Promoting Independence.pdf
ELLERAY PARK SCHOOL POLICY & PRACTICE PROMOTING INDEPENDENCE
INTRODUCTION The staff at Elleray Park acknowledges the importance of independence skills for all pupils with complex leaning difficul es. Independence during classroom rou nes con nues to be a major expecta on for pupils, which is why we provide so many opportuni es for, and ac vely teach, independent behaviour.
SUPPORTING INDEPENDENT LEARNING FOR PUPILS WITH AN ASD Elleray Park supports several prac ces that contribute substan ally to the ability of our pupils with complex learning difficul es and au sm to perform independently and exert control over their environment: 1.
We give children choices wherever possible and teach choice making when necessary
2.
We give some children individual metables that indicate the sequence of daily ac vi es and, o(en, the sequence of events within ac vi es. We also use mers to indicate the dura on of ac vi es. The visual and auditory cues provided by these have proven invaluable in easing transi ons between ac vi es, increasing engagement, improving play skills and providing structure for trying new ac vi es and materials.
3.
The school day is filled with rou nes. That is, many ac vi es occur every day and are conducted, at least ini ally, the same way and in the same sequence from day to day. Such rou nes include, for example, hanging-up coats, the ac vi es at opening circle (e.g., calendar, selec ng helpers, songs), cleaning up, and preparing to go home. Such rou nes increase the predictability of events, provide opportuni es for prac cing imita on and developing independence. In order to help children develop tolerance for change, varia on is introduced in small steps once the rou nes become well known.
4.
As it can be easy to overlook nonverbal children, we make a special effort to give all children frequent chances to respond to teacher ini a ons and we teach appropriate responses as necessary.
5.
We maintain high expecta ons for all children.
Another strategy we use to promote independence is giving children the freedom to par cipate in classroom ac vi es and interact with their peers across the day. Although many children with au sm may need the support of close adult supervision and instruc on, we are careful to ensure that adults do not become "velcro aides" (Ferguson, 1995). The role of adult support is to facilitate independence, interac on, and learning, rather than interfere with it. The classroom staff give children the freedom to explore and learn and the support to succeed in interac ons with materials and peers.
GOOD PRACTICE TO SUPPORT INDEPENDENT LEARNING - ALL PUPILS Elleray Park promotes the following guidelines to staff to ensure that all opportuni es for independent learning are maximised. •
Provide an organized and structured environment where children are able to be independent because they know where to go to find the equipment and tools they need.
•
Establish an expecta on that children be independent, and certainly that they ‘have a go’- trying is ac vely encouraged and success desirable but not essen al.
•
Establish rou nes, rules and structures within the classroom – in discussion with the children where appropriate. Timetables inform children of the structure of the day. Should changes occur, children can be made aware of these on a daily metable.
•
Provide tasks for children to undertake when they come into the classroom in the morning, and expect children to do these without more than general instruc ons. Such tasks and expecta ons provide a rou ne for the children, set the tone of the classroom as somewhere where work occurs and reduce opportuni es for deteriora on in behaviour whilst the teacher undertakes managerial du es such as taking the register. This can be an ideal opportunity for consolida on of prior learning and assessment.
•
For children who lack organiza onal skills, a list of tools and equipment on the board provides the necessary prompt so that they can operate without direct teacher interven on.
•
Involve children in discussions about aspects of their work, offering a degree of choice where appropriate and possible, not necessarily open-ended choice, but a limited choice, for example a choice of medium in art, a choice of story tles or a choice of research topics.
•
Encourage learning goals where children are not in compe on with each other, but where they are seeking to improve their own performance.
•
Teach strategies for reducing dependence on the teacher and other adults – using wordbooks, dic onaries or spell checkers and mul plica on squares, teaching edi ng skills.
•
Establish and encourage use of a range of sources of informa on and help (other than just the class teacher who cannot be available to help everyone at once).
•
Provide opportuni es for children to work interdependently – in a group situa on where each child has a specific role or target to achieve, but also where the group collec vely shares ideas and makes decisions about what it is going to do.
•
Listen and respond to children – give their ideas and points of view respect and considera on, and be prepared to take on what they have to say.
•
Provide opportuni es for children to assume responsibility – dinner monitors, board monitors, library monitors, and as the children progress through school, team captains, collec ng registers, tuck monitors, listening to less confident readers.
•
Allow (and provide opportuni es for) children to make „safe‟ mistakes, using these as a learning experience (diver ng a<en on from individuals who made the mistakes).
•
Respond posi vely (recognize and draw a<en on) to examples and instances of different types of independence.
•
Involve children in the se>ng of their own targets - cogni ve, social, behavioural, organiza onal – and the evalua on of the extent to which these targets have been met.
•
Recognise and iden fy children with different degrees of independence, and be prepared to support these in different ways so that they may all develop greater independence without growing frustrated or bored.
•
Clarify and discuss the aims and relevance of work with the children so that they can share in the responsibility for the outcome.
MONITORING EVALUATION AND REVIEW Elleray Park will con nually monitor, evaluate and review the Promo ng Independence Policy. Monitoring will assess whether the policy is being effec vely implemented. Evalua on will measure whether the programme is effec ve and iden fy changes that need to be made. Dissemina on of Policy This policy has been distributed to Governors and staff Review Date This policy will be reviewed annaully Signed _________________________ ( Headteacher)
_________________________ (Chair of Governors )
INTRODUCTION The staff at Elleray Park acknowledges the importance of independence skills for all pupils with complex leaning difficul es. Independence during classroom rou nes con nues to be a major expecta on for pupils, which is why we provide so many opportuni es for, and ac vely teach, independent behaviour.
SUPPORTING INDEPENDENT LEARNING FOR PUPILS WITH AN ASD Elleray Park supports several prac ces that contribute substan ally to the ability of our pupils with complex learning difficul es and au sm to perform independently and exert control over their environment: 1.
We give children choices wherever possible and teach choice making when necessary
2.
We give some children individual metables that indicate the sequence of daily ac vi es and, o(en, the sequence of events within ac vi es. We also use mers to indicate the dura on of ac vi es. The visual and auditory cues provided by these have proven invaluable in easing transi ons between ac vi es, increasing engagement, improving play skills and providing structure for trying new ac vi es and materials.
3.
The school day is filled with rou nes. That is, many ac vi es occur every day and are conducted, at least ini ally, the same way and in the same sequence from day to day. Such rou nes include, for example, hanging-up coats, the ac vi es at opening circle (e.g., calendar, selec ng helpers, songs), cleaning up, and preparing to go home. Such rou nes increase the predictability of events, provide opportuni es for prac cing imita on and developing independence. In order to help children develop tolerance for change, varia on is introduced in small steps once the rou nes become well known.
4.
As it can be easy to overlook nonverbal children, we make a special effort to give all children frequent chances to respond to teacher ini a ons and we teach appropriate responses as necessary.
5.
We maintain high expecta ons for all children.
Another strategy we use to promote independence is giving children the freedom to par cipate in classroom ac vi es and interact with their peers across the day. Although many children with au sm may need the support of close adult supervision and instruc on, we are careful to ensure that adults do not become "velcro aides" (Ferguson, 1995). The role of adult support is to facilitate independence, interac on, and learning, rather than interfere with it. The classroom staff give children the freedom to explore and learn and the support to succeed in interac ons with materials and peers.
GOOD PRACTICE TO SUPPORT INDEPENDENT LEARNING - ALL PUPILS Elleray Park promotes the following guidelines to staff to ensure that all opportuni es for independent learning are maximised. •
Provide an organized and structured environment where children are able to be independent because they know where to go to find the equipment and tools they need.
•
Establish an expecta on that children be independent, and certainly that they ‘have a go’- trying is ac vely encouraged and success desirable but not essen al.
•
Establish rou nes, rules and structures within the classroom – in discussion with the children where appropriate. Timetables inform children of the structure of the day. Should changes occur, children can be made aware of these on a daily metable.
•
Provide tasks for children to undertake when they come into the classroom in the morning, and expect children to do these without more than general instruc ons. Such tasks and expecta ons provide a rou ne for the children, set the tone of the classroom as somewhere where work occurs and reduce opportuni es for deteriora on in behaviour whilst the teacher undertakes managerial du es such as taking the register. This can be an ideal opportunity for consolida on of prior learning and assessment.
•
For children who lack organiza onal skills, a list of tools and equipment on the board provides the necessary prompt so that they can operate without direct teacher interven on.
•
Involve children in discussions about aspects of their work, offering a degree of choice where appropriate and possible, not necessarily open-ended choice, but a limited choice, for example a choice of medium in art, a choice of story tles or a choice of research topics.
•
Encourage learning goals where children are not in compe on with each other, but where they are seeking to improve their own performance.
•
Teach strategies for reducing dependence on the teacher and other adults – using wordbooks, dic onaries or spell checkers and mul plica on squares, teaching edi ng skills.
•
Establish and encourage use of a range of sources of informa on and help (other than just the class teacher who cannot be available to help everyone at once).
•
Provide opportuni es for children to work interdependently – in a group situa on where each child has a specific role or target to achieve, but also where the group collec vely shares ideas and makes decisions about what it is going to do.
•
Listen and respond to children – give their ideas and points of view respect and considera on, and be prepared to take on what they have to say.
•
Provide opportuni es for children to assume responsibility – dinner monitors, board monitors, library monitors, and as the children progress through school, team captains, collec ng registers, tuck monitors, listening to less confident readers.
•
Allow (and provide opportuni es for) children to make „safe‟ mistakes, using these as a learning experience (diver ng a<en on from individuals who made the mistakes).
•
Respond posi vely (recognize and draw a<en on) to examples and instances of different types of independence.
•
Involve children in the se>ng of their own targets - cogni ve, social, behavioural, organiza onal – and the evalua on of the extent to which these targets have been met.
•
Recognise and iden fy children with different degrees of independence, and be prepared to support these in different ways so that they may all develop greater independence without growing frustrated or bored.
•
Clarify and discuss the aims and relevance of work with the children so that they can share in the responsibility for the outcome.
MONITORING EVALUATION AND REVIEW Elleray Park will con nually monitor, evaluate and review the Promo ng Independence Policy. Monitoring will assess whether the policy is being effec vely implemented. Evalua on will measure whether the programme is effec ve and iden fy changes that need to be made. Dissemina on of Policy This policy has been distributed to Governors and staff Review Date This policy will be reviewed annaully Signed _________________________ ( Headteacher)
_________________________ (Chair of Governors )
