This article written by Samuel Etienne was originally published by City News.
London's dyslexia tutors combat second lockdown challenges
Dyslexic students suffered from a lack of support during the first lockdown. Now the race is on to help them catch up to the rest of the class during the second lockdown
Credit: Max Fisher, Pexels
Hybrid classrooms and one on one video calls with tutors are providing London’s dyslexic students with essential support this lockdown – but is this enough?
In a bid to combat the negative effects of another London lockdown, tutors are seeking creative solutions to educating the capital’s children.
This lockdown, London’s schools are open and free to function with their own coronavirus restrictions in place. They are now attempting to give students with learning difficulties a chance to catch up to the rest of the classroom.
Students who suffer from learning difficulties such as dyslexia face unique challenges in the school environment. Many regularly require one on one tuition.
Due to coronavirus restrictions, such tutor-student time was not available during the first lockdown. In order to combat this challenge , many educators are turning to video call technology and online teaching platforms. Questions remain as to whether such technology will fulfil dyslexic students needs.
Additional Support
Mat Wallis is director of Training and Quality Assurance at The Tutor Group, and is a specialist dyslexia teacher. A passionate dyslexia campaigner, he welcomes the use of technology in classrooms.
Campaigner Matt Wallis is pushing for an increase in the number of specialised dyslexia tutors in schools. Credit: Matt Wallis / Twitter.
Yet Matt Wallis thinks that the government should offer dyslexic students in schools more support. Matt would like to see the government offer all schools in the United Kingdom access to specialised dyslexia tutors and assessors.
These specialists could readily identify students with learning difficulty needs. He is promoting a petition by the British Dyslexia Association requesting support from the government.
“Our current dyslexic Secretary of State for Health, Matt Hancock, would not be where he is today if he hadn’t received the support he needed in school.”
Matt Wallis, teacher and dyslexia campaigner.
Multi-sensory learning
Learning through teamwork and physical games are essential facets to school-based education for those with learning difficulties. Many tutors are unable to replicate these activities online or through video software such as Zoom.
Some students learn best through physical activity. Credit: Lukas / Pexels.
Hampstead Dyslexia Clinic tutor, Delia Gascoigne, is passionate about students gaining an education outside of the traditional classroom setting.
Delia argues that dyslexic students will continue to fall behind, regardless of remote education technology made available to teachers. In order to avoid this, she says that students must be able to access multi-sensory learning group activities.
Delia says “extracurricular activities are the basis of their strengths. After school, that’s where they can prove where their strengths are, rather than within a classroom.”
Even with the advent of new technology, questions remain as to whether London’s tutors can cater to all of the educational needs of dyslexic students this lockdown.