This document provides several strategies to support neurodiverse learners and improve learning for all students. It recommends reducing "catastrophic loss" in working memory through whole-class strategies. Specific strategies include using check sheets, listening frames, modeling, keyword displays, mind maps, and a "Wonder Wall" for student questions. The document emphasizes linking new knowledge to prior knowledge and students' interests. It also stresses the importance of multisensory learning techniques, building "stickability" or retention through visuals, activities, examples from students' lives, and incorporating left and right brain approaches. The overall goal is to make each lesson into a clear "learning journey" that helps students see connections and progress in their understanding.
4. ONE CRITICAL
INTERVENTION
Reduce ’catastrophic’ loss
Assess for working
memory
Put into place whole class
strategies to support
working memory
Would help neurodiverse
learners
Would benefit all learners
4
7. Provide students with check
sheets for tasks. This gives them
something they can refer back to
as they progress. It is a means for
them to keep track of where they
are at and to know what they still
have to do.
A particularly good use of check
sheets is when students are doing
written work.
In this case, the check sheet will
help students to keep track of what
they have done and where they
are going, but it will also act as a
tacit guide demonstrating how they
should structure their work.
Check Sheets
8. Create a listening frame for students who
struggle to make notes.
This could be a worksheet with a set of
sections on it, each one headed by a
question, statement or category.
The student can then use this to make
notes. The sections will help them to
order the information they receive. This
will eliminate a thinking process for them,
thus allowing them to concentrate
exclusively on listening and writing.
In essence, a listening frame does a bit
of the work for the student, making life
easier for them.
Listening Frame
(Scaffolding)
9. Modelling is where the teacher
demonstrates to the class, or to
individual students, what it is they
want them to do.
Modelling could be physical. For
example, you might walk through
the steps involved in an envoys
task.
Modelling could be written. For
example, you might show
students how you want them to
create a table and what sort of
things they are to write in it.
Modelling could be oral. For
example, you might have a model
discussion with a pupil and then
ask the class to get into pairs and
have their own discussions.
Modelling
10. A good way to help students get
to grips with keywords is to
display them in your room. Here
are five ways you might do this:
• A list of keywords and
definitions.
• Keywords accompanied by
relevant images.
• Sentences in which the key
words are being used.
• Key words in a table with
synonyms and antonyms.
• Get your class to make
collages or posters of
keywords and display these.
Keyword Display
20. T.G. West In the Mind’s Eye:
‘When people are known for their gifts,
their difficulties remain unknown’
‘When people are known for their
difficulties, their gifts remain unknown’
21. Strengths of neurodiverse learners
• Creativity
• Thinking laterally and making
unexpected connections
• Problem-solving skills
• Seeing the ‘big picture’
• Good visual skills, thinking easily in 3-D
• Good verbal skills
• Good social skills
22. Linking to what is already ‘known’
- Long term memory
•Metaphor
•Simile
•Realia
•Child's own
interest
•Prior known
knowledge
•What they think
it is
(Conversation with
a peer)
(A story, ‘hook’ or
joke)
22
24. Big Picture
Often in school knowledge can
become compartmentalised and
lose its connection(s) to the real
world.
Challenge students to re-forge
these connections by transferring
knowledge out of the classroom
and into society and the
environment.
Ask them to analyse how what they
are learning might link to jobs,
ideas, actions, beliefs or
relationships. Or, where it might
have come from originally and why
it might now be deemed important
for schoolchildren to know.
Contents Page
25. Mind Maps
Many people use mind maps to plan essays. A
mind map has a central topic, out of which
stem key ideas. From these key ideas, further
branches develop, containing sub-points.
Mind maps help one to order information
visually. They are also useful for ticking off
information as it has been dealt with. In this
way they act as an aide memoire, as well as an
organisational tool.
Information on mind mapping can be found at:
http://freemind.sourceforge.net/wiki/index.php/Main_Page
http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newISS_01.htm
http://www.thinkbuzan.com/uk/
26. Route Map
4.Ideas
What is expected of me within this lesson?
1. Write down
the starter, title
and the date
2. Write down
the learning
objective and
understand the
learning
objective
3. Draw a mind
map
5. Complete
the task to
the best of
my ability
6. What was the
stickability in this
lesson ( what have
I learnt?)
27. • Create a space on your classroom
wall called the ‘Wonder Wall’. You
might like to make this look like a
wall by chalking bricks onto black
paper.
• When students think of questions
and there is not enough time to
explore these, ask them to write
them down on a Post-It® note and
to stick this on the Wonder Wall.
• When students have finished the
tasks you have set in a lesson,
ask them to fetch a question from
the ‘Wonder Wall’ and to explore it
either with a partner or in writing.
Wonder Wall
28. Stickability
Metaphor
Analogy
Humour
Pictures
Colour
Kinaesthetic activity
Own experiences
Matching activities
Games
Music
Mnemonics
Patterns
Giving the big picture
Mind maps
Drama
Modelling
Acting out
Realia
Kinaesthetic
Hands on activity
Creating
Experiencing
Exploring
Movement
Acting out
Handling objects
Colours to identify key
points
Breaks
Typing text
Visual
Pictures
Diagrams
Charts
Maps
Illustrations
DVDs
Photographs
Mind maps
Colour
Teacher’s body language
Auditory
Verbal explanations
Participating in
classroom discussions
Learning from other
learners
Creating analogies or
stories
Music
Memories
Rhymes
USE OF MULTI SENSORY PROCESSING
Relevant disposal and lack of clutter
29. 1. Learning Route Map
Puts learning into context. Allows learners to see
direction, relevance, progress and revise. They can
look back as well as look forwards to see how things fit
together.
2. Each lesson as a Learning Journey
It has a beginning and end with a step-by-step focus
on pupil learning, planned interventions and the
provision of targeted differentiation.
3. Identify the main
elements for
Stickability ?
Build in Stickability
4. Create light bulb moments
which make use of pupils own
self-realisation
6. Assess for learning at the end of
every step
5. Teach only one thing at a time
7. Build in Multisensory Processing and Stickability Strategies