Why study this course:
You have a strong desire to increase participation, support and improve the life-chances for children and young people with dyslexia and raise achievement in their settings. You also have drive and personal commitment to achieve at M level (Level 7).
You will develop your knowledge and understanding of dyslexia to be able to make a real difference to children and colleagues in your school and community of practice. You will also strengthen your confidence to participate in debate around dyslexic issues and, should you wish to do so, add capacity for potential for your professional career development.
A Specialist Teacher in Primary School says:
One of my severely dyslexic pupils in Year 9 (barely reading) said to me at the start of our third once weekly session:
- 'It really works Miss'
- Me: 'Sorry Mark, what are you talking about?'
- 'This stuff you are doing with me, I can read a bit in my other lessons now, so it really works!'
Features:
The course offers three 20-credit bearing modules of study related to dyslexia and reflective practice. This Postgraduate Certificate course is innovative in that it also provides an opportunity for teachers to move into Special Educational Needs areas of teaching and supports the work of the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator in settings.
The course is attractive to newly qualified teachers and practising teachers because it provides an appropriate progression route that, with further study, can lead to a Masters degree.
As well as achieving a PG Cert, successful students are dually accredited with ATS BDA and this is a prerequisite for the Associate Member of the British Dyslexia Association award.
This course offers a nationally recognised Post Graduate professional qualification for teachers whilst also offering professional accreditation from the British Dyslexia Association. Teachers will be able to engage directly with methods of raising school standards by developing teachers’ expertise and increasing pupils’ skills in reading, writing and spelling, motivation and self-confidence.
Programme Structure:
The course covers a wide range of topics but the main focus is on dyslexia. Topics include: the nature and causes of Specific Learning Difficulties and dyslexia; current research in dyslexia; identification and assessment; planning, using multisensory teaching and learning strategies; the use of ICT in assessment and learning, evaluation and selection and use of appropriate resources; establishing an Individual Learning Plan for Literacy, setting aims and objectives and evaluating progress.
During the course you will be required to use a ‘case-study’ approach in your setting. You will assess one child/pupil/student and teach for at least one hour a week for 20 weeks. The BDA require that the majority of this teaching must be one-to-one, though a small amount of groupwork is permitted.
Although the emphasis is on the practical elements of developing teaching and learning strategies, you will be expected to reflect on your developing underpinning knowledge and use this new learning in your practice. Supervised practice of teaching will enable you to fulfill the British Dyslexia Association requirements.
Module 1
The nature of dyslexia, co-existing conditions, language and literacy, identification of dyslexic learners in the classroom, theories of causation, ICT for screening, rationale for assessment, design and delivery of individual structured, cumulative learning programmes, multisensory teaching.
Module 2
Using multi-sensory approaches to teaching and learning, designing and making a practical resource, evaluating teaching and learning strategies, writing appropriate recommendations, use of ICT for teaching, assistive software and technical equipment, reflective writing to inform practice.
Module 3
Understanding social, emotional and behavioural difficulties, communication with teachers and parents, measuring impact of teaching and learning in the classroom, across the whole school and across clusters of schools, personal professional development as a Specialist Teacher, becoming a coach/mentor for others.
The first and second module each have one written component of 4,000 words at Masters level (Level 7).
The third module has a ‘case-study’ portfolio and an observation of one hour of teaching practice.
Tutorials are offered to support the written components and the portfolio and personal supervision of lesson planning and teaching practice provides formative assessment.
Support for academic writing is also available.
Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator, Specialist Teacher (dyslexia).
Career opportunities opportunity to deliver specialised CPD, enhanced promotional prospects and the opportunity to specialize in SEN (dyslexia) and lead clusters of schools regarding dyslexia.
This course is for teachers with Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) or Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills' Status (QTLS), or equivalent. You need to have a reference number for the General Teaching Council for England or Department for Education.
You will be asked to provide a supporting statement from your head teacher supporting your suitability as a specialist teacher and his/her commitment to supporting your access to one-to-one teaching.
He/she will also be asked to confirm that you satisfy the Criminal Records Bureau’s mandatory criteria of 'Clearance to Work with Children and/or Vulnerable Adults'.
