Individual Instruction vs. Group Work

Individual instruction is the best option for dyslexic learners... but there are other things we can do.

I recently posted on our instagram account about individual instruction being the best option for dyslexic learners, which it is.. the BEST option, the ultimate, the solution, the most researched backed and validated. The problem is, as one of our wonderful followers pointed out, this is not always the available option for schools and parents, with time and cost restraints that impact on individual instruction.  This has been my biggest challenge in providing the best option for the learners, teachers and parents that I have worked with over the years.

What I also should have added, is that the instruction must also be structured, explicit, multisensory and phonic based. 

The solution is simple, however it is the delivery that is the challenge!

There are many schools that have taken on our individual instruction and we have managed to compromise, by making the teaching session the individual instruction and the practise sessions in small groups of 2 or 3, however what they practise is individual. These schools are having excellent results, with many students who had made little progress on other well regarded programs over years of instruction. The result is that the children who had given up are now confident and successful in learning to read and spell.

A school in Brisbane west has now been following the "26 Letters" approach for 4 years, in their prep classes. 

The results are outstanding and the sessions are delivered in small groups!!! All teachers, school officers and learning support teachers are onboard because the children are all engaged, successful and confident readers by the end of their prep year. 

The groups are focused on the those important processes required for reading; sequencing, letter knowledge and phonemic awareness. There are more than 50 schools across Australia who are now embracing this approach with great success.

We encourage parents to do this for 10 weeks, to give their prep/year one child a boost and improve their processing for reading and spelling. Again, a simple, time and cost effective option.

So here's my suggestion: If individual instruction is not an option, group work school can be successful, given the right tools, structure and instruction are available.

Step 1: ALL students who are struggling with reading (and all students in Prep) should complete at least 5 weeks of our 26 Letters approach. Groups of 3 are ideal, but you could add one or two more. Parents can also do this at home!

Step 2: ALL staff should complete the Introduction to Dyslexia and Literacy Learning online course to further understand how they can support their learners in groups with specific instruction and structure. Group activities and rotations can be set up with this knowledge to target the correct areas for reading and literacy development.

Step 3: Parents and teachers can become trained as a coach to deliver the one on one literacy intervention, with group practise sessions at school.

My next post will give some ideas on how to use the resources to set up some group support sessions at school.

Thanks so much for your feedback, we are here to share our knowledge and help to support you and your learners!