When inclusion doesn’t work

My step-son has mild autism and is severely dyslexic he was diagnosed at 10 years of age. He is bright and kind hearted. Offered a place at a mainstream school he has now completed his first year.  How smooth a transition, what progress has he made?

Homework – no separate homework is set; it’s the same as the rest of the class. Research this research that, write the names of these chemicals out. A spelling test here a project there where’s your TA she’s not there.  Really –His TA went on a class trip without him.

What IEP the same as last year hardly amended no strategies clear, nothing new to add & barely a word from the TA’s mouth. 

It’s the school, it’s the TA, it’s the parents it’s a problem.   

End of year school reports nothing is clear what was his target not the whole years.

Communication you say can solve all your woes but when asked for daily emails nothing arose

I think we’ve had 4 emails so far all year.  

Hardly surprising he won’t be at that school next year

The end of the rainbow:  His Senco rep is on his side she wants him out, she wants what’s best, and she can see his needs aren’t met. We’ve had one offer from a Sen school 20 odd miles away but that’s cool … We love our SENCO rep.   

So what of the TA?

None of the child development theories by the below theorists even mention a T/A
Arnold Gesell 1880-1961
Sigmund Freud 1856 – 23 September 1939
B.F.Skinner 1904 – August 18, 1990
Alfred Bandura 1925-present
Lev Vygotsky 1896-1934
Jean Piaget 1896-1980 1980
Erik Erikson 1902 – 12 May 1994
Most of the theorists were born over a century ago when the role of a teaching assistant wasn’t in existence.

The digital age of mass media internet connected, game console playing, mp3 listening youth is here and now. Banduras BoBo Doll study has already highlighted that what the child sees they will try to imitate.

Hours per year the average American youth spends in school: 900 hours
Hours per year the average American youth watches television: 1500
The average child will watch 8,000 murders on TV before finishing elementary school. By age eighteen, the average American has seen 200,000 acts of violence on TV, including 40,000 murders.
(Cmpiled by TV-Free America)

Clearly media will have a great influence over children.
Risk behavior & peer pressure as studied by Allen, Porter, McFarland, Marsh, & McElhaney (2005). has shown that popular adolescents are strongly bonded with their peer group and that adolescents are likely to experiment at this time with things such as drugs and alcohol.

Peer pressure is when the child is persuaded to adopt values, beliefs and goals or to take part in similar activities as the rest of the peer group. The children most susceptible to peer pressure are those with low self esteem who adopt the group’s norms to enhance their own self esteem. The children that don’t give in to peer pressure are often unpopular. This conforming to social norms and experimenting will affect their self esteem.

Birth order is also said to effect a child’s development: first-born children obtain better grades and are more often high school valedictorians than later born children. Altus. 1966.
Parental influence on child development has been widely studied the way in which parents reward and punish children has an effect also not punishing children for bad behaviour has an effect later in life as the child not punished for aggressive behaviour has been found more likely to be aggressive towards their peers (Wiley,1998).

Display of interest in a young child's activities is correlated with greater levels of response from the child (Landry, et al 1998.) The amount of time spent talking to our children by our parents pointing out new objects and encouraging children to talk can develop language skills. This can have a knock on effect as the child progresses quicker at school and perceives themselves as more competent than their peers.

Parents and families can also have an unconscious effect on our children’s development “emotional identification” whereby the child unconsciously believes they share some of their parents attributes such as phobias. Even who a child’s parent is can have an effect as we somehow believe “Like father like son” Earlier in this report It is stated that household income has a profound effect on child development, that along with parental influence, mass media and peer pressure, would appear to have much greater influence on a child’s development than a T/A but research by Dr John Brown and Professor Alma Harris from the Institute of Education for the TDA 2005-2008 found that there was a statistically significant relationship between increases in expenditure on teaching assistants and improvements in attainment. It also found that having more T/A’s meant higher attainment whilst fewer T/A’s in a school had lower attainment. The research does state that effective deployment of T/A’s is key to this success.

M King

Assessing PECS and "TA devised" Numeracy Support

There are many different approaches and methods used to support individual learning needs, for the purpose of this analysis we will be considering the advantages and disadvantages of the previously discussed Pictorial Exchange System (PECS) and Teaching Assistant Devised Numeracy Support. We will analyse the overall effectiveness of each method in supporting individual learning under the following categories individualism, audience, economy, implementation and enforcement, transferability and skills promotion. The first method we will consider is the PECS programme:

Individualism.
The system is a very simple programme that can be easily adapted to suit the individual learning needs of the pupil; a simplistic PECS system may be used to obtain required items and this may be developed alongside the individual progress of the child to aid more simple sentence construction and the completion of more complex tasks such as taking a bath. A Teacher’s or Teaching Assistant’s artistic skills can be drawn upon to increase the individual nature of this programme.

The focus on the individual with the PECS programme fully supports the individual learning needs of pupils, however the effectiveness of doing so relies heavily upon the availability and competence of teaching staff, being easily reduced by poor staffing levels and incompetence will reduce the effectiveness of the system.

Audience
PECS is supportive of a wide range of individual learning needs and it’s potential audience is vast. It benefits children and adults with communication problems due to learning difficulties such as autism or aspergers, deaf children that would otherwise have to rely upon peers and teaching staff knowing sign will also be able to communicate through the ‘universal language’ of this system helping to breakdown barriers enabling communication to a much wider range. Equally those who experience language difficulties of having English as an additional language (EAL) will also benefit greatly from this system as it can used to support and reinforce current teaching and communication exchanges.

Teachers also often use the system to support daily routines and timetables, even if they do not have pupils with specific communication difficulties, for example, a Reception Teacher will experience a great benefit in using a pictorial system to outline the day’s activities.
Arguable the only limitation with PECS and the audience in which it appeals is determined by the effectiveness of the person(s) participating in the system. Poor implementation may result in mixed communication and confusion and an unwillingness to be involved, with individual learning needs not being effectively met.

Economy
The ‘tools’ required for the implementation of PECS are low in terms of monetary outlay as pictorial cards can be personally created or downloaded from suitable websites at limited expense. Expenses arise however from staff training, ideally staff will receive formal training on PECS but school budgets may not always be able to accommodate this. Also, the initial phase of PECS ideally requires two people per child in order to maximise the effectiveness and fully support their individual learning needs.

Implementation/enforcement
The system is very effective and in it’s most simplistic terms, easy to implement and monitor. As extensive picture recognition and symbolic understanding are not required prior to the starting of the system (they develop as the system progresses), the implementation of PECS is not hindered by long drawn out revision sessions. Enforcement of the system tends to be easy as the pupil with communication difficulties responds well to the behaviourist nature of the programme and it’s immediate rewards, similarly the communicative partners respond well.

The inception and enforcement process sounds very simplistic to follow but in practice difficulties arise, essentially there are six defined stages that should be followed for the system to reach it’s potential. Errors may arise in practice and the development of the individual child with learning difficulties may be affected. It is also essential that the teaching and learning environment has to be consistent if the PECS system is to achieve maximum effectiveness.

Transferability
For a system to be effective it is vital it is portable between environments, the PECS programme is certainly recognised as being transferable between home, school and the wider community and this is indeed a major strength. As well as being commutable between environments it is also able to progress with the development of the individual child by assisting a child without speech to communicate, progressing to help a child with verbal skills. It can be used effectively throughout education and into adulthood if necessary meeting the child’s individual learning needs at each stage of development.

The ease of transferability obviously depends upon all environments cooperating in the system, whilst educational settings can be safely assumed to welcome the PECS programme, home settings and the wider community may not be so accommodating and obstacles may arise in supporting individual learning needs.

Skills promotion
PECS is instrumental in developing a child’s communication skills, with skill levels increasing as you progress through the six phases. Improved communication also reduces the level of anxiety and frustration typically experienced by a child with communicative difficulties, in turn improving a child’s general functioning ability. The system also helps to promote independent academic and social skills.

Critics of the system believe it hinders verbal speech however research shows that pupils have begun to develop speech whilst working with the PECS programme.

The second area of support we will consider is TA Devised Numeracy Support (TADNS):
Individualism
TADNS is a highly individualised support programme with each exercise designed with specific individuals in mind e.g. ‘Doubling Bingo’ was created especially to compliment the childrens' strength in times table fact recall whilst addressing her weaker area of doubling [email for full details].

The flexible nature of the support enables development of programmes alongside the development of the child, as the skills of the child develop the emphasis of the support can change in order to address further areas of strength and weakness. The artistic skills of the Teacher and/or Teaching Assistant are paramount in creating aesthetically appealing exercises suitable to meet the needs of the individual child.

As support is focused, competence levels improve usually within a short period of time, this benefit also creates a disadvantage in that each game has a relatively short shelf life for the child(ren) it was created for. It relies upon the individual to continually create further resources which as previously noted, is time consuming.

Audience
A wide range of individual learning needs can be met due to the flexibility of the support, the potential audience for TADNS is unlimited and can benefit children of all ages and ability levels ranging from general learning difficulties to the gifted and talented. Resources are very visual and clear step by step instructions are provided, both of these characteristics will assist children with special educational needs such as autism and aspergers in participating.

The support can be provided to individuals, small groups or whole class environments. The drawback with this support is that the larger the number involved in playing the larger amount of time is needed to prepare adequate resources, taking up inappropriate amounts of the Teaching Assistant’s time.

Economy
The games used to support the TADNS programme are very cost effective to produce in terms of materials, easily sourced from the classroom or internet (ref: www.primaryresources.co.uk). Very little is required in terms of staff training as all games are written with clear instructions. Children can initiate and play the games without adult assistance so additional staffing levels are not required. However, as detailed in previous sections, games are time consuming to create so the consideration of labour costs is necessary.

Implementation/Enforcement
The TADNS games are designed to be user friendly by children, each with a clear set of instructions that children can easily follow without the necessary intervention of an adult. Implementation is straightforward and upon initial instruction from the Teaching Assistant children will be able to self start and carry out the sessions independently, although a distant overview from an adult is recommended to notice progress levels.

The sessions are designed to compliment classroom teaching and often take place during main teaching sessions, difficulties arise however if children need additional support in past topics (as in often the case) and children are taken out of class for additional sessions. This may have the detrimental effect of causing them to fall behind in other areas of numeracy.

Transferability
The TADNS is easily commutable and can be effectively played within school or at home. Realistically, the games themselves will not be taken out and used in the wider community but of course the acquired skills of addition and subtraction and so on will be. The games are fundamentally created to meet the individual learning needs of pupils and by their very nature enable them to progress along with the individual(s) through all areas, levels and ages of schooling. Whilst in theory TADNS tasks can be adapted to support the individual learning needs of pupils throughout schooling, in reality it is most suitable for children of primary school age.
Skills Promotion.

TADNS helps to develop a wide range of numeracy skills and can essentially cover every area of numeracy dictated by the individual learning needs of the pupil. In addition TADNS helps to develop invaluable skills of teamwork as games typically require a minimum of two to play, an ability to follow multi- part instructions, self initiation and independent problem solving, communication and social skills.

In conclusion, there are many ways of supporting the individual learning needs of the pupil. We have analysed predominantly two forms of support namely PECS and TADNS and in outlining the benefits of each system, both are arguably as effective as each other. The particular strength of PECS is the ‘universal language’ which facilitates participation by a wide audience. With this system, an increased audience does not necessarily create the need for the time consuming preparation of additional resources, so progress is rarely hindered. Additional resources may however be an area of weakness for the TADNS as indeed new resources are constantly required in order to keep in line with the progress of the child. The progression of the tasks alongside progression of the child’s ability is however one of the main strengths of support and it is important therefore to try to manage time effectively to enable the continual recreation of tasks.

Upon reflection of the benefits of these methods, it would be short sighted to choose one method as both provide equally invaluable ways of supporting individual learning needs. The methods can be used separately or can indeed work together well as the processes compliment each other. In applying the methods it is of vital importance when considering support for individual learning needs you fully understand the individual learning needs of the pupil(s) concerned so that you can facilitate the most appropriate support and maximise learning potentials.

Independent Learning

The TA’s role in promoting independent learning is very important. The post of TA is in existence because it has been recognised that there is a place for someone to support the teacher as well as supporting the children. It is a kind of ‘linking’ role which bridges the gap between teacher and pupil. Even the very best teacher needs a TA because they cannot deal with the varied and complicated needs of a classful of children whilst delivering a lesson at the same time. A TA is someone who is there, ‘on the ground’, as it were, who can spot things that a teacher can easily miss. This is very much true in the case of independent learning.

It is true that a TA is under the rule of the teacher and does not have autonomy when it comes to their own time. As a result they are limited as to the support that they can offer. This is because it is possible that after spending a long time building up rapport and a positive relationship with a child a TA can find that they’ve been given another job and are no longer giving support to that child. This can be frustrating for the TA and potentially upsetting for the child. Sometimes continuity is difficult because perhaps a TA only works part-time, or spends time in different classes on different days. All of these factors can make a TA’s role difficult, but, nevertheless, they have an important part to play.

A TA can promote independent learning in several ways. One-to-one TA support has already been looked at in detail, offering as it does the chance for the pupil to gain independent learning skills by asking open questions, giving choices, breaking tasks into simple steps, building strategies to cope with problems, and by role-modelling positive, realistic behaviour. Children often find TA’s more approachable than teachers, and will inevitably look to them as role-models. It is therefore very important to show children what realistic goals can be achieved, as unrealistic role-models are so often portrayed in the media in this current age of the ‘celebrity’.

The TA can also praise and encourage in a specific, realistic way. This promotes a positive self-image which in itself is possibly the most important factor in being an independent learner. A child who feels validated and empowered will be able to approach learning in a resourceful and enthusiastic manner, and will believe in their own capabilities. The TA can help a child to plan their own tasks and can encourage them without rushing them. In this way a child will be able to concentrate and think for themselves. They can also encourage reflection which in turn makes the setting of targets something which they can do for themselves. By allowing a pupil to correct their own work a TA not only gives them a degree of autonomy but helps them to understand what they did wrong and to discuss it.

By doing activities which are based on the ‘bottom-up’ approach to teaching a TA can encourage independent thinking which leads to intrinsic, rather than extrinsic motivation, as the pupil begins to enjoy the process of learning in its own right, rather than as something which they are rewarded or punished for. The psychologist Daniel Goleman developed the concept of ‘emotional intelligence’ which Linda Pound describes as “knowing one’s feelings and using them to make good decisions in life; being able to manage moods and control impulses; and being motivated and effectively overcoming setbacks in working towards goals”. Our emotions play a huge part in our learning, and if we are feeling negative emotions this will make learning very difficult. A TA can help a child to feel emotionally comfortable enough to learn.

This can all be done not only in one-to-one learning, but on an everyday basis in school. For example:

In the class at primary school that I am working in we have started to do activities centred on ’complex’ and ‘compound’ sentences as a class and in pairs. Two of the children have poor literacy skills, so while the teacher went through the exercises with the class I sat at the table with these two children and helped them, encouraging them to be as imaginative and inventive as possible. They both found the activity fun and I made sure to allow them enough time to write their ideas down and only corrected a couple of their many spelling mistakes as this was an exercise designed to think about sentence structure, and not a spelling exercise. I knew that they have separate spelling activities during the week and wanted to give them the chance to enjoy thinking up funny sentences .This had several positive outcomes: it improved their self esteem, it encouraged their intrinsic motivation, as they enjoyed themselves, it empowered them, and it meant that they could stay in the class and participate, as well as building a good relationship between myself and them.
(Reflection, November 2010).

A good TA can encourage independent learning by building on a child’s strengths, and adapting lessons to their interests, as well as adapting to different styles of learning. The TA must take great care not to do work for pupils, but allow them to take responsibility for themselves, balancing giving guidance with allowing them to understand a process and make mistakes. The TA must also balance all of this with giving support to the teacher as well, and ensure that they do not undermine them in any way.

Above all, independent learning skills will carry a child through their school life and on into adulthood. Successful adults need these skills to grow and develop, and including experiential learning into a child’s school life will build these skills for their future. The Teaching Assistant is very well placed to incorporate all of these elements into a child’s learning and, if they are creative, can make independent learning a pleasure that benefits pupil and teacher alike.

C. Thompson

INVITING ALL CONTRIBUTIONS FROM TEACHING ASSISTANTS

I have created this blog to encourage Teaching Assistants to share their excellent practice, or write articles on the issues they have faced in school, or even just contribute with funny stories from the classroom.

The TA is an "unsung hero" of the classroom - the bridge between teacher and pupil, aware, often in great depth of the invidiual needs within the classroom, a support for all - and support for one, another "responsible adult" taking on that duty of care in loco parentis from 8am until 4pm.

As a teacher I have had the privilege of working with some wonderful TAs, and now have the absolute pleasure in teaching some of the brightest and most supportive people one could ever hope for in your classroom! Their contributions to teaching and learning include strategies for supporting individuals, adaptations of actvities, classroom management skills and commentary on the pedagogy of education to name but a few (as well as being exemplary role models in practice), and I hope they will share some of their strategies and stories on this blog.

Thank you.


SHARING PRACTICE NOTES:
If submitting a strategy, please set it out with:
The age of the children
The size of the group
The Learning Outcome