SEN Support
Where limited or no progress is made using Universal strategies, further assessment of barriers should take place. This assessment will inform which strategies at both Universal and SEN Support should be put into place. Progress will be monitored through successive Assess, Plan, Do, Review (APDR) cycles.
Phonological awareness skills
Tools for identification of need
- PhAB & PhAB2 Primary – test of phonological processing, ages 5 to 14, at a cost
- Comprehensive Test of Phonological Processing Second Edition (CTOPP-2) – phonological awareness, memory and naming speed subtests, ages 4 to 24, at a cost, requires qualification level B
- Dyslexia Portfolio phoneme deletion and non word reading subtests, ages 5 to 16+, at a cost
Phonological awareness – what can help
To include Universal support plus targeted interventions in small groups or one-to-one using evidence-based learning principles. Other interventions include:
- Individualised Literacy Intervention (ILI) programme – one-to-one personalised literacy intervention doubles the rate of progress in reading and spelling. Training is available through the Access to Inclusion team, book via Support Services for Education (SSE), free to access
- Phase 1 Teaching Programme Letters and Sounds – a six-phase teaching programme to help practitioners and teachers teach children how the alphabet works for reading and spelling. Aimed at Primary school age, free to access
- Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised – Systematic, Synthetic Phonics Programme, at a cost
Reading
Tools for identification of need
- Test of Word Reading Efficiency (TOWRE) 2 – Tests ability to pronounce printed words and phonemically regular non-words accurately and fluently, ages 6 to 24, at a cost, requires qualification level B
- York Assessment of Reading Comprehension (YARC) – individually assesses reading accuracy, reading rate and comprehension, ages 4 to 16, at a cost
- Wide Range Achievement Test 5 reading subtests, ages 5 to 85+, at a cost, requires qualification level B
Reading – what can help
- Brooks’s What Works for Literacy Difficulties – an up-to-date list of evidence-based schemes targeting reading for key stages 1 to 5. Schemes are reviewed for impact
- Phase 1 Teaching Programme Letters and Sounds – a six-phase teaching programme to help practitioners and teachers teach children how the alphabet works for reading and spelling. Primary ages, free to access
- Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised – Systematic, Synthetic Phonics Programme, at a cost
- Individualised Literacy Intervention (ILI) programme – one-to-one personalised literacy intervention doubles the rate of progress in reading and spelling. Training is available through the Access to Inclusion team, book via Support Services for Education, free to access
Spelling
Tools for identification of need
- Helen Arkell Spelling Test (HAST 2) – ages 5 to adult, at a cost
- Wide Range Achievement Test 5 (WRAT5) spelling subtest, ages 5 to 85+, at a cost, requires qualification level B
Spelling – what can help
- Brooks’s What Works for Literacy Difficulties? – an up-to-date list of evidence-based schemes targeting spelling for key stages 1 to 5. Schemes are reviewed for impact and contact details for each scheme are provided
- Spelling Detectives – group spelling intervention, training free to access, book via Support Services for Education
Recognising common high frequency words
Tools for identification of need
- Oxfordshire First 100 High Frequency Words – all ages, free to access
- Unlocking Letters and Sounds – a Department for Education validated programme for assessing and teaching phonics, foundation to end of year 2, at a cost
- SNIP Literacy 1 checklist pages 4 to 5 primary age pupils, free to access
- SNIP Literacy 2 checklist pages 5 to 6 secondary age pupils, free to access
Recognising common high-frequency words – what can help
- Catch up Literacy– ages 6 to 14 one-to-one reading intervention for word recognition and comprehension
- Switch-on Reading – East Midlands Education Support Service for key stages 2, 3 and 4
- Oxfordshire First 100 High Frequency Words – precursive
- Precision Teaching – one-to-one intervention for targeted areas of development. Somerset Educational Psychology Service E-learning, at a cost.
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- See the videos below for more information on Precision Teaching
- Individualized Literacy Intervention (ILI) programme – one-to-one personalised literacy intervention doubles the rate of progress in reading and spelling. Training available through the Access to Inclusion team, book via Support Services for Education, free to access
Writing/Recording
Tools for identification of need
- DASH 2007 – speed and legibility of handwriting, 9 to 16 years 11 months, at a cost
- Dyslexia Portfolio writing subtest, ages 5 to 16+, at a cost
Writing/Recording – what can help
- Brooks’s What Works for Literacy Difficulties? – up-to-date list of evidence-based schemes targeting writing for key stages 1 to 5. Schemes are reviewed for impact and contact details for each scheme are provided
- Motor skills support interventions 1: Foundation Skills
Numeracy
Tools for identification of need
- Diagnostic Assessment of Numeracy Skills (DANS) – determines areas of numerical strength and weakness, key stage 1 and key stage 2, at a cost
- More Trouble with Maths Diagnostic Assessment – reveals error patterns, includes maths vocabulary and maths anxiety, all ages, at a cost
- Dyscalculia Assessment – investigates numeracy abilities to inform a teaching programme, all ages, at a cost
Numeracy – what can help
- Catch-up Numeracy – a structured one-to-one intervention, ages 6 to 14, at a cost
- Number Shark – game based catch up programme for maths foundations, ages 5 to 14, at a cost
- First Class @ Number – intervention to address gaps in year 1 and 2 curriculum, at a cost
- Numicon Breaking Barriers – assessment and step-by-step activities, ages 7 onwards, at a cost
- Beat Dyscalculia – highly structured, multi-sensory numeracy programme, for all ages (but designed with key stage 1 and key stage 2 curriculum), at a cost
- Dynamo Maths – intervention for those not meeting age-related expectations in maths. Contains assessment and intervention, at a cost
- Maths for Life – differentiated approach to the maths curriculum that lays down solid foundations of essential maths for life, all ages, at a cost
- Number Detectives – group number intervention, training free to access, book via Support Services for Education
Cognitive barriers - working memory
Tools for identification of need
Dyslexia Portfolio Digit Recall Forwards, Digit Recall backwards, ages 5 to 16+, at a cost
Working memory – what can help
- One-to-one or small group support to learn and use memory support strategies – How Can I Remember All That? or Improving Working Memory could support these sessions
- Bradford Small group or one-to-one memory games
- Refer to universal strategies
Cognitive barriers - speed of processing
Tools for identification of need
- Comprehensive Test of Phonological Processing (CTOPP-2)– Rapid Symbolic Naming, ages 4 to 24, at a cost, requires qualification level B – see details here
- Dyslexia Portfolio – naming subtest, ages 5 to 16+, at a cost
- PHAB2 – rapid symbolic naming, picture naming ages 6 to 14 years, at a cost
Speed of processing – what can help
- Refer to universal strategies for speed of processing
- One-to-one or small group support to develop and use their own toolkit of strategies to support their speed of processing needs
More information
See our Cognition and Learning – How can I find out more? page for assessments, learning strategies, provisions and suggested training.