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3 Things I learnt.

1. Dyslexia is not a disease. Therefore it cannot be cured. It is a neurodevelopmental condition where the brain is 'wired' to function differently than most people. Typically people with dyslexia would have trouble reading because their brains are not made to perceive the same phonological information like most individual. To say that they are impaired would be an inaccurate as most dyslexics are talented in many other ways. In a way it could be considered a gift.

2. The Orton-Gillingham approach. We learned phonemic segmentation and blending earlier in the course without an awareness of this term. This is an approach I found extremely useful to develop phonemic awareness and helps with the fluency with spelling and pronouncing words. In fact while it is described to be useful for people with dyslexia, I have been using the same approach towards my own children to great success.

3. SLI - Specific Language Impairment. When my children were born premature, I remember the doctors made us go through several questionnaires and tests that assessed speech and words and certain milestones. Now I realised they might have been assessing for this condition. SLI affects communication in general unlike Dyslexia that affects only reading. It affects people all the way into adulthood and may affect self esteem.

How to use what I learnt to enhance my effectiveness?

Awareness. The fact that I am aware means I can do something about it. Situation varies from people to people but the awareness that such conditions exist will equip me with the knowledge and direction to help and intervene. We may not be expected to know everything but knowing what is and where to start is the first step towards bettering someone's life.

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3 Main takeaways:

1) Dyslexia is a learning disability. It cannot be cured by medication. It affects each person differently and to a certain extent. We can make use of strategies to help negate some of the reading, writing and speaking difficulties.

2) Specific Language Impairment should be addressed early to help students be able to use and communicate that language. It has nothing to do with intelligence and students can still do well in their studies and life.

3) Diagnosis is important and can help students recognize their own limitations and work around them. We have many students with dyslexia and many of them are very bright and do very well. They can also find and discover new ways of learning since the conventional way might not work for them. They are innovative and can think out of the box.

Reflection
I can help use my own experiences in reading and spelling to help student negate some of the difficulties they have with dyslexia. I also have dyslexia (undiagnosed). It makes it hard for me to spell and even when spelling correctly, once i look at the words a few more times, i will think it is wrong. So many a times i will spell only once.
Motivation is also a factor, so i will motivate students by building rapport with them, then encourage them with my life experiences.
Socially, i have little issues, but student cannot be taught how to behave around others, they can only be taught how to choose their allies and pick their battles.

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(a)
Dyslexia is a learning disorder that affects reading, spelling and writing. People with Dyslexia have problems with basic language skills as they are unable to decode. They don't outgrow Dyslexia but they can become skilled readers and strong learners with structured literacy intervention.

People with Dyslexia have high visual-spatial skills and excel in areas or arts, architectural and engineering as they can see the big picture. To them they can visualise things as they are.

SIL affects children in all areas of communication and literacy. They require ongoing support in literacy, academics and mental wellbeing.

(b)
Early intervention and explicit teaching  would greatly benefits students with Learning Disabilities.
As an AED LBS, i need to equip myself with a array of strategies and skills to suit each students needs. My interventions should be evidence based and I must be well equipped to execute it.  Attending courses, workshops and reading book on SEN will keep me updated. I need to closely monitor my students progress and make the needful changes when my interventions are not working.
Patience and consistency is an important factor in working with these students. Working with stakeholders well will also be a very crucial in supporting my students.

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3 Main takeaways

1. Dyslexia is an incurable learning disability that affects the individual’s ability to learn how to read and write. This condition however does not affect their intelligence whatsoever. They get demoralised when they don’t understand why they cannot learn as fast as other classmates and they get frustrated as to why teachers and peers alike do not understand that they have learning difficulties.

2. The brain is a “Malleable” organ, which means that the child will be able to adapt to specific intervention strategies that has been implemented on them to target their specific disabilities

3. Differentiated instructions are required in order to engage students with Dyslexia.This differentiated instructions must be explicit in nature and use a multisensory approach.

Applying evidence based strategies and all the theory that we’ve learned is important. However, learning about their interests, strengths and asking them how they learn best is important. Basing our intervention based on their own specific needs and stimulating different sensory engagement.s

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3 Things I've Learnt:

- Dyslexia is a neurological condition that impacts reading, spelling and writing as a part of their brain is unable to effectively decode words and letters. Dyslexia is not an indication of  student's level of intelligence. Strategies can be taught to help students cope with their difficulties.

- Specific Language Impairment (SLI) is a communication disorder that affects the development of language skills in children who have no hearing loss or intellectual disabilities. SLI can affect a child’s speaking, listening, reading, and writing.

How do you intend to use what you have learnt to enhance your effectiveness as an AED (LBS)?
- I can use the Orton-Gillinghan approach. The multi sensory approach such as tracing letters on a textured surface while saying the letter and associated sound taps into all 3 learning styles (visual, auditory and kinesthetic) I will also try to build rapport and trust with the students as my previous mentor informed me that most of out students that struggle with literacy are prone to developing behavioral issues like school avoidance, task refusal and etc.

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Part 1
Dyslexia is not something that can be cured. In order to help someone with Dyslexia, we need to teach them strategies that can help them to manage their difficulties. It is also not something that denotes intelligence. It is a learning difficulty where a part of their brain is unable to effectively decode words and letters.

It is important for SLI to be diagnosed early so that interventions can take place effectively and at a timely manner. SLI causes speech and comprehension difficulties in the language. It can also cause difficulties in articulation of words.

Dyslexia can possibly be hereditary. This is something new to be as I have always thought that it may not be the case. Looking back I have encountered students who are siblings and have Dyslexia.

Part 2
I can use the Orton-Gillinghan approach which is a multi sensory phonics technique. This will be useful to teach my students with Dyslexia reading and language skills effectively. I would definitely use strategies such as sky writing or using different textured materials such as sand for students to write the letters and remember the sounds better. This is something my mentor during my school stint taught me as well. These strategies will also be useful for students with SLI. Providing visual aids will also be beneficial for them such as communication cards and writing instructions on the board. Explicit scaffolding is very necessary for students to effectively overcome their struggles and cope with them.

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I have learned that dyslexia has nothing to do with intelligence. People with dyslexia can be just as successful as others without dyslexia. With the right support, they too can become skilled readers and strong learners.

Orton Gillingham is a specialized reading instruction that helps children break words down into their individual sounds, match the sounds to letters and blend those sounds together. Orton Gillingham has been found to be effective especially in reading program as it uses multisensory. This newfound information is  a good addition to my repertoire of literacy strategies. The use of multisensory activities such as tracing letters on sand while saying the letter and its associated sound, or the use of aids such as audiobooks are helpful in supporting the learning of children with dyslexia.

As an AED(LBS), it is also important to talk to students about their emotional wellbeing. Dyslexia affects the self-esteem of those affected and can lead to pain, anger and depressive emotions. If these emotions are not managed or dealt with, it can lead to other behavioural problems. Therefore, as an AED (LBS), we play a very important role in providing them with the right support. Also it would also be helpful for children with dyslexia to have a place to go to where they can talk to others with with similar struggles.

We as educators should plan strategies to help children overcome their learning difficulties so that they can achieve the goal they are aiming for. A good collaboration with teachers will help in planning and implementing interventions. We should also make concrete accommodations to enable students to be independent.

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a)3 things that you have learnt from these resources

Dyslexia:
Dyslexia is not a disease. It is a condition someone is born with, and it often runs in families. People with dyslexia are not stupid or lazy. Most have average or above-average intelligence, and they work hard to overcome their learning issues. Supporting a student with dyslexia should be no different from supporting any student.  Since students with dyslexia face additional challenges in the area of reading and writing, it is important to be sensitive to their individual differences, as they can affect academic, social, and emotional aspects of a student's life.

SLI:
SLI can affect a child’s speaking, listening, reading, and writing. The impact of SLI usually persists into adulthood. I have a friend who works at a speech pathologist, a professional trained to assess and treat people with speech or language problems and can evaluate the child’s language skills and she did share some stories of the cases she handled before. She shared that  the main cases she has seen includes student having issues in hearing, speech, language, and fluency.

b)how do you intend to use what you have learnt to enhance your effectiveness as an AED (LBS)?
The Orton-Gillingham Approach to assess student's reading skills, strengths and challenges would be useful for me. It is  effective for struggling readers.

I will present tasks in bite size chunks as breaking it down will be manageable for students with dyslexia.

I will provide a lot of visual aids, graphic organisers and written instructions based on the student's needs.

Any assistive technology tools like audiobooks and text-to-speech apps etc can help level the playing field for struggling readers.

I would adapt multisensory structured literacy instruction engages students through sight, hearing, movement and touch.

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3 Things that I have learnt:
1) Dyslexia is a brain-based condition that impacts reading, spelling and writing and children have problem with understanding and working with language. There is nothing to do with intelligence, children with dyslexia is as smart as other children, With the right support, they can be skilled reader even they cannot outgrown dyslexia.

2) SLI children can be bright but some will have problem with communication and find social activities difficult for them. They cannot learn language in the same way as other children. They need to get the right support and teach to them in specific way to help them to make progress. It is important to have regular assessment to make sure the child is getting the right support at the right time.

3) Orton-Gillingham is a structured literacy approach that use multisensory techniques in a sequential way to teach reading, writing and spelling by helping children to learn to breakdown words into component sound, match the sound to letters and then blend those sounds together. It is widely use to teach students with dyslexia.

How to use what T learned to improve effectiveness as an AED LBS

I would find out and understand the difficulties the student is facing, build rapport to find out his/her learning styles and what motivate them. During the lesson, I must be mindful to give explicit instructions and uses multisensory types of activities to help them to read such as reading aloud together and use audiobooks, text speech software and reading apps to build their interest and engage them. I will need to be flexible in my approach and should adapt and adjust according to the way the student learn.

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a)     3 things that I have learnt :-

1.     Children with dyslexia has learning difficulty that affects skills involved in accurate and fluent word reading and spelling. They have difficulty in phonemic awareness of isolating sound, blending of sound and rhyming of words.

2.     Specific Language Impairment (SLI) is a communication disorder that interferes with the development of language skills in children who have no hearing loss or intellectual disabilities. SLI can affect a child’s speaking, listening, reading, and writing.

3.     Tools like audio reader, reading map, text to audio reader and audio books for children with dyslexia to make the reading task less daunting and they can focus on the learning instead.

b)    To enhance my effectiveness as an AED(LBS) :-

I will plan lessons with explicit teaching instructions and differentiated worksheets according to student’s ability and provide them opportunity to practice the new skill or concept.

I could provide a positive learning environment for my students to have opportunity to give their views and feedbacks through different platforms, such as online posts, blogs, caption, etc.

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3 things that I have learnt

For people with learning disabilities to succeed, effort alone by their own is not enough. They need to know what resources and methods are available to help them. Who can provide the support and how to make accommodation available for them in their learning? I like how people share their experience and knowledge with those who have same or similar learning condition as shown in the video. With successful sharing on personal experiences, people can learn form one another and pass on to the others.

Something new to me: Specialized reading instructions approach (Orton – Gillingham). It helps children to break words down into their component sounds, match the sounds to letters and then blend those sounds together. It uses multisensory techniques and tools like audiobooks to help them. Reading aloud together, choosing books that can help to develop an interest in reading and playing rhyming games, reading nursery rhymes, and singing songs can also be a fun way to help younger children build reading skills.

People with dyslexia have talent that other people don’t have. Dyslexics excel in some kind of occupation (artist, architects, entrepreneurs, engineer). All these mean that they have a holistic outlook on life rather being good on sequential things. They can see or spot figure in a cluttered scenery or their ability to discriminate color. The encounter they have in life made them become resilient. They made many mistakes and have to work their way out around these mistakes and as a consequence, they are extremely determined and successful because they don’t give up which is great to be an entrepreneur.

What I’ve learnt to enhance my effectiveness as an AED (LBS):

It’s important to identify student’s strength, weakness, and interest. Provide a supportive learning environment. Create classroom with visual support system to promote understanding. Present information in a variety of ways. Undertake professional development to further skills and capabilities. Plan lesson that includes explicit opportunities to build speaking and listening skills which differentiate the class providing challenge at different ability level. Work with other stakeholder, put on place a learning support plan that indicates the accommodation and / or modification that are required for the student. Support them academically, behaviorally, and socially.

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Group 4- Farhana, Maisarah, Jing Fen, Suhailah, Aizuddin

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Group 4- Farhana, Maisarah, Jing Fen, Suhailah, Aizuddin

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A)
Self-care, take care of our own needs (regulate self before attending to students/others)

Patience

Not get too emotionally involved. Able to draw the line between work and self.

uWork in a team (stakeholders, teachers, parents on board)

Prioritise our work/task

Set achievable expectations

Work on students’ strengths and use their strength to tap on their difficulties

Understand that how much a student progress is not a reflection of our intervention

B)
Remember that as a good educator, it’s important to be a good role-model

Important to build rapport with RO

Build strong bonds with colleagues

Build a good support system among our department/ friends/ colleagues

Approach solutions from the facts and not from assumptions and emotional feelings

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3 things I've learnt

1. Dyslexia is a disability that impacts reading, spelling and writing. It is an issue with language. Their brain is structured to function differently.

2. Effective reading intervention can make a different in children or adults with dyslexia.

3. Learning difficulties not only affect academic results but social emotional of the person which can lead to mental health

As an AED LBS, i can make an interesting and fun lesson to get them engaged. When they look forward to your lesson, their motivation to read is higher and they are more willing to practice. I can use not only texts or passage but also an audiobook or visual presentation. By reading regularly, it can turn into a good reading habits for them. I could also acknowledge their strengths and tap on it to maximize their potential and not just limit it to academics.

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Group 4 - Farhana, Maisarah, Jing Fen, Suhailah, Aizuddin

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Group 4 - Farhana, Maisarah, Jing Fen, Suhailah, Aizuddin

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Collective Thoughts

Importance of teaching language and literacy early so children will not fall through the cracks.

Regardless of age, difficulties are still apparent in adults.

Their difficulties in literacy has affected their performance at work and their self-esteem so they rely heavily on their partners and colleagues to navigate their daily work task.

How does it help reframe and reinforce your thinking about language and literacy?

Incorporate the use of  ICT tools in our teaching.

Intervene early. Early exposure to prints, reading and writing materials will help learners to grasp the language.

Home support is important (any form of support is beneficial e.g., emotional support etc)

Motivate learners to persevere and work towards intended goals.

Believe in our students and not to give up on them.

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3 things that I have learnt

1) Primary School (SLI)
Strengths
* Works well when hands-on.
* Understand facial and feelings better.
Weaknesses
* Hard to understand words and language.
* Use short sentences.

2) Secondary School (SLI)
Strengths
* Works well during practical.
* May have good social skills.
Weaknesses
* Poor organization skills.
* Difficulty working independently.

3) Parents Concern
* Parents can refer their child to speech therapist or health professional if they have concern about their child.

How to use what I have learnt to enhance my effectiveness as an AED LBS.
1) Primary
* Call their name when giving instructions so that they know you talking to them.
* Give simple and clear instructions.

2) Secondary
* Teach them social skills.
* Use differentiated learning includes level of support and input where adapt the way of instruction delivered to the learner.

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3 things that you have learnt:

1) Students with SLI faces difficulty understanding words and long instructions and sometimes also some difficulty with communication. SLI is not linked to IQ levels, and it happens to children with normal development. SLI is heterogenous so every student with SLI is different. We need to intervene early to foster language and social growth as both are interrelated. Students with SLI will require ongoing support during their school years to release their fullest potential.

2) Dyslexia is a brain-based condition, nothing to do with intelligence, and it runs in the families. Students who are diagnosed with dyslexia have difficulty with phonemic awareness and decoding. They will not outgrow dyslexia, but they can change their brains with effective reading interventions to become better readers. Using Orton-Gillingham method, which uses a multisensory technique will help improve reading for students.

3) Researchers are using brain imaging to understand how structured literacy interventions help people with dyslexia. They are also beginning to study visual-spatial skills and strengths that may be linked to dyslexia. Through this study, we can understand better on what we could still do to help learners with dyslexia improve on their learning. The studies will also allow people to know that people with learning disability also have their strength. They might be having difficulties in language and literacy, but they are also capable of achieving in other areas.

How do you intend to use what you have learnt to enhance your effectiveness as an AED (LBS)?

I will be mindful and give explicit instructions when working with the student. Using visuals, e.g., writing on the whiteboard, having cue cards allows for students’ easy reference and aids in understanding. Additionally, presenting information in a variety of ways and making use of technology will also help to engage my students during learning. I will also select books and introduce audiobooks which are of the students’ reading age and interest to develop their interest in reading. Collaborating with the parents of the identified child to find out his/her specific needs will give me a clearer picture when I am planning for intervention sessions. Partnership with my school’s CMT team, to explore accommodations and plan for a wholesome support will enable the child to develop holistically. It is also important to be aware of my student’s emotional needs. More encouragement and praises will help in sustaining student’s willingness to learn as they are assured that they are in a safe learning environment.

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Group 6 - Vijaya,, Norliza, Liyani, Iskandar, Clive

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Group 6 - Vijaya,, Norliza, Liyani, Iskandar, Clive

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(a) Understandably, trying to actively maintain a positive mindset at all times takes a toll on an educator's mental health. It gets even worse, if the educator does not know how to go about managing or supporting students with dyslexia, it is easy for educators to just give up and neglect the student.

The best way to go about it is to have a many helping hands approach. Trying to take on everything by oneself is a hill that not a lot would want to conquer. This can be done through engaging the AED(LBS) or TSN for support strategies in the classroom and what other practices they can take up to be better equipped to support the particular student. The next step would be to engage the classmates to help out in supporting the student or even flagging out during learning periods when the student is struggling so that the teacher is made aware of the situation and is able to modify the pace and delivery of the lesson on the go.

This way, the community of care and burden of responsibility is shared amongst parties working towards a common goal for that particular student. In turn, the student will also be able to feel valued and supported around the community of care because they see the efforts of not one but many.

(b) As educators, we must uphold the highest degree of professionalism and integrity. What traits we portray to our students must also be what traits we portray outside of the classroom. We are placed in a position of trust between students and parents and they have placed faith in us to uphold the highest standards of teaching and integrity.

If an educator has the capacity to make their peers/colleagues/superiors as the butt of a joke, it would reflect badly on not just them as an educator but also as a person. These traits might even be translated into the classroom environment where students with disabilities are even more vulnerable to bear the brunt of jokes and creates an environment that is unsafe and not encouraging for the student.

Over time, other students will pick up this habit as well and will translate this to other facets of their lives. Being an educator doesn’t just include being good at teaching subjects. Educators also must uphold the highest order of character

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Group 6 - Vijaya, Norliza, Liyani, Iskandar, Clive

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Group 6 - Vijaya, Norliza, Liyani, Iskandar, Clive

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It’s astonishing how much value we place on ourselves and our ability to be literate. So much so that we make people who are not as competent or literate feel like failures when compared with the vast majority here in Singapore.

A prime example would be when Stephen was belittled by his teacher in front of his whole class when he failed his Science test. We felt that that was unacceptable behaviour by the teacher. A teacher must be responsible for the learning and development of all students.

Trying to learn as a dyslexic student is already an uphill challenge. Decoding what they’ve heard into writing takes up a lot of cognitive processing and mental strength. When they cannot keep up and they cannot understand why, they blame themselves and their self esteem takes a beating as confirmed by accounts given by Jega.

We often let this particular trait define them wholly as a person and we forget that they are just as human as all of us. Individuals with their own goals, worries and feelings. What’s important and apparent throughout the whole documentary was the importance of familial ties.

Bar Jimmy’s circumstances, the rest of the individuals are either motivated by the strong support of their loved ones or the drive to be someone their loved ones can be proud of. It drives across the difference it makes having a warm and encouraging community of care around these individuals.

The message that struck us the strongest was that the value of a person is not defined by what they are capable of. Their value is determined by their attitude, mindset, grit to overcome challenges and the immense effort they put in to overcome challenges.

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1. Dyslexia is brain based condition which affects reading, spelling and writing hence causing a problem understanding or working with language. It is a lifelong issue and tends to run in the family. It has nothing to do with intelligence and affects different people, differently. Kids with dyslexia faces challenges with phonemic awareness, meaning, they cannot decode all the individual sounds in a word and therefore find it difficult to spell that word correctly.

2. Specific Language Impairment (SLI) is a complex condition which makes it difficult sometimes to understand words or even to remember words. Just like dyslexia, it has nothing to do with intelligence. Kids wit SLI can perform normally in non-verbal interactions.

3. SLI is exhibited through a weak short-term verbal memory resulting in delayed speech, immature sounds or phonemes, irregular grammatical sentence structures among other things. Kids suffering from SLI require support throughout their school years and need language to be explicitly taught to them. Not being able to express themselves easily often leads to these kids being isolated, bullied or ridiculed, hence making it hard for them to have a normal social circle around them, which in turn leads to behavioural problems, due to a lot of frustration and anger.

What can we as educators do, to be more inclusive? During lessons, we can present information in a variety of ways, including lots of visuals, we can also plan lessons that includes explicit opportunities to build speaking and listening skills. And of course, AED (LBS) and teachers should work hand in hand to create a supportive and flexible environment for kids of different ability levels, allowing enough room for modifications when required.

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3 things that I have learnt from these resources:

1) Dyslexia is a brain-based neurological condition that affects reading, spelling, and writing. It is a lifelong issue one has to handle. Through research the Orton-Gillingham principles are proven to be effective as they are personalized, multisensory, diagnostic and prescriptive, direct instruction, systematic phonics, systematic and structured, and linguistics competence.

2) I feel if any student is diagnosed with dyslexia or ADHD, it is how accepting they are towards the learning disability and carry on with life. Early intervention and getting help will ensure that they are able to perform just like any other student. This will also ensure that they will have equal opportunities just like the rest if they persevere.

3) Instead of judging students, teachers must make time to find out what the real reason is on why a student is not performing up to the potential as they have a critical role in fostering a positive learning environment for students. We also must understand that having learning difficulties will not only affect the academics of the student but also the emotional aspect/mental health of the student.

How do I intend to use what I have learnt to enhance your effectiveness as an AED (LBS)?

I think firstly I will get to know the student and build rapport through playing games. I will also ask the student how he/she feels about having this condition. Hence moving forward, I will motivate and reassure the student by getting some help, there will be an improvement. I can also discuss with the student about famous people who had these conditions and how they had overcome these difficult situations in their own lives and what they have actually achieved.

Secondly, the student must be willing to work with me. I will provide a safe learning environment for the student and we can ask the student what section he or she needs help with to begin. I will also explain to them how they can make use of their AA arrangements and do better in examinations. I would use explicit instructions and make the worksheets I create more structured so that they will be able to complete the given task.

Lastly for example, if the student does not like writing at all, I will first give a picture and ask him or her to write just 3 sentences and then later increase it to 5 sentences then to a paragraph. As I move from sentence to paragraph, I will also ask what difficulties he or she faces. As we progress, there will be improvements as the task is very small and structured. I will also vary the activities by making it into games (tactile and multisensory). Then after the techniques are taught I will give the bit-sized test to check for student understanding of learning.

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Three things that I have learnt

1)    There can be a range of challenges for students with SLI. The characteristics of SLI differ from student to student and are not static. Students with SLI develop normally. Students develop normally and typically in non-language areas, but have limitations in language areas.

2)     There is a need for a community that can aid and support students with learning disabilities. As a result of receiving support, students with learning difficulties can develop confidence.

3)    An average child and a dyslexic child have different brain functions when reading. Nevertheless, our brains are very changeable, and by teaching students with dyslexia strategies and skills for reading, they can change their brain functions to improve reading abilities.

How to use what I have learnt to enhance my effectiveness as an AED (LBS:

It is important to focus on the strengths of students with learning disabilities in helping them with reading. For a student who learns better through visual methods, I should be using more pictures and videos to help the student to understand. There are also multi-sensory techniques that can be used, such as sky writing or tracing letters on sand. Technology has improved very much over the last few years and applications such as audiobooks are proving to be useful for students to enjoy learning stories through hearing them. It is also important for students to be motivated to learn since motivation plays an essential role in their academic success. We need to educate both our students as well as their peers and teachers about their learning conditions. By embracing their learning needs, students are able to recognise what they need to do in order to become successful. They can find out what skills or strategies are most effective for them. Peers can also provide assistance by taking down notes. In the classroom, teachers can make modifications and accommodations to aid in learning and assessment.

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3 things I learnt:

1.  The gift of dyslexia. I now have further knowledge on the general strengths a dyslexia person has, such as viewing things in a holistic perspective. They are more talented in seeing the 'big picture' and they are able to easily activate the parts of the brain that contribute to creativity.

2. Specific Language Impairment (SLI). It is not something that is associated with intelligence level but more of something that is non-verbal and non-linguistic. It affects someone more socially as compared to someone who is dyslexic, as someone who has SLI has poorer conversational skills and thus makes them participate lesser in verbal/social exchanges.

3. When teaching a dyslexic student, it's crucial to teach the relationship between sounds and letters in an explicit and structured way rather than teaching them proper eye movement or balance.

How I intend to use what I have learnt to enhance my effectiveness as an AED (LBS):

Firstly, my lessons and instructions need to be very explicit. It is not just about providing a supportive learning environment anymore but more importantly teaching the specific skills that can benefit my students. Other than that, I need to touch on the strengths of my students rather than trying to build on their weaknesses. Every individual has their own set of strengths that can be flourished, and most of the time using their strengths can make improving their weaknesses a much smoother and easier process.

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3 things learned:

a)The gift of dyslexia. Focus on strengths and abilities like how persons with dyslexia can be better at holistic visual spatial tasks with the ability to see things around as a whole. Target strengths not weaknesses to help one succeed.

b)Students diagnosed with SLI faces many challenged, not just in learning but in interpersonal relationships as they could be misunderstood and peers may bully or ridicule them and if not managed, this can lead to other behavioural problems. Social disadvantage to their peers.

c) In Gabriela's case, it is a good example of how important it is to have a learning support team to work together to help her overcome her SLI challenges and with the introduction of differentiated learning and alternatives. As the saying goes, it takes a village to raise a child. Support in school and at home are both very important.

How to use what I learned to enhance my effectives as an AED(LBS)

Understand the dyslexia condition of each student as they are all different and also find out what their strengths and interests are to motivate students. Be creative in teaching methods, using visuals, sensory, manipulative, audio etc to ignite their interest in learning. Be open to use technology to to help students learn, such as audio books, text to speech and reading apps. Choose books that tap into their interest and passion to develop their interest in reading. Be explicit in instructions and lesson plans. Work with stakeholders to build consistency in supporting the students.

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A) We need a positive mindset, self-care and self-regulation.
We should take time to reconnect our purpose, build up emotional resilience and adopt a growth mindset.
We should not take student behavior personally and set realistic expectations aligned with their capabilities and needs. Focus on TSR is essential, as students with difficulties are probably already overwhelmed. We should be their advocates and not be an additional contributing factor to their stress.
We should always model positive ideal behavior.

B)No. If we expect students to be polite and respectful, we should model that same behavior to them. Even in jest, non-desired behavior may have a lifelong negative impact as students may not be able to differentiate appropriate responses.
The educator does not display conviction in his behavior. There is no sincerity shown and students are always astute in sensing how genuine their teachers are. This insincerity will have an impact on student willingness to learn from the teacher during lessons.
A high care, high expectation style is more effective than an authoritarian style when dealing with students with special needs. Teachers should always limit their exchanges with students to be purposeful. Ridicule should never be conveyed by an adult, and anything pertaining to an individual students should not be exposed for others even though a whatsapp group chat is convenient and easily accessible.

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Collective Thoughts
Literacy difficulties impact people well in adulthood. As a hidden minority who fell through the cracks, this did not dampen their motivation to improve themselves and they were willing to learn the basics and set goals for themselves.
There was a lack-of exposure and a lack of guidance in their environment to bolster reading. We take for granted the automaticity of reading and writing, but watching this, we realize there are actually people amongst us who have literacy difficulties whose success is due to their own perseverance.
How does it help reframe and reinforce your thinking about language literacy
Their determination and resilience truly inspirational to us, that learning possibilities can be lifelong. As educators, we should improve our competency before we can assist our students.
Difficulties do not define outcomes. Everyone with a purpose and goal can make strides in literacy with good support.

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Group 1 - Aqilah, Insyirah, Shameema, Wendy

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Group 1 - Aqilah, Insyirah, Shameema, Wendy

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Part A
A positive mindset is to have a growth mindset. As educators, we can always maintain a positive mindset and attitude towards our students with additional needs by having a growth mindset. We must believe that there is always a way to help these students with additional needs. When we believe that every student can learn we will also learn to find a way to teach them. However, having a healthy mindset also plays a part in having a positive mindset. We must always think that results may not come in fast, as we expected. We need to go with the student’s flow. This is so that we do not want to pressure our students and at the same time, we feel pressured by them not progressing. It can be demotivating. Most importantly, we should not be blaming ourselves if nothing has progressed or helped the student to improve. Do not be disheartened. Continue to give moral support to these students. At times, giving moral support and encouragement is sufficient to build up their self-esteem. Self-esteem is the key to improvements. As the students grow in their confidence and motivation and show increased competence in their skills (for instance, reading skills), they have progressed in their learning. With this progression, educators can always remind themselves and students of the progress that they have made, and continue to set SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time-Bound) goals to continue to learn and improve in their skills and celebrate little success together.

Part B
As an educator/a civil servant who represents the Ministry/government, it is important to keep the values of Service, Integrity and Excellence. Being rude and passing negative remarks about others is something that should be discouraged in any profession. We should not be portraying such behaviour be it in person or via WhatsApp’s group chats. As a civil servant, especially as an educator, it is important to protect and respect the students’ confidentiality. It generally degrades the character of the individual who gives the negative comment. By protecting the students’ confidentiality, the individual shows professionalism in his work. Being professional leads to being a good and effective educator.

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Group 1 - Aqilah, Insyirah, Shameema, Wendy

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Group 1 - Aqilah, Insyirah, Shameema, Wendy

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Language and literacy is a skill set that is acquired. Having dyslexia or other language difficulties is a painful and trying experience that can affect one’s self-esteem and social relationships. It is not a cognitive deficiency, nor a gauge of intelligence. The lack of language skill makes it harder for them to read and write. Someone with Dyslexia lacks that skill set of breaking down the sound of letters and forming words by their sound. When students with dyslexia are not being surfaced or highlighted at the early stage, their future will be affected. Dyslexia is not something that you can overcome as you grow. If it was not being addressed, their self-esteem too can be affected. Therefore, it is important to have an early intervention. With proper intervention and explicit teaching such as phonics for reading, writing, and spelling. Moreover, it is important to provide interesting activities such as drama and improvisation to practice their language and literacy skills and ignite the joy of learning language. This will help them to overcome their barrier.

As an AED LBS when we address their literacy needs and equip them with the skill, we are not only giving them the knowledge and skills but giving them confidence, lifting their self-esteem, and opening opportunities for their future. Apart from looking into language and literacy, it is also important to build up their self-esteem. Words of encouragement would help build up their self-confidence and eventually will look forward to self-improvement.

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a)

1. Manage Your Stress
When you feel stressed or anxious,  it becomes difficult to maintain  positive attitudes in the classroom.

2. Set your own learning goals
To maintain a positive attitude in the classroom, it is also important to set your own learning goals.

3. Surround yourself with positive people
If you want to maintain a positive attitude in the classroom,  the environment is also an important factor.  To stay positive, it is important to surround yourself with positive people.  Friends with a positive attitude will also help you with your studies.

4. Learn from your mistakes
To have a positive attitude, it is important to learn from your mistakes.  Mistakes are not only avoidable, they are also really essential to learning new things. Therefore, it is important to evaluate your mistakes as an opportunity to learn new information.

b)

No. It is in the ethics of our teachers to do our best to bring out the best in our students. We have to be  role models, inside or outside the classroom.

According to Teachers' Creed, it codifies the practices of educators and makes  their unspoken beliefs clear. It provides a guide for teachers to fulfill our responsibilities and commitments and fulfill the promise of achieving professional excellence.

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3 Takeaways

1. Dyslexia has nothing to do with intelligence and can be noticed before the child is able to read

2. The Orton-Gillingham approach is   a direct and multi-sensorial way of teaching reading, writing and spelling skills that are not easy for students with dyslexia.

3. SLI looks different to all children and is really hard to understand because we don't know the cause.

How to use what I’ve learnt to improve effectiveness as an LBS

I would like to use the Orton-Gillingham Approach to assess students' reading skills, strengths, and  challenges. I will adapt strategies to teach skills in a specific order based on students' natural language development. Students must master each skill before moving on, and if they are confused, I will need to teach the skill again. The ultimate goal is for students to apply the skills they have learned to decode words on their own.

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3 things learnt

1. The Orton Gillingham Approach, which is a specialized multi-sensory phonics technique, effective for struggling readers.

2.  Dyslexia and ADHD both affect processing capabilities which affect information retrieval and storage, specifically the speed and accuracy of organizing and processing information.

3. There are compensating advantages to dyslexia. The balance in advantage is proven from a genetic evolutionary point of view, and their representation in occupations which they excel in.

How to use what is learnt to improve effectiveness as an LBS
I will mindfully scaffold interventions   where the skill taught should derive meaning first. For reading fluency, explicit and structured teaching regarding rules and how sounds relate to written counterparts should be taught first. Once there is familiarity with the relationship between sound and letters, can reading fluency be taught.
Another aspect is to allow interventions to be intensive in having students encounter words repeatedly through practice. This would increase exposure to print and commit to visual word memory.
Lastly, in interventions for students with dyslexia, I would also motivate them by catering to their strengths and focus on implementing strategies in a more non sequential approach. Instead of listing explicit steps in an organized manner, I could capitalize on recognizing patterns instead.

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a) Three things that I have learned:
1. Dyslexia is a learning disability whereby an individual faces challenge to connect the sounds that make up words with the letters that represent those sounds, yet through intervention, adults and children with dyslexia can change their brains to become better readers.
2)An individual with speech language impairment exhibits oral language characteristics that affect their social development:
-late onset of language (first words began after two years old)
-irregular production of phonemes in preschoolers
-irregular grammatical and synactical structures below milestone age
-restricted semantic development that affects vocabulary in comprehension and production
3)Orton-Gillingham is a multi-sensory approach that enables children to read by breaking words into their component sounds, match the sounds to letters and blend the sounds together.

b)How I plan to use what I have learned to enhance my effectiveness as an AED (LBS)?

1)I will apply the teaching of sounds to letters explicitly with multi-sensory approach to help my students decode and encode letter sounds, to read and write effectively.

2)I will provide visual supports of word cards and written instructions, with appropriate challenge given, based on the children's developmental needs.

3) I will pay attention to the social and emotional states of students with disabilities, to motivate their learning.

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No. The educator should show good moral examples to students  and  fellow

colleagues. Educators should uphold the highest standards in professional practice at all times. Even if the teacher does not ridicule or pass negative remarks about his or her students, students can still pick up and see that the teacher is doing that to their colleagues, students might feel it is okay to ridicule others and follow his example by passing negative comments about their classmates. Teachers should uphold a high code of conduct and professionalism.

Teachers should not be commenting or writing confidential information on any online platforms or media. This is not a secure or official communication channel. Teachers should also be aware not to share their private discussions with students.

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We are stunned to know that 1 in 10 Singaporeans are unable to read from their survey findings.

Makes us totally surprised to know there are people in Singapore coping without the ability to read and write.

We are wondering how  they cleared the school system and yet cannot read and write and progressed on in their lives with a job.

We are astonished about their coping mechanisms on a daily basis and actually they sound very literate when they are interviewed or in their jobs.

Firstly, we all need to understand no one is perfect. I think when we come across students having literacy issues, we should do a simple profiling to find out more about their background and what they do not understand, and from there we are able to help these students.

Learning can take place any time. There is no age limit set for it.

We take for granted a lot of things in this fast paced life, only when we cannot function as we used to then these things will start hitting us and we will start appreciating them.

In the past learning difficulties such as dyslexia were not noticed.

Time and consistent effort can improve literacy skills.

Every student is unique.

Family support is essential.

Setting small scale goals → achievable smart goals

To go to a designated place using a text message is a challenge to someone who cannot read and write but there is technology (e.g. GPS and mobile application) that can help them to find their way.

We need to understand the learning profile of our students, their readiness and type of interest to motivate them to learn. In the show, they are motivated to learn English because they want to achieve a goal.

Jega’s goal is to place the name tags correctly.

Xiao Lin’s goal is to read the Primary 5 Spelling List

Jimmy’s goal is to sing an English song

Stephen’s goal is to write a one page letter to wife.

Miya’s goal is to order food on her own.

We admired their courage to face their learning difficulties and how they managed and persevered to reach their goal.

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(A) Three things learnt:
1 - The Orton-Gillingham approach is a direct, explicit, multisensory, sequential, diagnostic and prescriptive way to teach literacy.
2 - According to Ben who suffers from dyslexia, working harder does not help. It will only end one with frustration. Instead, be strategic. Seek help by expressing ones needs and asking people for help openly.

3 - Everyone needs to be accepted as who they are, building on their strength and helping to build a positive community around people with Dyslexia will make their life better.

(B) Effectiveness as an AED (LBS):
Firstly, to see the strength in students. To encourage and motivate them. This is the basic as an educator. Being a skilful educator maintaining professionalism. Always use evidence-based intervention. Using the evidence-based approach like Orton-Gillingham approach to teach students with Dyslexia. Finally, to equip students with strategies that will help them with learning.  Instead of just asking them to try harder and focus better, skills and strategies should be taught. Supporting students with tools that are beneficial for their learning. Teaching skills to speak up and to trust and accept themselves. Teaching independence is a very crucial skill to acquire.

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Our group were astounded at how the adults coped with their daily living and job due to their literacy issues.

They handled it through a variety of ways like using AT: Siri, google text to speech, google images.

some found different techniques to make it work for them: Remembering road names through MRT stations, creating shorthands (eg. OD for Audi, Wewk for Waffles, etc)

Their sharing of background stories that stuck us the most was from Stephan. He said that when he was not able to read or do well in examinations, his teachers tried to belittle him and bring him down in front of the entire class. As a result, at a very young age he became guarded. He developed a stony front and he said he stop caring because he did not want to let his teachers see what he was feeling.

As an AED LBS, this was the part that resounded with us the most. we were appalled at how an educator could do such a thing to a young child. to rob away his learning and also emotions. this is something we hold in our thoughts when we go out to work.

another point that struck as was the lack of family support xiao ling received. her reason to improve was for her family. yet it was the same family that did not wish to support her quest for improvement.

as an AED LBS, we will probably come across various demographic of families. some may come from families like Xiao Ling. if our student is not able to find support at home, we must ensure that we are one of the support they can depend on. it was heartwarming to see that xiao ling's teacher opened up her home for xiao ling to come to carry on her intervention lessons after the filming for the series was over.

the participants set SMART goals. they were precise goals that were achievable
in a short time. as such, all the participants managed to reached their end goal at the last episode.

this is important when we get our students to do goal setting. their goals shud be specific and not very vagie or general like "i want to do better for my English"

we thought the host Diana Ser did an amazing job at getting the participants to open up to her. she also reassured them that their personality n values goes beyond their literacy skills.
Group members: Natasha, Nora, Izyana and Shahira

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(a)

Dyslexia can run through the family, means can be inherit from their parents.

Dyslexia is for life. However, with the right skill and support, a child with dyslexia can succeed in life. Thus, early intervention is important.

Each student with specific language impairment is unique. Thus implementation of intervention must be based on that particular student’s need.

(b)

Before I could do any intervention with student who has dyslexia and/or specific language impairment, I need to know what the student needs (especially student with specific language impairment as each case is unique). To have an effective intervention with students with dyslexia, I have to teach the relationship between sounds and letters in an explicit and structured way. In addition, I have to bear in mind not to focus on things like balance or eye movement. When comes to student with specific language impairment, create a supportive learning environment that would improve on his academic as well as his self-esteem.

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Part (a)

1 - Even though I had experienced invigilating students on AA before, I didn’t realized why having a separate room was useful for them as my students didn’t really make full use of the accommodation. Stephanie May in the Headstrong Nation video said that having a separate room allows her to think out loud. She could freely mumble and sound her words out during the exam. The extra time helped as well. She felt that should she was taking her exam with her cohort as per normal, she would not be able to get through her examinations.

2 - From the same video, Jason Shiver mentioned that he will try harder and focus more to overcome his difficulties in learning. To which Ben Foss said that is NOT the way to go. The chap should be able to empower himself. He should be able go to the important people in his school to explain to them that “I have this issue. I NEED this accommodation.”

3 - All children with SLI are different. Though they may have SLI, they could possibly be facing other issues such as behavioural issues (social issues, poor friendship development, etc) and emotional issues (anxiety, frustrations, low self-esteem, etc) due to their SLI.

Part (b)

1 - Knowing now how students with accommodations should be doing their exams, I would work together with my students to strategise and maximise the students’ extra time and accommodations. (Eg. Visual countdown, teaching students when to move on to the next question, etc.)

2 - While NIE is teaching us strategies on how to teach students’ learning difficulties, I think at the end of the day, I should be able to empower my students, for them to carry on their life after their schooling years. They should have gain independence and confidence to move on after schooling life. I hope that I am able to empower my students to be comfortable being their own advocate when they go on to higher institutions or the working world.

3 - As much as possible, I should accommodate to every individual students’ needs, and not follow “textbook modules”. The learning environment for when I conduct withdrawal sessions should be a supportive learning environment for my students. I must also work together with the CMT to ensure that while I may be meeting the needs of the students to assist in teaching strategies for his learning, I should also be able to request additional help to meet the student's other needs if needed.