Austin and Main - Study Skills - Dyslexia Guild Summer Conference 2011

training.dyslexiaaction.org.uk

STUDY SKILLS

Essential Study Skills for Dyslexic Students

Dineke Austin, Senior Tutor

Anne Main, Egham Centre Principal

What ARE Study Skills?

THE $65 question!

As many interpretations as there are ‘study guides’ on the market!

However: Concise Oxford Dictionary ‘skill, n, expertness, practised ability, facility in…’.

Thus: what are the key skills that we wish our dyslexic students to become automatic in?


What do you think are meant by study skills?

Take a few moments to jot down with a partner what you think are included in study skills:

Now compare with the following list: which ones are key areas for our dyslexic learners? Which ones might make the greatest difference?

Which ones are we as specialist teachers best fitted to teach explicitly to our dyslexic learners?


Key Study Skills: Organisation – personal/work

Listening

Thinking (critical/analytical)

Speaking

Reading (esp. higher order)

Note-taking/making

Writing (secretarial, authorial)

Research (Internet)

ICT (esp. enabling)

Memory (short/working/long term)

Metacognition (awareness of strategies)

Revision & exam. techniquestraining.dyslexiaaction.org.uk

Why Study Skills for Dyslexic Learners?

Weaker & slower reading skills than peers: need to be taught short cuts.

Less well organised & slower note-taking skills: need to be taught effective techniques.

Verbal short term memory difficulties: need to be taught strategies.

Good study skills are truly multi-sensory - VAK!

Gives ownership to student, encourages independence.

Creates a more level playing field! Success!


The Role of the Specialist Teacher?

As specialist teachers, often much of our lesson time is devoted to specialist teaching programmes (DILP, Units of Sound, Alpha to Omega, etc) and we are certainly trained to do so as no other teachers.

However, this is frequently not all we do: the older the learner, the more this is the case, often.

Too often, study skills techniques and strategies are still not being taught systematically in schools/colleges: an assumption is made that learners somehow absorb strategies. Is this the case?

My argument is that we have an equal role to play in developing transferrable cross-curricular skills in our learners, to develop independence.


Which Study Skills? Reading Skills:

From fiction and non-fiction texts/Internet

For different purposes Using different techniques

Note-taking Skills:

From teachers/DVDs From books/Internet For different purposes Using different techniques

Writing Skills:

For different purposes e.g. descriptive, informative, discursive, etc.

For different subjects e.g. science reports, CDT explanations, media persuasion, etc.

Revision skills:

multisensory


‘Fitness for Purpose’

Why ACTIVE Reading?

We REMEMBER approximately:

15% of what we READ ‘mechanically’

30% of what we HEAR

40% of what we SEE - images

50% of what we SAY

60% of what we DO

90% of what we SEE, HEAR, SAY and DO!


Matching Reading to Task1. Following instructions: WORD-BY-WORD

Start at the beginning and read every word. Follow instructions in the order given. Tick off each instruction as it is carried out.

2. Study: SKIM, SCAN, WORD-BY-WORD, SQ3R/PQ4R.

3. For information: SCAN

4. For pleasure (English literature): somewhere between SKIMMING and WORD-BY-WORD.


Skimming/SurveyingEyes move quickly over a page to glean an overview:

Key/signal words Names Dates/numbers Words in different font Topic sentences Concluding sentences ConnectivesQuestion:

What do I know about this already? (hook)

What do I think it will be about? (activate)

What do I want to find out? (interact)training.dyslexiaaction.org.uk

Scanning

Read the page quickly to locate specific information.

Always use a reading guide to direct eye movement: the tip of a pencil or a reading ruler.

Use the assignment/comprehension question to scan:TitlePicturesChartsDiagramsSub-headingsCaptionsSummariesText itself


How to Read Quickly: Practise reading every day: little & often

Read all summaries and conclusion first

Select an appropriate style of reading: skimming or scanning

Set time limits for reading a specific amount of text

Experiment with the SQ3R active reading strategy

Train the eyes to move, not the head (Ann Arbor, etc)

Concentrate on the main ideas, rather than the detail

Use a reading ruler/onscreen ruler


Directed Activities for Reading Texts (DARTs)

Techniques for directing learner to engage with aspects of text to develop comprehension and develop an active relationship to reading:

use highlighting

use cutting, pasting

move enlarged text around

make notes in various frames such as mind maps, outlines, boxes

cause and effect tables

draw pictures

draw cartoons


Note-taking Skills

Wh Questions:What is this about?Why is it important?When did it happen?Where did it happen?Who was involved?‘How’ did it happen?[Use 6 box trick template]

The 5 C Rule:CLEARCONCISECOMPREHENSIVECOMPLETECORRECT


Notes from Listening

One particularly effective strategy when listening to new information is TQLR:

TUNE – IN: ask yourself what you already know about the subject

QUESTION: develop questions, give yourself a focus for listening

LISTEN: while listening, take notes and highlight key words on any handouts. It can also be effective to take notes in the form of spider plans or pattern notes, as not all lessons are presented in a linear form

RECALL: have you had your questions answered?


Taking Notes from a Teacher (or DVD)

Key words only.

Omit small words e.g. the, is, to (keep: not, no!)

Use abbreviations wherever possible e.g. &, etc., N.B.

Use symbols wherever possible, e.g. ♀ ☁ ☢

Use the six box trick for support (Who? When? Where? etc).

Use a writing frame/table if at all possible.


Use a Frame for Note taking


Who? When? Where?

Why? What happene

d?

How?

Taking Notes from a BookExperiment with different

formats:

Linear notes – bullet points

Numbered/lettered points

Concept map/spidergram

Flow charts

Time lines

Tables

Venn Diagrams

Summary shapes

Revision cards


Firstly... Next... Then...

After this... Then... This then...

Next... After this... Finally...

Taking Notes from a Book cont.

Make them more memorable by:

Different coloured pens/pencils/felt tips

Use of BLOCK CAPITALS

Underlining

Highlighting

Drawings

Symbols

Diagrams


A ‘Mind Map’ summarising the life of the great scientist Marie

Curie c Tony Buzan


Linear Notes Linear Notes

The most common form of note taking

Uses few words

Fast

Simple

No forethought required

Key points

Use lined paper – wide lined is best

Leave a right-hand margin for later additions

For CLARITY write on every other line

Try to use colour if possible

Can use headings from essay/report titles

Ideal if word processed as reorganising very simple


Successful WritingTask analysis:

Analyse the title/question - SARI

• Subject• Aspect• Restrictions• Instructions

Brainstorm ideas, preferably with others

Develop ideas into a ‘spidergram’, flow chart, or columns, etc, & arrange information in order

Choose relevant writing frame (Hamburger)

Select appropriate information

Organise into paragraphs

Select vocabulary that best expresses ideas

Use appropriate ‘flag’ words, enumerative, transitional, etc.


Writing cont. Word process draft/s!

Use assistive technology wherever/whenever possible, eg

• ‘Kidspiration’/‘Inspiration’, • ‘textHELP’• ‘Write Outloud, etc.

MAPS editing & proof reading:

• Meaning• Agreement• Paragraphing & Punctuation• Spelling

Have ready a dictionary & thesaurus/use electronic versions


ICT for Teaching:There are so many software programmes that teach skills,

that there are too many to itemise. Broadly speaking, they fall into categories, such as:

Literacy or numeracy skills, such as Wordshark, Nessy, Units of Sound, CVC Word Builder, Numbershark, etc.

Strengthening memory, such as Mastering Memory, or Memory Booster.

Planning and organisation, such as Inspiration, Kidspiration, Mind Genius, etc.

Touch Typing programmes, such as Englishtype Junior and Senior.

NB: there are free downloadable versions of many of these teaching tools, such as Freemind or ikonmap for concept mapping, Senselang for touch typing.


ICT to Support:By this, we mean technological solutions that do just that: they

support, rather than enable or teach.

Examples might be:

Reading pens e.g. IRISPen

Text to speech software e.g.Read & Write Gold.

Speech to text software e.g.Dragon NaturallySpeaking

In other words, they help a learner to read or write, but if those skills are learned, it is almost incidental, not the purpose of the tool.

Free versions of some, such as WordTalk, Balabolka, (Blio for e-books), Adobe Reader, PowerTalk.


ICT to EnableThese, in many respects, are the most useful, as they develop skills as

well as enable learners to produce work that they would either not be able to do at all, or would take far longer to do.

Examples would include:

Digital recorders and note takers

Alternative forms of reading documents, such as digital texts

Mobile phones for accessing PowerPoint presentations at home, for capturing images with voice-overs on field trips, etc.

Colour overlays to support ease and speed of reading

Talking dictionaries.

Dictionary/thesaurus WordWeb 5.0


Enabling cont.

Spellchecker in Explorer – IEspell with UK dictionary

Onscreen ruler to assist efficient tracking, e.g. https://sites.google.com/site/rulerhelp/

Online text to speech www.imtranslator.com

Diary planning on a monthly and weekly basis.

On screen stickies with alarms www.zhornsoftware.co.uk

Password management options www.keepass.com, http://lastpass.com


Approaching Revision

A number of techniques can be taught/practised:

Revision equipment ‘shopping list’

Timetabling revision sessions in advance

Organising notes & materials e.g. colour coded topic dividers, computer equivalent

Memory techniques e.g. mnemonics, pegging, key cards

CLOSE and ACTIVE reading techniques

Practice in understanding exam questions – different subjects

Exam strategies – do’s and don’ts!


Memory Task:

look at these numbers for 1 minute, then write them down:

36552124313028


The number could have been memorised in this way:

365 days in a year

52 weeks

12 months

4 weeks in a month with either 31, 30 or 28 days


Memory – a Summary

We remember things more easily if we organise them into groups, patterns and categories

We remember unusual things

We remember things that interest us most

We remember only a few things at a time

It is difficult to remember things we do not understand


Memory cont.

Memory works by building links

We remember things better if we know something about them

Learning is an active task - we have to learn about how we can remember something


Revision Tools:Record ideas Create a reference list Sticky notes

Note book Template Bullet points


Resources & references: Dupree, J. (2005) ‘Help Students Improve Their Study Skills – A Handbook for

Teaching Assistants in Secondary Schools’. London, David Fulton.

Holtom, E. (2007)’Study Skills – The complete guide to smart learning’. Tenterden, Galore Park.

Lee, J. (2005) ‘Letts GCSE Success Essentials – Study Skills’. London, Letts Educational.

Smythe, I. (2010)’Dyslexia in the Digital Age – Making IT Work’. London, Continuum.

Jane Dupree –Brainwaves Education Ltd www.brainwaveseducation.com

Ian Smythe www.ibisconsultants.info http://technodys.blogspot.com

http://edenskills.co.uk/ posters on SQ3R, definitions of words used in essays, keyboard short cuts, etc

http://www.techdis.ac.uk Useful information on creating learning content, using ICT, for users who are dyslexic.

www.bdatech.org BDA site for collating useful iPhone apps.


Documents

Austin and Main - Study Skills - Dyslexia Guild Summer Conference 2011