This course is for teachers to learn why some children have so much difficulty with reading and writing, often called 'dyslexia', and to learn more about best practice in teaching literacy to all in light of recent scientific discoveries. Participation in or completion of this online course will not confer academic credit for University of London programmes
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Syllabus
WEEK 1
An overview
Writing systems; models of reading acquisition (the ‘decoding’ and ‘direct’ paths); the importance of automatization; bilingualism
WEEK 2
Definitions and identification of dyslexia
Causes; identification; numerous activities include simple methods of observation (not formal diagnosis)
WEEK 3
'Co-morbidity', and psychological and social aspects
The ‘dys’-constellation (dyspraxia, dyscalculia etc); audition; vision; loss of self-esteem; long-term effects of school drop-out and antisocial behaviour – evidence from Canada; ‘positive’ aspects of dyslexia and unusual aptitudes; discussion around pros and cons of ‘labelling’ a child
WEEK 4
Practical teaching approaches Part 1
General principles of inclusion; structured, multisensory, phonics-based and metacognitive approaches; summaries of recent influential reports of best practice from France, the UK and USA; applying these approaches across the curriculum; learning styles; reading, spelling, comprehension and composition; visualization and mind-mapping
WEEK 5
Practical teaching approaches Part 2
Multisensory teaching in practice illustrated; comprehension, composition
WEEK 6
Study skills, aids and accommodations
Attention, memory and organization; technological aids especially for reading and writing; examples of accommodations for formal assessments and examinations
