Subjects

Interview

Which subject(s) do you teach?
I teach literacy (reading, writing and spelling) and numeracy to children who have been diagnosed as dyslexic or have similar problems.

Tell me about your qualifications.
Bsc(Hons), PGCE, PGDip in Education(dyslexia). I have a degree and a diploma in dyslexia.

What kind of experience do you have?
I spent ten years teaching in a primary school, mainly in a year two class, before taking a position as a SENCO and at the same time doing a Post Graduate Diploma in dyslexia. Since then (for the past eleven years) I have worked part time for a charity, catering for children with dyslexia and have also taught pupils privately. As I have worked almost exclusively with children who are dyslexic or have similar problems I have developed considerable expertise in this area.

How much do you charge?
I charge £20 per hour for daytime lessons. Dyslexic children work better during the day as they quickly become tired and therefore progress is better with daytime lessons. I always spend time with the parents before starting the lessons to find out all about the child's problems. This is free. I like to give feedback after each lesson and will make myself available to discuss any problems if they arise. This is also free.

Where do you teach?
I live in Coventry and I work from a special room there.

When are you available?
I am available during the day and holidays.

Which ages and levels do you teach?
I usually work with children aged between five years to fourteen years but I also have some experience of working with young people doing GCSEs, A-Levels and Degrees (at this level the help is with memory, study skills and organisation). The pupils I teach have either been diagnosed as dyslexic or have similar problems. They have problems with literacy (reading, writing and spelling) and perhaps also numeracy. Other affected areas can be short term memory, concentration, personal organisation, sequencing and telling the time. Many children with dyslexia also have dyspraxia (clumsy child syndrome). They struggle to hold their pencils correctly and are affected by slow processing speed (slowness in processing information).
A one to one teaching programme is invaluable to children who are not achieving their potential. I follow the Dyslexia Institute Literacy Programme and I seek to improve a child’s reading writing and spelling skills. The programme is a phonological programme. It is structured and cumulative which ensures the gradual introduction of word patterns and spelling rules, firmly based on previous knowledge. It is multi -sensory in that it uses many sensory pathways to the brain (sight, hearing, speech and movement). In this way the stronger senses support the weaker ones.
Over-learning is achieved using cards, which are made for each new teaching point. These cards need to be practised every day and this takes between 5 and 10 minutes. Progress is slower if these cards are not practised. Follow up work may also be set to be done during the week.
The programme may last one year to three years depending on the age of the child and severity of the problems.

Do you have an up-to-date CRB (Criminal Records Bureau) disclosure certificate?
Yes

Do you belong to any professional organisations?
I belong to the Dyslexia Guild and the Insitute For Learning (IFL). I undertake about three days of professional development each year, mostly provided by the charity for whom I work part time.

Where and with whom did you train?
As a trained teacher I went on to do a further years training with Dyslexia Action in Bath.

Tell me about some of your current students.
For the past year I have been teaching a twelve year old boy who left junior school unable to read and write. He sees me twice a week and recently he said: 'I can read. I never thought I would be able to read but I can' ! I looked at his mother and her eyes were filled with tears of joy. He is now able to do lovely cursive writing and he enjoys writing.The letters flow automatically from his pen.When I first met him he was despondent and depressed. He had little expectation of achieving, Now he is confident he knows he can succeed.
I have also been teaching a girl of nine who was able to read but writing was a problem. She couldn't hold the pencil properly and her spelling was age equivalent six. After a year (I go into her school once a week) her reading is more fluent, her writing and spelling have both improved and the school says literacy is now her strong point.

Do you have a personal message for students?
Never give up!

Articles

Dyslexia- what is it?
Subject: Dyslexia
Tags: dyslexia, dyslexia action, why i became a tutor
Created: 12/11/2010