A large part of education, particularly in secondary school, relies on the ability to listen to information presented orally. Listening skills break down when the child has difficulty processing the verbal material, because either it is presented too quickly or the language content is too complex.

The child who finds listening difficult may have learned to switch off. There is a danger of a downward spiral, since the less a child listens, the harder it becomes to understand the topic and the less incentive there is to make the effort to listen again. The child's belief in his ability begins to fade, as he fails to reach expected standards.

In order to break this cycle, he needs to re-learn that listening can be a rewarding experience. It must become an active process, for which he takes personal responsibility. An important part of this is developing the habit of watching the speaker, since some of the message is conveyed by facial expression and body language.

To help the child achieve listening success, it is important that the teacher backs up what is said with visual clues, such as pictures or demonstration, and that the tone of voice and the pacing of delivery are appropriate.

Some children find listening difficult because they are unable to filter out irrelevant background noise. They may not be able to disregard the whispered conversation at the back of the room in order to listen to the teacher's words. Such children are helped to focus by being reminded to look at the speaker.

Target Listening and Understanding in Secondary Sc
Davenport, Meriel and Hall, Philippa
154 pages
ISBN:1842991574
£19.99

She replied, 'Well God made part of me'.

'What do you mean?' asked the teacher.

'Well, she said, 'God made me little and I growed the rest myself'.

An important part of what we 'grow' is our sense of our own worthy our self-esteem.

In recent years, research and subsequent knowledge about the brain has increased dramatically. One of the areas explored has been the 'emotional brain' and the link between 'how we feel and what we do'. Teachers have long been aware of this link, usually by how it manifests in the classroom through a child's achievement and/or behaviour.

Brain theory

The brain is an amazing and complex organ, capable of highly sophisticated, cognitive functions and emotional expression. Dr. Paul MacLean, a noted brain researcher, developed an evolutionary model of the 'triune brain'. He hypothesized that different areas of the brain were concerned with distinct functions.

The reptilian brain is concerned with survival. Its responses are instinctive and automatic. In addition to controlling some of our vital functions, it is responsible for the fight/flight reflex, the instinctive reaction to physical danger that forms part of our survival mechanism.

Target Self-Esteem
Foster, Jenny
90 pages
ISBN:184299159090
£19.99

Target Reading Accuracy is the companion volume offering practical tips and activities to promote accurate and rapid word recognition.

There are activities suitable for struggling readers at upper primary and secondary levels.

Each book contains the comprehensive checklist which directs you to appropriate starting points for individual readers.

What you will find in this book

- A system to enable readers to read with more understanding.

- The next stage from Target Reading Accuracy. When readers read with accuracy they have mental energy to think about and understand what they have read. Reading accuracy must come first.

- Assessment to determine breakdown points in the reading comprehension task and where to begin with reading remediation.

- A Checklist for the teacher to use whilst the pupil is reading.

Target Reading Comprehension
McLean, Bernadette and Wood, Rosie
194 pages
ISBN:1842991612
£19.99

Activities are suitable for struggling readers at upper primary and secondary levels.

What you will find in this book

- A system to enable readers to read more accurately and fluently.

- Assessment to determine breakdown points in reading accuracy and where to begin with remediation.

- A guide for teachers and classroom assistants at the end of this chapter to find the appropriate sections in this book. and in Target Reading Comprehension, to provide the necessary support.

- A checklist for the teacher to use whilst the pupil is reading.

- A checklist (photocopiable) for the reader to use with teacher support to pinpoint his reading difficulties, see Chapter 8. He will become more motivated if he plays a part in devising his own targets.

Target Reading Accuracy
McLean, Bernadette and Wood, Rosie
122 pages
ISBN:1842991566
£19.99

'We all process information through our senses'

O'Connor and McDermott

Listening and attention go together since it is only when a child's 'attention' is gained that he can 'listen'. Children need to be good listeners if they are to learn effectively. It is the acquisition of good listening skills that allows complex learning to take place. Good listeners look at the speaker as they listen. Good listeners know what to pay attention to and what to ignore.

Poor listeners, on the other hand, may not attend and look at the speaker. They may be easily distracted by noise, or they may be confused and inattentive. For them, the classroom can be a difficult place to learn.

Good listening skills help us to take part in conversation and to make friends. Poor listeners may not fully understand what is being said and not know how to take turns in conversation.

Listening in the classroom

Classrooms can be busy, lively places. Noise is made by children in the classroom talking and moving about. Noise is heard from outside as people move about the school. Children learn to ignore distracting noises so they can concentrate, in the same way as most people are not consciously aware of bird song and traffic noise.

Target Listening and Understanding in Primary Scho
Reilly, Jeanne and Murray, Sarah
150 pages
ISBN:1842991582
£19.99

The aim of this book

This book is to provide a deeper understanding of why children have poor motor and/or perceptual skills, and what can be done to minimise their impact on the child's life at home and at school.

For simplicity, the child will be referred to as 'he' throughout this book.

Motor skills can be divided into the following areas:

- Muscle tone - which allows muscles to work smoothly and efficiently against gravity.

- Postural stability and balance - the ability to stand upright and move securely against gravity with good central stability. The ability to stand on one leg or to correct oneself when moved off balance, away from the midline of the body (imagine a line going between the eyes, dividing the body exactly in half).

- Praxis - the ability to plan, initiate, and carry out unfamiliar motor tasks, or sequences of motor tasks.

- Bilateral coordination - the ability to use both sides of the body together effectively.

- Upper limb dexterity and hand function - the ability to coordinate the arms and use the hands effectively and efficiently.

Target Motor and Perceptual Skills
Williams, Louise
98 pages
ISBN:1842991604
£19.99