Special Educational Needs (Sen) Advanced - Qp5

Phonics teaching aims to help children learn and apply the alphabetic principle. This principle refers to the understanding that there are consistent and organized connections between written letters and the sounds they represent. By teaching phonics, children can develop the ability to decode and read words accurately, as well as spell words correctly. The alphabetic principle is fundamental to building strong reading and writing skills.

Memory is crucial for learning as it allows us to retain and retrieve information. Working memory refers to the temporary storage and manipulation of information while engaged in a task. Short-term memory is the ability to hold a small amount of information for a short period of time. Long-term memory is the storage of information over an extended period, allowing for retrieval at a later time. Dysfunctional memory is not a recognized type of memory and does not fit within the context of the question. Therefore, the correct answers are working memory, short-term memory, and long-term memory.

A child who struggles with fine motor skills may find it difficult to perform tasks that require precise control of their small muscles, such as holding a pen or pencil, using utensils, coloring within the lines, using scissors, or tying shoelaces. This can also affect their ability to run and jump, as these activities require coordination and control of their larger muscles. Therefore, the statement that a child with fine motor skill difficulties may find it hard to perform these tasks is true.

Decoding skills, which involve the ability to sound out and read words, are supported by phonic knowledge. Phonological awareness, which is the ability to recognize and manipulate the sounds in language, is divided into several sub-areas. These sub-areas include language sounds, which refers to the ability to recognize and differentiate between different sounds in language; rhyming, which involves identifying and producing words that have similar ending sounds; sound blending, which is the ability to combine individual sounds to form words; and phoneme manipulation, which involves manipulating individual sounds within words. Muscles skills, while important for speech production, are not directly related to decoding skills and phonological awareness.

Collaboration and sharing of information between parents and teachers is essential to the learning success of a dyspraxic child because it allows for consistent support and reinforcement of what is being taught at school. By sharing information, parents and teachers can ensure that they are on the same page regarding the child's learning needs, strategies, and progress. This collaboration helps create a cohesive learning environment, where the child receives consistent guidance and support both at school and at home.

Dyspraxic children may struggle with copying from the board due to a condition called "repositioning gaze." This means that their eyes have difficulty shifting focus from a near object to a far one quickly. As a result, they may have trouble visually processing information from the board and transferring it onto their own paper. Therefore, the statement "Some dyspraxic children may find it difficult to copy from the board because their eyes don't allow them to focus on a near object and then a far one immediately afterwards, this is called 'repositioning gaze'" is true.

Dyscalculics often struggle with quantity, making it difficult for them to understand and work with numbers. However, they may excel in understanding spoken language and have better visual abilities. This suggests that the statement is true.

Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLD) is a term used to describe a range of difficulties that often coexist in individuals. The five difficulties mentioned in the answer are commonly associated with SpLD. Dyslexia refers to reading and language processing difficulties, Dysgraphia refers to difficulties with writing, Dyspraxia refers to motor coordination difficulties, Dyscalculia refers to difficulties with numbers and calculations, and ADHD and ADD refer to attention and hyperactivity difficulties. These difficulties frequently overlap and can affect an individual's learning and academic performance.

The statement suggests that older pupils and adults with dyslexia may not necessarily have poor comprehension skills. While it is true that dyslexic learners typically struggle with reading and decoding, their comprehension skills can vary. Older individuals may have developed compensatory strategies to overcome their reading difficulties, allowing them to have good comprehension skills despite their dyslexia. Therefore, the statement is false.