Minority language pupils and the curriculum – closing the achievement gap

The aim of this project was to hold two seminars on teaching English as an Additional Language (EAL), one at Ulster University in Coleraine and the other at Marino Institute of Education in Dublin, and to produce a digital resource based on these events. The seminars were entitled Minority language pupils and the curriculum – …
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Bereavement, Seperation, and Divorce: The response of pre-service teachers to pupil wellbeing.

This research will documented the approach and response of pre-service teachers regarding their training, and confidence and competence in supporting pupils who have experienced loss. In particular the study seeked to answer the following research questions: Is loss an issue that effects the academic attainment and/or physical and psychological well-being of their students? How confident …
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Makaton: an introduction

Makaton is a language programme which involves speech and gesture, eye contact, body language and facial expression.  It is based on a series of basic everyday words and uses speech as well as gesture and/or signs.  Children who may be experiencing difficulty with their speech often find it much easier to understand and communicate using …
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Dysnomia

From a SLT angle, I tend to look for patterns of listening and patterns of words that are less-easily recalled for speech (or writing). We see a learner who may recall a word, but gets stuck with it ‘on the tip of their tongue’, or who uses words from a semantic group interchangeably, or who …
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Teaching pupils with speech and language difficulties

Auditory Processing Problems Expressive Disorders Receptive Disorders (Elective) Mutism Teach prepositions one at a time, perhaps using visual reinforcement. Use gestures, repetition and choose words at the child’s level of difficulty. Talk to pupils as much as possible, using slower speech rate, shorter remarks, simpler sentences, repetition, exaggeration and gestures. Choose questions carefully giving pupils …
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Teaching pupils with Dysarthia

Try to have the classroom as quiet as possible. Make sure you are facing the child directly when speaking to him/her or the class including him/her. Try to encourage the child to speak in short phrases. Give him/her enough time to say what he/she wants to. If you need him/her to repeat words, make it …
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Teaching pupils with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD)

Tell the child what should be done rather than what should not be done, e.g. “Put your book in your schoolbag” – rather than “Don’t put your book under the desk” Give the child an opportunity to explain things from his point of view. Use visual clues to help explain things, e.g. when it is time to …
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Teaching Pupils with Asperger’s Syndrome

So you’re teaching a child with Asperger’s Syndrome?! The first thing to remember is not to panic!  Although children with Asperger’s Syndrome have certain needs which you will soon discover, there are also many positive aspects to consider (see article on Asperger’s Syndrome).  When children with Asperger’s Syndrome are interested in a topic area, they …
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ICT and Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD)

Pupils with autism very often have unusual fixations on parts of objects; they focus on objects as though through a tunnel. When using a computer this can mean they are able to focus totally on the screen and to block out all distractions around them. Using a computer can provide a very secure, comfortable environment …
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Speech and Language Disorders

Speech and language difficulties usually fall into three categories, (though there may be other speech/language disorders such as those caused by physical deformities, e.g. dysarthia); expressive disorders, receptive disorders and phonological difficulties. A child with an expressive disorder finds it difficult to express his/her thoughts and feelings through speaking and writing. He/she may find it …
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