Specialist Teacher, Level 7 SpLD for SEN Qualified; passionate about finding the right learning experience for the right brain.

Nicola was looking for some advice, as opposed to weekly lessons - she intends to contact me monthly for further advice.

Matthew's strengths... he:
Is able to use a visual timetable
Can complete worksheets
Takes part in Nessie, Reading EGGs and Oxford Reading
Can answer comprehension questions
Can remember some spellings
Has mastered some of the mathematical concept of time
He likes to do online work

To progress further, I suggested Nicola try the following with Matthew:
A holistic approach to spelling... focussing on maybe 4 spellings (building to more words as he gets used to the new method), their meanings, synonyms, making up sentences with the word (funny, in line with a current topic being discussed by the family, reciting a line from a book/film/computer game), spotting the word in other reading matter (including words seen in the house on packets etc, as well as words seen when out and about). This holistic approach will help Matthew to stop seeing the words in isolation and he should then be more able to use the words in multiple settings and learning topics.

Listening to audio books together and then when Matthew is hooked, allowing him some alone time with the book, to increase his understanding of how language works, as well as increasing his independence. It is important to continue with comprehension questions, before, during and after reading (whether audio or standard), to help Matthew get to grips with meaning, characterisation, literary techniques, links to the world, links to his life etc.

To explore if the school has access to Accelerated Reader (to help with reading and comprehension) and more importantly, IDL (a multi-sensory software package to help dyslexic learners with reading and spelling). IDL is a fantastic piece of software that assesses the student and pitches all learning and progression to their ability range and learning style... as a specialist teacher it's my go to for anyone with dyslexia.

I also suggested that Nicola start to drop literary terms into conversation, using a subtle 'drop it in and move on with the conversation' approach at every opportunity throughout the day, to help Matthew understand the different aspects of a sentence when speaking, reading or writing - we discussed doing this with noun and verb to start with, but Nicola could then go on with other literary devices like: preposition, simile, onomatopoeia, alliteration etc.

I suggested giving Matthew a weekly lesson guide, noting all topic areas to be covered that week. Matthew can then take ownership for what he learns from the list and when he learns it, understanding that all areas have to be covered in the week, but it's his choice when he does this... this ownership should help him to better engage with the work. Again this should help to build his learning independence and take away some of the resistance that he is putting up when it's time to study, particularly with topics he is less keen on, as he will have chosen to do them - this is the theory and it isn't foolproof, but in my experience it does have a positive impact on reluctant learners, to varying degrees depending on the learner.

Finally, we discussed a reward structure that focusses on what Matthew likes to do, whether it be time skating, biking or baking cakes with mum, kicking a football or shooting a video with dad, an activity with a brother (if you can get them on board), choosing what the family have for their evening meal, an allotted amount of time on an online platform that he enjoys, an opportunity to paint, or something bought. The idea is that if Matthew has chosen the treat he will work harder to get it. By all means create a massive bank of these, but only focus on a maximum of 3 a week as this will increase the drive and focus he experiences towards his learning in order to achieve getting them - you can then get Matthew to choose a different 3 for the next week. I suggest 3 so that you can use your judgement as to how many he has achieved, perhaps using them as goal posts or milestones throughout the week. Be strict with this and only issue it if it's earned, otherwise the process could backfire and he'll quickly return to being a reluctant learner. In addition to this, we discussed ensuring that when Matthew has earned a marker (sticker/drawn on smiley face etc) for the reward chart, that he must be the one who puts it on there... this reinforces that he has done well and builds on the good feelings that come with achievement.

It was clear from our conversation that Nicola wants the very best for Matthew and is keen to try anything that will help him make progress and I look forward to hearing how these measures have worked (some, all or simply one) when we catch up in a month's time.

Good luck Nicola - you're an amazing mum!