Developing Oracy (Speaking and Listening) for Pupils with SLD - Essay Example

Developing Oracy (Speaking and Listening) for Pupils with SLD Introduction Speaking and learning disabilities are disorders whereby children have difficulty learning in a typical manner and are mainly caused by unknown factors. These factors affect the ability of the brain to receive and be in position to process information. The disorders tend to make it difficult for children to gain knowledge as quickly or in the same way like anyone who is not affected by the disabilities. A number of children do not develop language and speech as expected. They may go through difficulty with all or some aspects of language and speech. Common challenges include criteria of moving the muscles used for speech control and the capability to use or to understand language. These challenges vary from severe to mild or even long term. Participation in society and education all depend upon the ability of a child to effectively communicate. It is therefore essential that children who undergo difficulty in terms of language and speech impairment are expansively assisted as early as possible (Butler1999). Speaking and listening for dyslexics Dyslexia is a neurological language processing disorder. Common symptoms include having difficulty with both written and spoken information. The affected have receptive or expressive language problems or even auditory processing difficulties. Students with Dyslexia usually have problems when it comes to pronouncing words, especially those that have more than one syllable. In most cases people with dyslexia have difficulty in repeating phrases that are spoken to them. They find it hard to glean the meaning from spoken phrases. Following instruction is also common problem with the dyslexics (Ingram, 1989). As far as expressive of language is concerned, the dyslexics tend to reverse words or parts of words. For instance a child who is affected may read the word bad as if it were dab. Confusion of the order of words and sound is also common among the dyslexics. In most cases words are omitted or slurred over. The symptoms of Dyslexia may also include having problems with receptive language. Dyslexia individuals have difficulty in the perception of sounds or words. Whether reading silently or aloud or simply listening to spoken language, the affected students, in most cases, find it hard to recall essential details of what has been said or read. Dyslexics may not be able to process material which is read to them and have problems in explaining important ideas of material (Jenkins & Heliotis, 2000). Dyslexia affects language development skills in children within the ages of 7-8. These particular ages are essential for language development in young learners. It is therefore vital to device mechanisms that can assist dyslexia learners at these particular ages in order for them to effectively develop speaking and listening skills. Severe dyslexia may qualify for special education services. There may be need for specially designed instructions for children who are adversely affected. Approaches for developing Oracy in Children with Dyslexia Dyslexia can be described as a form of disability that affects literacy development caused by a disorder in the information processing system. The basic symptoms of Dyslexia are evident in situations whereby a child has difficulty to fluently and accurately spell or even read words. The major focus is specifically on the word level (Zigmond, 2002). Other characteristics of dyslexia in pupils with SLD which may continue to a leisure or greater level include aspects such as; Difficulties in utilization of long-term and short-term memory Information processing at a speed becomes difficult Difficulty in organizing language concepts phonological complexity visual problems linked to reading words co-ordination difficulties Problems linked to utilizing of strategies that are meta-cognitive Complexity in skills of reading words automatically. Difficulty to recognize words when one is speaking. Complexity in the application of various sound structures Dyslexia has historically been reputed as being a disability that is hidden. It may results to feelings of guilt, shame and embarrassment for those who suffer the condition. The view has however currently shifted and psychologists and teaches refer to it as a learning disorder that is common. Learners who exhibit the oracy disorder may in circumstances lack of proper confidence concerning their ability to use language. A number of approaches have been used to improve on the achievement and educational experience of this type of learners in terms of development of Oracy (Ingram, 1989). Development of Phonological ability Dyslexia is most widely and currently understood as a form of deficit in the abilities of phonological processing. The approach of development of phonological abilities is specifically entrenched on the fact that language decoding and comprehension are vital for simple reading due to the fact that language is actually a set of codes. A common displayed feature among dyslexia learners is that they develop problems linked to phonological processing whereby they experience difficulty in recognition of words and thus reading becomes difficult (McMinn, 2006). The intervention of developing phonological abilities involves explicit and systematic decoding of instructions by emphasizing on synthetic phonics. Goldsworthy (2003) notes the importance of putting emphasis on synthetic phonics for the purpose of yielding quality results as opposed to other methods of instruction. Many studies have supported the effectiveness of this particular approach after observations were made on its long-term impacts. The method basically involves word recognition skills concerning knowledge of the position of a particular letter as comparative to other words. This type of skill becomes essential in identifying words correctly, for instance when differentiating the orthographic input found in ‘tram’ versus ‘term’. The requirement here is to correct the location of the spatial arrangement of letters in the two words When using the phonological approach in tying to develop Oracy in learners it is essential to evaluate the level of severity of the learner’s phonological difficulty (Reid, 1998). Development of positive self image Most dyslexics have feelings of anxiety and emotional problems which result to feelings of lack of self esteem. Due to lack of believing in oneself, children with this disorder find themselves in situations of the likelihood of failure in terms of speaking and even listening. Aspects such as reading, talking, spelling and participating in the daily interaction through communication become difficult. It is therefore crucial to assist children with dyslexia to change how they perceive themselves (Jewel, 1999). Carver (2000) argues that self perception which involves all the feeling, beliefs and attitudes that a person possesses is acquired through the social context. Therefore individuals such as teachers, parents and peers play an essential role in developing these perceptions and views. It is therefore vital to use learning approaches that enhance learners affected by the dyslexia disorder develop self esteem. Some of the strategies that are classroom-based to support learners with dyslexia include: Proving learners with highly challenging activities but with low levels of stress Giving learners feedback concerning their progress in classroom tasks Providing a mixture of learning strategies and activities for instance oral presentations such as story telling Development of Schools that are Dyslexia Friendly Research indicates that children with dyslexia have a relatively lower self esteem as compared to the normal learners. A learning environment which consists of mixed learners may result to an environment that is non-conducive for learners with dyslexia. Dyslexia friendly schools can be linked to what Kuhn, et al. (2006) highlights in a research carried out in Wales. He notes that dyslexia friendly schools should have well trained staff with techniques that are dyslexia friendly. For instance being patient with the learners by listening to them speaking and correcting the language mistakes they make. This can be done through letting them know about the mistakes they make. The mistakes should be clearly pointed out the right issues fully explained to the learners. Vocabulary and Spelling Training It is usually known that spelling errors are major characteristic of numerous dyslexic learners (Berlin & Blank, 2000). In this regard, teaching of spelling is essential for two reasons; The learners will be able to master language and use them orally for instance using various vocabularies to express themselves. Secondly, learners reinforce their understanding of written language, which can later be reflected on their listening abilities (Jenkins & Heliotis, 2000). Curtis & O'Hagan (2003) investigated the efficiency of a variety of spelling tasks in a Dutch context. Putting into consideration learners affected by dyslexia, a group of teachers with experience listed spelling exercises from the least effective to the most effective to the most effective. Such exercises involved the identification of effective vocabulary and spelling teaching strategies such as phonological support. Their study recommends that a strategy that is rule-based is the most efficient, irrespective of the IQ level of the children, attention or phonological skill, or attention (James, 1990 pg 49). Use of Special Computer Software The computer system can be useful in helping learners with dyslexia. This is due to the fact that they have features that are helpful to children with literacy problems. This includes programs such as spelling aids and grammar functions. Experimental findings recommend that learners with dyslexic can significantly benefit in terms of reading from the screen through utilizing special software (Larney, 2002). A spell checker can be used to help students who struggle with spelling. A learner can have good ideas but when it comes to putting them into the paper, it becomes atrocious. This fit can be achieved through letting the learner write down sentences then circle some words that he/she feels are not correctly spelled correctly. With the use of a spell checker, the learner is then able to recognize the correct spellings. Conclusion Children with disabilities may have difficulty in language development in terms of speaking and listening which may be evident in different forms such as phonological, pragmatic; use of language in various contexts, and lack of the ability to utilize their speech apparatus effectively in terms of coordination and operation. It is therefore essential to apply the various modern technological devices and teaching skills in order to solve Oracy problems in children with disabilities. References Berlin L. J. & Blank, M. (2000). The Language of Instruction: The Hidden Complexities: pages 47-58. Carver R. P. (2000). The causes of high and low reading achievement. London: Routledge. Curtis A. & O'Hagan M. (2003). Care and education in early childhood: a student's guide to theory and practice. London: Routledge Publishers. Goldsworthy, C. L. (2003). Developmental reading disabilities: a language based treatment approach: Clinical competence series. Edition2, New Jersey: Carnage Learning. Ingram, D. (1989). First language acquisition. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. Jewel, C. (1999). Everyday Math Is a Story Problem: The Language of the Curriculum: pages 59-70. James, S. L. (1990). Normal language acquisition. Boston, Massachusetts: College-Hill Press. Jenkins J. & Heliotis J. G. (2000). Reading Comprehension Instruction: Findings from Behavioral and Cognitive Psychology: pages 25-42 Kuhn, D. et al. (2006). Handbook of child psychology (Sixth Ed.). Hoboken, New Jersey: Wiley. Larney, R. (2002). The connection between early language setback as well as other later difficulties in literacy. Early Child Development and Care. London: Oxford University. Pearson, D. & Spiro R. J. (2005). Toward a Theory of Reading Comprehension Instruction: pages 71-88 Reid, D. K. (1998). Child Reading: Readiness or Evolution. pages 61-72 McMinn, J. (2006). Supporting children with speech and language impairment and associated difficulties. New York: Continuum International Publishing Group. Zigmond, N. (2002). Reading Instruction for Students with Learning Disabilities: pages 89-98 Read More