Workshop 2

If you have have not worked through Workshop 1 you should do so now, even if you have no professional interest in dyslexic learners.
Click here to go to Workshop 1

There are currently two other examples of planning support using these matrices on this site: one for supporting autistic learners and one for supporting learners who are deaf. You can download them at the foot of this page.

If you have looked at Workshop 1 you will have seen that the process of building a matrix and using it to improve access to the curriculum for for learners who are experiencing difficulty can be applied to any learner or group of learners, and to any subject. If you have professional interests in other groups of learners, you may like to make your own grid and see how it could be used to help you and your colleagues to plan intervention for them. Make your own grid, or get a blank grid at the foot of the page.

If you should do this, I should be very interested to see the results. Please email me at this address: h.mccoll@clara.co.uk

STAGE 1: PLANNING: Building your matrix

Column 1 should contain general information about a specific learner or group of learners you are concerned about. Entries in column 1 should describe the learning difficulties which such learners commonly experience or difficulties specific to your learner. If you find it difficult to fill in this column by yourself, ask the special needs co-ordinator for help. Without information of this sort, it is impossible to differentiate effectively the tasks you plan to set.

Column 2 should take each of the points noted in the first column and suggest what impact that particular characteristic is likely to have on the deaf learner's efforts to cope with specific tasks in the foreign language classroom.

Column 3 should list ideas for strategies that could be put in place to make learning easier for the student(s) in question. Effective differentiation can be anything which allows a learner who was at risk of failing, to be successful at a given task.

Column 4 should list further ways of supporting the deaf learner as well as any help the MFL teacher may need in order to implement the ideas noted in column 3.

STAGE 2: IMPLEMENTATION: Using the matrix

The next stage is to implement the ideas! Don't try and introduce everything all at once. Try one ie at a time, and give it time to bed in before moving on to the next one. Use the matrix to keep track of progress and to note any changes that you make in practice.

STAGE 3: EVALUATION

Eventually you can use the matrix again as an evaluation tool, to see which of the strategies have been successful and which may need to be adjusted.


	For a blank grid click here


	For a blank Word grid click here


	Download: Planning support for learners who are deaf


	Download Planning support for pupils with Autism


	If you found this Workshop useful you might like to know that it has been further developed and now forms the basis for Unit 2 of the Maximising Potential programme on the Modern Foreign Languages Environment website. Go to: http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/maximisingpotential/unit2/index.asp


	This work is licenced under a Creative Commons Licence.


	Page updated: 23.6.08
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