6. Student case study - expressive language literacy difficulty

Name: Charlotte      Age 15    Setting: Mainstream Secondary School

Strengths: 
• has sporting ability and represents her school in running and netball competitions 
• enjoys practical based subjects- has chosen Art and Technology as KS4 options 
• sociable and polite 
• recognised for her maturity and ability to take on responsibilities

Areas of need:
• Weak working memory and sequencing skills 
• difficulties talking in detail and providing specific information 
• word finding difficulties 
• history of speech clarity and processing difficulties 
• weak phonological skills affecting the development of literacy (reading, spelling and writing)

Impact on learning: 
• delayed literacy skills - reading age approximately 7-8 years 
• delayed basic numeracy skills- unable to remember mathematical facts such as multiplication 
• difficulty organising and recording ideas

Impact on social development: 
• usually quiet and reluctant to join in discussions or conversations other than with familiar people 
• can be chatty when talking about soaps, gossiping with friends

Emotional behaviour: 
• lacks confidence in learning situations 
• can be reluctant in new situations

Organisational: 
• often needs rehearsal in small groups before talking at whole class level

Key strategies: 
• provide planning and rehearsal opportunities to support group discussion 
• provide additional opportunities to talk with adults and support small group speaking and listening 
• pre-teach and support recall of specific vocabulary and use of words in sentences 
• provide visual planning frameworks to support spoken and written language 
• provide alternative recording methods 
• simultaneously provide a specific literacy programme to maintain progress