He has recently changed from being Head of SEND at a primary school to a large secondary school, so can reflect on the needs of a broad range of student needs. Check out his website at: Are you an author? Help us improve our Author Pages by updating your bibliography and submitting a new or current image and biography. Learn more at Author Central. Popularity Popularity Featured Price: Low to High Price: High to Low Avg.
2. Lack of concentration or focus
Dyslexia and Mental Health: Helping people identify destructive behaviours and find positive ways to cope Aug 21, Available for download now. Only 3 left in stock - order soon. The Successful Dyslexic Jan 01, Only 5 left in stock more on the way. Only 4 left in stock more on the way.
Only 1 left in stock - order soon. Usually ships within 1 to 2 months. Dating, Marriage and Parenthood Dyslexia. Finally, we suggested that when she planned a lesson which was going to introduce a number of keywords or concepts, she set the student an alternative homework of researching these beforehand. This small element of pre-learning saved the teacher from having to spend a chunk of time each lesson working one-on-one with the student explaining new ideas and vocabulary. Pre-prepared differentiated worksheets do of course have a role to play in SEN support, but it is important to think beyond simply producing the sheet itself.
For example, to support a student who presents with hyperactivity it may be necessary to prepare work that is more broken down than the work for the rest of the class. But rather than waiting for that student to come into the classroom and settle down with the rest of the class — a process they likely find difficult and will take lots of time over — their worksheet can be handed to them as soon as they come into the room. This gives them something to sit down and focus on immediately. Although the teacher still has to take some time to prep the extra sheet, they save the time within the lesson that they might have taken fighting the need: Effective support is not only about differentiation techniques.
Relationship is key and will have an impact on all interventions — even the most thoughtful support can be undermined by a negative teacher-student relationship. Thinking in terms of presentations reinforces this. Labels describe students in terms of complex and permanent problems. But the needs a student presents in a given moment — including challenging behaviours — are the combined result of their needs and the situation and will be linked to the relationship they have with the teacher and the atmosphere that teacher has created in the classroom.
This is nearly always possible. While some students will need the specialist interventions that a non-mainstream setting provides, the good news is that the majority of students will be helped significantly if staff are trained and supported to include them. For many this will include avoiding their school placement failing.
3. Lack of written work
Among urgent discussions about classes or teachers with which a student has failed to engage, successes tend to get lost. But even comparatively small successes can be the key to challenging situations. Moreover, of course, it is important to recognise the successes of the students themselves. Recognising and rewarding small achievements can help foster change in their attitude to learning. These steps helped Imran to feel more comfortable in class and gave him access to the specialist support he needed to progress.
Differentiation for SEN students: tips for boosting attainment
Behaviour problems can often be solved by identifying underlying issues and introducing differentiation. The biggest challenge is ensuring that all teachers in a school personalise their lessons. If teachers can be trained and supported in doing this by SEN specialists, then the more needy in our school communities will feel less ostracised. Rather than being perceived as having to be "babysat" and catered for separately from their peers, they will naturally be absorbed in lessons.
Beingcatered for in a non-discriminatory way, in an inclusive environment, can only enhance the self image and self worth of these young people. Here are three easily identifiable characteristics that may suggest a need for further investigation: Continually disruptive behaviour It might be the case that a small number of students disrupt for the sake of being disruptive — to oppose staff, for example, but look behind the behaviour for a deeper cause.
Teacher's top tips for differentiating for this student: Lack of concentration or focus The special needs of some students leave them unable to focus for long periods of time in the classroom. Lack of written work There is often an expectation in schools that students are naturally able to read information from a whiteboard, absorb and then regurgitate it as evidence that they have understood a given task.
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Effective SEN differentiation
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