English is a confusing language.
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That’s one of the first things Lindy Wishart tells kids with special learning needs who walk through her door at Jindera Public School.
It may seem like a rather surprising thing for a student learning support officer to say.
But, as Ms Wishart points out, it’s far better for students to believe the language is to blame – and not them – when they struggle with reading and writing.
“I tell them how stupid our language is and then say I can show them ways that will help the language make sense,” she explains.
The effect is almost immediate, particularly in students who have all but given up trying due to a fear of failing.
Suddenly there is a glimmer of hope that the jumble of letters in front of them may transform into words they can comprehend.
Building literacy is like building a house, according to Ms Wishart.
“If you don’t have the right foundations, the walls will go up but the roof may not fit,” she says.
“Students who lack automatic knowledge may not have the basic alphabet or sounds so they can’t build on that to create words or go to the next story.
“They can’t put the roof on so the whole thing falls in a heap.”
When that house of learning collapses it can start to show in the classroom – and even at home.
Students may start to find ways to avoid work because they are anxious and stressed, according to Ms Wishart.
“You get the child who acts out, the class clown, or the helper who is flying under the radar but not quite getting it,” she says.
“Some students may be working their hardest but they just can’t keep up.”
That’s where support staff like Ms Wishart are vital in helping individuals re-build both their confidence and skills so they can re-engage confidently in a classroom.
And the results are starting to speak for themselves at Jindera after a decision to introduce the MSL (Multi Sensory Language) model to assist at-risk students.
Considered the gold standard for teaching children with dyslexia, MSL uses all the senses (seeing, hearing, touching and moving) to create better memories in the brain.
“If you can use multiple pathways then you can multiply the strength of the signal and reinforce the message coming in,” Ms Wishart says.
From finger spelling to counters, letter tiles, play-doh and even sandpaper, a variety of tactile tools are used to build comprehension and retention rates.
Integral to this teaching method is the use of explicit systematic phonetics to help boost lagging literacy skills.
It’s a rather unwieldy description for teaching children sound-spelling relationships so they can more easily recognise words, which increases reading fluency and comprehension.
“Several years ago, we heard about MSL and decided to investigate it as an approach to complement what we already do.
“We employed Lindy and are now implementing it in certain focus classes and booster groups where we collect data and track student progress.”
There is no doubt students are making gains with MSL, he says.
It’s got parents – and teachers – talking and collaborating.
Ms Wishart says when teachers see first-hand the results being achieved with MSL they are very interested in finding ways for it to be implemented in a classroom setting.
“Teaching is one of the most important professions because we are creating the future citizens of our country through how we teach our children,” she says.
“But the demands on the modern teacher are vast and extend well beyond instruction in the basics of reading, writing and ‘rithmetic.
“At the same time, we know poor literacy leads to many socio-economic issues and a lower standard of living.
“You only need to look at the statistics for people in our jails – 80 per cent of them have poor literacy.”
Learning and support teacher Helen McConnell Berndt says that’s why the school places a lot of value on the professional development of its teachers.
“We can share information and upskill others across the school to ensure the best educational outcomes for all our students,” she says.
Mr Knight says he is proud of the school’s pro-active approach to encourage teachers to work together to strive for best practice.
At the end of a long school day, though, it’s really all about having fewer students falling through the gaps.
“One of the things I’m proudest of is our ability to look at the student holistically, track their progress and adjust our teaching accordingly so they can progress through the learning continuum,” he says.