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| |  Image above is Oil on water by rsbc Dear Member | Guild Gallery September 2014 The e-newsletter for all the Dyslexia Guild Members. I hope you had a relaxing summer and are ready to take on new challenges with our CPD course offerings, see below. We held the Guild conference "Dyslexia and Co-occuring Difficulties: Exploring Aspects of Performance", which was a great success and we have been busy booking the next one to be held on 18 June at the School of African and Oriental Studies in Bloomsbury, London, so save the date in your diary. Registration will open as soon as we have full details. For more information please Click Here More details here New Guild Members Page: We have created a new Guild Member's area so you can find all your guild benefits in one place. Please login Here and you will see a Guild Membership Menu on the left hand side of the home page. If you have any problems with logins please contact us at guildforums@dyslexiaaction.org.uk or call us on 01784 222346. I do hope you find the following news items of interest.
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| Upcoming Courses Postgraduate Programme Starts January 2015 book now! The aim of these online programmes, that run three times a year, is to train teachers and support tutors to become 
informed, skilled practitioners who understand the theory and practice of teaching and/or assessment of dyslexic learners of all ages (we have three start dates per year in September, January and May). If you would like to undertake full diagnostic assessments, our Postgraduate Diploma Programme is highly recommended and will make you eligible for Assessment Practising Certificate application. |
CPD Programme Short Courses starting 19 November 2014 20-30 hours of study over 6 weeks Dyslexia Action's Continuing Professional Development Level 4 and 5 online courses have been designed specifically for: Classroom Teachers, Teaching Assistants, Tutors working with those under the age of 18 The Dyslexia Action Level 4 and 5 CPD Programme consists of independent Unit courses, most of which may be taken individually (start dates throughout the year). You can build up these units over time to gain Awards and then a Certificate (two Awards).
Our online courses offer flexible learning to fit around your lifestyle. Dyslexia Action have been awarded with formal CPD acreditation by The CPD Standards Office, Professional Development Consortium.
Supporting Adults Programme 
Start dates 19 November 2014, 28 January 2015, 8 July 2015 This programme is suitable for those working with Adults (16+) in any education setting or adult training environment including Adult, Further or Higher Education, Offender units and the workplace. The Dyslexia Action Level 4 Supporting Adults Programme consists of independent Unit courses, most of which may be taken individually (start dates throughout the year). You can build up these units over time to gain an Award.
Our units are either 2 Dyslexia Action credits (20 hours of learning time required over a 6 week period) or 3 Dyslexia Action credits (30 hours of learning time required over a 6 week period). To meet the needs of individal learners.
Dyslexia Action International Programme Start dates in November 2014, January and March 2015 International Courses are designed specifically for practitioners who are based outside of the UK. The Level 4 and Level 5 International Programme courses are designed to strengthen the expertise and confidence of international teachers, teaching assistants and support professionals in order to ensure the progress and achievement of learners with Dyslexia/SpLD from Elementary/ Primary age through to Adult.
In order to participate in the course you should be living outside of the UK and be working with English speaking learners. Our online courses provide flexibility for learning which enables studying to be fitted around your commitments. This programme replaces the former Dyslexia Action Hornsby: Alpha to Omega course.
News Disabled Students' Allowance Student Support Information Notes A new Student Support Information Notes (SSINs) has been published on the SLC Practitioner website to provide further information regarding the changes to Disabled Students’ Allowances (DSA), for students applying for DSA for the first time in academic year 2015/16. More details are available from this link below: Read this story Here
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| Student Finance Company and BIS Non-Medical Helper Service Manual | The Student Loans Company (SLC) and the Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) ‘Non-Medical Help Services Reference Manual’ have introduced this year as a standardised framework of activity descriptors and cost bands for Non-Medical Helper (NMH) services funded through the Disabled Students Allowance (DSA) for English students. For HEI Disability Advisers and external providers of support services it provides guidelines on the types of non-medical help services and activities which may be funded under DSAs, the cost bands within which each activity is located and the appropriate qualifications and/or skills and/or training required to undertake each activity. For Non-Medical Helpers this manual provides a clear picture of what support they are expected to provide within the particular recommendation and the appropriate qualifications and/or skills and/or training required to undertake each activity. For disabled students who employ their own non-medical helpers it provides a clear indication of the type of work that their non-medical helpers should undertake and the appropriate qualifications and/or skills and/or training required to perform each activity. In addition, all disabled students, whether or not they are employing their own non-medical helpers, can use the manual to understand the kind of support they can expect to receive and feel confident that it falls within a national framework. For assessors this Manual provides information on how non-medical help work should be described and categorised when recommended and charged to DSA. This will help assessors formulate their assessments in accordance with a national framework. Needs Assessment Centres - will need to use the new activity descriptors in all needs assessment reports and requests for changes to support made on or after 31 March 2014. HEI Disability Advisers - will need to use the new activity descriptors in all requests for changes to support made on or after 31 March 2014. NMH providers - will need to ensure invoices for support provided match the activity descriptors used within the needs assessment report.
Conferences23 October 2014 Alternative Provision in Education London, UK 11 November 2014 Shaping the Developing Brain: Prenation through Early Childhood New York, USA 01 November 2014 Making Research in Second Language Acquisition Usable for Instruction and Instructors Athens, Greece 04 and 11 November 2014 NADP Supporting Students with Mental Health Issues London and Manchester 12 November 2014 International Symposium on Education and Psychology Tokyo, Japan 14 November 2014 Global Conference on Education Las Vegas, USA 14 November 2014 Taylor's 7th Teaching and Learning Conference Malaysia
The TES SEN Show 2014 10 to 11 October 2014 at the Business Design Centre in London The UK's largest dedicated special educational needs show is back this Autumn with more advice, inspiration and information for school leaders, teachers, support staff, parents and carers. Remember to drop by the Dyslexia Action stand to catch up with our latest training offers, get some advice, talk to our shop representatives or just say hello! For more details click here
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| Research News | | | Children who play short video games are well adjusted Scientists found young people who spent less than an hour a day engaged in video games were better adjusted than those who did not play at all. 
Experimental psychologist Dr Andrew Przybylski analysed British surveys involving 5,000 young people aged 10 to 15 years old. The research is published in the journal Pediatrics. Some 75% of those questioned said they played video games daily. Children were asked to quantify how much time they spent gaming on a typical school day - using consoles or computers. - Satisfaction with their lives
- How well they got on with peers
- How likely they were to help people in difficulty
- Levels of hyperactivity and inattention
The answers were combined to assess levels of psychological and social adjustment. When compared with all other groups, including those who played no video games at all, young people reporting under an hour of play each day were most likely to say they were satisfied with their lives and showed the highest levels of positive social interactions. The group also had fewer problems with emotional issues and lower levels of hyperactivity. Dr Przybylski points out that though the effect of video games on children is statistically significant in this study, factors such as the strength of family relationships play a larger role. Dr Iroise Dumontheil, of Birkbeck, University of London, who was not involved in the research, said: "Other studies have shown that playing first-person shooter games, but not other types, can lead to increased visuospatial processing and memory abilities. "Further research would help to determine whether particular types of game help or hinder adolescents as they adjust to the changes they experience during development." For more on this story Click Here
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| Dyscalculia linked to difficulties in reading and spellingResearchers at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet (LMU) in Munich now show that these children are also more likely to exhibit deficits in reading and spelling than had been previously suspected.  These figures emerge from a new study carried out by LMU researchers led by Professor Gerd Schulte-Körne, Director of the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, which has just been published. The data are based on tests carried out on 1633 third- and fourth-graders in schools in the Munich area. In addition, the new study reveals that gender also appears to play a role in determining susceptibility to specific learning disorders, says Schulte-Körne: While deficits in spelling are more prevalent among boys, girls are more likely to display dyscalculia. Reading difficulties, on the other hand, appear to be equally prevalent in both sexes. The reasons for these striking findings remain unclear. Schulte-Körne suspects that biological factors are responsible, given that the learning environments experienced by both sexes are very similar. For more details Click Here
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Phonics Technique has a positive impact on literacy Children taught to read using phonics techniques have achieved "very high" results, according to new research, which cited the example of a seven-year-old boy able to read and spell to the level of a 13-year-old. The results of the study, by the educational psychologist Marlynne Grant, are a vindication of the widespread introduction of synthetic or blended phonics in schools in England since 2010. The method teaches children to read by identifying and pronouncing sounds rather than individual letters. For more on this report Click Here
Happiness levels fall as children get older New data and a report called "Measure what you treasure", looked at levels of well-being in 11 to 16 year olds. It was gathered over the last three years by more than 50 participating charities, using the NPC's Well-being Measure and looking at eight criteria: self-esteem; emotional well-being; resilience; friends; family; community; school; and life satisfaction. Finding include that: - Boys and girls both grow more dissatisfied with their lives as they get older, with girls' happiness falling significantly faster than boys'
- Girls' self-esteem falls away consistently, while boys' remains much more stable
- Girls' emotional well-being declines consistently from the age of 12, while boys' remains much more stable during their teenage years
For more on the report click here
Health and Disability in medical education and training The General Medical Council have published a range of information resources as part of the review of health and disability in medical education and training to help both disabled students and training providers. The statement on health and disability in medical education and training inlcudes a summary of legal advice on reasonable adjustments and competence standards. Details are available here
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| Reading news Learning Strategies could be key for Dyslexic pupils
Many researchers say that the biggest problem for dyslexic children is not so much their condition, but that the current system – with its emphasis on memorising facts and meeting fixed milestones at young ages – leads them to lose confidence and their willingness to try. It's something the Mind Research Institute in California is looking to tackle by implementing a new system of learning for primary school children. This revolves round interactive puzzles and games, which ask probing questions, and crucially, are designed to engage the brain's natural learning mechanisms. Learning through doing connects the back lobes of our brain – involved in sensing the environment – to the cognitive, emotional, and memory networks in the frontal areas. This "perception-action cycle" is the driving force behind learning. And it depends on making mistakes, recognising them, and then adjusting. To find out more, please Click Here
| Technology 10 Free digital tools for educators and students This blog gives a list of free education tools with a brief description of what they do. More details here
Digital Literacy may protect against cognitive declineResearchers have found that the ability to engage, plan, and execute digital actions such as web browsing and exchanging emails, is an independent protective factor against cognitive decline. 
The effect of digital literacy was independent of age and socio-economic status, suggesting that digital literacy increases cognitive reserve or improves efficiency of cognitive networks to delay decline. Read more on this story
Dyslexia Action pioneers project using digital highligher pen An innovative technological support scheme to help dyslexic students is being launched nationwide this month. The project, which will reach up to 200 dyslexic students, is designed to evaluate the benefits of using technology in Special Education Needs (SEN) teaching through the use of the C-Pen TS1 digital highlighter. Technology manufacturer C Technologies is donating its C-Pen to Dyslexia Action classrooms and will provide training to the charity’s specialist SEN teachers as part of a three-month pilot. Read more on this story
Work for Dyslexia Action For job opportunities with Dyslexia Action please see our latest vacancies: Click Here For more details about job descriptions or applications contact: recruitment@dyslexiaaction.org.uk
Next Issue The next issue of Guild Gallery will be sent out December 2014.
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