result in underachievement. Hy-peractivity may be manifested as disruptive be-haviour, which interrupts the execution of the les-son and social activities amongst the peer group. This negatively affects relationships with class-mates and even the teacher. In turn, isolation from other students and a strained relationship with the teacher leads to low self esteem and feelings of rejection, which have a negative impact on the student’s ability to learn (Hinshaw, 2002).

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Impulsivity often leads to a decline in the quality of work that a child produces, as the student might give answers without reading the entire question or all the information provided. The student may also become confused or misinterpret concepts, as not all of the information has been adequately absorbed due to the assumptions that he/she has made. This is demonstrated in classroom discussions, tests, oral presentations, examina-tions and homework. Judgment is also affected, which impacts the student’s ability to reason -through problems and display appropriate class-room behaviour. These factors would also contribute to a student’s academic performance and the development of social relationships. As a result, low self- esteem may arise and the child becomes demotivated. This has adverse effects on the learning process.

Distractibility may cause a student to neglect details of the instructions and misunderstand the task, which in turn prevents them from giving their best performance. It may even compromise the quality of the work that they produce. This is indi-cated by numerous errors and careless mistakes that characterize the work of a distractible student. A child who is distractible will not be able to take in and retain information at the level that is required. The object or stimulus that is distracting the child (also known as interference or noise) will impede the transfer of the message from the teacher to the student.

Recommendations for teachers of hyper-

active, distractible and impulsive students

Have realistic expectations about the amount of work that students are capable of doing.

Present rules of the classroom in an explicit

and concise manner. These should be posted in the classroom so that children may see them whenever the teacher refers to them. Discussions should not only involve the behav-iour that is expected, but also the consequences for misbehaving.

Decide on a sign that will be used as a

reminder that the child should stay on task during moments of distractibility - for example, placing a finger on the lips or touching your

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right ear. This is especially useful with younger students (between the ages of six and eight).

Get students in the habit of learning from each other. Occasionally, when a student asks a question, select a classmate to respond.

Use a point system or tokens when rewarding good behaviour (Davies, 2013).

Use a multisensory approach when teaching. Remember that each student has his/her individual learning style. This may be visual, auditory or kinesthetic. Effort should be made to incorporate all these approaches when teaching. Also, use a variety of teaching aids such as television, computer programmes and pictures (U.S. Department of Education, 2004).

Give information and instructions in steps. This will help the student to avoid feeling over-whelmed. Also, avoid filling the board with in-formation. This can also be overwhelming and reduce students' motivation to attend.

Utilize interactive activities that involve move-ment, such as using their fingers, verbal quiz competitions or have student go to the board to work out the answers.

Remove unnecessary items from the child’s work space (for example, toys or extra pencils or paper) (U.S. Department of Education, 2004).

Provide immediate feedback/rewards for students' participation.

Use examples that students may find interesting.

If the child distracts other students by playing with objects, the teacher should suggest an alternative type of movement that will not be as distracting (for example, squeezing a stress ball) (U.S. Department of Education, 2004).

Teachers should use their discretion by con-sidering if the child will become too distractible by moving around. Give these children a five to ten minute break in which they are allowed to move around (for example, walking around the classroom or down the hall). Also, provide other opportunities for them to move around

by asking them to assist (by handing out papers or collecting an item from another teacher, for example).

Minimize lecturing when teaching a topic and try to keep lessons to a 10 to 20 minute time frame.

Communicate with Parents. The distractible

student may not be intrigued, motivated by or interested in the mode of teaching that is cur-rently being used. In order to appeal to non-academic interests, the teachers should talk to

the child's parents in order to learn the details about instances during which the child excelled or performed poorly. Try to replicate

the former situation in the classroom.

Give the child prior notice or use a signal when the task is going to change. For example, play classical music or a recording of nature sounds during work time. This will allow the child to associate the sound with work and allow him/her to stay on task (U.S. Department of Education, 2004).

Present instructions in simple, concrete terms. Ensure that the child understands and com-pletes one step before introducing the second step (Davies, 2005).

Contributed by:

Sasha Bell, Rachelle McDonald &

Shanique Westcarr

Clinical Psychologists

Mico University College CARE Centre

Exploring the Impact of Auditory

and Visual Memory on Student

Learning

Memory is defined as the mental capacity or

ability to retain or recall facts, events, impressions,

or previous experiences. ( American Heritage Sci-

ence Dictionary, 2010). It is pivotal to the learning

process and daily life, as without it, we would not

be able to identify letters, recognize faces, eat or

dial a number.

There are many theories on memory, one of which

is the Stage Theory by Akinson and Shiffrin, 1968

(Cherry, n/a). In this theory, it is stated that mem-

ory takes place in stages and is related to the en-

coding, storage and retrieval of information. How

does this work?

When we interact with our environment, we en-code (take in) or receive stimuli through our senses (see, hear, smell, feel or taste). This forms our sensory memory. At this stage, information stays for 1/2 to 3 seconds . The senses usually

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receive a lot of information (most of which is forgotten) and only the bits to which attention is given, is transferred to short term memory or working memory. Information in short term mem-ory lasts between 20 to 30 seconds. However, if the information is rehearsed and is considered important, it is then transferred to the long term memory where it is stored and retrieved at a later date (Cherry, n/a). Therefore, challenges with sen-sory memory will inhibit the retention, processing, retrieval and utilization of information.

In the Jamaican classroom setting, the two main senses that teaching formats are usually designed to appeal to are hearing and sight. As a result, this article will be focusing on auditory and visual memory.

Factors which may affect Auditory and

Visual Memory

Physical impairment, such as visual and hear-ing difficulties or infections.

Inattentiveness which may inhibit senses from retrieving information.

Poor visual and auditory memory is linked to developmental disorders such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism or neuro-logical disorders such as dyslexia, dyscalculia or sensory processing disorders.

Emotional challenges which may cause a child to get distracted.

Limited exposure and stimulation at an early age, resulting in these skills not being developed.

Auditory and Visual Memory

Auditory Memory is the ability to remember words and sounds or the ability to recall informa-tion which was received verbally. In the class-room, this ability is usually useful when learning songs, understanding and following instructions, copying dictated notes and learning information that has been presented in the form of a lecture. Students with challenges in auditory memory may be inattentive; however, for others they may seem like they are giving complete attention but are un-able to recall anything that has been stated. It has been suggested that many of these students are

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only able to retain a few words and usually stop listening in order to process the information, after which they attempt to listen again, most times missing important points (Heyman, 2012 & Roland, 2013). Students with Auditory memory challenges may have difficulty:

copying notes which are given by means of dictation.

following oral instructions.

using letter sounds to spell or read words.

doing listening comprehension tasks.

understanding and remembering words, terms and topics presented orally.

following a conversation or story.

recalling information after a period of time.

recalling verbal information in the correct sequence.

engaging in auditory discrimination. Visual Memory is the ability to recall information that has been visually presented after it has been removed from sight. Visual memory aids in the correct processing of visual information such as charts, diagrams, letters and words. It also assists in the differentiation between letters such as "b” and “d" (Pratt, 2014).

Students with visual memory challenges

may have difficulty:

with subjects such as reading/comprehension, spelling, mathematics and art.

remembering letters, numbers, words, shapes, symbols and objects.

copying information from the board, as it may be incorrect or the copying process takes ex-tremely long as persons often have to be re-checking information.

Looking for items.

Learning sight words.

Recognizing the same word on different pages when reading.

Drawing detailed pictures.

Sequencing letters or words which result in

challenges when writing sentences or spelling words.

Using calculators, as he or she may forget the symbols and their functions.

Engaging in visual discrimination.

Below you will find recommendations to assist students with these challenges.

Additional Recommendations to address

both Auditory and Visual Memory are as

follows:

Utilize a multisensory approach when teaching.

Decrease distractions in order to help student attend to stimuli.

When giving notes, state and write them at the same time.

Link topics to everyday life so that they become relatable and easier to remember.

Visual Memory

Do not overwhelm students with too many pic-tures and visual cues.

Play games such as "I say" and "Match a Card" to improve the skill.

Recall object features – let the student(s) look at an object and talk about its features. Take the object away and ask them to recall some of its features.

Recall picture details – let the student(s) look at a picture and talk about the details. Take the picture away and ask them to recall some of the details.

Complete the shape – show the student(s) a shape and then give them an incomplete drawing of the same shape. Ask the student(s) to complete the shape from memory.

Complete the picture – show the student(s) a simple picture and then give them an incom-plete drawing of the same picture. Ask them to complete the picture from memory.

What's missing? – Show the student(s) two similar pictures and ask them to identify what is missing from one of the pictures.

Kim's game – Place some everyday objects on a table. Show them to the child/students for about a minute, then cover them and see how many each can recall. This can also be played by taking one object away and asking the pu-pils to identify the object that is missing.

Pelmanism is a very effective game which is used to improve memory . It is similar to match a card as students are given a number of cards faced down and asked to find the cards that are similar. On the cards they can be given shapes, objects, numbers, words, ani-mals, etc.

Cause and effect – pictorial visual memory sequence.

Recall and sequence 1 – a series of three to four coloured shapes.

Recall and sequence 2 – a series of three to four pictures (eg. everyday situations, life se-quences).

Word Bingo – simple high frequency words.

Visual memory spelling games – using the look, cover, remember, write, check strategy with simple high frequency words.

Auditory Memory

Revise topics taught to ensure they are remembered.

When giving notes work slowly or allow time for students to process information.

Repeat and use information – student(s)

could be asked to repeat a sequence of two or three colours and then thread beads or ar-range cubes using that sequence. The pupils could also complete card number sequences in the same way.

Reciting – action rhymes, songs and jingles. Use the actions to aid the recall of key learning points.

Memory and Sequencing songs – songs like Old Macdonald, Ten Green Bottles, One Man went to Mow.

Story recall 1 – retell the main events of a story, using puppets and background scenery as cues.

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Handwriting Preparation through the

Development of Fine Motor Skills

What are Fine Motor Skills?

Fine motor skills are the coordination of small mus-cle movements which occur in body parts such as the fingers, usually in coordination with the eyes. Fine motor skills involve the manner in which chil-dren use their fingers, hands and arms. They in-clude reaching, grasping, manipulating objects and using different tools like crayons and scissors. They enable such functions as writing, grasping small objects and fastening clothing. They are de-veloped as the neurological system matures. Fine motor control requires awareness and planning to complete a task. It also requires muscle strength, coordination and normal sensation.

Implications for Learning in School Children whose fine motor skills are delayed are unable to colour with crayons, cut with a scissors, paint with a paintbrush and play with small objects such as lego, beads and puzzles which are integral activities for the preschool to kindergarten child. They will also be unable to do basic self- care ac-tivities such as tying shoelaces and using a knife and fork to eat food. Children with difficulty in fine motor skills may be-come frustrated when they attempt tasks which they are unable to do. Their self-esteem may also suffer when they are unable to keep up with their peers.

Children with difficulties in fine motor skills development may: display excessive use of tongue, feet or other

body parts when colouring, cutting, tracing or with high concentration tasks.

produce extremely heavy colouring.

lean over the table when concentrating on a fine motor project.

keep pulling the knees and feet under the body or thrust rump up in the air when doing wheel-barrows.

Story recall 2 – draw the main events in well-known, patterned stories (e.g. Little Red Hen, The Gingerbread Man).

I went to market and I bought... – using real shopping items or pictures. Pupils have to recall the sequence of items bought.

Recall simple sequences – of personal experiences and events and share with the group or class.

Recall verbal messages 1 – containing one or two elements and requiring a yes or no reply.

Recall verbal messages 2 – containing one or two elements and requiring a simple sentence reply.

Instructions – recall and repeat task instruc-tions containing one, then two, then three elements.

Drawing 1 – story sequences from memory.

Drawing 2 – the sequence of a simple activity.

Explain – the sequence of a simple activity.

Recall – days and events of the week.

Alphabet sequences – dot to dot, games and puzzles.

Alphabet name game – recall the sequence of the alphabet using names.

Alphabet word game – recall the sequence of the alphabet when using simple word banks.

Draw a time sequence – flow chart of the main events in the story.

Organize sentences – in the correct sequence, relating to a school event, using words and phrases that signal time as cues (e.g. after that, next).

Mind-maps – show the pupils how to use mind-maps to aid recall of key information.

Contributed by:

Shanique Westcarr

Clinical Psychologists


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be unable to play appropriately with a variety of toys or avoid crafts and manipulatives.

refuse to participate in an activity.

have outbursts of anger or display de-featist behaviours.

Recommendations for the Development of

Children’s Fine Motor Skills

Encourage children to manipulate toys, such as building blocks, lacing, pegboards and puzzles.

Get them to paint, colour, use play dough and draw.

Let students cut and tear paper, as cutting with scissors is a difficult skill for children to de-velop. Though difficult, it is of critical impor-tance to the acquisition of writing skills. The use of a small child-sized self opening scissors can help. Begin with single snips on stiff paper and gradually progress to cutting lines. Tear paper to make collages.

Collect small objects like buttons, dry maca-roni and beads. Spread them out on the floor or table and encourage children to pick them up with a pair of tweezers and place them into a container.

Get the children to use water squirt bottles. They are great for squirting outdoors on the walls, sidewalk or plants.

Encourage children to make necklaces, using a variety of materials to string, such as but-tons, popcorn, macaroni and cut-up straws.

Encourage children to clip clothes pins on con-tainers, thick cardboard or at the end of a shirt.

Play games such as tug-of-war, wheelbarrow walking or animal walks.

Use multisensory materials to keep drawing and pre-writing interesting, such as drawing in shaving cream, whipped cream, hair gel, finger paint and sand.

Use large pictures and encourage students to colour within the lines.

Tips for the Classroom Teachers in

Developing Students’ Fine Motor Skills

Pre-kindergartners benefit from daily experiences that support the development of fine motor skills in their hands and fingers. Children should have strength and dexterity in their hands and fingers before being expected to master the daunting task of handwriting.

Use a plant sprayer to spray water on plants or “Monster melt”…….draw monster pictures with

a marker and then spray them with water.

Provide spring loaded clothespins and encourage children to clip clothes or pictures on a line.

Provide small child-sized paper punches that make different shapes.

Provide Cheerios, Fruit Loops, or macaroni and encourage children to lace them on string or yarn.

Provide small tops to spin.

Spread cards, coins, or buttons on the floor and encourage students to turn them over.

Sing chants and fingerplays that encourage the use of the fingers such as 5 Little Ducks, 5 Green and Speckled Frogs etc.

The manner in which a child holds a pencil is called a pencil grasp.

Develop the correct pencil grasp with children. For young children it is important to introduce pen-

cil grasp with the use of a jumbo pencil or the use

of a pencil grip on a regular pencil.

Children should be encouraged to:

Trace straight lines - horizontal, vertical, diagonal lines, curves (U shaped and ∩ shaped) and circles.

Connect the dots activities.

Trace letters and trace the letters in the child’s name.

Contributed by:

Annette James, Special Educator


********************************************

Pre-Requisites for Phonics

Instruction

The ability to read is a basic function for the suc-cess of students of all ages and levels. It is a com-plex operation that requires the introduction of a number of skills to help students decode and encode words. Chief among these skills are visual and auditory discrimination and phonemic aware-ness. These form the basis for successful phonics and language instructions. Language is made up of phonemes which are the smallest possible sounds in a word. When humans listen to language, their brains organize the different sounds into meaningful chunks that can be interpreted as words. This is called phono-logical awareness and is a prerequisite for phon-ics instruction. An examination of the three com-ponents should underscore the importance of successful phonics instruction.

Auditory Discrimination

This refers to the brain's ability to organize and make sense of language sounds. Children who have difficulties with this might have trouble understanding and developing language skills because their brains either misinterpret language sounds, or process them too slowly. Often, these children cannot differentiate between similar sounds. (wisegeek.org)

The big challenge is that children with auditory

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discrimination disorders may not respond to spoken language if there is background noise, or they might understand sounds incorrectly. Prob-lems with this ability are usually related to the brain rather than to the ear itself. It means the person can hear, but he or she hears information "incorrectly." A medical professional can diagnose a disorder after tests have shown there are no physical hearing problems.

Visual Discrimination

This is the ability to differentiate one object from another. Children will be required to distinguish visually between one letter and the other and must perceive the shape or characteristics of each letter. The ability to discriminate letters and words visually is essential in learning to read.

For example:

Students with vowel discrimination problems will have difficulty differentiating vowels in the medial position such as: ‘want’ and ‘went’ and even the r-controlled vowels ‘horse’ and ‘house’.

Problems with consonant discrimination in-clude ‘then’ and ‘when’ or ‘ever’ and ‘even’.

Reversals are displayed by confusion of ‘was’ and ‘saw’ or ‘big’ and ‘dig’.

Additions are evident in ‘ever’ and ‘every’ or ‘your’ and ‘our’.

Phonemic Awareness

This is the ability to hear, identify, and manipulate individual sounds or phonemes in spoken words. Before children learn to read print, they need to become more aware of how the sounds in words work. They must understand that words are made up of speech sounds, or phonemes which are the smallest parts of sound in a spoken word that make a difference in a word's meaning. Students who read well are also excellent listen-ers with strong phonemic awareness and are able to pick up reading instructions much more quickly than those with weak phonemic awareness. (Bruce Howlett)

‘Children who cannot hear and work with the pho-nemes of spoken words will have difficulty learn-ing how to relate these phonemes to graphemes (A grapheme is a letter of the alphabet, or all of the letters and letter combinations that represent a phoneme., as f, ph, and gh for the phoneme - American Heritage Dictionary) when they see them in written words’. (Begin to Read)

What is Phonics?

Phonics is a method of teaching reading by train-ing the students to recognise and associate letters and sounds. This includes the utilization of such skills as visual and auditory discrimination and phonemic awareness. Other areas of phonics in-clude knowledge of vowels, consonants, conso-nant blends, consonant and vowel digraph, diph-thongs and more complex vowel sounds. As students begin to progress in understanding, they-begin to put these skills to practice. However, if the students are given the pre-requisite skills for phonics instruction and are still struggling, ‘the problem may not necessarily be letters and printed words. The problem may be rooted in the way the brain processes sounds and spoken words. Reading, like all language skills, is an overwhelmingly auditory task.’ (Bruce Howlett,n/a)

Both teachers and parents are faced with the task of providing children with skills necessary to allow them to function as independent members of the school and wider community. As they work to-gether, the task becomes easier and more rewarding. It is therefore necessary that the proper foundation is laid at the earliest possible stage of development. Below are some recom-mendations that should assist in the process:

Recommendations

1. Early readers can show they have phonemic

awareness in several ways:

recognizing which words in a set of words start with the same sound.

isolating and saying the first or last sound in a

word.

combining or blending the separate sounds in a word in order to say the word.

breaking up or segmenting a word into its

separate sounds. (Begin to Read)

2. Auditory and visual discrimination should be stressed early and throughout the grades, with particular emphasis on letters of the alphabet, phonic elements, and word recognition skills.

3. Strengthen auditory skills and letter sound memory.

Contributed by:

Salomie Evering, Special Educator


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Additional Recommendations for

Auditory and Visual Discrimination

Auditory Discrimination

Give directions both orally and visually.

Speak slowly, especially when the student is

hearing this information for the first time.

Limit background noise when teaching new

information or giving directions.

Provide specific opportunities to practice rhyming, segmenting and blending words. Have a note taking buddy who will make sure that information was understood.

Request seating close to the teacher.

Have student repeat instructions or information

to ensure that messages are clearly understood.

Have the student listen to a CD then identify the picture or the item that makes that noise.

Ask students to identify a sound that is not a

part of a group of sounds.

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Have students repeat the clapping or tapping

of a rhythm.

Have students listen to a set of words and

state which ones rhyme or do not rhyme.

Sound bingo where students distinguish

between initial or final sounds.

Visual Discrimination

Clearly space words or problems on a page.

Anticipate confusion and have readily avail-

able samples of correct responses.

Use an index card when reading to blot out the

distraction of other words.

Highlight useful information when reading.

Do exercises to find hidden objects on a page

or in the classroom.

Have a note taking buddy who will make sure

that information was copied correctly.

Visual bingo where students identify the letter

or words that are different.

Contributed by:

Joy Richards, Special Educator


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Developing a Sight Word

Vocabulary

What are Sight Words?

Sight words are words commonly found in print. They are referred to as high frequency words. They are constantly repeated or used. When a child recognizes the words upon sight, he/she will no doubt increase fluency in reading, vocabulary and comprehension. Many sight words are phonetically irregular as they do not follow spelling or phonetic rules. Consequently, we (caregivers) must help them master these essential sight words. As the child learns these words, he/she learns shortcuts to word recognition. Parents can help their children learn to read. Parental involvement accelerates learning to read. The more one-on-one time a child has learning and practising sight words with an adult, the greater the chances to integrate them into his/her long- term memory. A child’s ability to read dictates his/her success in school. Make a sight words Word Wall. For a younger child, Kindergarten to Grade Three, use words and pictures especially if the child’s vocabulary

is limited. Please note that some words cannot be demonstrated. Think about these words -jump, here, the, play, is and those.

Have the child trace and write sight words.

Word shapes are amazing activities especially for a young child.

Have the child practice individual sight words.

Five for the week is quite good unless the child has memory problems. Complete a word search for additional reinforcement.

Use the words in sentences. You can control

this by using the same word shapes previously used or by omitting a letter or two from the practiced words.

Multiple choice activities also help to

strengthen the child’s vocabulary. For exam-ple, “ I will ……… with you in the evening”. (tell, very, play).

Allow the child to draw pictures to depict given

sentences. “The kite is stuck in the mango tree.”

Use previous words to make stories and/or

have child write their own short paragraphs. For example, “My aunt has a new……… She bathes her ……… morning. She ……… to her ……… She tells the baby ……… she loves her ……… much.”

Provide paragraph starters for the older child who has a wider vocabulary and is able to spell more words. For example, “I love to ………. my father. I ……… the car. Then I ……… it dry. We ………” The more you expose a child to sentences, the larger his/her sight word vocabulary gets.

Puzzles are also wonderful reinforcers. You

can get the child to unscramble sight words. Use pictures to assist the weaker child. You should not frustrate him/her.

Get the child to fill in the missing letters (one

or two to begin with). For example, c_m_, m_ _n, pr_tt_.

Circle the correct spelling for given words. You

may have the picture of a tree and some spelling choices: three, see, tree, teer.

Have the child match word to pictures or have him/her complete a word search.

Read stories to your child to help strengthen

his/her language and comprehension skills. A child, who enjoys being read to, possesses the motivation to learn how to read. Most impor-tantly, make sure that he/she sees you read-ing. Do not forget to encourage your students/children to visit the public, school or local library.

Contributed by:

Dorothy Bailey, Special Educator


Fostering the Fundamental

Reading Process

Reading opens the door to success. It is an impor-tant component to learning a variety of subjects. The rudimentary skills of reading should be mas-tered quickly within the primary years. Mastering reading, one of the chief core subjects, will enable students to possess a wealth of knowledge that would not have been possible otherwise. How do we stimulate this thirst for knowledge in students who may find these tasks rather challenging? Where do we begin?

Provide the framework for success! It is

essential that parents and teachers read to their pre-school children on a daily basis so as to develop their language skills and an enriched vocabulary.

Make this time fun! Take the world to them

as you read about various happenings in different countries. Whether the thirst for

knowledge is noticeable or not, every child should be given the opportunity to learn how to fluently read.

Parents and teachers’ knowledge of the reading process is of paramount importance so as to im-part proper instruction to children that they may develop the mechanics of language and reading. The fundamental aspects of reading are taught through the techniques of phonemic awareness, word analysis, phonics and sight words. Reading requires knowledge and understanding of how let-ters and sounds correspond and the meaning of words. There are about forty-four phonemes which are combined to make words. The letters are known as graphemes and they correspond to these phonemes (sounds). Once children get this foundation, they are on their way to mastering the reading process.

The first step in helping struggling readers is to ensure that they experience some levels of suc-cess during each reading session. Encourage self-confidence each step of the way! Books with pat-terns [word families/consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) words], enable children to quickly decipher words and predict the text. Provide this exposure

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during the early stage of reading and help them master new words. Also, personalize stories so that they think about the sequence as you read to them. They may perhaps internalize the material and this may allow or enable them to think and predict possible outcomes. Thus, you (teachers and parents) are strengthening their overall Lan-guage repertoire. What are some of the signs when children struggle to read?

They substitute wrong words for the actual

words on the page.

They are often confused with the letters: b/d, d/p, d/q, q/p, p/g, u/n, s/z, h/n, i/l/j and m/w.

They skip words.

They mumble whenever they are unsure of

specific words.

They read words that are not really there

(sometimes making up their own stories).

Their actual reading levels are below their

grade expectations.

They are easily labelled as having learning

disabilities.

They sometimes exhibit inappropriate

behaviours.

Essential Pre-requisites for Reading Skills

Children who have not mastered the rudiments of reading struggle to read. Fluency in reading is usually poor. Hence, significant attention should be given to sequentially develop the early steps in reading. 1. Knowledge of Letter Names Children should have thorough knowledge of the letter names. They should be able to identify and write them on command. From time to time, children are confused with the letters b/d, d/p, d/q, q/p, p/g, u/n, s/z, h/n, i/l/j and m/w. Teachers and parents have to ensure that they master this hurdle. Lots of exercises should be executed.

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Writing letters in specific shapes or tracing their shapes while saying their names will significantly reduce this difficulty.

2. Knowledge of Letter Sounds It is essential that children master the ability to associate given letters with their corresponding sounds (phonemes). This will enable them to deci-pher unfamiliar words but they must first know the sounds and write the sounds they hear on com-mand. Pictures are useful especially for those chil-dren who have challenges. Much effort should be made in ensuring that the child masters the short vowel sounds in the initial, medial and final posi-tions. Small words they have mastered are useful reminders as well as pictures: a – and, e – egg, i – in, o – on and u – up or pictures of an apple, an egg/elephant, igloo/iguana, octopus and umbrella. It is essential that you know the children you teach and how they learn. They have different learning styles. This will help you to plan effective lessons for success. 3. Oral Blending of Letter Sounds Children learn how to blend letter sounds together especially as they are introduced to words with patterns. These include words with: consonant- vowel-consonant (CVC), consonant-consonant- vowel-consonant (CCVC)/consonant-vowel- consonant-consonant (CVCC) and initial, medial or final consonant blends of two or three letters. For example: cr, pl, sn, lk, mp, scr, spl in words such as: crib, plan, snap, milk, lamp, implant, screen and splinter. It must be pointed out that these are introduced step by step and children should obtain mastery before moving on to the next stage. Some children readily adapt to one of the patterns quite easily. Therefore, know what may work for each child and group them accord-ingly. For example, one child may find it easier to use the pattern: bu –g and ru – m as against b – ug and r – um It is advised that the preferred style be used in the early stages of sound blending. Struggling readers need additional practice with all short vowels before moving on to more complex stages. Milner (1990) in an In-House article noted that “this step which involves breaking down printed words into letters, attaching sounds to those letters, then combining the sounds to pro-duce the spoken word, is most important in any phonics programme.” It is therefore, advisable, to gradually introduce each stage to ensure self-

Reading Comprehension: Its Effect

on Learning

“The term reading comprehension has several dif-ferent definitions. Most experts agree that reading comprehension is the meaning gained from that which is written on printed material. Currently there are three most common models for printed materials; bottom-up (decoding), top down and interactive model.

The bottom-up model emphasizes the material being read, and is often described as text driven. Proponents of this model believe that the material is more important to the process of reading than the students who read the material. The top down model emphasizes the reader and is often described as concept driven. Proponents of this model suggest that the students are more important to the process of reading than the mate rial being read. This is because students usually have some prior knowledge about the topic. The students use this knowledge to make predictions about the meaning of printed material. The interactive model of reading is developed to bridge the gap between the concept and text driven models. This is a model in which the students relate information stored in their head with new information in the text. Most experts sub- scribe to the interactive model”. Adapted from Shanker & Cockrum (2010). These experts believe that comprehension is a process of constructing meaning by interacting with the text. Parents and teachers should have knowledge of types of models whenever they are

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confidence and success. 4. Developing a Basic Sight Word Vocabulary High frequency words as they are often referred to should be introduced as children learn to: match sounds to letters and blend sounds together. These words are generally found in most printed materials. Many of them do not conform to the regular patterns being introduced to these early readers. Consequently, words should be intro-duced in short simple sentences. For example, they are introduced to the following words: mango, tree, here, and, little, school, my, see, have and the. Flash cards and games are used to aid the memory of these words. Afterwards, use these words in sentences. For example: A mango tree is at my school. I have a little mango. See a mango on that tree! Here is a mango for you. My school is little. Children are being bombarded by the same words in a variety of simple relatable sentences. They are within their everyday exposure and experi-ences. Constant repetition is key at this stage as they try to put all they are taught into perspective. New words are gradually introduced as they in-crease their word knowledge and master sound blending. Milner (1990) pointed out that “a basic sight word vocabulary is necessary to provide chil-dren with words they do not have to stop to work out. This helps to promote fluency even at this level. Until they are in place, there will be no foun-dation on which to build the ability to read. 5. More Complex Phonetic Skills As the children become more confident and master new vocabulary, they learn additional phonetic skills so they are more in command of decoding unfamiliar words.

Contributed by: Dorothy Bailey, Special Educator


selecting printed materials for students. Also, they must have background knowledge of their reading levels. Mature students of all ages who enjoy printed materials are able to demonstrate the effect of reading comprehension using all models. They are able to develop mental images whether this is subject based or just reading for enjoyment. Students with this level of maturity decode words to strengthen their pronunciation and always do research and study words that are unfamiliar to them to know their meaning and use them appropriately. The students are able to recognize the main ideas in any reading materials and talk about them with much confidence. They are always alert to answer questions that involve this skill. Students recognize important details in any printed material whenever they are asked to do so. They also understand substitution of words in context and are able to follow written directions, predict outcomes, do critical reading and recognize the author’s organization. On the other hand, average and slow readers need to be taught several skills to enable them to comprehend printed material in order to enhance effective learning. A study was done by an educator, Yousif Alshumiamen King from Saudi Arabia (1992) to find out methods that can be used to stimulate learning from reading comprehension. The students were asked to read cultural passages in three ways: oral, silent and sub vocalizing. All comprehension results were compared at the end of the exercise. The result revealed a significant difference between oral reading and sub vocalization. Oral reading had the greatest effect on comprehension performance among the three reading methods examined. This is the most preferred reading method that should be used with average and slow readers. They are able to hear them-selves calling words, increase/improve enuncia-tion, become aware of emotion and colour of words, also increase total concentration on material read. Through repetition and discussion, students understand the text and are able to link reading material with prior knowledge. They are

18

able to use the vocabulary skills to replace words for words or phrases. They memorize words in text whenever they are able to compare informa-tion with real word encounters.

Whenever students hear themselves read, they have insight to comprehend the text as a whole with various levels of meaning rather than as a dissectible passage of graphic cues. They are bet-ter able to understand punctuation and further strengthen reading comprehension. Educator Tawn, Teng (2009) studied the relation-ship between reading comprehension and reading method of learning styles. He found that students benefit from printed materials whenever they are given a chance to read information in groups and discuss text; while others learn more by practicing the solitary learning style. Be that as it may, students should be engaged in their preferred learning styles.

Students who practice oral reading constantly in all subject areas, may automatically develop a love for reading and start to relate information to their culture and social environment. They use familiar words, that are being deduced from printed material, in conversation with others.

Students will activate background knowledge between new and old information that are not ap-plicable to the present topics in mind. Students will be able to use prior knowledge to draw inferences and make predictions about what might happen next in a text.

It is a proven fact that reading comprehension is the back bone to retrieving all information whether in subject areas, or for research. As students be gin to enjoy reading orally, gradually they will develop a thirst for reading and start to select mate rial for themselves. This is the stage where students will prefer silent reading rather than oral reading. This is the stage where students start to widen their horizon to find out answers through reading for themselves. Miller S. D. and Smith D.E.P (1989 journal) are of the opinion that mature students who read silently, comprehend the most because they both read and think. The study shows that effective reading compre-hension can enhance students learning by:

1. identifying the best method that will stimulate students.

2. starting at their functioning level, then

3. introducing the best method (oral, silent or subvocalizing) at the initial stage of a reading session.

It is very important to think of students’ learning styles that will best support learning in reading comprehension. When students are guided along this path, they will find reading comprehension meaningful and use information appropriately as the needs arise.

Contributed by:

Monica Scott, Special Educator


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According to The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, spelling is the forming of words with letters in an accepted order, which is referred to as ‘orthography.' Reasonable or not, spelling skills are used throughout one’s life to evaluate him or her. Learning how to spell is im-portant because it aids in reading, and helps to cement the connection that is shared between sounds and letters. Spelling and reading also have a common factor, proficiency with language. It has been observed that there is no substi-tute for reading as children learn spoken lan-guage by hearing persons speaking and they learn written language, including spelling, by read-ing what individuals write.

Implications for Learning

Mastering spelling is significant to both writing and reading as it also creates a good impression in an

individual’s writing while making sure one gets his or her meaning across clearly. Eide (2011), pur-ported that spelling is ultimately about expression and communication and that it should be viewed as the basic skill underlying writing. She stated that, without learning to spell fluently, our train of thought will be interrupted during writing. Spelling errors make text more difficult to read. They can also cause the reader to devalue the quality of the writer’s message (Marshall, 1967; Marshall & Powers, 1969). Spelling difficulties can interfere with the execution of other composing processes (Berninger, 1999). These difficulties can even influence the words writers use when writing, as they are less likely to choose words they cannot spell (S. Graham & Harris, 2005). Children who have difficulty with spelling avoid writing, and develop a mindset that they cannot write, leading to arrested writing development. In contrast, learning about spelling can enhance early reading development by shaping children’s knowledge of phonemic awareness, strengthening their grasp of the alphabetic principle, and making sight words easier to remember (Adams, 1990; Ehri, 1987; Moats, 2005/2006; Treiman, 1993). Spelling is so important to young children’s literacy development, it is critical that spelling is taught effectively during the primary grades. This should help minimize spelling’s constraints on writing as well as facilitate the acquisition of foundational reading skills, such as word attack and word recognition (Berninger et al., 1998, and S. Graham et al., 2002).

When creating spelling lists teachers

should:

allow students to select words from their writ-ing.

teach words that students commonly misspell when writing.

teach words that students are most likely to use in their writing.

identify words that look different but has re-lated sound patterns (for example, 'ee' and 'ea' for the long 'e 'sound and words that end in 'tion').

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http://logicofenglish.com/blog/itemlist/user/44-deniseeide

It is important for teachers to:

model for students how to spell a word.

stretch the sound of words, and ask students in the class to assist in the spelling of the

words as this is one good way to encourage students to become interested in spelling.

label items in the classroom such as furniture and other relevant things. This is usually prac-ticed in Early Childhood settings as it allows students to refer to these labels for help

in spelling.

display charts in the classroom with common words and those with phonics pattern such

as ‘Word Families’ as this may significantly assist students.

encourage students to write daily in journals on topics of their own and apply “invented spelling”, as this is an effective way to encourage standard spelling through discussion ofspelling errors one-on-one with students during a conference.

point out simple words within bigger words to assist students to look at word parts and learn spelling patterns.

Multisensory Approach: Fernald’s Approach VAKT (1879-1950)

The multisensory approach to teaching spelling is called the VAKT (visual-auditory-kinesthetic-tactile) technique.

1. Teacher writes/says word while student watches/listens.

2. Student traces with finger while reciting word.

3. Word is written from memory. If correct, it is placed in file box. If incorrect, the second step is repeated.

4. Tracing method is not always needed at later stages. The student eventually learns the word by looking at it in print while writing it, and finally by just looking at it.

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Helping students with Learning

Disabilities

Provide systematic phonics instruction that

incorporates teaching of phonemic awareness. Although this kind of instruction alone will not be enough to make students flawless spellers, phonemic awareness and phonics knowledge form an essential base for accurate spelling in English.

Teach common irregular words from the earli-

est stages of spelling. It is impractical to gen-erate a complete sentence without common irregular words such as ‘of’, ‘what’, and ‘were’. Therefore, it is important to begin teaching these kinds of words early, as one part of a more comprehensive spelling programme. Multisensory techniques involving repeated tracing and saying of words can be especially helpful for introducing irregular

words.

Teach useful spelling rules. Although many

English words do not conform to consistent rules, some generalizations are very helpful to students, such as rules for adding endings to words with a silent ‘e’ (make, making) or to closed syllables that end in a single consonant (sit, sitting).

Teach spelling of important grade-appropriate words. Many English words cannot be spelled solely through the use of rules or phonics knowledge.

Emphasize activities that involve writing or

building printed words with visual or tactile letters such as ‘letter tiles’, not oral spelling. Oral spelling activities may not always be as effective as activities that require children to look carefully at the printed word.

Encourage students to use knowledge about

root words and relationships among words to help them spell new words. Even when they possess this kind of knowledge, students will

not always apply it spontaneously. It is very helpful to point out relationships among words and to illustrate how knowing the spelling of one word facilitates spelling of related words, as in ‘market’ and ‘supermarket’.

Encourage independent reading to increase

exposure to printed words. Independent read-ing cannot substitute for direct spelling instruc-tion, but it can help to promote spelling knowledge.

Study Strategies

This strategy has been found to increase immedi-ate recall of words in students with learning problems:

1. Say the word. 2. Write and say the word. 3. Check the word by comparing it to a model. 4. Trace and say the word. 5. Write the word from memory and check. 6. Repeat 1-5.

Spelling Strategies

Marie Rippel (2006) four main spelling strategies:

An effective spelling programme teaches spelling through the use of phonemic, whole-word, and morphemic instruction that use both direct instruc-tion and other research-based supplemental materials. 1. Phonetic Spelling Strategies

This is the first strategy that must be taught to be-ginning spellers. They listen for each sound in a word and represent each sound with a letter or combination of letters. Segmenting the words is a great way for students to practice the strategies. 2. Rule-Based Spelling Strategies

The child who is beginning to spell will recognize that there are several possible spellings for the same sound for example “j” can be spelt “g” or dge”. It’s at this point that the spelling rules will have to be used. The English language has many rules and generalizations that will help.

3. Visual Spelling Strategies

Good spellers often try to spell a word several ways to see which way is correct. A word bank can help the child when he gets to this stage. A word bank is a set of words that a child should be able to read. Each word bank should focus on one concept. 4. Morphemic Spelling Strategies

These strategies are based on the knowledge of how the meaning of a word influences its spell-ing. For instance, some children learn how to add ‘prefixes’ and ‘suffixes’ to base words and how to form compound words and abbreviations. As the students become more competent, they will use a combination of all four strategies in their writing. With practice the strategies become automatic and they would not recognize that they are using the approaches in their writing.

Self Correction

Hear the word on audiotape

Write each word

Compare each word with a model on an

answer key

Correct misspellings with proofreading

marks

Write the word correctly

Repeat the task

Recommendations for Teaching Spelling

Teachers should allow students to:

Read familiar poems and nursery rhymes from books or charts, read big books, or any other

resources where the student is attending to print. This can help spelling awareness.

Observe texts which highlight patterns that

focus children’s attention on words and their spellings.

Point on words and letter patterns while read-

ing with teacher may also help their spelling awareness and enable them to notice patterns in words they read and words they attempt to write.

Take risks in spelling as spelling is seen as a

gradual process that develops through trial 21

and error. Students who are in a supportive classroom with an encouraging teacher will practice risk taking in spelling during writing activities. It is deemed that when students ‘invent spelling’, that is spell words on their own with errors, they are thinking and learning about words. Developing spellers need to invent their own spelling because it makes them attend to letters, sounds, and words. Good spellers learn an early consciousness of spelling through writing (Gentry, 1987).

Look up words in a dictionary to verify spelling.

If the student has access to a computer he or she can use the spell check.

“Look out” for unfamiliar words and make a

mental note of them.

Recognize which words are “trouble makers”

and identify the tricky parts.

Peer Tutoring

S - spot the word P- picture the word E- eyes closed L- look to see if the visual picture is correct L- look away and write the word E- examine the spelling word by checking it R- repeat the procedure if the word is spelled incorrectly or reward if spelled correctly

As teachers, we need to make spelling instruc-tions more meaningful for students. We should not allow children to view spelling as ‘word lists’ and ‘tests’, but as a tool to enable the to express them-selves in writing. Skills in spelling should be de-veloped in context in order to achieve some sig-nificant purpose. Students should be aware of the importance of spelling and be encouraged to spell words correctly.

Contributed by:

Gloria Cornwall & Beverley Wright

Special Educators


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Teach Early Math Concepts: Help

Your Child to Cope

What is Math?

What is math? Why is it important for children to master this subject at all stages? According to Courant and Robbins (1996), math is a worldwide tool. Famous philosopher, Aristotle, within that same forum, stated that math is the science of quantity. It arose from various kinds of presenting problems and /or difficulties in our day to day en-counters. Throughout the years, many great phi-losophers and mathematicians contributed signifi-cantly to developing mathematical laws and con-cepts which allow us to utilize math as a vital tool for problem solving.

D. Paling (1982) concurred that math is essential for finding solutions to everyday situations. Math is one of the core compulsory subjects that all children should obtain upon completing their secondary education. It is a foundational subject that serves as a pre-requisite for various voca-tions. No wonder so much emphasis is being placed on mastering mathematical skills at various levels within the education system. Courant and Robbins (1996) also stated that mathematicians generally subdivide math into four basic areas: quantity, structure, space and change, that is, arithmetic, algebra, geometry and analysis. This article will only examine the first area. The study of quantity starts with numbers. Children who do not master this area and those who do not have the right attitude towards math often struggle in the primary years and gradually develop a dislike for this subject. The majority of these children experience failure from as early as Kindergarten. As teachers and parents, we must seek to develop and nurture our children’s numeracy aptitude (number sense) as early as possible.

Contributing Factors Towards Mastery: How we approach the introduction and develop-ment of math concepts in our children is of vital importance. This will lead to their ability to think independently and derive possible solutions on

their own. Given the current situations in our Ja-maican schools – where the class size generally exceeds thirty, teachers will find the task of catering to each child a challenge especially if he/she enters the First Grade without the basic skills that should have been mastered.

Hence, parents and teachers of pre-school students are tasked with the responsibility of know ing these pre-requisite skills and administer-ing them to these students in such a manner that they embrace these skills during their early years of development. They need to be bombarded with helpful mathematical facts and should be encouraged in positive environments to fully utilize these skills. Our success in imparting all possible strategies to

assist these children to daily utilize these skills will

empower them to:

understand number concepts. grasp quantities. know number relationships. count sequentially by ones, twos, threes,

fives and tens. identify, write and visualize numbers (when

necessary). solve basic mental problems. learn basic calculations in order to solve

problems. recognize shapes and know their proper-

ties. know the math signs. know the multiplication tables. carry out the correct operations. know about money and make simple cal-

culations. measure objects. grasp the metric system. execute other complex problems such as:

decimals, fractions, percentages. demonstrate their understanding of

graphs.

Hindrances To Mastery:

When children do not manifest the above refer-enced skills at various stages during the primary grades, learning math and grasping its intricate aspects may seem burdensome. As a result of having such a shaky and limited foundation, it becomes impossible for these struggling children

to cope with the excitement of other children and the enthusiasm of their teachers towards math. Children with mathematical disabilities find it hard to cope and often shy away from what now appears to be a rather challenging subject. When they find themselves in what seems to be ‘hopeless’ situations, other factors in turn, become dominant, creating a more negative impact. On the other hand, some children may have a good number sense background but experience difficulties in processing oral and or printed information; their vocabulary and reading comprehension skills are inadequate and often complicate matters. Thus, they may execute the wrong operations or omit essential aspects of the word problems. They may not progress rapidly thereafter. By the time these children get to the Fourth Grade, the curriculum seems more complicated and its content appears to have made leaps and bounds. These mathematically-impaired children freeze as it were, and some may buckle under its pressure/demands, so to speak. As a result, they start failing math tests and their dislike for the subject may appear to jump seven rungs higher. Their downward spiral will become greater if in tense remediation is not swiftly executed. How can teachers and parents help? What strategies can be employed to significantly improve these children’s attitude into a more positive one that will lead to their success and progression? Suitable Strategies to be Employed:

Know your children. Group them so that you

will impart the assistance they require.

Know the content area. This should be explicit. Adams and Pegg (2012) assert that attention to literacy is integral to teaching and learning disciplinary content. Make the math vocabu-lary as clear-cut as possible for each target group. Have high expectations for each

child!

Teach one concept at a time. Be flexible even in the delivery. Concepts should be presented based on the type of learners (visual, auditory, tactile and kinesthetic).

23

Connect the vocabulary to the learning activity so that the children can better grasp the concept that is being taught. You may need to go to plan B or C in order to help them grasp the

concepts and their contents.

Reinforce math language by re-teaching words such as: “product of”, “share equally”, “altogether”, “find the difference”, and “find the sum of” among others.

Give children a wide variety of activities so as to foster/develop mastery. Adams and Pegg (2012) further suggest that teachers should “model the strategy for students and provide examples of types of responses that they seek”. Hence, teachers have to put more thought into their delivery so that children will benefit and gradually develop better attitudes each day.

They (Adams and Pegg) maintain that teach-ers should think through the responses they wish to elicit from their students. A major query raised by them which should guide teachers in careful planning is: “Will the design of the lesson lead to the desired thinking and un-derstanding?”

Evaluate each lesson. Determine which strat-egy will best help a particular target group so that they will be able to grasp the concepts being taught.

Obtain feedback from the children. Determine how well the strategies used facilitated the children’s understanding of what was taught.

Collaborate with competent teachers of mathe-matics. Seek assistance from other teachers who are having positive results.

Allow additional time for struggling students to complete assignments and build their confi-dence. Colour code math operation signs.

Make homework more meaningful so that the results will guide you whether to re-teach or to move on to the next level.

Encourage children to keep journals and to make daily entries. I learned _________ in math today. It was fun/easy/difficult. I required/did not require much assistance. I am/am not confident about (topic) ______________.

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Make the language readable for each child. Periodically, teachers and parents can view them and revise areas that were problematic.

Help children memorize number facts. This should be a daily routine and can be executed in small groups.

Children need to have a thorough knowledge about factors, multiples, odd, even, prime and composite numbers if they are to successfully and confidently carry out operations that in-volve fractions. Also, they should master the four basic operations: addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Without a strong foundation in math, children will struggle and develop an aversion for the subject.

Children should be given repeated activities to master place value of numbers in order to pro-gress with the four basic operations. Help

them to construct math sentences in order to solve problems. Teaching math knowledge is of vital concern so that the children will benefit fully from the teaching/learning situation. Encourage them to talk through possible strategies for solving various problems especially for those with memory challenges.

Help students comprehend math language. Introduce them to related jargon early where applicable so that they will not be bombarded with too many difficult calculations at the same time.

Lessen the focus placed on students giving direct answers and sitting examinations.

Encourage the use of pencil and paper when doing simple tasks. Also, encourage them to double-check their work before submitting them to their teachers.

Use mnemonic techniques to teach some as-pects of math and the sequential steps employed to solve some math problems.

Use as many manipulatives as possible for problem solving. Have them within reach for each child. (Number lines, calculators, multipli-cation tables, rulers, charts among others).

Skill building in math should be presented in game like scenarios where possible; it requires far less effort than some lessons and can be self-motivating. Children enjoy learning

games and may look forward to your next les son. Math needs to be taught in a practical manner as much as it is possible and the lessons should be fun.

Contributed by: Dorothy Bailey, Special Educator


********************************************

Strategies for Reaching Boys in the

Classroom

Males and females are different in many ways from their physical appearance and brain function to their styles of learning and socialization. In the Jamaican society, it has been a long standing practice to focus on strategies that are geared to-wards educating girls. It has become common for males to be asked to leave the classroom for be-ing disruptive or, for persons to state that boys are slower or, take a longer time to grasp concepts than females, but is this true? The poor academic performance of many male students has sparked a debate as to whether the methods which are being utilized in classrooms are geared towards meeting the learning needs of boys. As a result of the number of male students who are referred to the Mico University College Child Assessment and Research in Education Centre yearly for assess-ments, it has led to questions about best teaching practices which can be implemented in the class-room to engage all students, especially males.

When was the last time you took gender

differences into account when planning

your lesson? The average classroom utilizes teaching prac-tices, organizes seating arrangements and uses charts which appeal mainly to females. Many boys lose interest in school at a very young age as they become frustrated or demotivated and as a result

they may become disruptive. For some, they be-

come complacent or give up as they do not feel

challenged. Are we doing enough to ensure that

this does not happen?

Research which focuses on teaching techniques

for males have outlined a number of factors and

strategies which can be incorporated in class-rooms, which may help to increase participation and enhance their learning experience (Fuller, n/a; Gurian & Stevens, 2010; Reichert & Hewley, 2010; Gurian & King, 2006; Reynolds 2010).

Some of these strategies are listed below.

Relationship with teachers: Males performed better in classes in which they felt a sense of fairness and mutual respect from the teacher and especially when expectations are clearly stated, boundaries are set and goals are established.

Activities which appealed to the experien-tial and kinesthetic, ( learn through move-ment) tactile (feeling or touching) learning abilities such as role playing , adding or sub-tracting concrete objects or modelling behaviour, help to spark the interest of male students.

Doing activities of a competitive nature, such as team quizzes or relays in which students have to run to the front of the class to give answers are activities which can be utilized in the classroom.

Using graphics, comics or interesting pic-tures and charts when teaching literacy materials. For example use charts with cars or robots. Also, have males read material that they might find interesting.

While teaching, move around the class and interact with students. This will help male students to become engaged and feel as if they are a part of the learning process.

Occasionally, encourage students to choose

topics which appeal to them.

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Organizing activities so that they serve a purpose. Males usually put more effort in

activities they believe will benefit them in the future.

When doing writing activities discuss the assignment with students in order for them to understand what is expected, then let them write.

Seating placement is very important in order to decrease distractibility and encourage atten-tiveness in class. Try not to position mostly females at the front of the class.

Encourage and inspire student. Avoid comparing the performances of your males with female students.

Care: Students know when they are liked from when they are being tolerated. Make an effort to know and interact with all your students. Do not make a habit of sending male students out of the classroom for punishment, as they might view this as a form of reward and continuously engage in the undesirable activities.

Incorporate Physical/Motor activities in lessons.

Be Patient

Do not assume that all students understand information given in class. Also, do not as-sume that male students are reading your fa-cial expression/body language and will re-spond to you accordingly. If you need them to behave in a particular manner, ensure that it is stated.

Remember these strategies should be used as

guidelines. They should not be generalized to the

entire male student population, as each student

is different and has a different learning style.

Contributed by:

Shanique Westcarr, Clinical Psychologist


26


As time evolves we have seen the need for changes in various professions. The profession of teaching is no different. Teachers can no longer expect to only teach students academics, as more students are presenting with a need not only for academic support but emotional support as well. According to Esteve (2000) ‘Many agents of education who in the past made important contri-butions to the social, moral and civic education of young people have limited considerably their former valuable activities. The most important among these are families.’ With the rise in demanding work schedules, parents have much less time to socialize with their children. This is one of the reasons why certain values and morals that should be taught by the parent are not being taught. Hence, the children end up suffering the consequences. Another issue affecting families is the alarming increase in the lack of father figures within the household; young boys are growing up with no fathers, which can have an adverse effect on their behaviours. Within the primary school setting the grade teacher is the constant contact with whom the child interacts, making it easier for the develop-ment of a close relationship. ‘The most powerful and effective way teachers can help students overcome the negative influences in their environ-ment is by developing close and caring relation-ships with them’ (Deiro, 2004). Present day students unfortunately do not have enough adults in their lives that genuinely care about their well being, which is one of the main components for healthy emotional and social development. The lack of interested adults makes a substantial, caring teacher-student relationship even more vital than in previous years. There have been recent statements in the print media by teachers about not “ being parents” and the truth of parents needing to fulfil their parenting roles and responsibilities. However in light of the existing vacuum the committed teachers can do much to meet some emotional needs. ‘Strong, healthy connections with prosocial adults have been identified as the key protective factor buffering children against the negative influence of adversity’ (Deiro, 2004). Prosocial adults are

people who conform to the laws of society and show general empathy for the well-being of others. For a child to be strongly connected to a parent who disobeys the law is unhealthy for their overall development. However when a child is connected to a parent who is respectful towards others, this fosters healthy development. It is safe to say that the responsibility falls on the teachers to be that prosocial adult with whom the child can develop a connection . Once this type of relationship is adopted it will make for a better and easier life for both the student and the teacher.

Contributed by: Kamara Lewis, Social Worker


********************************************

Chaotic Classroom??? “Teaching can be a daunting endeavour for both the experts and novice teachers. It is a profession that requires the ability to be responsive to new demands and changing needs” (Allen 2010).

Behavioural problems have become the topic of the day in our Jamaican school society. It is on everyone’s lips in the form of discussions with our colleagues about the frustration we experience in an effort to find solutions to the problem. It affects children from all strata of the society: the upper, middle-class and lower socioeconomic back-grounds. For example: Abel (2009) describes the wide range of behavioural problems that these children demonstrate and “the most common are those associated with the display of disruptive be-haviours. These disruptive behaviours are mani-fested at home, school or in the wider community. Common problems include running away from home, lying excessively, truancy, involvement in fights, arguing a lot with adults, doing things to

annoy others and defiance. Cannabis use is also a major problem.”

In many instances, there is an underlying cause for the behaviour. There are times when children are faced with personal challenges within their home environment and there is the need for an individual in whom they can confide and communi-cate. As a result they attend school and express these feelings in the form of misbehaviour which may be driven by a desire for attention. If they had good rapport with a teacher then the source of the problem would be disclosed and intervention sought. Thus, it is important that teachers seek to build rapport with their students. Abel, (2009) in a Gleaner article states that “teacher’s attitude is critical in the socialisation and development of children. Many students report that teachers do not know how to speak with them. In fact, in many instances, teachers are abusive. Many students report that teachers often humiliate or embarrass them.” Developing good rapport with students makes the process of net-working and disclosing information much easier for the student. The teacher may meet with the student in a private setting and discuss the behaviour which he/she notices. The information discovered may warrant the attention of the child’s parents and also that of the Guidance Counsellor. With this unified effort, persons within the student’s environment become his/her support system in order to elicit the desired change. Teachers spend approximately five (5) or more hours daily with their students and as such are more likely to see behaviours which the child may not necessarily exhibit within the home. Behav-ioural problems can develop from various reasons including, but which are not exclusive to: (a) the need for belonging (b) peer pressure (c) the need for attention (d) parental absenteeism (e) medical issues (f) emotional and physical abuse (g) low self-esteem and (h) being unable to cope academically; thus, the behavioural problem displayed is often a mask which hides the inability to find a solution. “The failure to iden-tify learning problems was common among stu-dents in the non-traditional high schools. Far too many of them have learning problems which were undetected and appropriate measures were not put in place to address these problems” (Abel, 2009). Many of our children suffer the

27

consequences of being labelled as being “bad” when they are genuinely having a problem and their behaviour is a cry for HELP!

A Teacher’s Experience

In an excerpt written by Sian Wilson, teacher, she stated that her experiences in the classroom made no sense; thus, she sought social work training in order to understand and also to become a better teacher. After her first year of teaching she began to question where these children came from because she did not remember being “this way” while in school. These children appear to demand more than teachers could possibly give them. During teacher training, the emphasis was on content and methods. She thought that this was not her job as they had parents; she was not trained to do this. Ms. Wilson spent almost half of the term complaining about the students. Her so-lution was to join with her more experienced col-leagues in chasing students out when they were talkative; ignoring them when they slept in class; using shouting, cursing, insults and other aggressive techniques to maintain class control. Ms. Wilson became rigid and listened to no excuses. She wanted to show them who was the boss and that her business was to teach, not to spend time correcting students. After she considered leaving the classroom, she had an encounter with one of her students that caused her to question her attitude and approach; with this, she decided to try to become a more effective teacher. Out of the process of analyzing her own assumptions and motivations, as well as the system of which she was a part, she came to the conclusion that addressing the problem of inappropriate student behaviour and unsatisfac-tory academic performance meant that teachers needed to understand that they need to teach students more than content. She also determined that the task of dealing with so-called “problem students” was the responsibility of all the mem-bers of the school community, not just the guidance counsellor, principal, or school board (Peta-Anne Baker, 2010).

28

The Need for Acceptance

In the mind of a child, the classroom is no more special than anywhere else and as social beings we all need to feel accepted. However, in order to be accepted within a group, persons may conform by displaying inappropriate behaviours. “Pre-teens and teenagers face many issues related to conformity. They are pulled between the desire to be seen as individuals of unique value and the desire to belong to a group where they feel secure and accepted. The result is that teens often reject conforming to family or general society values, while conforming rigidly to the norms or values of their peer group. An example of this phenomenon is seen when young people join gangs. In joining the gang they are rejecting the community's way of dressing and behaving. Yet to belong to the gang, they must conform to the gang's own style of dress, behaviour, and speech” (Conformity”). Behavioural problems often stem from various situations which may include dysfunctional homes, poor parenting, parental absenteeism, neglect, physical and sexual abuse, role switching (child parenting siblings), poverty, divorce, separation, and exposure to domestic violence. However, in order to resolve the problem a collec-tive approach must be taken. Thus, parents and other stakeholders involved must receive further training to know when external referrals are needed as well as appropriate intervention. Also, we need to desist from saying, “ it is not my responsibility” because it does take a village to raise a child. Let us make a collective effort for the betterment of the nation’s children and our future.

Contributed by:

Ruth Cousins-Hemmings

Social Worker


Teachers Matter Too! Teacher Stress and How to Combat It.

Introduction

Teachers do an invaluable job. In educating chil-dren and young people, they provide them with an economically viable future and also enable them to have good self-esteem and a sense of self-worth. In educating others, teachers also help to maintain a positive and thriving society. However, teaching is a very stressful profession! Research carried out over the years have found this to be the case (e.g. Klassen, 2010). There are many causes of teacher stress - from a heavy workload, including large class sizes with several levels of learning needs to cater for, to badly be-haved children and a paucity of resources to name a few (Austin, Shah & Muncer, 2005). So teachers need to take care of themselves, as

experiencing some stress is almost inevitable.

Definitions of Teacher Stress

Kyriacou (2001) has defined teacher stress as the experience by a teacher of unpleasant, negative emotions, such as anger, anxiety, tension, frustra-tion or depression, resulting from some aspect of their work as a teacher. Kyriacou and Sutcliffe (1978) developed a model of teacher stress whereby stress is viewed as a negative emotional experience which is triggered by the teacher’s per-ception that their work situation constitutes a threat to their self-esteem or well-being. A useful working definition of stress is the

following:

“Stress occurs when pressure exceeds your

perceived ability to cope.” (Palmer & Cooper,

2007, p.6).

This means that if you feel or believe that you can-

not cope, then you will begin to feel stressed,

which involves unpleasant feelings and emotions.

(Ogun, 2014).

Feeling that you cannot cope involves negative, dysfunctional thoughts and beliefs.

A major cause of Teacher Stress -

Thoughts

As well as the common causes of teacher stress such as heavy workloads and time pressures, re-searchers have found that how each teacher thinks about their situation also affects how stressed they feel (Chorney, 1998; Jarvis, 2002).

So the way you think about a situation can

make you more vulnerable to feeling

stressed

Where teacher stress has been found to be high, researchers have noticed several things about the way the teachers think. For example, stressed teachers have tended to go over the annoying or upsetting situation again and again in their minds. In addition, stressed teachers put themselves un-der pressure by thinking in unhelpful ways or hav-ing unhelpful beliefs. The latter usually involve the use of words like “should”, “have to”, “must” etc. An example of an unhelpful teacher thought or

belief as described above is - “All the children in

my class must behave well or must pass the

GSAT exams, otherwise I am a bad teacher.”

In addition, teachers can increase their stress lev-els by thinking negatively about their skills (i.e. having low self-efficacy (Schwarzer & Hallum, 2008).

An example of an unhelpful teacher thought which

demonstrates low self-efficacy and can therefore

lead to unnecessary stress is - “I can’t teach chil-

dren with low abilities and I have so many in my

class. I would prefer they were not there.”

Because our thoughts are so powerful and have

been found to be a major cause of teacher stress,

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is an excellent

approach to use, to manage and reduce it. This is

because this approach helps teachers to change

their way of thinking (cognitive) and also gives

them practical (behavioural) things to do to com-

bat their stress levels (Ogun, 2014).

We will look at stress fighting strategies later. First

we will examine the warning signs that your stress

levels are increasing to a point that is unhelpful.

29

Some Signs of Unhelpful levels of Stress

You start to feel miserable on a Sunday night and have a feeling of dread about going to work on Monday.

You are unnecessarily irritable with your spouse, children or other close relatives.

You shout more at the children in your class.

You get angry really quickly.

You cry easily.

You feel as if you are having heart palpitations from time to time.

You can’t sleep.

You are drinking more alcohol or smoking more.

You are drinking a lot more tea and/or coffee.

You can’t concentrate very well and often feel overloaded and confused.

Your body often feels tense.

You often have butterflies or a knot in your stomach.

You feel anxious.

You feel depressed.

You feel hopeless about ever being able to get on top of your workload.

You are getting a lot more headaches.

Long term unhelpful levels of stress can lead to burnout (physical and mental exhaustion) and more serious illnesses, so it is important for teach-ers to learn how to manage and reduce their stress levels.

Managing and Reducing your Stress

Levels using Cognitive Behavioural

Therapy Techniques

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is based on the premise that our thoughts influence the way we feel and consequently behave. It is largely based on the work of Albert Ellis and Aaron Beck in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. Both identified that our cognitions (i.e. our thoughts) can affect the way we feel.

30

CBT incorporates Ellis’s ABC model whereby an activating event (A) - (e.g. a boy gets out of his

seat yet again) - triggers certain thoughts and be-

liefs (B) - (e.g. “I can’t deal with that child. He is

too hyperactive and can’t learn. I wish he wasn’t in

my class”). This then results in a specific emo-

tional response and consequent behaviour (C) -

(e.g. you get angry and shout at the boy to return

to his seat without checking that he understands

what to do). The behaviour at (C) could also be

bodily reactions, such as headaches, an in-

creased heart beat or a churning stomach.

CBT aims to help us change our unhelpful thoughts into more enabling ones and to modify our behaviours to help us physically combat stress (Ogun, 2014). The CBT process aims to move a person from a dysfunctional cycle to a functional cycle. This is illustrated in the figures below:

Figure 1. Dysfunctional Cycle

“You did your best. With more practise or extra training you can get better and will do better next time.”

“Children are not perfect, so they are bound to play up once in a while. Just make sure you have effective classroom behavioural manage-ment practices in place.”

“You taught all your pupils well. If they don’t all pass their GSAT exams it won’t be your fault, as they each have different abilities and cir-cumstances.”

“Don’t worry or fret. You can get extra training to help you teach those children with low abili-ties who are in your class.”

Third: Modify Your Behaviours

Develop a helpful Social Support Network. Iden-

tify helpful, caring people in your life who you can talk to about anything which is worrying you. It is best to talk about work issues to peo-ple who will not magnify them or help you to moan and groan, but who are likely to have practical solutions and who are confidential.

Develop good time-management practices. These

can include - creating a priority To Do List at the beginning of the week that you tick off as you go through the week; not procrastinating or putting off important jobs; not taking on ex-tra work or extra-curricular activities if you don’t have time to complete them; being as-sertive and explaining your current workload to others/Managers and explaining politely and firmly why you can’t take on that extra job right now or why you will need more time to do it (please note that it is not always wise to prac-tise this type of assertiveness as it could be deemed to be insubordinate and therefore cause you future employment problems); write down what is worrying you and think about ways to tackle this. Have a set time of the day to “worry” and work out solutions and don’t take your worries into other parts of your day.

Incorporate regular relaxing activities into your

routine. These should not allow you to dwell on worrying issues at work but allow you to forget about them and revitalise and invigorate yourself.

31

Figure 2. Functional Cycle

(Ogun, 2014, p.9)

How to Manage and Reduce Your Stress

Levels

First: Identify Your Signs of Stress

Try to identify what your personal signs of stress are. Notice yourself and how you are feeling throughout the day. Make a note in your diary of times when you are having particular symptoms e.g. sudden sweaty palms or butterflies in your stomach; feelings of panic or anger etc. Once you have identified your personal signs of stress, you can identify those things which cause you the most stress during the school day. You can then start to think of ways to combat these.

Second: Change Your Thinking Habits

Listen to your thoughts and change the way you think, if necessary Do you often use the words, “I have to/ should/ must do X & Y” or that others must/ have to/ should. Change these words to “It would be pref-erable for such and such to be done and I will do my best with the time and resources I have avail-able.” Talk to yourself as if you were your best friend For example say things like: “It’s not the end of the world if such and such

went wrong or wasn’t completed.”

These can include:

Relaxation exercises (e.g. gradual muscle tensing and relaxing; breathing exercises; yoga; relaxation im-agery – imagining you are in your favourite relaxing place).

Other physical exercise (e.g. going to the gym; cycling; using exercise DVDs; going for a walk, run or swim; taking up a sport such as badminton).

Relaxing activities (e.g. reading a good book; going to the movies with friends or a partner; praying and reading encouraging religious books; doing nothing special but just pottering about the home doing “little this, little that” as the fancy takes you; taking up a hobby such as painting, sewing, playing the piano or other instrument, singing in a group or choir).

It is important that you look forward to doing these relaxing non-work activities and that they occupy a decent portion of your week (e.g. 4-6 hours per week). They are just as important as your paid employment. Adopt healthy practices. These include ensuring you have enough sleep; ensuring you eat a balanced diet

(with plenty of fruit and vegetables and reduced saturated fats, such as are found in fried foods); ensuring you drink plenty of water; ensuring your are not smoking or drinking too much; cutting down on caffeinated drinks such as tea and coffee and seeking alternatives such as hot ginger drinks or other natural

remedies. Remember – Every Child Matters but Every Teacher Matters Too!

Contributed by:

Paulette Ogun

Senior Manager & Psychologist -

Diagnostic & Therapeutic Services

WORD SEARCH

1. HYPERACTIVE 9. VISUAL

2. IMPULSIVE 10. AUDITORY

3. DISTRACTIBLE 11. HANDWRITING

4. TEACHERS 12. FINE MOTOR

5. LEARNING 13. BOYS

6. BEHAVIOURS 14. MEMORY

7. ATTENTION 15. SPELLING

8. PHONICS 16. MATH

32

N W B J U H H Y T J M Q V C I

P V C E F A B G N I N R A E L

I Q V G S L B P H O N I C S Z

V B E H A V I O U R K I E E U

C E H F B X G N I L L E P S F

A O H H W R I T I N G S Y O B

T F D I S T R A C T I B L E C

T D E V I S L U P M I Y O M I

E R H Q X O U E A N T S Y R B

N D T L Z H V I S U A L K O S

T E A R V E U Y R O T I D U A

I K M H Y P E R A C T I V E H

O C A F L F I N E M O T O R N

N U T E A C H E R S J Q P R J

T V T H O M E M O R Y K I H R

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THE MICO DIAGNOSTIC READING TEST was designed to provide a locally based test

which can identify not only the level at which individual children are reading but also provide

insight into weaknesses which need to be addressed in school. In order to use the test

effectively, training in its use is necessary. To provide initial training, the test is made

available through a series of workshops for Principals, Vice Principals, Senior Teachers,

Resource Room Teachers, Reading Teachers and Guidance Counsellors.

If you are interested in acquiring a Test Kit and attending one of our workshops, please contact the

Mico University College Child Assessment and Research in Education Centre.

The ABC Family

A

Phonics

Workbook

This is an excellent book geared towards

teaching children 5 years and older the letter

names and sounds.

Another publication from the Mico University

College C.A.R.E Centre on sale at the

Centre.

Editorial Team

Dorothy Bailey, Sasha Bell, Rachelle McDonald & Allison McGraham

Interventions for

Reading Problems

DESIGNING AND EVALUATING EFFECTIVE STRATEGIES

Edward J. Daly III, Sandra Chafouleas and Christopher

H. Skinner

An exciting and powerful book! It provides a clear and

concise overview of how to help any child who is having

difficulty learning to read, with explicit and systematic

guidelines for designing and delivering curriculum-based

interventions at all levels. This book is a unique,

comprehensive, best-practice guide.

On sale at the Mico University College C.A.R.E Centre

care · 2014-05-22 · though a learning disability is a learning problem, not all learning...

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