Cognition and Learning Toolkit for Specific Learning Difficulties
Area of Need: Specific learning difficulties
For most specific learning difficulties, there are likely to be:
- Indications of frustration, poor motivation, and low self-esteem.
- Difficulties in areas of speech and language.
- Difficulties with motor organisation, motor skills and persistent restlessness.
- Difficulties with executive functions, including working memory, personal organisation, verbal processing, managing emotions, impulsivity, task initiation, completion, and inhibition.
- Noticeable variations in performance in learning tasks.
- Difficulties with attention control and sensory sensitivities.
Provision for children or young people with Specific learning difficulties
- Teachers and TAs are well-informed regarding learners’ strengths and needs.
- Teaching strategies to support learners’ metacognition and academic self-esteem.
- Setting personal targets, celebrating ‘personal best’ outcomes.
- Monitoring cognitive load and working memory demands of lessons; chunking learning, providing checklists, and modifying teacher talk. Using a graduated approach to tasks starting at a level where the young person can achieve success.
- Opportunities for overlearning or repetition. Lessons are structured to include clear signposting and previewing of learning content.
- Multi-sensory lessons.
- Enhanced access to resources such as highlighters, study aids, post-its, word banks and laptops, and differentiated reading materials.
- Teaching uses visual materials presented in a clutter-free way using accessible fonts.
- Additional time for differentiated homework and in-class tasks.
- Peer reading.
- Flexible grouping: allowing learners may be able to understand concepts but have difficulties with recording or speed of processing.
- The support staff will be trained and deployed to promote independence through appropriate.
- Additional differentiated literacy teaching, with modified pace and additional reinforcement.
- Small group or individualised spelling support programme, spelling buddies.
- Additional opportunities to read and be read to, rehearse decoding skills, and develop vocabulary and comprehension.
- Interventions to support and scaffold weak attention and listening skills.
- Study skills support and training.
- Touch typing tuition.
- There is a transition plan at the end of the learner’s programme of study to plan for further or higher education or employment and transition into independent adult life.
- Referral for parents for support or interventions such as 123 Magic for parents of a young person with ADHD-type challenges.
- Structured activities at break times.
- Access to independent, impartial career advice to support learners’ aspirations and progress towards adult destinations.
- Teacher, tutor, or SENCO time for skills assessments related to reading and spelling and cognitive skills.
- For instance, additional training or advice for those delivering intervention programmes is available through AfC CPD online.
- Additional TA or specialist teacher or tutor time to
deliver specific interventions. - Additional pastoral support or mentoring. Checking in on workload, progress, and emotional health.
- The software includes typing tutors, predictive spell checkers, word processors, speech-to-text, and reading pens.
- Opportunities to complete off-site learning in college and support to develop independent study skills
Area of Need: Dyslexia
- Dyslexia is a learning disorder that causes difficulty with reading.
- It is important to encourage children to recognise and pursue the areas in which they excel (do more of what they enjoy) and support them with the difficult areas.
Provision for children or young people with Dyslexia
- Allow children to use a word processor to complete some written tasks. These highlight spelling errors and offers alternatives. If they can’t type, encourage them to learn so that they can use a Word Processor with more speed and fluency.
- Play games to support memory and retention, e.g., pairs, Go Fish etc. (see resource links for more ideas)
- Enable children to access age-related audiobooks to develop a love of reading. Encourage (don’t force or push) them to share what’s happening in the story and share their excitement, wondering aloud what will happen next. This will also develop their vocabulary and comprehension without realising that they are learning.
- Don’t make reading a fight. Encourage children to read one page, and you read the next page. Read some books to them for pleasure and invite them to read a section if they want to (don’t push if they don’t want to). Children will naturally want to learn how to read by developing a love of books and stories, so make the experience as pleasurable as possible.
Area of Need: Dyscalculia
Dyscalculia is a difficulty in understanding numbers.
Provision for children or young people with Dyscalculia
- Concentrate on one problem at a time.
- Use lots of visuals and physical resources that the children can move around.
- Include children supporting you with everyday maths problems, e.g., cooking, measuring, money etc.
View and/or download the full Cognition and Learning Needs Toolkit
