Workshop dates 2020/21

Risk Assessment Document Sept 2020

As from September, all children are required by the Government to resume full time education. The SDA workshop, therefore, is planning to recommence on 17th September for Thursday pupils and 19th September for Saturday pupils. A full risk assessment has been carried out (*see above for details) and a number of measures have been put in place to keep both pupils and tutors safe.

Please feel free to contact your child's tutor if you have any concerns or questions.

A number of on-line learning programmes, specifically designed for dyslexic pupils, are available on this website - please see 'Technology and Learning Resources'.

At the moment, 15 pupils attend our workshop, either on a Saturday morning or Thursday afternoon at Belle Vue Methodist church, or at a time and place mutually convenient for pupil and tutor.  The ages of the pupils range from 5 years of age up to 15-16 years.  Currently, we have 6 tutors involved in the workshop.  The 1:1 lessons given are an hour long, and cater for the individual needs of the particular pupil.  Games play an important part in each lesson, helping to reinforce the lessons taught, and providing some lighthearted fun.  Sometimes tutors will arrange for their pupils to play games with other pupils who are working at roughly the same level.  Games that are much enjoyed include,  TRUGS, Swap, Stacker - all great fun to play, with a friendly competitive element.

As well as lessons, a number of workshop pupils take the opportunity to do the NessyTouch Typing course, as learning to touch type is a very useful skill for dyslexic pupils.  One of our tutors, Kris Prince, oversees this.  We are hoping to introduce a new Touch Typing programme in the near future.

We are fortunate to have two former pupils, Harry Ewen and Emma Pearce, who come and help out at the workshop as part of their D of E work.  Both Harry and Emma felt that they had very much benefited from coming to the workshop themselves, and wanted to encourage and help the present pupils.

Anne Townsend (Workshop Co-ordinator)

Tuition is on a one-to-one basis where pupils work on individually designed programmes, tailored to their difficulties and taught to their strengths.

These are conducted in a friendly and encouraging manner and are made as interesting as possible. 

Progress is carefully monitored and re-assessment of reading and spelling ages is undertaken when it is thought to be necessary.

Some tutors are also qualified to assess pupils.  Full diagnostic assessments or a screening assessments are available on request.

SESSIONS ARE LIKELY TO INCLUDE:

• 60 minute individual attention from a Specialist Teacher with post graduate qualifications in assessing and teaching dyslexics.
• Spelling based on a structured phonic approach or other techniques, such as visual memory, if these are more appropriate.
• The improvement of reading fluency through a carefully graded choice of material and attention to the child's own interests.
• Practice in handwriting using a style consistent with school policy.
• Phonological training where problems with processing spoken sounds are improved, to aid progress in reading and spelling.
• Free-writing and comprehension development to improve vocabulary, sentences and paragraph writing, reading for meaning, organisation of ideas and other study skills.
• Learning through educational games.
• The maintenance of a friendly confident atmosphere in which pupils can build on success and where mistakes and failures are not criticised.
• Touch typing and Times tables learning sessions under the supervision of a classroom assistant, are also available before or after the main lesson.  Each half hourly session costs £5.00 to members and £6 for Non-members, to be paid a half-term in advance.

If you are interested in arranging tuition for your child please contact: 

Anne Townsend  01939-233141    

To give individual help specially designed to each child's difficulties.

These may include:

• Inaccurate and bizarre spelling
• Inaccurate and laboured reading
• Poor handwriting
• Lack of concentration
• Lack of confidence
• Sequencing problems
• Inabilitiy to copy correctly
• Difficulty with sentence construction
• Poor punctuation
• Poor vocabulary/word attack
• Left/right confusion
• Study skills/essay wriring for older pupils.
• Poor self-esteem

What our students say about the workshop:

'I'm really good at my times tables and I can read about anything'

'I used to be shy but I'm more confident now'.

'With one-on-one (teaching) it doesn't feel like school.'

'I don't feel out of place.'

Parents and children can make a free initial visit to the workshop where they can meet the tutor, give their details and decide whether they want to go ahead with tuition.

To attend the workshop parents are required to be members of the Shropshire Dyslexia Association. The subscription for families is currently* £20.00 per year. 

Workshop fees* are £25 per one-to-one session (£24 for siblings), paid half termly in advance.  Cheques payable to :

'Shropshire Dyslexia Association' or 'SDA"

Financial assistance may be available from the association or local trusts.

Please note that no refunds are available should a child miss a lesson because of illness etc. If a child is unable to attend, please contact your tutor.

Half a term's notice is required if a child is withdrawn from the workshop.

* As at of July 2017