Motivating Socially Excluded People to Improve Their Literacy: Methods of engagement and skills development for support providers
A LiteracyActionNet event presented by Lemos&Crane working with the JJ Charitable Trust
Programme Part 1
10.00 Introduction
• Gerard Lemos, LiteracyActionNet Project Director
10.15 Dyslexia, socially excluded adults and homeless people • Steve O’Brien, Dyslexia Foundation
• Julia Olisa, Thames Reach
11.30 Refreshments
11.45 Social housing tenants and the wider community • Andrew Church, Cambridge Housing Society
• Libby Coleman, Yes we can read
2.00 Young people at risk •Martin Stephenson, Unitas
•Gerry Thompson, Positive Comedy Training 3.00 Prisoners and ex-offenders
• Joe Baden, Goldsmiths University
• Jon Potter, Company Paradiso, with special guests Shaun and John Hegley
4.10 Awards
• LiteracyActionNet Awards
• What’s Your Great Idea? 4.20 Departures
Steve O’Brien
Chief Executive Officer
Dyslexia Foundation
‘Dyslexia, socially
excluded adults and
homeless people’
www.dyslexia-help.org
24 Edward Pavilion
Albert Dock
Liverpool
Its not a new trend..!!!
Athenian Gazzette
(London, England)
Saturday,
August 26
1693
issue 14
C.Collinson, ‘Strange Beings’ and ‘Extraordinary Creatures’: the conceptual model of ‘Lexism’ and its English historical
Dyslexia Research and
Milestones
•
1877 Kussmaul
•
1892 Dejerine
•
1896 Morgan
•
1917 Hinshelwood
•
1924 Orton
Social Cost………
• Truancy initiatives between 1997-2006, worth £650m increased truancy by 50%
• The average response cost in dealing with the behaviour of a young offender around £52,000
• Young People & Crime (1996) estimated that public services spent around £1 billion a year on processing and dealing with offending
• 84,000 in Prison £35,000+ a year
• Learning issues (learning disabilities) may represent a significant contributing factor to high rate of birth to school-age girls in the United States
• The Audit Commission has concluded, of the £3.6 billion special needs budget, 70% is spent on preparing and
Changing View of Disabilities
The LD affects other disabilities…
The adult with LD has protections under
the DDA.
The LD affects AD/HD…
The LD affects social skills…
The LD affects problem solving
skills… The LD affects
workplace skills…
The LD affects child care…
The LD affects transportation… The LD affects mental
health and depression…
The LD affects literacy skills…
The LD affects the family…
Co morbid Learning
Disabilities
•
Dyspraxia
•
Dysphasia
•
Dyscalculia
•
Dysgraphia
•
Asperger syndrome
•
ADD
•
ADHD
•
Bi Polar
•
Social Skills Disorder
Engaging Socially Excluded
adults
•
Train advocates
•
Advocate Network
•
Free Dyslexia
Computer
Screening
•
Free Dyslexia
Adult
Assessment
Skills Funding Agency
Small Steps Project
•
15 people pre basic skills
•
Free screening & assessment
•
Foundation Course
•
Degree
Technologies & Funding
•
Screen Reader
•
Speech Input
•
Mind Maps
•
Coloured
lens/overlays
•
1-1 teaching
•
Prescriptive
technology
•
ALN & ASN
•
Employment Advisors
fund
•
Access to Work
•
Disability Students
Allowance
24 Edward Pavilion Albert Dock
Liverpool L3 4AF
Employment Help line 0800 077 8764 Education Help line 0800 077 8763
Administration number 0151 709 0545
Skype: ste-obrien
Facebook: Dyslexia Foundation
Julia Olisa
Thames Reach
TURNING THE KEY
Portraits of low literacy amongst people
with experience of homelessness. A Thames Reach action research report and toolkit.
Low literacy and homelessness: Relationships
The last straw?
Causal chain?
Low literacy
A trajectory of
disadvantage
Low literacy
Childhood experiences
More likely to
•
come from low income homes
Low literacy
Adulthood
More likely to be disadvantaged in their
•
training and employment opportunities
•
housing conditions
Low literacy and homelessness:
An exploration of prevalence,
Method
A questionnaire was given during interviews to:
•
101 people in supported housing
•
91 males, 10 females
Reading Skills
•
9%
-
serious reading difficulties
•
38%
-
trouble understanding text
Reading habits
•
20% never or rarely read books, newspapers,
magazines
•
51% never read books
BUT
•
74% frequently read newspapers/magazines
Writing Skills
46%
-
general writing problems
52%
-
difficulties with written
expression
40%
-
weak or no spelling ability
Dyslexia can
magnify
difficulties
Learning the
written code
Working
memory
Fluency of
processing
Dyslexia
Dyslexia screening items in the
questionnaire proved unreliable:
substance abuse
Difficulties in context
55%
form-filling
46%
letter-writing
17%
contact with family/friends
Employment
Low literacy as a key factor in their:
28%
inability to find jobs
25%
reduced access to training for
employment
Future Learning
60%
still wished to improve their
literacy skills
TURNING THE KEY
A Toolkit for Support
“I picked up the urgency in his
voice, and this made me freeze.
He told me where to find the
information, but I couldn’t process
what I had to do that quickly and I
panicked.”
Toolkit
3 steps for key working
Step 1
Identification of literacy
strengths and needs
Step 2
Accessible key working
Step 1: Identifying literacy skills
Discussion
tool
Question Action
1. Background • English first language? • Glasses? • Dyslexia? 2. Confidence in everyday literacy skills • Forms • Letters • Transport • Shopping 3. Support • Previous
experiences
Step 1: Identifying literacy skills
Discussion with service user
Skill spots
Things I can do independently
Support tip
Support tip
Skill gaps
Things I need
help to do
Step 2: Accessible key working
Anxiety Reading Listening and
understanding Organisation
• Easy things first
• A safe space to practise • Reinforce success • Clear language • Fonts
• Bullet points
• Be explicit
• Info in short chunks
• Time to reflect
• Visual
reminders
• Repeat main points
• Diary use
• Prioritising
Step 3: Signposting and support
Overcoming barriers
1. Why does the service user want to improve
literacy?
2. Build confidence to get started.
3. Help to maintain motivation.
4. Support from other services might be needed.
5. Ensure access to information on resources and
Readiness to learn
Practical hurdles and solutions
Attendance
Travel
Homework
Distractibility
Learning at the pace of the group
Step 3: Discussion tool
Question Answer
I want to improve my skills
because …
I would like to learn …
Preference:
•
Group/on my
own/online
•
Day/evening
To succeed, changes I will
need to make in my life …
e.g. cutting down on
drinking; make time for
homework; etc.
Turning the Key
www.thamesreach.org.uk
Publications
John and Paul
Andrew Church
Community Investment Manager
Cambridge Housing Society
‘I have always wanted to learn computers and improve myself and to help my daughter as she
grows up – but never really pushed myself to do this – until one day my door bell rang and this lady
asked if I would be interested in learning about
computers. I told her I would love to but I don’t have one. She told me I could do it in my own home as she would loan me one. It was one of the best
opportunities I have ever taken up. Thanks to Sarah my literacy has improved and I have learned more that I ever thought I would. Now I am more
‘I have always wanted to learn computers and improve myself and to help my daughter as she
grows up – but never really pushed myself to do this – until one day my door bell rang and this lady
asked if I would be interested in learning about
computers. I told her I would love to but I don’t have one. She told me I could do it in my own home as she would loan me one. It was one of the best
opportunities I have ever taken up. Thanks to Sarah my literacy has improved and I have learned more that I ever thought I would. Now I am more
‘I have always wanted to learn computers and improve myself and to help my daughter as she
grows up – but never really pushed myself to do this – until one day my door bell rang and this lady
asked if I would be interested in learning about
computers. I told her I would love to but I don’t have one. She told me I could do it in my own home as she would loan me one. It was one of the best
opportunities I have ever taken up. Thanks to Sarah
my literacy has improved and I have learned more that I ever thought I would. Now I am more
‘I have always wanted to learn computers and improve myself and to help my daughter as she grows up – but never really pushed myself to do this – until one day my door bell rang and this lady asked if I would be interested in learning about
computers. I told her I would love to but I don’t have one. She told me I could do it in my own
‘I have always wanted to learn computers and improve myself and to help my daughter as she
grows up – but never really pushed myself to do this – until one day my door bell rang and this lady
asked if I would be interested in learning about
computers. I told her I would love to but I don’t have one. She told me I could do it in my own home as
she would loan me one. It was one of the best opportunities I have ever taken up. Thanks to
Listen and
deliver:
To encourage
people to tell
us their views,
to listen
carefully to
them and to
Inspire:
Coproduction: seen it, done it? Think again
I am (a little) overweight and you can tell me, measure me, get a grant or even better a contract and try to persuade me, create lovely posters, run fabulous sessions but until I want to do
something about it there isn't actually a demand for your wares irrespective of whether you have identified the need or not.
Coproduction is a way of building demand from, by, and with. We are attempting to establish a much firmer footing for
providing services that are alive and thrive and not a range of
products aimed at meeting unclaimed needs that need to be sold to a disconnected 'end-user'.
It will be challenging, it will mean conducting ourselves in ways which reinforce the value in all and, we will have to invite
everyone to play their part in ways that we have never done before.
Sam Hopley is chief executive of the Holy Cross Centre Trust which has been delivering coproduced services for the past four years
What we’ve learned
Responding to demand may address
needs
Listening carefully to people
Giving front-line employees freedom to
Libby Coleman
Founder
Yes we can read
From UNICEF:
A billion people in the 21st century are
unable to read a book or write their
From the Basic Skills Agency
’
s Report by
Anthony Moser:
From The British Dyslexia Society:
From The Shannon Trust:
The Department for Children, Schools and Families:
2009
In 885 primary schools, over half the
eleven-year-olds failed to reach the standard of
English required to cope with the secondary
curriculum.
2008
Success Stories
Louise Richards
South Wales Valleys Literature Development Initiative
The Academi is the Welsh Literature Promotion Agency and
Society for Authors. The Academi works with the support of the Arts Council of Wales and the Welsh Assembly
Government
The Arts Council of Wales’ 2010 Investment Review has
designated Academi as one of six national companies, each representing different artform genres. The Academi is the Arts Council’s agent to develop and implement literature activity.
In addition, the Academi runs events, competitions (including
the Cardiff International Poetry Competition), conferences, international exchanges, events for schools, lectures and festival. Academi is also responsible for the National Poet of Wales project and the Encyclopaedia of Wales. Academi was a recipient of an Arts Council of Wales Beacon Company
Three years in seven Authorities: Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend, Caerphilly, Merthyr
Tydfil, Monmouthshire, Rhondda Cynon Taff and Torfaen
The Geographical area covers 2586 square miles with a
population of approximately 979,000
It is an area with an extremely high deprivation index
falling within the top 10% of Lower Super Output Areas
One fifth of the adults living in the areas have no formal
qualifications and 27% claim jobseekers or disability allowance
Low literacy rates (50-60%) are a key factor in these
Sport
Scott Quinnell
Welsh Rugby Legend and Captain
Quick Reads Title
Cardiff City
Football Club
All Skilled Up
Boxing Beats
Welsh National Opera
Ramblers
Venture Out
Poetry and Walking
Mental Health
Healing Words
Head4Arts, GARTH, Arts Alive
New Horizons
Arriva Trains
Expressions Day
Hafal
Heddfan Carers
Support Project
Heddfan
Day
Conferences
Space Time Machine & Monster
Sci Fi, Fantasy & Horror
Writing Aloud
Merthyr Literary Day
Celebrated Authors
Criminal Intent
Crime Writing
Women Writers Day
Community
Poems
Greenmeadow Farm Adult Learners Day Abergavenny Food
Festival Poem
Specific
Housebound writers
Six Book Challenge
Gypsy Traveller History Month
Home Educated Support Group
Academi
Mount Stuart House
Mount Stuart Square
Cardiff
CF10 5FQ
02920 472266
www.academi.org
Discussion Point:
What projects do you know about that have
successfully motivated people to improve their
literacy skills?
Young people at risk
Gerry Thompson
Positive Comedy Training
Joe Baden
Open Book Co-ordinator, Goldsmiths University
Jon Potter
Creative Director
Company Paradiso
John Hegley
New Ballads of Reading Jail
Presented as part of the LiteracyActionNet project,
commissioned by and working with the JJ Charitable
Trust, and delivered in partnership with Dyslexia
Action and the National Literacy Trust:
•
Over 40 entries received from across the UK
•
13 shortlisted entries
•
Votes and comments from practitioners
Runners-up
Cambridgeshire County Council
‘You are words’
Oldham Lifelong Learning Service
and Oldham Library Service
’Family Learning Book Review Project’
HMP & YOI Low Newton
‘Learning shop’
Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council
‘Literacy Champions’
Winner
Unitas
‘Text
Now’