Creative History

Less Able Children

Helping Less Able Children

Presented by: Patricia Silver-Warner MA(PrimEd) BA(Hons) QT

Classrooms are demanding places. Balancing ever widening curriculum needs and everyday school routines can leave teachers frustrated that some children are failing to meet targets. This course looks at techniques to help those children challenged by their speaking, listening and retention skills to better access your teaching. Imagine having a range of techniques at your disposal to help those struggling to enjoy academic life. Whether you are an LSA, teacher or Governor this course will have ideas for you to use in the classroom. Practical examples based upon the history likely to be taught mean attendees have practical activities they can take back and use. Written for general classroom practitioners and SENcos new to the role this course synthesises Patricia's expertise in History with her SENco skills. In fact these techniques cross all subject boundaries and interestingly are also very useful for public speaking and leading meetings.

Summary of Course Content

Lessons are much harder if you have difficulties remembering instructions, struggle with non-concrete concepts and can never think of the word that you want. This course looks specifically at ways to help SEN children have a better access to the history curriculum. This course is aimed at NQTS, class teachers and History co-ordinators. It's a mixture of theory and have a go. But above all it is about practical ideas for the busy classroom.

Who is this course designed for?

This course is as valuable for the class teacher as the subject co-ordinator. Which subject co-ordinators? History and SENcos in particular. However, almost all of the activities are transferable across other foundation subjects so other coordinators will also benefit.

The course content is written with non-specialists in mind. It is intended to be accessible to Teachers, Learning Support Assistants and Governors. People with an interest in developing activities for SEN children within the classroom or whole school setting will find this course useful.

Programme for the Day

The activities for the day start with a quick overview of what language impairment is, followed by a more in-depth look at techniques for helping these children better access your history lessons. Teachers experience different activities to familiarise themselves with how they may be used in the classroom. Time is given to reflect on how some or all the activities can be woven into the history teaching. And the day ends with the chance to discuss individual issues or related subjects.

The programme below is a skeleton of a typical day. Timings are a guide; where possible more time is given to the practical activities. The examples given reflect typical primary phase history topics. It would help if attendees would let me know in advance any particular topics they use e.g. Victorian childhood or Florence Nightingale.

Session 1: What is language impairment - Types of language impairment - Characteristic behaviours - Why consider treating all children as though language impaired can help attainment generally. - Questions

Session 2: Implications for the classroom - Learning styles beyond VKA - Display and visual cues - SENco tricks of the trade - Questions

Session 3: Getting used to the lingo - Building historical language - Building historical context - Historical detectives 12:15 Lunch

Session 4: Applying the knowledge - Unleashing higher order historical thinking - Presenting their ideas - Celebrating their success.

Session 5: Planning where to go next - From small acorns, oaks grow - Possible approaches to use in the classroom - What's your plan - Adapting activities to suit your needs.

Session 6: Let's talk (or Leg it and Go!) - Discuss ideas from the day - Explore related issues.

Why Patricia to present the course?

This course represents some of the useful the things I learnt as a SENco over a five year period. Many of the strategies are transferable across other curriculum areas. How I wish I had known them at the beginning of my career! This work has enabled me to put together my knowledge of SEN and classroom teaching. Using examples and exercises taken from teaching the history curriculum this course sets out to show practical, useful ways of applying these ideas to teaching history. Although intended to enable SEN children to better access history lessons, many of these strategies will help other learners within your classes to improve on their performance.

Dates Available

29/03/06 Salisbury, Half-Day. Can be twinned with Chronology.

06/07/06 Cosham, Half-Day. Can be twinned with Chronology.

Interested but venue or date is inconvenient?

Ask us! If the date you have in mind is free and a venue can be found we may well be able to come to you.

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