Parental engagement in education

 Parents can be bombarded with information about how to support their children in school, and in the home environment. This includes areas such as how to set up a home study space to techniques for reading, to helping their child with assignments.

As students prepare to return to school in the next week, Graham Jaeshke, the Opinion Writer in The Advertiser, South Australia, reminds us all about the school/home partnership and the value of engagement by parents in their child's education.

However, for some parents this is extremely difficult.

When 44% of the Australian adult population has non functional literacy (ABS #4228, 2013) there will be many parents in the school environment who would have difficulty being engaged with their child's education, no matter how much they want to.  Start to make a list of all the documents and information parents need to read and understand to be able to participate.

Here is the start of your list

Enrolment form

Open Day - meetings, school, visits

Uniform policy and uniform rules

Photo permission forms

ICT Policy and permission

Excursion notices

Parent teacher information letters and appointments

Acceptable behaviour policy - students and parents

Newsletter

Illness Rules

Management of Lice

Mobile phone school policy and rules

Asthma and Epipen regulations and rules

Volunteer requests

Reading at Home expectations

What else do you expect parents to be able to read, understand and use functionally?

This is the beginning of your journey with Easy English.

Contact me for further details or to request a quote to begin your own journey introducing Easy English to your school or organisation.

Cathy

Cathy Basterfield

Access Easy English

Consultant – Speech Pathologist
Telephone: 0466 579 855
Email: cathy@accesseasyenglish.com.au

Website: www.accesseasyenglish.com.au
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/accesseasyenglish (our recent projects)

Twitter: @accesseasyengli 

Inclusion and Equality of opportunity

Last week, the public became aware of an atrocious situation in a Canberra, ACT school whereby a child with autism was being managed by the school in an inhumane and illegal manner.Read news article here

Unfortunately this is not a rare case, but one that has hit the media, and headlines. Often issues around appropriate support for schools, and teachers are one of many causes as to why poor management decisions are made. Appropriate specialist resources must be made available to teacher, families and teachers to help them implement appropriate educational programs for all students. Read the comment from Graham Innes, the ex Federal Disability Discrimination Commissioner who is calling for a Royal Commission into the state of mismanagement, current support, and resources for children with extra needs in the education system.

Compare this to ...what are the possibilities.

2 young sisters, equally have a love of dancing, and equally share the stage, to a choreographed piece showcasing their skills and abilities.

Cathy

Cathy Basterfield

Speech Pathologist

Access Easy English

cathy@accesseasyenglish.com.au

www.accesseasyenglish.com.au

When Youth Justice and Literacy Collide

Last week I attended the launch of "Back on Track" - a report on a recent "Speech Pathology in Youth (Justice) Custodial Education Project". http://www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au/library/SPyce_Report_FINAL_lores.pdf

It was a report of what Speech Pathology services are currently available in Youth Custodial Education (none) and what is needed to assist these vulnerable youths in their communication skills. (Significant numbers), as can be seen by the prevalence numbers below from the report

From Page 10 SPyce Project report

Table 1. The prevalence of neurodevelopment disorders. (Office of the Children's Commissioner, 2013:23)

Neurodevelopment disorder	Reported prevalence rates amongst young people in the general population	Reported prevalence rates amongst young people in custody
Learning disabilities (Intellectual Disability)	2–4%	23–32%
Dyslexia	10%	43–57%
Communication disorders	5–7%	60–90%
Attention deficit hyperactive disorder	1.7–9%	12%
Autistic spectrum disorder	0.6–1.2%	15%
Traumatic brain injury	24–31.6%	65.1–72.1%
Epilepsy	0.45–1%	0.7–0.8%
Foetal alcohol syndrome	0.1–5%	10.9–11.7%

Of significance is many of these youth are well below educational standard - suggesting poor skills in literacy, numeracy and using written information to understand or explore their world.

How do these young people access written information? 
What impact would it have in accessing the legal system? Think about:
- knowing what laws are, and what they mean for the individual;
- reading written statements or composing written statements;
- attendance at appointments with police, social workers, or lawyers;
- reading witness statements;
- reading victim impact statements;
- court dates and mediation dates;
- expectations following mediation or community service orders.

Easy English may assist somewhat in these vulnerable youth accessing the information they need now.
Cathy
cathy@accesseasyenglish.com.au 0466 579 855




Reference:
Caire, L. (2013).
Speech Pathology in Youth (Justice) Custodial Education Project Report.
Melbourne: The Speech Pathology Association of Australia Limited

Weblinks
www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2013/s3694873.htm

www.monash.edu.au/research/people/profiles/profile.html?sid=3672&pid=3478

Speech Pathology Australia www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au



www.theage.com.au/victoria/lessons-at-parkville-beat-school-of-hard-knocks-20120422-1xf4k.html