If we're connected on social media or you've been reading my blog for a while, you may know my time has been limited over the past couple of years while I'm undertaking my doctoral study. This has sometimes meant I've had to miss a course or conference I'd otherwise have attended due to study commitments… Continue reading Patoss (virtual) conference 2020
Category: Special Education
Word games
It's Wednesday, so we're working on word games in today's daily offering. Playing with alliteration (words starting with the same letter), onset and rime (the first sound and the bit that makes the rhyme) and rhythm (noticing the number of syllables, the length of the word) can help to build skills for spelling and to… Continue reading Word games
Household chores
A few ideas for developing pencil control
Reasonable adjustments
An infographic for #AutismAwareness day 2020 Sensory sensitivities 2020
Where have all the girls gone?
A day of inspiration, information and calls to action Image from Lydia Avalon There are some events I must attend as part of CPD, professional certification or study, but this was one I wanted to attend for me: as an educator, as a parent, as a researcher and as someone who is perhpas not conventionally… Continue reading Where have all the girls gone?
Reading
A few ideas to help with reading for revision or assignment research.
Simplifying executive function
This is a whistle-stop - if you're interested to do your own research, check out this booklist, or see the research links at the end of the blog. There's a graphic that's been doing the rounds for a while now. It states, somewhat alarmingly, that certain children's and young people's executive function (EF) development is… Continue reading Simplifying executive function
Take a note…
Another blog in my study skills series. I've mentioned before how much I could have benefitted from the type of support that I now find myself providing to others. If I were to choose just one skill that could have transformed my school experience, it would probably be note taking. I still remember biology lessons… Continue reading Take a note…
Meeting individual needs…
A post about my current studies
Revision
Another blog in the study skills series. Timing It's as important not to overload yourself as it is not to leave thing to the last moment... Start by working for 20 to 50 minutes at a time less and you won't have enough time to get stuck in and learn meaningfully, more and you'll risk… Continue reading Revision
EF, reading and writing
On the tenth day of Christmas... It may be obvious, but, for best results, start at the beginning! Even children whose executive function (EF) develops typically do not begin to visualise and verbalise until they are at least pre-school age. Whether at home, in whole class, small group or 1:1 situations, the earliest activities and… Continue reading EF, reading and writing
A new year’s resolution
On the seventh day of Christmas and the last day of 2018, I'm asking readers to join me on an EF crusade... If we can each tell two people and get them to adapt their practice, and each of them finds how transformational it can be, imagine how many children's and young people's learning experience… Continue reading A new year’s resolution
Executive function at home
On the sixth day of Christmas... Executive functions (Explained in more detail here: EF – an introduction) develop from early childhood and are seen as key predictors of academic outcome and life chances in the modern world. I discussed how EF difficulties might present or be supported in the classroom in EF and Learning –… Continue reading Executive function at home
A driving question
On the fifth day of Christmas... So what on earth do we mean when we talk about executive function difficulties? Here's a super-quick test you can try for yourself, and an analogy I often share with students, parents and teachers: Take two post-its and a pen. Put your pen on the first note as if… Continue reading A driving question
Simple steps to classroom inclusion
On the fourth day of Christmas... Today's infographic was designed for teachers, but the techniques are equally applicable to all learning situations. For more detail on EF difficulties in the classroom , read this. You can download a PDF of this and other infographics here. More posts related to executive function can be found here.… Continue reading Simple steps to classroom inclusion
It’s a numbers thing
On the third day of Christmas... Today's infographic was designed for teachers, but the techniques are equally applicable to learning situations at home and in the wider environment. For more detail on how EF difficulties can impact mathematical skills development, read this. For more math infographics and links to printable versions, click here. .
Thinking outside the Box(ing Day)
On the second day of Christmas... This diagram shows how delayed or impaired executive function (EF) can impact development and learning. Affected children and young people may be called 'immature', 'lazy', 'naughty' and 'inconsistent' to name a just a few. Our job as adults - parents or educators - is to stand in for EF.… Continue reading Thinking outside the Box(ing Day)
A partridge in a pear tree…
Happy holidays to one and all. For the 12 festive days of 2018-19, I'll be sharing tips that are close to my heart - all related either to supporting children's developing executive function, or providing a helping hand through routines and prompts. For today, enjoy this traditional ditty - its memory and sequencing demands can… Continue reading A partridge in a pear tree…
24th December
Ideas and resources for learning through play to use at home (or school) will be posted each day in the run up to the holidays.
23rd December
Ideas and resources for learning through play to use at home (or school) will be posted each day in the run up to the holidays.
Skills for study 