LSP Newsletter
Language Suppor t Program
We s t e r n M e t r o p o l i t a n Re g i o n
30th October-Early Years Regional Forum Report
Our third annual LSP Forum was recently held at VU Convention Centre and
was well attended by teachers and SSSOs from across the region. We focused on
the Early Years in the morning, and Middle Years later in the day. John Vincent
and Jo Evans from SPELD (Specific Learning Difficulties of Victoria) provided a
practical presentation on software to support language learning in the Early Years.
ICT offers a multisensory approach to teaching and learning, with explicit teaching
being the key to successful outcomes. It is amazing the range of software that is
available to support students with language difficulties, including: Textease,
Clicker 5, 2 Create a Story, WordShark 4 and Kidspiration. More information is
available from SPELD www.speldvic.org.au/
Once again we heard from schools in our region on approaches to LSP implementation. Vanessa Foster –Lucia, LSP coordinator and classroom teacher, from
St. Albans East P.S, presented ‘A Whole School Approach to LSP’, highlighting
successes and challenges experienced by her school. Vanessa showed some examples of her language teaching practice to be featured in the yet to be released Language Support Program Resource Package DVD.
November 2008
Inside this issue:
Regional
Forum
Report
1
What’s
happening
in WMR
1
Fourth
grade
slump
2
Contacts
2
Naomi Leahy, speech pathologist, from Caroline Springs College presented
‘Which program?.....LSP Program’. She described the differing approaches to
targeted language teaching the school has trialled over the last three years, and
how outcomes are guiding their future program development.
Sue Williamson, Prep-2 literacy coordinator, and Ed Gillian, speech pathologist, from Mackellar P.S. described their award winning Basic Concepts Program.
Sue and Ed have developed a program targeting essential concepts required
across the prep curriculum. The Basic Concepts Program has contributed to improvement in students’ literacy and numeracy outcomes.
Western Metropolitan Region would like to thank the presenters for their
contribution to the regional implementation of the Language Support Program.
The sharing of experiences provides schools with a greater insight into the possibilities and value of the program.
What's happening in WMR in 2009
TERM 1
TERM 2
• SSO Workshop at VU
Tentative Training Dates:
Wednesday 26th March
(Introductory session for SSOs
new to the LSP )
• Primary Schools
Thursday 30th April, 7th and 14th
May at VU
• Secondary Schools
Monday 25th May,
Thursday 28th May and Monday
1st June at VU
Handy Websites
www.kizclub.com/
www.starfall.com/
www.gamequarium.com/
partsofspeech.html
www.picsearch.com/
A synonym is a word you
use when you can’t spell
the word you first
thought of.”
-- Burt Bacharach
The Language Support Program……….implications for reading success……………
Many of the theories of the fourth grade slump relate to students having insufficient vocabulary and
language skills to comprehend text beyond the early years. Early detection of language difficulties is vital
to ensure students can be equipped with the necessary skills to make the shift from learning to read to
reading to learn. Read on to learn more from the DEECD website ……….
VELS level 3 – Fourth grade slump in Reading
http://www.education.vic.gov.au/studentlearning/teachingresources/english/literacy/
concepts/4kcfourthgrade.htm
Causes of the Fourth-Grade Slump: Theories
Chall and Stanovich
One possible reason for the fourth-grade slump may stem from lack of fluency and automaticity – quick
and accurate recognition of words and phrases. Lack of fluency tends to result in students reading less
and avoiding more difficult materials (Chall, 1983, 1996; Stanovich, 1986).
An explanation for this reported difficulty with word meanings at about the fourth-grade might be that
the words at fourth grade and above are less familiar. Although the student’s language seemed to have
been sufficient for the first three grades, they were not prepared to meet the challenge of the greater number of abstract, technical, and literary words characteristic of the reading materials of grades 4 and beyond. Such language – often termed Literary and Abstract – is more complex than that used by students
in everyday, oral interaction.
Hirsch
Hirsch (2003) states that with recent, extensive, solid data on children’s early language development, the
effects of the fourth-grade slump are in fact there, unmeasured, in earlier grades.
A large language gap – not just a reading gap – between advantaged and disadvantaged students exists also
in third-grade, not to mention second, first, and even earlier.
Hirsch also presents the belief that reading tests make the comprehension gap seem much greater in
fourth-grade because the tests used in earlier grades are heavily focused on testing early reading skills (like
decoding) and do not try to measure the full extent of the vocabulary differences between the groups.
Chall and Jacobs
Chall and Jacobs (2003) suggest a focus on vocabulary to expand students’ word knowledge along with
fluency and automaticity instruction. By honing these skills, students can identify words and their meanings instantly so their cognitive capacity can be used solely for comprehension of connected text.
They emphasise that students in the early grades who seem proficient in narrative reading comprehension, despite having deficits in word meaning and word recognition, will likely suffer later. They state:
“Because of the developmental nature of reading, the later one waits to strengthen weaknesses, the more
difficult it is for the children to cope with the increasing literacy demands in the later grades.”
Language Trivia
At 45 letters, "pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis," which
refers to a lung disease, is often considered the longest word in
English.
LSP Regional Facilitators Contact Details
Mary Kanaris: [email protected]
Keryn Rose:
[email protected]
WMR office Tuesday and Thursday (if not presenting) Phone: 9291 6528