Overcoming short term memory problems
One of the key problems that many pupils and students with short term memory problems have, is that of fully comprehending the concept of time.
The memory problems can manifest themselves in terms of dyslexia or dyscalculia, but in both cases they can be accompanied by difficulties in reading a clock, understanding bus or train timetables, or even remembering the sequence of months of the year, or the seasons.
To overcome this problem I have worked with colleagues on a book that contains hundreds of activities for pupils and students to undertake, all focussed on time. The idea is that by working through the activities those taking part come to see how all the different elements of time fit together.
The book, “The Key To Time”, starts with a test which allows you to see what sort of problems the young person has, and from that point on you can select different sections of the book to work on with the pupil or student.
In each case the lesson plan is set out so that any teacher or teaching assistant can use it. The series of lessons starts with “The four phases of the day” (morning, afternoon, evening, night) and ends with the complex interrelationship of months and years. There is also a series of diagrams which show how time (which can seem quite an arbitrary arrangement to people suffering from dyslexia or dyscalculia) relates to the real world.
The book is now available and to make it easy to use it can be supplied either as a CD which can be loaded onto the school IT network, or as a photocopiable volume which can be used throughout the school. Thus once you have one copy, it can be used over and over again. This can be particularly helpful with the timelines and clock illustrations which the pupils can regularly re-use. It also means that teaching assistants can be given copied sections of the book to use as needs be.
The Key to Time by Tony Attwood
Publisher’s reference: T1712emn
SBN: 978 1 86083 707 4
Sample pages can be viewed at http://www.pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/dyscalculia/T1712.pdf
Prices
Photocopiable report in a ring binder, £25.95.95 plus £3.95 delivery
CD with school-wide rights: £25.95 plus £3.95 delivery
Both the Ring Binder and the CD £32.94 plus £3.95 delivery
Prices include VAT.
You can purchase the book…
By post to First and Best, Hamilton House, Earlstrees Ct., Earlstrees Way, Corby, NN17 4HH
By fax to 01536 399 012
On line with a credit card at http://tiny.cc/dcq7U
