• Diagnose what children can do
• What skills does an individual child need?
• Theses taught intensively

Following are some of the teaching methods strongly advocated:

1. When the task is first presented:
   • Model Teacher says 'watch me', and then proceeds to complete the task.
   • Lead Pupil completes each step at the same time as the teacher. The teacher might say, 'Let's do this together'. Pupil copies exactly what teacher does.
   • Imitation Child imitates task after teacher has finished.
   • Verbal InstructionVerbal directions from teacher that enable the child to complete task successfully. Teachers should keep vocabulary and sentence structure the same from day to day to minimise confusion.
   • Test Once a task can be completed via leading and imitating the teacher will want to assess whether it can be performed following instruction only - 'Now it's your turn, can you...'
     
     
2. When the task has been started teachers can:
   • Give clues Help about where to start, what to do next.
   • Give prompts
     • physical prompts - used most frequently. When teaching motor skills such as handwriting. Teacher physically helps the learner.
     • Gestural prompt - using nodding, directing, gaze, making appropriate hand movements to help.
     • Verbal prompt - a brief statement to guide a child through a task.
     All three prompts can be used on their own or in combination. Once they have helped the child their use is gradually withdrawn.
   • Fading The strategy of gradually withdrawing prompts and cues.
   • Shaping Where teacher accepts a response although not initially totally correct. Subsequently small improvements in performance are praised. Most frequently used in language, spelling and handwriting. It includes the value of approximations.
   • Chaining Putting individual skills into a sequence. Very limited children ought to know exactly the steps required until the skill becomes automatic. Many 'failing' children simply don't know what to do. This is a 'teacher' problem.
     
     
3. When the task has been completed
   • Giving feedback To confirm correct responses. Feedback is most positive following a wrong response. 'Low ability' children need gentle and positive encouragement and praise while high ability children who are motivated to learn require higher expectations demanded of them and critical comment made when they don't achieve these expectations.
   • Rewards Some children appreciate 'stars and stamps', or better still personalised comments. Ideally achievement is its own reward.
   • Diagnosing and correcting errors This is done with the children by dialogue.
     
     
4. Interactive teaching to develop reflective thinking
   Many failing children are unaware of what is expected of them. The more limited the ability of the teacher the less the choice should be offered. The main thing is to build up learning confidence. More competent children ought to be given options and alternatives to expand their repertoire to choose from. This applies in all areas of learning - reading, art, to sport. Skilled learners automatically seem to know what is best or what to do, in reading, spelling, sports or behaviour.

   Learning
   The simplest assumption is that all children need is to be told and they will learn! Education being seen as a transmission form the teacher to the student.
   If meaning is generated by each individual learner, each individual will take a different meaning to and from any learning situation.

   Two Principles which apply to adults and children alike

   • There is a parallel between how we as adults learn a new skill and the children in our classes. What was the last thing you learnt to do? How did you feel? How did you become proficient?
   • Each learner must 'own' the problem, must see from their point of view there is a purpose, that the skill will empower them, give them greater control.
     
     
   Therefore
   • Teachers must help children learn without removing ownership.
   • This requires a 'conversational' relationship enabling children to reflect and consider new possibilities.
   • Children when confused will ask for help but after help is given control must be passed back or else dependency will develop.
   • All learning is 'approximate'. Learning is a developmental process. We must accept what children can do and then help.
   • Children who own their own learning will control themselves. Children who want to learn will see the need to extend their skills to gain greater control and autonomy.