In this post I want to outline a typical reading lesson with an older/struggling reader.
Name has been changed for confidentiality This simple format can be easily adapted for one 30/45 minutes session. So what does a typical lesson look like?
I have now moved away from always physically arranging letters to having him write out the alphabet. This again has highlighted difficulties in letter formation and we talk about the letters as we go. Ben does now know the sound each letter stands for securely. I have made some sandpaper letters for him to trace to teach the right formation. We do one letter until he has mastered it. He seems to take great pride in being able to do each letter properly, though does love to tease me by doing it wrong sometimes!
Additional notes: At first Ben was somewhat reluctant to have to sound out my words. He wanted a quicker way - to guess, but he soon began to realise that when he sounded them out, he was able to read all sorts of words that he didn't know he could read. This has slowly begun to change his attitude to the lessons. It has been truly wonderful to see those odd, albeit rare 'light bulb' moments when you suddenly realised that he has totally engaged with the lesson and has taken a step forward. We have progressed from cvc words, onto four letter words and now beyond to the 'Moving on with phonics stage'. Now, Ben is not secure with consonant blends. We have done a lot of work with them, for several weeks, but I felt that he at least now knows what I am talking about when we try and spell a word, for example, sleep: he wants to put one letter for sl, but we talk about it and say it's two letters, now what two sounds can you hear? So I am still very much supporting him with this, but by moving on I am giving him a sense of progress. Most of the words in the Moving on with phonics actually only involve three sounds. He can do these confidently. He will get plenty of practice with consonant blends by the end of this stage. The need for flexibility when teaching special needs children The lesson is a simple procedure. What is not so simple is handling the unpredictability of Ben's moods/behaviour and adjusting the lesson on the spot to however he presents each lesson. This however can be true for children with no special needs. They are not all on peak performance every day. Be ready to change activity if the one you have planned doesn't seem appropriate. Be ready to cut the lesson short if need be. Be ready to take advantage of anything they might bring up. Ben will often make an observation about some words - for example, one day he wanted to say pat for pit and he thought they should be the same. And so I diverged into a lesson on how vowels change a word. Because he had brought it up, he learnt more from it than my planned lesson, which I saved for another day. Reading Made Simple gives you all the guidance you need for lesson format for all stages of the programme. All you need to do is to adapt the teaching technique to match your student and work out exactly what to focus on each session, while following the sequence of the programme. I hope with these little insights into our lessons, to show you what tutoring an older child looks like in real practice. Let me know how you are getting on! Comments are closed.
|
WelcomeHello, I'm Lilibette, qualified teacher (B.Ed Hons). I have taught phonics in mainstream education, followed by have home-educated my two sons to 18, and am now a private tutor. Categories
All
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program,
an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. This costs the purchaser nothing extra. In this way I can continue to provide free resources. Thank you for your support. |