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Routines, Responsibility, Reinforcement

Sun, 07 Jul 2024 21:24:31 GMT

5 Tips to Support Your Child's Tutoring

1. Establish Consistent Routines:

Create a regular schedule for tutoring sessions and stick to it. Consistency helps children know what to expect and reduces resistance.
Ensure your child has a quiet, organized space for tutoring, free from distractions.

2. Encourage Responsibility:

Teach your child to take ownership of their learning by setting specific goals for each session and tracking progress.
Encourage your child to prepare for tutoring by gathering materials and reviewing what they want to focus on beforehand.

3. Reach Out for Communication:

Maintain open communication with the tutor. Regularly discuss your child's progress, challenges, and any adjustments needed in the tutoring approach.
Encourage your child to communicate openly with the tutor about what they find difficult or interesting.

4. Provide Positive Reinforcement:

Celebrate your child’s achievements, no matter how small. Positive reinforcement boosts confidence and motivation.
Create a reward system for meeting tutoring goals, such as extra playtime or a favorite activity.

5. Support Learning Outside Tutoring Sessions:

Reinforce what your child learns during tutoring by incorporating related activities at home. For example, if they’re working on reading, spend time reading together.
Provide additional resources, such as educational games or apps, that align with the tutoring content to make learning fun and engaging.

Handwriting - A Literature Review

Sat, 24 Sep 2022 03:50:25 GMT

Handwriting in the 21st Century

Teaching in the digital literacy era of the 21 ^st Century may lead to wider perceptions that handwriting (HW) is not an important or necessary skill. The question of whether HW is a 21 ^st century skills is addressed by reviewing current literature that explores teachers’ perspectives on HW, how HW is documented in the curriculum, the importance of fluency and legibility and how digital technologies can be used to enhance and support the development of HW instead of replacing or accommodating handwriting.

Teacher's Perspective of Handwriting

Handwriting instruction produces statistically significant gains in fluency and legibility (Santangelo & Graham, 2016). It is therefore important that HW is valued by all teachers, especially in the early years settings where the HW skills and values of learners are established. In an Australian study of early writers, confusion as to how and when to teach handwriting in the early years setting was raised (Mackenzie & Petriwskyj, 2017). Although valued, a lack of understanding of how to support difficulties was highlighted by the statement, “The kids often have awful pencil grips, can’t use scissors and their letter formation is terrible but I don’t know what to do about it” (Mackenzie & Petriwskyj, 2017, p. 81). Similarly, another study exploring teachers’ perspectives and expectations also found that teacher’s were unsure of how to support students with handwriting difficulties. In this study, McNamee & Patton (2018) found that teachers were open to collaborating with Occupational Therapists to support learners. Teachers could clearly identify the barriers to handwriting but primarily wanted support in the form of aids and interventions, rather than instructional strategies that provide support within the classroom, suggesting that teachers do not feel confident supporting students with handwriting needs.

Not knowing how to support HW difficulties is a common theme in the literature reviewed. Graham (2010) surveyed teachers and found that even though 90% taught handwriting, only 46% felt their students could write at a pace to keep up with the curriculum. Most concerning was that only 12% of teachers felt that they were adequately trained in HW instruction. As students move beyond the early years, they are expected to handwrite in all subjects. Berninger, Nagy, Tanimoto, Thompson, & Abbott (2015) emphasise this point by stating writing about reading is a common practice in the middle and senior years. Competent readers that are struggling writers are further disadvantaged as their HW prevents them from demonstrating their understandings in literacy and across all subject areas.

Curriculum Guidelines Falling Short

Curriculum guidelines for handwriting state the importance of style, fluency and legibility, however clear expectations for how to explicitly teach HW are not evidenced in national documentation (Graham, Harris, & Fink, 2000; Freeman, Mackinnon, & Miller, 2005; Malpique, Pino-Pasternak, & Valcan, 2017). Knowing how to teach and assess HW is fundamental to academic success and raises the issue of curriculum documentation not being explicit enough in this area. This issue is highlighted by Dombek & Al Otaiba (2016) who further address the need for curriculum-based measurements to assess writers. Research literature outlines the mean number of characters or words per minute for each grade level (Graham, 2010; Freeman, Mackinnon, & Miller, 2005). Including quantifiable data in curriculum guidelines enables teachers to make evidence-informed decisions, and allows adjustments and interventions to be made more appropriately.

Digital technologies or pencil/paper methods?

Three very different studies on handwriting and the use of devices all concluded that digital technologies should not replace handwritten methods because HW is the main form of written expression used in classrooms (McMaster & Roberts, 2015; Berninger, Nagy, Tanimoto, Thompson, & Abbott, 2015; Wollscheid, Sjaastad, & Tomte, 2015). A study in three Victorian schools found that handwriting was used more than devices throughout the school day (McMaster & Roberts, 2015). Instead of using technology to replace handwriting, Berninger et al. (2015) explored how technology can be used to improve writing, concluding that devices can be used to improve rather than accommodate difficulties. Interestingly, in a review of literature exploring HW over digital technology, it was concluded that both cognitive and neuroscience disciplines support the development of HW over digital technologies, however socio-cultural disciplines prefer the use of digital technologies over HW (Wollscheid, Sjaastad, & Tomte, 2015).

Teacher Training, Assessments & Explicit Handwriting Instruction

To conclude, given that there was limited studies for automaticity in the early years, more research in this area is recommended (Mackenzie & Petriwskyj, 2017; Malpique, Pino-Pasternak, & Valcan, 2017). This review has emphasised the importance of teacher training to improve instructional strategies, especially given that HW instruction produces higher quality and quantity of student writing (Santangelo & Graham, 2016). In addition, developing effective assessments that align with how to explicitly teach HW would strengthen curriculum documentation, further supporting the development of this fundamental skill. This is important, not only to enable academic success, but to provide continued access to the curriculum for all students.

References

Works Cited

Berninger, V. W., Abbott, R. D., Jones, J., Wolf, B. J., Gould, L., Anderson-Youngstrom, M., . . . Apel, K. (2006). Early development of language by hand: Composing, reading, listening and speaking connections; Three letter-writing modes; and fast mapping in spelling. Developmental Neuropsychology, 29(1), 61-92.

Berninger, V. W., Nagy, W., Tanimoto, S., Thompson, R., & Abbott, R. D. (2015). Computer Instruction in handwriting, spelling, and composing for students with specific learning disabilities in grades 4-9. Computers and Education, 81, 154-168.

Dombek, J. L., & Al Otaiba, S. (2016). Curriculum based measurement for beginning writers (K-2). Intervention in School and Clinic, 51(5), 276-283.

Freeman, A. R., Mackinnon, J. R., & Miller, L. T. (2005). Keyboarding for students with handwriting problems: a literature review. Physical and Occupational Therapy in Pediatrics, 119-147.

Gentry, R. J., & Graham, S. (2010). Creating better readers and writers: The importance of direct, systematic spelling and handwriting instruction in improving academic performance. Retrieved from Literacy How: http://www.literacyhow.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/HW_CreatingBetterReadersandWriters.pdf

Graham, S. (2010). Want to improve children's writing? Don't neglect their handwriting. Education Digest: Essential readings condensed for quick review, 76(1), pp. 49-55. Retrieved from American Federation of Teachers: https://www.aft.org/sites/default/files/periodicals/graham.pdf

Graham, S., Harris, K. R., & Fink, B. (2000). Is Hadnwriting causally related to learning to write? Treatment of handwriting problems in beginning writers. Journal of Educational Psychology, 620-633.

Mackenzie, N. M., & Petriwskyj, A. (2017). Understanding and supporting young writers: Opening the school gate. Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, 42, 78-87.

Malpique, A. A., Pino-Pasternak, D., & Valcan, D. (2017). Handwriting automaticity and writing instruction in Australian kindergarten: and exploratory study. Reading and Writing - an interdisciplinary journal, 1789-1812.

McMaster, E., & Roberts, T. (2015, April 26). Handwriting in 2015: A main occupation for primary school-aged children in the classroom? Journal of Occupational Therapy, Schools, & Early Intervention, 2016(9:1), 38-50.

McNamee, T., & Patton, S. (2018, January 3). Teachers perspectives on handwriting and collaborative intervention for children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder. Irish Journal of Occupational Therapy, 46(1), 46-58.

Santangelo, T., & Graham, S. (2016). A comprehensive meta-analysis of handwriting instruction. Educational Psychology Review, 225-265.

Wollscheid, S., Sjaastad, J., & Tomte, C. (2015, December 24). The impact of digital devices vs. Pen(cil) and paper on primary school students' writing skills - A research review. Computers and Education , 19-35.

MY CHILD NEEDS HELP WITH COMPREHENSION. WHAT NEXT?

duda@championware.com.au — Wed, 29 Jun 2022 06:25:12 GMT

When talking to parents about their child’s reading, parent’s often tell me that the school has reported to them that their child needs to work on their comprehension.

It would be understandable if a parent’s initial response to this was to increase the frequency and duration of reading with their child, as well as the frequency of questioning to ensure that they are addressing the need to improve their child’s comprehension.

Reading is, however, far more complex than this, so the answer is not as simple as one might first think…

Reading

So what is reading?
Reading can be defined simply as making meaning from what has been read (Castles, Rastle & Nation, 2018). In other words, the act of reading is to be able to comprehend. Reading involves multiple processes working at the same time to gain comprehension (Seidenberg, 2017; Kilpatrick D. , 2015; Castles, Rastle, & Nation, 2018; Tumner & Hoover, 2019). A well-known graphic among intervention teachers is Scarborough’s Reading Rope:

(Association, 2021)

Word Recognition

What is Word Recognition?
A skilled reader can recognise words and understand what the words are meant to convey. Word recognition requires decoding words, which put simply is sounding out words. Skilled readers sound out new words efficiently and can retrieve known words using sight recognition.

Problem:
If a reader is unable to sound out words, then comprehension will be affected. Reading may be slow and laborious, and often is avoided at all costs! As you can see from the rope above, Word Recognition has three main components. If there is a problem with any of these components skilled reading comprehension will be affected.

Solution:
To address this issue, the intervention would involve increasing the frequency and intensity of decoding instruction to accelerate learning. This would be in addition to the best possible instruction in the classroom.

Comprehension

What is comprehension?

As mentioned already, reading comprehension is making meaning from print. To understand reading comprehension, one must also understand that humans comprehend speech first. This is called language comprehension and does not involve print. Reading comprehension involves print (text, books, words, the alphabet etc). A child’s reading comprehension is affected by their language comprehension. It is important to first rule out if there is also a Word Recognition difficulty first.

Problem:
If a reader is to understand what they are reading, they need to know what the words mean. If they do not, then it is most likely that they have not got the words in their lexicon (put simply, words in their head that they can retrieve and use when needed). When we read, we make connection to the text that we are reading. For example, when reading about German Shepherds, a reader will connect this information to knowledge already known about dogs. This new information will be added to the schema. If there is limited vocabulary and limited background knowledge, a reader will have greater difficulty comprehending texts.

Solution:
To address this issue, the intervention would involve increasing the frequency and intensity of explicit vocabulary instruction and knowledge building, as well as learning meta-language about texts to accelerate learning. Again, this would be in addition to the best possible instruction in the classroom.

*Difficulties comprehending are complex to address, and the underlying reasons will determine how well the child will respond. For example, many children with attention difficulties often have a difficulty comprehending. Children with other disabilities, such as a language disability or a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder may also have greater difficulties learning to comprehend. There is no ‘silver bullet’ time-frame on how long it can take to address and support these needs.

So, what sort of support does my child need?

Assess
If you already have a hunch that something is not right with your child’s reading, the first step is to get your child assessed. It is recommended that standardised assessments are used because they will inform you of how your child is reading compared to his/her age and grade related peers. Whether your child is six months behind, or 18 months behind, it is better to know so that a reasonable plan can be put into place to ensure that your child begins to experience success and starts to read. Assessments will determine Word Recognition and Comprehension skills.
Design
Information from the assessments will determine what your child needs and the best way to implement an intervention. Evidence-based Practice considers the whole child and what works for one child, may not work for another. For example, some children work better online, another face-to-face. Some children work better in a group setting where they feel less pressure on themselves, and also benefit from the social component of a group setting. Either way, what matters is that the right instruction at the right level is designed for success.
Implement
You may have heard that in order to get a diagnosis of a Specific Learning Difficulties in reading, writing or maths (Dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia), a minimum of 6 months intervention must be implemented. With this in mind, it is usually recommended to have a 6-month intervention to determine how well your child responds to the intervention. This is called a Response to Intervention approach.

If you are interested in getting your child assessed, please Contact Us today.

References

Association, I. D. (2021, February 21). A 20th Year Celebration of Scarborough's Reading Rope. Retrieved 2022, from IDA: https://dyslexiaida.org/event/a-20th-year-celebration-of-scarboroughs-reading-rope/
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2013, October 9). 4228.0 - Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies, Australia, 2011-12. Retrieved September 2019, from Australian Bureau of Statistics: https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/4228.0Main+Features202011-12
Brady, S. A., Braze, D., & Fowler, C. A. (2011). Explaining individual differences in reading: theory and evidence. New York: Psychology Press Taylor and Francis.
Castles, A., Rastle, K., & Nation, K. (2018). Ending the reading wars: Reading acquisition from novice to expert. Psychological Science, 19(1), 5-51.
Clay, M. M. (2005). An Observation Survey of Early Literacy Achievement. (3. Edition, Ed.) Auckland: Pearson.
Department of Education, Science and Training. (2005, December). National Inquiry into the Teaching of Literacy teaching reading: Report and Recommendations. Retrieved from refine: refine
Ehri, L. C. (2014). Orthographic Mapping in the Acquisition of sight word reading, spelling memory and vocabulary learning. Scientific Studies of Reading, 18(1), 5-21.
Kilpatrick, D. (2015). Essentials of assessing, preventing and overcoming reading difficulties. New Jersey: John Wiley and Sons.
Kilpatrick, D. A. (2018). Equipped for reading success: a comprehensive, step-by-step program for developing phoneme awareness and fluent word recognition. New York: Casey and Kirsch Publishers.
National Assessment Program. (2019). National Assessment Program. Retrieved September 2019, from National Report for 2018: https://nap.edu.au/docs/default-source/resources/2018-naplan-national-report.pdf?sfvrsn=2
Thomsom, S., De Bortoli, L., & Underwood, C. (2017). The Australian Council for Education Research. Retrieved from PISA 2015: Reporting Australia's Results: https://research.acer.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1023&context=ozpisa
Tumner, W. E., & Hoover, W. A. (2019). The cognitive foundations of learning to read: a framework for preventing and remediating reading difficulties. Australian Journal of Learning Difficulties, 24(1), 75-93.
Victorian Department of Education. (2018, August 29). Literacy Teaching Toolkit - Running Records. Retrieved from Victorian Department of Education: https://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/teachers/teachingresources/discipline/english/literacy/readingviewing/Pages/examplerunning.aspx
Victorian Department of Education and Training. (2018, September 26). Literacy Teaching Toolkit: The four resources model for reading and viewing. Retrieved September 2019, from Literacy Teaching Toolkit: https://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/teachers/teachingresources/discipline/english/literacy/readingviewing/Pages/fourres.aspx#decoderNew Paragraph