Essential Tips for the Inclusive Secondary Classroom

A Road Map to Quality-first Teaching

Pippa Whittaker, Rachael Hayes

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2018
• Print ISBN:
  9781138065017
• eBook ISBN:
  9781351661409
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Classroom Management

This go-to resource provides practitioners with quick, easy and cost-effective ways of improving inclusive practices in educational settings.

Addressing the needs of children with various disabilities, from ADHD, dyslexia and low literacy skills, to physical disabilities, mental health and social needs, the book offers practitioners tips and ideas for ensuring that each and every student is integrated and supported to maximum effect. Clearly presented, conscisely written and easily implemented, tips relate to critical elements of the school setting, including:

• the school environment and classroom organisation
• teaching equipment and resources
• lesson structures and timings
• early recognition and collaboration with families
• student–practitioner interaction and peer relationships.

Tips can be photocopied for display on staffroom noticeboards and circulation to colleagues. Engaging and accessible, this book will be an essential resource for practitioners, SENCOs and Inclusion Managers working in primary and secondary settings.

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For learners with memory difficulties, you can reduce the demands on their auditory systems by providing visual cues as you teach. This can include pointing to relevant pages and prompts around the room, using picture prompts drawn on the board or on a PowerPoint, and giving models of what you want them to achieve, on paper, to refer to as they work.

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In your classroom, there will be learners with a range of reading abilities: those who can read the words off the page (decode) and understand what they mean (comprehend); those who can decode but have poor comprehension, those who can comprehend but have poor decoding skills and those who struggle with both decoding and comprehension. If you have learners who are struggling with reading text in your lessons, it is worth considering their difficulties in more detail so you can tailor strategies to support them. For example, learners with poor comprehension will need pre-teaching of key words / ideas, thought storming of the text’s key points and pictures to underpin meaning. Learners with poor decoding but good comprehension need paired reading or teacher reading and highlighting key words in advance. Learners in need of support with both decoding and comprehension will benefit from all these strategies, as well as targeted questioning to check understanding.

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When you are talking to your class, be mindful of the language you use when referring to people with learning difficulties and disabilities. Terms such as ‘handicapped’, ‘slow’, ‘needy’ and ‘weak’ are rightly considered derogatory of people with additional needs. Be prepared to respectfully challenge terms such as these when students or staff use them!

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Some learners have sensory sensitivities that make it virtually impossible for them to concentrate if there are distracting noises, smells or visuals in the classroom. Often these stimuli are things that others might not even notice, such as a pen tapping or the humming of a projector. While you may not be able to eradicate all these stimuli, there is a lot you can do to help learners who have sensory sensitivities. For example, advance preparation can be helpful: if you know that there is going to be a new noise, such as a musical recital in the hall next door or hedge trimming outside, you can give advance warning to those who are likely to find this distracting or overloading. If extended concentration is needed, you might allow them to work away from the stimulus, maybe at an individual workstation or even in the departmental office, if appropriate.

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As teachers, we often use thought storms, spider diagrams and mind maps to construct simple frameworks of information. However, there is great potential to use concept maps to construct frameworks of even the most complex information, and to use them to show interconnection between topics. Research suggests that high-quality concept mapping is one of the most effective ways there is to learn. Take time to teach your learners the skill of concept mapping – the work of educationalist Tony Buzan is a great starting point.

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For learners whose behaviour can be challenging, relationship between schools, student and families can become increasingly strained when all contact home is about poor behaviour. Try to find a couple of moments each week to make a quick phone call home for learners who are really making an effort with their behaviour in your subject – this can make all the difference to securing positive parental support!

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Sometimes learners can be resistant to reading, but there is a lot we, as teachers and support staff, can do to encourage a love of reading. Whenever possible we should aim to include readin...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication
• Table of Contents
• Introduction
• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
• Disability awareness and inclusion
• Dyscalculia
• Dyslexia and literacy difficulties
• Dyspraxia
• English as an Additional Language (EAL)
• Emotional needs
• Hearing impairment
• Looked-after children
• Mental health needs
• Moderate learning difficulties
• Physical disability
• Sensory needs
• Speech Language and Communication Needs (SLCN)
• Social needs
• Teaching and supporting reading
• Teaching and supporting writing
• Visual impairment
• Young carers