insideKENT Magazine Issue 20 - Sep/Oct 2013 | Page 34

EDUCATION IN ASSOCIATION WITH Bethany School Francie Healy, headmaster at Bethany School, comments on learning styles. Everybody is different and each pupil has his or her own style. This applies to so many things, from speech and movement to writing and learning. Commentators refer to a range of ‘learning styles’ and often label children as visual, audio or kinaesthetic learners, when in fact they may be all three, but in different proportions as they develop and grow. Teachers understand that because children learn in different ways, a series of adjustments need to be made in each lesson so that each child can learn to the best of their ability. That is why getting to know each child as an individual lies at the heart of good teaching. Pupils decode information in different ways. Some bene?t from key words being written in different colours, where the colours represent aspects of the sentence or place signi?cance on particular terminology and others bene?t from having words read out to them as they read, or by doing this themselves. Some children can categorise and prioritise lists of information in their head, whilst others work more effectively moving information cards or objects around with their hands. Learning needs to be a multi-sensory and aesthetic, rather than mono-sensory or anaesthetic experience, because we use all of our senses to learn. Bethany School is a perfect example of how dyslexic pupils not only access, but ?ourish in a mainstream school. There is a misconception about empathetic dyslexic teaching. Good dyslexic teaching is simply good teaching. Some of our most creative, musical, dramatic, sporting and academic pupils are dyslexic — it is an obstacle not a barrier. Obstacles exist in life to be overcome and within our warm, supportive and nurturing environment, we enable our pupils to achieve what many thought was impossible before they started at Bethany. Recognising that one can learn in a different way can be wonderfully liberating. www.bethanyschool.org.uk 34 www.insidekentmagazine.co.uk