A ground-breaking project which has had extraordinary success in helping
hundreds of dyslexic children and others struggling to read and write at primary
school is poised for a major expansion across Britain.
Springboard for Children, an education charity which now has the enthusiastic
backing of the British Dyslexia Association, has achieved a 90 per cent success
rate in returning children with severe literacy problems to mainstream
classrooms. The revolutionary scheme is being used in a dozen schools in
Manchester and London, and the plan is now to set the scheme up in 10 other
inner-city areas – bringing a lifeline to around 10,000 children suffering from
dyslexia and other difficulties with reading and writing.
Experts say there would be no shortage of volunteers for the programme, with
estimates putting the number of dyslexic pupils in state schools at more than
300,000. In addition, national curriculum tests for 11-year-olds show around
120,000 youngsters a year leave primary school failing to reach the required
standard in English. A recent survey by the National Union of Teachers showed
the majority of teachers (77 per cent) believe they are not well enough trained
to teach dyslexic pupils.
The secret of the scheme's success is getting immediate help to youngsters once
a reading problem is identified in their first term in primary school. Pupils
helped by the unit are normally selected by their schools by the end of their
first term.
Dyslexia is thought to be neurological in origin although there is also growing
evidence of a genetic link. Tens of thousands of parents have only realised that
their child may suffer from the condition when he or she falls behind in school.
The Springboard project, which has also transformed the reading and writing
skills of non-dyslexic children suffering severe literacy problems, relies on
intense one-on-one tuition for up to two years, during which a host of
innovative techniques are employed to improve the child's skills.
Volunteers are recruited to read and work with the children. Springboard also
uses a mixture of games and quizzes as well as reading to children to encourage
a love of learning among the pupils it helps.
In one session, children take part in a card game – matching up the names of
animals and objects on a dozen cards with those on a tray. If they get them all
right, the tray flips over to form a perfect pattern.
It works because pupils like eight-year-old Rachel Lomas, who has dyslexia,
finally get a sense of joy from reading if they succeed in making the pattern
after years of frustration and anguish in the classroom, experiencing at last a
sense of progress.
The most startling success has been achieved in Oliver Goldsmith primary school
in Peckham, south London – which serves one of the most deprived inner city
areas in the country – and was once on the "hit list" of failing schools
compiled by Ofsted, the education watchdog.
The scheme was launched by a local resident, Jane Hastings, who had become
concerned about literacy problems in the area and volunteered to teach at the
school. The school's pupils come mainly from a tough council estate nearby.
The school, which has 530 pupils, was in "special measures" – the phrase used to
describe those that have failed their inspection, but has now been taken off the
list. In their latest report on Oliver Goldsmith, inspectors concluded: "The
school has improved considerably since the last inspection."
One of the reasons for the success story has been the setting up of the
Springboard unit in the school – which now provides a guaranteed 70 hours of
one-to-one reading a year for 75 pupils singled out by the school as being in
need of special help.
Inspectors said of the unit: "Pupils respond well to the support given by the
Springboard charity which provides help in English and enjoy working in classes
and individually."
Mark Parsons, the school's headteacher, said: "It has made a significant
contribution to enabling us to improve educational standards and come off
special measures." Volunteers on the project now receive extensive training and
it is assisted by the British Dyslexia Association.
Springboard for Children is now launching a fund-raising drive to spread its
work to other inner city schools – called the "10/10" campaign because it aims
to start the project in 10 more cities within the next 10 years.
Brian Basham, a former journalist and management PR consultant who has worked to
improve resources for dyslexic pupils for years, is spearheading the funding
drive. He himself suffered from dyslexia while at school – a condition which
many teachers did not recognise at that time. He is planning to approach leading
city institutions for financial support within the next few months.
Springboard already receives financial aid from a variety of trusts and
charities – including some set up by businesses including HSBC in the Community
and the Company of Actuaries Charitable Trust Fund.
In a document outlining its plans for expansion, the charity says: "Children
develop peer group awareness at around age eight. It then becomes progressively
more difficult for them to learn almost anything that will help them make their
way in the world and hugely more expensive to provide teaching and support."
The end result of failure, Springboard for Children argues, can be seen in
prisons where 70 per cent of offenders are functionally illiterate. Children who
are functionally illiterate, it adds "stand a great risk of failing to gain
decent employment and of drifting into a life of poverty, anger against their
lot in life, addiction, crime, imprisonment and social alienation".
According to Janet Bristow, education director of the charity, referrals can be
made for a number of reasons. "Most of our schools have seen improved
standards," she said. "Ten years ago it was just in three schools. Now it is in
12.
"Children come and ask us if they can join. There is no social stigma attached
to coming to the unit – as might have been the case in the past with some
provision for those struggling to read".
The scheme that strips away fear and stigma
Eight-year-old Rachel Lomas's natural inclination is to read and write words
backwards – a symptom of her dyslexia.
She was selected for the Springboard unit at her school, Oliver Goldsmiths
primary in Peckham, south London, for specialist help.
Rachel is slightly older than the average pupil at the unit – but her tutor,
Claire Collins, is in no doubt that it has been able to help her to catch up on
her reading and writing skills.
She receives two hours of one-to-one tuition a week. She most enjoys the use of
games to stimulate her interest in learning.
She is given 12 cards with the names of animals or objects which she then has to
marry with 12 different images on a tray – and is asked by her tutor to spell
out the name of the image that she is placing on the tray.
If she gets all 12 correct, she can flip the tray over and find a perfect
pattern has been formed. If any of her answers are incorrect, then she can try
again until she does form the perfect pattern.
The scheme strips away the fear and stigma, to the extent that children at the
unit are proud enough of their achievements to have their photographs taken
while learning in it.
