Pupils' Views of Dyslexia Friendly Teaching

1

• Pupils' Views of Dyslexia Friendly Teaching

2
Introduction

• April 2003 MMU, in partnership with the BDA,
  awarded DfES SEN in-service fund grant to develop
  course for newly and recently qualified teachers
  to enable them to teach in dyslexia-friendly
  classrooms.
• Important that pupils-voice informs content

3
Methodology

• BDA has network of Local Associations for parents
  of children with dyslexia.
• Also has Internet Forum for parents, teachers and
  others with an interest in the area.
• Message put on forum seeking volunteers to
  complete a questionnaire
• Similar request made in mailing to Local
  Associations.

4
Results

• 138 questionnaires analysed
• 52 from pupils aged up to 10 years
• 66 from pupils aged 11 years upwards.
• Results for primary and secondary pupils similar
  but some interesting differences.

5
Primary pupils

• Characteristics of a teacher its easy to learn
  from .

6
Primary pupils

• Three main features
• 1.     Effective Initial teaching 34
• 2.     Recapitulation 15
• 3.   Teacher classroom ethos 15
• (All more important than 4th (10) category
  provision of support materials.)

7
Primary pupils

• Characteristics of a teacher its difficult to
  learn from.

8
Primary pupils

• Delivery of information and instructions. (44)
• (Not clear, gave too many instructions too
  fast, didnt check if you understood and didnt
  allow you to ask questions.)
• Issue of time important.
• (Need time to think about and understand
  instructions and to do their work.)

9
Primary pupils

• Aggressive and insensitive (32).
• (Main complaint was shouting They shout
  all the time for no apparent reason)
• Specific about effects - disruption of ability to
  think.
• Second component - being shown up in front of the
  class.

10
Primary pupils

• Work on the board and displays generally. (22)
• (Not able to see the board, writing on the
  board then rubbing it out too soon or standing in
  front of it.)
• (One teacher, Put the number line at the
  back of the class and then told me off if I
  turned round to look at it!)

11
Primary pupils

• Most difficult subjects because of dyslexia.

12
Primary pupils

• English (60),
• Maths (22)
• Science (18).
• (Reasons related to writing, spelling
  reading.)

13
Primary Pupils

• Subjects affected least.

14
Primary pupils

• Art (40)
• Maths (30).
• PE (22)
• Science, Music, Design and Technology, Music and
  Games, each being mentioned by 6 8 pupils.

15
Primary Pupils

• Main reasons
• No writing (36)
• Good at it (20)
• Practical, hands-on subject (14).

16
Primary Pupils

• Worst effects on school life.

17
Primary Pupils

• Feeling, or being made to feel, different and/or
  inferior
• Feeling stupid or different /or not knowing much
  as the others. (29)  
• Not being able to write either easily or properly
  (16)
• Work, particularly homework, taking ages (16)

18
Primary Pupils

• How to teach pupils with dyslexia

19
Primary Pupils

• Explain better in the first place,
• Check whether pupils had understood.
• Be prepared to repeat instructions and
  explanations. (80)
• Dont shout, be patient and give more time. (70)

20
Primary Pupils

• Underlying theme is environment not specific
  techniques or special methodology.

21
Primary Pupils

• Want
• Calmness and security,
• Feeling that teachers might actually like them
  and are enthusiastic about their subject,
• Quiet recognition of difference and provision of
  low-key differentiation and support.

22
Secondary Pupils

• Clear similarities with Primary pupils
• Also significant and interesting differences.
• 67 questionnaires - 195 codable responses.
• Far fewer no answer codes than with the primary
  pupils.

23
Secondary Pupils

• Teachers easy to learn from

24
Secondary Pupils

• Understanding (45),
• Ready to spend time helping, (10.7),
• Explain things carefully, (9.1)
• Proactively check, repeat instructions and
  explanations and ready to answer questions, (8).
•  

25
Secondary Pupils

• Use handouts,
• Write instructions clearly and carefully on the
  board
• Give homework diary, (8).
• Make lessons fun and practical (7),
• Give time to think and write (6) and
• Encourage and reward good attempts (6).
•  

26
Secondary Pupils

• Teachers difficult to learn from.
•  

27
Secondary Pupils

• Teachers who
• Dont give you enough time (12)
• Make you copy from board, OHT or a book, (12).
• Talk too much or too fast (11).
• Cant control the class
• Shout all the time
• Put you down and Dont explain. (9 each)

28
Secondary Pupils

• Negative effects of dyslexia on different
  curricular subjects

29
Secondary Pupils

• English (53).
• Maths, Modern Foreign Languages (MFL), Science
  and Humanities (each 30).

30
Secondary Pupils

• Reasons related to delivery not content or
  process.
• Emphasis on grammar, spelling and punctuation
  main complaint (36)
• Need for writing or dictation (22),
• Too much reading or having to remember facts or
  formulae. (18)

31
Secondary Pupils

• Some students disclaimed any problems e.g.

32
Secondary Pupils

• In secondary school I do not find any subject
  too difficult I like a challenge. In primary
  school however I found Maths hard. This is
  probably because we (the class and I) were forced
  to do timed tests (mainly mental arithmetic)
  approximately four times a week.

33
Secondary Pupils

• Subjects easy to learn and why.

34
Secondary Pupils

• Art (40),
• PE (25)
• Maths and Science (24 each)
• Humanities
• Design and Technology
• (18 each)

35
Secondary Pupils

• Reasons - two categories
• Teachers who
• Demanded no writing (33),
• Presented their subject in a practical way
  (24)
• Did not emphasise spelling (13).
• Overarching comments
• Enjoy subject,
• Made interesting by good teachers,
• Appropriate support
• Prepared to work hard.

36
Secondary Pupils

• Negative effects of dyslexia on school life
  generally.

37
Secondary Pupils

• Main effect was that they couldnt read, write or
  spell easily. (53)
• Being different or People dont understand
  you (40),
• Work taking a long time to complete (21),
• Bullying in one form or another (19).

38
Secondary Pupils

• Nearly 40 claimed dyslexia affected either how
  they felt about themselves or how others treated
  them.
• Cannot be subsumed under self-esteem.
• Quality and cogency of replies, indicates well
  integrated with good self-awareness.
• Being made to feel different, sometimes
  aggressively, in their school situation.
• Classrooms were not inclusive.

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Secondary Pupils

• How teachers should teach

40
Secondary Pupils

• Understand and be discrete in giving support
  and making modifications. (Over 50)
• Explain better in the first place and recognise
  the need to check and understanding and repeat,
  if necessary, without having to be asked, (34).
• Give more time for both explanations and
  completion of work. (25)
• Encouragement. (20)

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Conclusions

• Enhancing achievements of pupils with dyslexia
  does not make unreasonable demands on teachers.

42
Conclusions

• Methods of teaching and organisation and
  classroom ethos main factors.

43
Conclusions

• Key comes in understanding how each pupil thinks
  and feels.

44
Contact

• Mike Johnson, CIESEN
• Institute of Education, Didsbury
• MANCHESTER M20 2RR
• M.C.JOHNSON_at_MMU.AC.UK