learning difficulties

 by Vivian Dunstan

Speaker: Sharon Bramble, Alert Learning – Demystifying Reading – for Parents and Teachers of Children with ADHD and Associated Learning Difficulties

SPEAKER EVENING:

Sharon Bramble, Alert Learning

Demystifying Reading – for Parents and Teachers of Children with ADHD and Associated Learning Difficulties

Is reading a struggle for your child or student with ADHD? Are you concerned that the reading approach being taught in your school community is confusing them? Is it confusing you?

This parent/teacher-friendly talk will demystify current reading practices taught in schools. It will look at what science tells us about how to teach reading and what you can do to support children if your school is using a non-scientific based approach such as Whole Language or Balanced Literacy.

Perhaps you have tried phonics instruction to assist your child’s reading. Did you know that there are many different phonics approaches? You will discover why some phonics teaching practices are ineffective and why systematic synthetic phonics works for all children.

Sharon Bramble, the creator of ALERT Learning, will share with you some simple but highly effective strategies that will enable you to assist any person wishing to improve their reading. Sharon is an educational consultant with over 20 years of experience. She is regarded as a remedial specialist by developmental paediatricians for her documented success with hundreds of children with ADHD and associated learning difficulties. Sharon began her path into education as a parent looking for answers and has personally tried many forms of intervention including home-schooling.

ALERT Learning is an Australian patented Learning System which is the only methodology of its kind to integrate spelling, reading, grammar and writing from K-12 across all key learning areas.

In the 12 years of running ALERT as a Professional Development Program, Sharon has increased the capacity of hundreds of primary and secondary teachers to confidently teach and embed literacy. Many schools have had challenging environments including remote regions and low socio-economic areas with extremely low literacy levels. She has also up-skilled hundreds of parents with explicit knowledge of literacy while providing multi-sensory strategies which increase learning and retention.

ALERT’s unique Learning System was the subject of a five-year trial in a Western Sydney state high school where its methodology was implemented across the curriculum. By the fourth year of the trial, the school placed first in New South Wales for value added growth in every aspect of literacy in national testing (NAPLAN).

Sharon is a passionate educator who will demystify the reading process and share some of the evidence-based practices that have assisted thousands of young people to improve their literacy skills. Her talk will empower parents and teachers with specific knowledge and effective strategies.

Under 18’s FREE ENTRY

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 by Vivian Dunstan

Learning Difference Convention – Sydney

Learning Difference Convention – Sydney

The Learning Difference Convention was borne out of charitable efforts on the Central Coast NSW towards dyslexia awareness. The need to disseminate information, and bring the available support structures together to assist those dealing with dyslexia, became evident. The Learning Difference Convention is now a philanthropic event funded independently by its founder, Jillian Zocher.

Specific Learning Difficulties Specialist, Jillian Zocher, completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Specific Learning Difficulties in conjunction with the Helen Arkell Dyslexia Centre (UK) and the Oxford and Cambridge Royal Society of Arts in 2002, after many years of having taught at dyslexia friendly schools overseas. Jillian practices Educational Therapy on the Central Coast and teaches one on one to dyslexics across the age range.

What Do We Do

Neurological differences are to be recognised and respected as any other human variation. These differences can include those labelled with Dyspraxia, Dyslexia, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Dyscalculia, Autistic Spectrum, Tourette Syndrome, and others.

The Learning Difference Convention is the only event of its kind in Australia, linking delegates to support networks, teacher training, resources, research, authors and  information, all relating to learning differences.

The Learning Difference Convention recognises that a systematic, explicit and multi-sensory approach to reading is essential and that early intervention is key. Whilst we provide FREE resources to assist with reading, we recognise that dyslexia is more than just a reading difficulty and that dyslexics have varying needs, relative to their individual strengths and weaknesses.

This unique event allows us to share the plethora of information, whether it be reading, writing, spelling, co-ordination, concentration, auditory processing, mathematics, study skills, organisational skills, self-esteem difficulties, anxiety, social skills, behaviour, technology, visual processing, nutrition and more. The event allows you to ask the necessary questions, meet the experts and support groups and try out loads of resources.

The event has triggered a healthy debate, resulting in increased awareness, increased action, increased support, whilst inspiring unity between organisations and institutions.

The LDC offer support to parents, teachers, teacher aides and allied health professionals, for all three tiers of intervention – programs for classrooms/schools, programs for small groups and programs for those more severe who require one on one support.

LDC allows us to keep abreast with what is going on in the world of dyslexia, equipping us with the information to grow in our knowledge and understanding as educators in Australia.

LDC encourage delegates to view learners in a holistic way, focusing on strengths and individual needs, rather than only dwelling on weakness and labels in which to categorise them. Moving from labelling, to profiling, empowers us in our understanding, without relying on the services of an ‘expert’.

It is particularly important to note that various SpLD’s overlap; as students are likely to have one or more co-occurring difficulties. In developmental disorders co-existing difficulties is the rule rather than the exception.

 by Vivian Dunstan

Learning Difference Convention – Melbourne

Learning Difference Convention – Melbourne

The Learning Difference Convention was borne out of charitable efforts on the Central Coast NSW towards dyslexia awareness. The need to disseminate information, and bring the available support structures together to assist those dealing with dyslexia, became evident. The Learning Difference Convention is now a philanthropic event funded independently by its founder, Jillian Zocher.

Specific Learning Difficulties Specialist, Jillian Zocher, completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Specific Learning Difficulties in conjunction with the Helen Arkell Dyslexia Centre (UK) and the Oxford and Cambridge Royal Society of Arts in 2002, after many years of having taught at dyslexia friendly schools overseas. Jillian practices Educational Therapy on the Central Coast and teaches one on one to dyslexics across the age range.

What Do We Do

Neurological differences are to be recognised and respected as any other human variation. These differences can include those labelled with Dyspraxia, Dyslexia, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Dyscalculia, Autistic Spectrum, Tourette Syndrome, and others.

The Learning Difference Convention is the only event of its kind in Australia, linking delegates to support networks, teacher training, resources, research, authors and  information, all relating to learning differences.

The Learning Difference Convention recognises that a systematic, explicit and multi-sensory approach to reading is essential and that early intervention is key. Whilst we provide FREE resources to assist with reading, we recognise that dyslexia is more than just a reading difficulty and that dyslexics have varying needs, relative to their individual strengths and weaknesses.

This unique event allows us to share the plethora of information, whether it be reading, writing, spelling, co-ordination, concentration, auditory processing, mathematics, study skills, organisational skills, self-esteem difficulties, anxiety, social skills, behaviour, technology, visual processing, nutrition and more. The event allows you to ask the necessary questions, meet the experts and support groups and try out loads of resources.

The event has triggered a healthy debate, resulting in increased awareness, increased action, increased support, whilst inspiring unity between organisations and institutions.

The LDC offer support to parents, teachers, teacher aides and allied health professionals, for all three tiers of intervention – programs for classrooms/schools, programs for small groups and programs for those more severe who require one on one support.

LDC allows us to keep abreast with what is going on in the world of dyslexia, equipping us with the information to grow in our knowledge and understanding as educators in Australia.

LDC encourage delegates to view learners in a holistic way, focusing on strengths and individual needs, rather than only dwelling on weakness and labels in which to categorise them. Moving from labelling, to profiling, empowers us in our understanding, without relying on the services of an ‘expert’.

It is particularly important to note that various SpLD’s overlap; as students are likely to have one or more co-occurring difficulties. In developmental disorders co-existing difficulties is the rule rather than the exception.