Multi-sensory teaching methods are the best.
In the classroom, students are likely to learn mainly through three senses:

• visual
• auditory - speaking and listening
• kinaesthetic - through doing a task: handwriting, cutting/pasting, modelling

How can I help with reading?

Students usually read two types of texts in the classroom. Text from outside sources: newspapers, books, articles etc. and text prepared by the tutor for the student's use.

Many students prefer to read off coloured paper or use a coloured overlay: yellow and blue are useful but preference will be individual. Cerium Visual Technologies is a good source of coloured overlays, www.ceriumvistech.co.uk, or use coloured plastic wallets cut up, from any stationers.

Tracking exercises are excellent for developing reading skills. Make up your own sentence tracking sheets on topical matters.
An example tracking exercise can be found in the 'Reading' seciton of the Skillswise 'Lessonplans' area.
(Ann Arbor Publishing Limited also produce tracking material, www.annarbor.co.uk)

Encourage students with tracking difficulties to use a line guide: coloured perspex ruler or similar, or card cut out to the correct size of the column to be read. (This helps with reading newsprint.)

Presentation of text is very important:

• use a sans serif font: Arial, Tahoma, Comic Sans
• make headings stand out
• do not capitalise first word on a line, unless grammatically necessary
• do not justify right-hand margins
• space information clearly
• use 14 font minimum
• use colour and appropriate images to help student find information easily
• box information to make it stand out
• do not try to fit too much information on a page
• do not double-side; use two separate sheets (even if it is bad for the environment)
• do not write all in capitals; lower case words are easier to read.

Picture at Punctuation -
Some students have problems with using punctuation to aid meaning when reading. They do not always see it there. Take time to explain the main functions of , . ? !
Ask students who have comprehension difficulties to stop and picture what they have read at each full-stop.

How can I help with spelling?
(continued on next page)

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