STLD consults with class teacher to discuss best options – team teaching, individual programs, homework program:

What type of program will the class teacher and STLD decide to use once the child has been assessed?:

The type of program established depends on:

•	The needs of the child
•	The time the STLD has available
•	The availability of volunteer tutors
•	The family support the child has after school

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Option 1:

The STLD at work in the classroom – Team Teaching:

Team teaching within the classroom has many benefits:

•	The class program is being taught, supported by the STLD.
•	More children have assistance within the time available.
•	Targeted children do not become stigmatised by being withdrawn. In the early years of school children enjoy withdrawal, but by about Yr 4, many can feel embarrassed by it.
•	Class work is corrected immediately.
•	The class teacher can observe the strategies used by the STLD, thereby receiving informal training.
•	The STLD becomes familiar with the class program and is able to follow it up in a variety of ways.
•	It enables the STLD as well as the classroom teacher to take advantage of spontaneous situations.

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Option 2:

Individual program implemented by volunteer tutors:

An individual program is a program that has been designed to meet specific student needs. It is administered in a one tutor-one child situation.

Using individual programs implemented by volunteer tutors enables the child to have practice in reading skills up to 4 days per week.

 

The contents of a typical individual program would include:

•	Phonemic Awareness – beginning sounds, end sounds, rhyming words
•	Sight words
•	Macquarie word attack probes
•	Spelling
•	Oral reading
•	Homework may be given.

A program such as this would run for 35 – 40 minutes.

 

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Option 3:

Home programs:

If there are a limited number of tutors, a support program administered at home is another alternative. Here, the parent becomes the tutor.

This can be a successful way to assist children who need extra help with spelling, with sight words and with fluency in oral reading.

 

When establishing a home program, the STLD:

•	Contacts parents and discusses the feasibility of establishing the program. The parents need to be committed to the program and need to have time to administer it.
•	Sets up meetings with the parents and provides training in administering the programs.
•	Takes the time to reinforce the advantages that the parents will provide for their child by implementing the program.
•	Monitors the program weekly and rewards child’s effort;
•	Maintains regular contact with the parents to ensure continued support and success;
•	Re-assesses student regularly and records progress.

 

Contents of a home program:

•	Spelling: Various programs can be used such as Essential Spelling Program, word reading work sheets from Bathurst District Special Education Unit.
•	Sight Words: – Johnson Sight Words   – Armidale Sight Words   – Bathurst Sight Words   – Survival Words   – Maths Word Lists   – Community Sight Words   – Secondary Word List   – Secondary Science Vocabulary
•	Word Attack Probes
•	Text Reading: A levelled passage reading program is used in a home program to develop accuracy, fluency and comprehension. One such program is Let’s Read.

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STLD recruits and trains tutors to implement programs:

•	The STLD, along with the school reading coordinator, recruits tutors.
•	A volunteer tutor meeting is organised.
•	The STLD, reading coordinator and available class teachers meet with the volunteer tutors. They outline the importance of matching children to text, giving children lots of practice in reading skills and reading books.
•	The Pause, Prompt, Praise method of tutoring is demonstrated using the MULTILIT Supported Reading Program.
•	The STLD trains his/her volunteer tutors in the specific programs that he / she will be using
•	The STLD keeps in contact with the tutors as they administer the programs. This may be done by phone as well as face to face. The aim of the STLD is to encourage and advise the tutors and listen to their concerns. Further group meetings are organised throughout the year.

 

STLD monitors the programs:

While tutors are of great assistance in administering a program established by the STLD, it must be remembered that the tutors are not teachers. The STLD needs to monitor each program weekly, checking each child’s progress and setting new work.

 

STLD provides feedback to teachers:

As the classroom teacher is working with the child most of the time and has overall responsibility for the child’s learning, it is essential that the STLD provide regular feedback. The class teacher needs to know what progress is being made and how he / she can help.

At the same time, the STLD encourages the class teacher to provide him/her with feedback about what is happening in the classroom.

Questions asked might include:

•	Is there a growth in confidence and a greater willingness to read?
•	Is there a transference of skills from the individualised situation to the classroom situation?
•	Are there any problems in administering the program?

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STLD liaises with parents:

•	The STLD liaises with the parents of all children on individual programs.
•	Parents need feedback so that they can encourage and support their child.
•	Establishing contact with parents encourages communication so that parents feel confident approaching both the class teacher and the STLD in regard to their child’s progress.
•	When a parent is kept informed of their child’s progress on the individual program they generally feel confident that their child’s needs are being attended to and are often encouraged to contribute assistance to the school’s programs at school, at home or both.
•	When a child is on a home program, the need for liaison is particularly important as the parent needs to be the tutor and run the individual program.

 

STLD refers case back to the school’s Learning Support Team as appropriate:

If the STLD believes that a child may benefit from outside programs or further assessment by a counsellor, speech pathologist or another specialist, he/she will refer the case to the schools Learning Support Team. The Learning Support Team will discuss the case, make recommendations, draw up plans of action and decide who will implement the plans. The Team will continue to monitor the case until there is a resolution.

 

 

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