# data[].attributes.body
"Teaching languages to students with special educational needs"

# data[].attributes.body
The concept of inclusion is related with terms, however different in meaning, such as ‘individualization’, ‘scaffolding’, ‘differentiation’ and ‘integration'.

Inclusion is seen as a process of addressing and responding to the diversity of needs of all learners through increasing participation in learning, cultures and communities, and reducing exclusion within and from education. It involves changes and modifications in content, approaches, structures and strategies, with a common vision which covers all children of the appropriate age range and a conviction that it is the responsibility of the regular system to educate all children.

The magic word to guarantee success in inclusive classroom practice is 'differentiation', - teaching things differently according to observed differences among students.

# data[].attributes.headline
Module 1 01.03        Special educational needs

# data[].attributes.subject
Module 1 01.03        Special educational needs

# data[].attributes.body
→ What are special educational needs?

The term 'Special Educational Needs' is used to describe learning difficulties or disabilities that make it harder for children to learn than most children of the same age.

The Conventions of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) reaffirms that all people with all types of disabilities must enjoy all human rights and fundamental freedoms.

The aim of inclusive education is to respond to the learning needs of all children, whatever their needs are. Inclusive education removes the barriers limiting the achievement and respects abilities and characteristics of all learners. The whole school community can benefit and be strengthened when students with special needs and disabilities are in mainstream schools alongside their peers, with appropriate support.

Question
→ How can you design inclusive educational environments?

I can create a productive and inclusive climate by:
→ examining my assumptions and curriculum
→ learning and using students’ names
→ creating inclusive language
→ using multiple and diverse examples
→ establishing ground rules for interaction
→ striving to be fair
→ being mindful of low ability cues
→ providing accommodations for students with disabilities
→ not asking people to speak for an entire group
→ practicing inclusive classroom behaviors

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Students with Disabilities: Special Education Categories

# data[].attributes.body
→ Differentiating content:
It would include curriculum topics, providing students with

choices to add depth to learning. Also provide students with additional resources that match their levels of understanding.
To differentiate content use, use

pre-assessment to determine where students need to begin, then match students with appropriate activities.

Using texts at different reading levels

Using colour-coded worksheets with graded tasks

Using audiovisual materials

→ Differentiating Process:
It refers to how students make sense or understand the

information, ideas and skills being studied, and also reflects student learning styles and preferences. The differentiating process involves varied

options and choices at different levels, also offers different amounts of support for a task. To differentiate process, use activities through which all learners work on building the same important understanding and skills but proceed with different levels of support, challenge or complexity.

Allowing students to work alone or in small groups

Developing personal time frames for students

Using a variety of materials appropriate for different learning preferences

Using flexible grouping for students for different tasks

→ Differentiating Product:
It can be of different forms, for example reports, tests, brochures, presentation or performances. It reflects student understanding. Differentiating product involves: providing challenge, variety and choice by giving students options about how to express required learning. It is important to give

assignments at varying degrees of difficulty to match student readiness.

Allowing project groups to choose different products for the same project task

Offering outcome options your learners can choose from (e.g. draw and write a recipe or make a cooking video)

→ Differentiating Response:
It is important for each student to provide possibility for them to have the most appropriate form of expression. If we always measure learners with learning difficulties to the central norm, they will never have a sense of success. Assessment should be developed that measure learners in relation to their abilities.

Creating online class platforms to exhibit learner products and allow students to decide which of their products to show

Always offering the option to record answers

Encouraging students to use different methods to express what they have learnt

# data[].attributes.headline
Module 2 15.03        Teaching children with SEN in the classroom 

# data[].attributes.subject
Module 2 15.03        Teaching children with SEN in the classroom 

# data[].attributes.body
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) can serve as a crucial tool in a toolbox for inclusion. It is about offering flexibility in the classroom. The word “universal” is not about finding one way to teach all students. It implies the flexibility and the possibility of adjustment to every student’s strengths and needs. Providing assignment options, multiple representations of information and alternative means of expression and engagement are key components of universal design for learning.

Accessibility is an important element of the inclusion in education, as it is crucial that content and material for learners is as diverse and varied as the students themselves. Thereby it is also an important aspect of Universal Design for Learning and is part of the first principle (multiple means of representation), the second principle (expression – referring to the ability of making an environment usable by everyone but also enjoyable and meaningful), and the third principle (engaging).

Educational technology can help children overcome many of their cognitive, physical or communication difficulties. Actually, assistive technology enables people with special needs to live and learn more independently and to participate in all aspects of civic life.

There are many practical strategies that are effective in the classroom: providing students an area free from distractions to learn, reminders, breaking long assignments into small sequential steps and monitoring each step are some simple general tips to keep in mind. More complex but promising strategies include the involvement of parents and families in a collaborative partnership.

Question
→ What are the possible barriers to UDL implementation?

Social and cultural barriers

peer pressure and family background

Practical and personal barriers

transport; time; disability; caring responsibilities; childcare; finance; cost; age; language; and lack of access to information

Emotional barriers

lack of self-esteem or confidence due to low skills levels; negative personal experience of learning; previously undetected or unaddressed learning disabilities; social problems such as unemployment, abuse or bullying

Workplace barriers

time off; access; discrimination; unsupportive managers; shift work; isolation

# data[].attributes.body
Neurodiversity is a viewpoint that brain differences are normal, rather than deficits. It seems to be also an idea that somehow changes the way the society should perceive people for being different, especially different in neurological terms, not in a way that these people should be cured or “normalized”, but in the way their environment should be inclusive and accepting towards them.

Neuro-differences are recognised and appreciated as a social category on par with ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, or disability status.

Neurodiversity is the idea that neurological variations are known and valued as any other human variation.

These variations can include:

Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD or dyspraxia)

Dyslexia

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Dyscalculia

Autistic Spectrum (ASD)

Tourette Syndrome (TS) and more others.

There is no correct way in perceiving the world and individuals in it, but because of all of different cultures, perspectives and beliefs placed on ethnicity globally it is easy to understand why neurodiversity is not yet universal.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Exceptional Individuals: What is Dyslexia - What Is Neurodivergence?

# data[].attributes.headline
Module 3 29.03               The nature of dyslexia

# data[].attributes.subject
Module 3 29.03               The nature of dyslexia

# data[].attributes.body
Dyslexia - a specfic learning difficulty that mainly affects the performance of the neurological system, especially these parts of the brain which are responsible for reading skills including reading comprehension and reading word recognition. It is estimated that about 10% of the population suffers from dyslexia and more often the male has tangible symptoms of it.

This handicap is due to the phenomenon of inheritance. Individuals may inherit certain genetic mutations from their parents or from earlier generations.

It is highly probable that  individuals with this learning difficulty are born and live a whole life with it but it has been proven that the level of intelligence of is not significantly different from other people.

The main causes of dyslexia are difficulties with:

phonological awareness,

slower speed of processing,

less efficient control of attentional resources

reduced short-term memory capacity

Each dyslexia student has different learning difficulties, however the most noticeable are

difficulties with word recognition and reading fluency, spelling and writing. People with dyslexia are also likely to have problems with spoken language.

# data[].attributes.headline
Meeting 4 12.04     Specific learning difficulties associated with dyslexia 

# data[].attributes.subject
Meeting 4 12.04     Specific learning difficulties associated with dyslexia 

# data[].attributes.body
Neuro-Diversity:
difficulties with organisation, memory, concentration, time, directiion, perception, sequencing; poor listening skills. All may lead to low self-esteem, anxiety and depression if others are not aware. Can be creative, original and determined.

Anxiety and mental health:
disruptive behaviour, inattention, throwing tantrums or in physical symptoms such as stomach aches or palpitations, and refusing to engage in school/college.

Attention Deficit (Hyperactivity) Disorder (ADD/ADHD):
impulsive, temper outbursts, hyperactivity, low frustration threshold, easily distracted or over-focused, poor listening skills

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD):
unusual behaviours due to inflexible thinking, over-reliance on routines, panic easily, social and communication problems, obsessive interests, difference in imagination

Developmental Language Disorder (DLD):

enormous difficulty talking and understanding language, language difficulties are unlikely to catch up without help

Dyscalculia and maths difficulties:

problems with reading and writing, difficulties with number sense including subitising, symbolic and non-symbolic magnitude comparison and ordering, difficulties with number concepts and calculation

Dyspraxia (DCD):

difficulties with planning, movements, co-ordination and practical tasks as well as tracking and balance, poor spatial awareness and muscle tone

SpLD (specific learning differences) seem to be lifelong and there are some overlaps among them, mainly between Anxiety and Attention Deficit Disorder. Children having those developmental disorders suffer from inattention and emergence of unpredictable behaviours. Other overlaps such as problems with social interaction including communication skills are also noticeable among Autism Spectrum Disorder and Developmental Language Disorder. The working memory disorder is also a common dominant feature in children as well with Dyscalculia and Dyslexia.

# data[].attributes.headline
Module 4 19.04                    SEN case studies

# data[].attributes.subject
Module 4 19.04                    SEN case studies

# data[].attributes.body
Gifted Bryan

Giftedness is the phenomenon of being extremely gifted in various aspects but above all in the educational aspect. Gifted individuals performance excellent, definitely above average.

Bryan is an exceptionally gifted boy. He is the outstanding invidual because develops in an above-average way. He seems to understand the operation of certain mechanism and is interested in extraordinary phenomena. Actually he absorbs knowledge from an early age. Because of the fact that Bryan perceives the world in a different way he is often misunderstood by his peers.

The term “twice-exceptional” determines these children which are likely to have potential for high achievement in the future but are likely to have some special needs. These needs may include specific learning disabilities (SpLD), speech and language disorders, emotional/behavioral disorders, physical disabilities, autism spectrum, or other impairments such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Differentiated instruction is a specific teaching method where
differentation is all across curriculum. All learners have to learn the same content but lessons are designed in such a way that they are tailored to each invidual group of learners. Class differentation is related to the student grouping and modality of learning. There are 3 main stations where various activities take place. The first one delivers knowledge in visual and auditory form that is indiviudal to the students through technology. The second is connected with moving. The station offers hands-on activities and experimenting. The last but not least includes talking and spending time with the teacher. It provides social interation and this is actually the most differentiated section of all.

# data[].attributes.headline
Meeting 5  26.04                    The effects of dyslexia on foreign language learning

# data[].attributes.subject
Meeting 5  26.04                    The effects of dyslexia on foreign language learning

# data[].attributes.body
My mind-map on Bubbl.us
→ Link

A matching activity
→ Link

# data[].attributes.headline
Module 5 3.05 Classroom accommodations for foreign language learners with dyslexia      

# data[].attributes.subject
Module 5 3.05 Classroom accommodations for foreign language learners with dyslexia      

# data[].attributes.body
How to make classrooms more inclusive?
→ Use technological devices (e.g. computers, CD players, portable media players)
→ Clarify or simplify written directions
→ Block out extraneous stimuli
→ Highlight essential information
→ Maintain daily routines
→ Write key points or words on   the chalkboard
→ Use balanced presentations and activities
→ Place students close to the teacher
→ Use peer-mediated learning

Personally I believe that these ways are the best to support foreign language learners with dyslexia. For example, student that cooperate close with teacher and other class mates can feel more comfortable and be sure that he will receive sufficient support during lessons.

Websites For Children with SpLDs:

TECHOMATRIX

Digital Learning Tools from Microsoft Education.

IXL Worldwide

FunBrain

AAA Math

Storyline Online

Into the Book!

Starfall

The Exploratorium

Do2LearN

Inclusive classroom

Classroom environment

Dyslexic students most pay attention to temperature, light and noise therefore it is needed to take care of the appropriate environment in the classroom. It would be the best to ensure lower temperature and less light preventing headaches and also children should be allowed to use earplugs to block out disturbing noises. It is also recommended to keep the wall around the board clean of other information if possible to reduce further distractions.

Classroom communication and interaction

Working in pairs and small groups allows students lots of time to practice the new vocabulary and the structures that they are learning. Teachers also should be aware of difficulties and skills of students to ensure that they are carefully paired and groups will work together.

Teacher should be sure that he gives only those instructions that are clear and unambiguous because especially dyslexic students may interpret these instructions in many ways and it can be too confusing for them. Giving feedback is another important aspect, it also has to be clear and thoughtful. The best is to mention one or two things to improve with concrete strategies.

Course content and materials

Books are often full of many pictures and small exercises so to keep dyslexic students focused during doing exercises it is worth covering with paper or something else that part of the book that is not valid at the moment.

One of the most effective methods in learning is breaking tasks into smaller chunks to help focus on just a small amount of information at a time.

Teachers can better control an aspect of lesson pacing, the course and used materials need to be balanced. It is worth it to differentiate tasks and enable lots of opportunities to recap and revise new language points.

Independent study skills

Language learning by suggesting memory strategies is very helpful for dyslexic students. Raising awareness of the importance of time management and organization is another point.

Aspect of language which should be taught with the use of MSL instruction

1. Phonology. It is the study of sound structure of spoken words. Its awareness includes rhyming, counting words in spoken sentences, and clapping syllables in spoken words. An important aspect of phonological awareness is phonemic awareness or the ability to segment words into their component sounds, which are called phonemes.

2. Sound-Symbol Association. This one is connected with mapping the phonemes to symbols or printed letters. Sound-symbol association must be taught and mastered in two directions: visual to auditory (reading) and auditory to visual (spelling). The blending of sounds and letters into words and segmenting whole words into the individual sounds are also the important requirements to master.

3. Syllable Instruction. A syllable is a unit of oral or written language with one vowel sound. Instruction includes teaching of the six basic syllable types in the English language: closed, vowel-consonant-e, open, consonant-le, r-controlled, and vowel pair that is an important organizing idea. It enables better determination of the sound of the vowel in the syllable and gaining awareness of where a long, unfamiliar word may be divided for great accuracy in reading the word.

4. Morphology. A morpheme is the smallest unit of meaning in the language. It relates to the study of base words, roots, prefixes, and suffixes. The word instructor, for example, contains the root struct, which means to build, the prefix in, which means in or into, and the suffix or, which means one who. An instructor is one who builds knowledge in his or her students.

5. Syntax. Syntax is the set of principles that dictate the sequence and function of words in a sentence in order to convey meaning. This includes grammar, sentence variation, and the mechanics of language.

6. Semantics. Semantics is that aspect of language concerned with meaning. The curriculum (from the beginning) must include instruction in the comprehension of written language.

Principles of MSL instruction

1. Simultaneous, Multisensory (VAKT): Teaching uses all learning pathways in the brain (i.e., visual, auditory, kinesthetic- tactile) simultaneously or sequentially in order to enhance memory and learning.

2. Systematic and Cumulative: Multisensory language instruction requires that the organization of material follows the logical order of the language. The sequence must begin with the easiest and most basic concepts and progress methodically to more difficult material. Each concept must also be based on those already learned. Concepts taught must be systematically reviewed to strengthen memory.

3. Direct Instruction: The inferential learning of any concept cannot be taken for granted. Multisensory language instruction requires direct teaching of all concepts with continuous student-teacher interaction.

4. Diagnostic Teaching: The teacher must be adept at flexible or individualized teaching. The teaching plan is based on careful and continuous assessment of the individual needs. The content presented must be mastered step by step for the student to progress.

5. Synthetic and Analytic Instruction: Multisensory, structured language programs include both synthetic and analytic instruction. Synthetic instruction presents the parts of the language and then teaches how the parts work together to form a whole. Analytic instruction presents the whole and teaches how this can be broken down into its component parts.

6. Comprehensive and Inclusive: All levels of language are addressed, often in parallel, including sounds (phonemes), symbols (graphemes), meaningful word parts (morphemes), word and phrase meanings (semantics), sentences (syntax), longer passages (discourse), and the social uses of language (pragmatics).

# data[].attributes.headline
Module 6 10.05  Developing language skills: Techniques for teaching reading, writing, listening and speaking 

# data[].attributes.subject
Module 6 10.05  Developing language skills: Techniques for teaching reading, writing, listening and speaking 

# data[].attributes.body
Venn diagram
→ Link

Stages of the lesson:
H. Tell the learners that they are going to read a tale from the city where they have their partner school. Explain the word ‘tale’ by giving examples from their context and ask them to share their favourite tales.

D. Bring visual representations of key expressions (wheel, bet, wheelwright, to roll, city gate, town hall, thaler, mayor, devil) and say them in English. Check the meaning of the words through translation. Match the pictures with the written forms of the words on the board and practise reading them.

F. Ask students to speculate about the content of the tale they will read based on the expressions. Write their suggestions on the board.

A. Students read the text quickly to find out whether their predictions were correct.  Learners with dyslexia: Provide an adjusted version of the text, the glossary of words, highlight the words that are on the board in the text.

G. Students work in groups; they get 4 cartoon pictures illustrating the events from the story (neighbours chatting in a pub, wheelwright working hard, wheelwright rolling the wheel through the city gate and sad wheelwright sitting and doing nothing). They read the story again and sort the pictures in chronological order. Learners with dyslexia: provide scissors to cut the story into pieces so that they can match the pieces of text with the pictures.

B. Learners read the text again and highlight all important verbs that describe the story line in the text.

E. Students use the verbs and pictures to retell the story in their own words.

C. Students talk about unusual bets they know about.

Planning a writing lesson:
1. presenting the task
A. text to speech software
E. pre-teaching of new words

2. collecting ideas for the task
D. mind maps for brainstorming

3. the process of writing
B. voice recognition software

4. self-correction
C. spell checker

5. feedback
F. do not use a red pencil circling the mistakes

Picture Answear
1 A
2 C
3 D
4 G
5 B
6 F
7 E

Exercise 1 - Classroom management
1. Students with dyslexia should not be bothered with the aims of the listening tasks. F
2. The instructions for the listening should be brief and quick. F
3. The teacher should always check whether the students understand what to do. T
4. Students should check their comprehension in pairs first. T
5. The teacher should try to set up a safe learning environment both for the speaking and listening practice. T
6. Learners should have enough time to prepare for the speaking and listening task and teachers should provide a lot of support. T

Exercise 2 – Ways of checking comprehension

physical response, gestures, movements

organizing pictures

drawing sketches

checking orally

using students' mother tongue in monolingual classes

breaking tasks into small portions

checking answers in pairs or groups first

giving enough time

differentiating tasks

Exercise 3 – Developing speaking
1. drilling and memorizing
2. drama activities
3. information gap activities
4. role-plays
5. arts and crafts activities

# data[].attributes.headline
Meeting 6 17.05 Techniques for developing phonological, orthographic and morphological awareness

# data[].attributes.subject
Meeting 6 17.05 Techniques for developing phonological, orthographic and morphological awareness

# data[].attributes.body
Task 2
Phonological awareness → it is the broader awareness of sound and is an auditory ability. It is defined as an ability to identify, distinguish between, detect and manipulate the sound structure of words with regard to different sizes of phonological units, including whole words, syllables, onsets, rimes and phonemes.

Phonics → a method of reading instruction, aimed at familiarising children with relationships between sounds and corresponding printed letters or clusters of letters (the relationship between phonemes and graphemes). It is learning the rules and patterns of the letter-sound relationship.

Alphabetic orthographic systems can be classified according to the consistency of the letter-to-sound relations. In some languages, a given letter or letter cluster is always pronounced the same way, whereas in other languages it can have several distinct pronunciations; a phoneme can be represented with multiple spelling choices or is nearly always spelled the same way. Deep orthographies demonstrate considerably unpredictable and unequivocal sound-letter relationships and complexities such as, for instance, multi-letter graphemes or frequent irregularities.

Phonemic awareness → It is related to identification and manipulation of individual phonemes. It is the awareness of individual phonemes in a word and the ability to segment, blend, isolate, and manipulate those smallest units of sound. It is an auditory ability.

Alphabetic orthographic systems can be classified according to the consistency of the letter-to-sound relations. In some languages, a given letter or letter cluster is always pronounced the same way, whereas in other languages it can have several distinct pronunciations; a phoneme can be represented with multiple spelling choices or is nearly always spelled the same way. Shallow orthographies have simple letter-sound relations.

Alphabetic principle → The idea that written words symbolise spoken words in the following way: single sounds are represented by single letters or groups of letters.

1) Multisensory teaching  helps students with dyslexia because it is:

carefully structured

it gives the knowledge in small, cumulative steps

it provides the students with ample practice, frequent revision and direct and explicit explanation of linguistic structures;

it uses the method known as drills;

it is learning through activating different sensory channels.

Multisensory teaching brings together:

what a letter or a word looks like;

how it sounds;

how the speech organs are used to pronounce it;

what hand moves are needed to write it.

2) What kind of phonological units do students need to work with when they read?

Students need to focus on sound-letter correspondence. They should be able to identify words, syllables, onsets and rimes and individual sounds. They should be able to identify, distinguish between, manipulate the sounds structure of words. Sound manipulation involves: isolating, segmenting (dividing), blending (putting together), adding, deleting (removing), substituting (changing) smaller units of sounds to form full words.

3) What is tricky about learning to read in English? Why is English difficult for learners with dyslexia?

a single sound can be represented by more than one letter

a single sound might be represented by a different letter

a given letter or combination of letters may represented more the one sound

there are exceptions and irregular words that need to be rote-learned

4) How can knowledge of syllable structure help students learn how to spell?

Students should be able to identify syllales and divide words into syllables and sounds as it helps them raise their phonological awareness and makes it easier to understand the sounds.

5) Which activities and techniques are helpful in developing phonological and orthographic awareness?

The most helpful activities and techniques in developing phonological and orthographic awareness are mainly:

isolating,

segmenting (dividing),

blending (putting together),

adding,

deleting (removing),

substituting (changing).

It seems to be very effective to segment whole words into syllables, then create as well onsets and rhymes and finally into individual sounds.

# data[].attributes.headline
Module 7 24.05  Techniques for teaching vocabulary and grammar & the assessment of language learners with dyslexia   

# data[].attributes.subject
Module 7 24.05  Techniques for teaching vocabulary and grammar & the assessment of language learners with dyslexia   

# data[].attributes.body
1) Wh-questions are likely to be problematic for dyslexic students. Helpful solutions include:

Mindmaps

Digital voice recorder

Speech to text software

Songs

Mnemonic devices

Crazy stories

Memory game with word cards

Wordcards in a digital format

Distinguishing personal pronouns such as: I, you, he, she, it, we, you, they, and possessive pronouns such as: my, your, his, her, its, our, your, their, also seem to be a an insurmountable obstacle for dyslexics. Helpful solutions include:

Explicit teaching

Teaching and practising in context

Digital voice recorder

Speech to text software

Songs

Memory game with word cards

Word cards in a digital format

Dyslexic students also cannot distinguish the differences between Present Simple and Present Continuous. Hepful solutions iclude:

Colourcoding.

Visual formula Present Continuous

Visual formulas for Present Simple

. Word order questions

Explicit teaching

Mnemonic devices

Word cards - Sentence cards

Mindmaps

Digital voice recorder

Speech to text software

Songs

Tense cards