Getting students to ask for help

[David Matthew Baker]

Been in mock SAT exams today. Originally it was planned to give each of the students their own reader. This lasted one exam as for some reason suddenly the teachers couldn't do it. Since then we have had the special needs students in a couple of small rooms. However I believe they are wondering about putting them into the hall with the other students. The idea being that they can just put up there hands and ask for help when they need it. Problem is they haven't got the idea that we are there to help them and hence they don't ask for the help. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to teach the students to ask for the help? I can't really think of anything especially as ideally it needs to be done in time for the SATs. Most of the students main problem is with reading and comprehension. This includes one lad who has Aspergers. Thanks for any ideas you come up with, David.

[lisa35]

Hi, no suggestion Im afraid, but v interested in any responses as my son does sats soon,and he struggles a lot, in practice sats left out half as had been told in past not to "guess" responses!

I truly think sats fail to assess our childrens capbailities (sorry, didnt mean to hijack your question)

Lisa

[Clare63]

My son (AS) won't ask for help and we too are looking for ways to teach/encourage him to do so, the thought of having to ask really stresses him out, so imagine what it would be like during an exam ! currently we are looking at a double sided card one side green the other red, when he needs help he turns the card red side up, the teaching staff know then he needs some support and can tactfully approach him. Putting his hand up terrifies him as he say everyone turns and looks and then listens to what is being said.

On the subject of SATs I agree with Lisa's comments, my son's Year 6 SAT's results were used to stream him at his new secondary school, the results were not as expected (probably due to stress of the test) and now they want to move him (change not good for my DS) !!!!!!

[Kathryn]

I read somewhere that a prearranged signal such as a pencil case or something similar being placed in a certain position on the desk, is a good idea. It's very discreet and doesn't draw attention to the asker - everyone has a pencil case on their desk.

 

My daughter used to hate being thought stupid and having everyone look at her, so she would never ask for help as she would have to put up her hand. We never thought to suggest a different way of asking.

 

K x

Edited March 1, 2007 by Kathryn

[Clare63]

My son's English teacher suggested he could turn his book over when he needed help and she would check out for the sign. She is so lovely anyway has him sat near the front so she can keep an eye on him ensures he sits next to a child he gets on well with and is comfortable with and has said she'll phone me if she decides to give the children a task that could phase or worry him, such preparing a piece to read out in class....... he'd be terrified. Wish more teacher were like her.

Clare x

[Suze]

Gosh this is hard .............most kids with dyslexia would find concentrating in a hall full of students difficul t.Autistic kids would also struggle to concentrate in that environment (sensory problerms), and my son would ask for help ....................so please beg them to let the kids do their SATS in a seperate room with no windows overlooking the playground, no flourescent lights and no support staff who ate garlic the night before.

[David Matthew Baker]

Thats what happened for the first few mock SATs. We had 6 or 7 students per room in a quiet area of the school with 3 or 4 members of support staff present. There at least if you asked them if they were okay they would occasionally admit that there were problems and they would like some help. Having said that our Aspergers student doesn't, I'm wondering with him if perhaps I'm asking the wrong question. So far I have asked is he alright? Not really the right question. But I can't ask 'Do you understand the question?' either because that also could be misinterpreted.

 

Today in the hall I got asked for help twice by one of our SEN students. None of them would staff for the extra time they are allowed either. Mainly I expect so they didn't stand out. I think we have convinced the right people that they need to be in separate rooms for the proper SATs at least. Another problem is one of the students in the group reads out loud to himself. He is fairly quiet but it is still possible to hear him from a few seats away. The last mock is Shakespeare tomorrow. Hopefully between now and the proper mocks we might get somethings in place. What is more daunting is really the Year 9 SEN students are my responsibility. I'm the main person who supports them in anycase. As always most could do with a lot more support than they actually recieve.

 

EDIT: Your be glad to hear when we had our own rooms there was no lighting other than natural light. The main thing that annoyed me were a couple of the windows were broken and didn't close properly and kept banging. I tried to jam them open with a few bits of folded paper that reduced the frequency but didn't eliminate it entirely.

Edited March 1, 2007 by David Matthew Baker

[phasmid]

Asking for help has to be made into a habbit really. Even then some pupils won't. The trick here is to notice it and offer the help without being asked. It is important that the way you approach it is right too. As you say asking 'Are you ok?' won't necessarily get the question your trying to ask answered. You have to be a lot more direct than that. Instead try 'Would you like me to read the question for you?' or 'Do you understand what the question means?'...depending on how much 'help' you're allowed to give them of course. As for the extra time issue many won't take it in a main exam room for the very reason you state. If they also decline the offer of a quiet room there is nothing you can do about it I'm afraid.

 

Eta:

Have you spoken to the schools examination officer? Applications to exam boards for extra time etc have to be made through offical channels and ahead of the exam concerned with the reasons for it being backed up with evidence. The exam officer should know this!

Edited March 4, 2007 by phasmid

[David Matthew Baker]

We have a feedback meeting about the mock exams this week. The decision to have them in the hall was made by senior school management not by the students themselves. I'm not incharge of applying for the extra time but from what I have heard I believe they all qualify for it and it has been applyed for and granted. (It certainly has been applied for.) As for asking "Do you want me to read the question for you?" unless they are in a room on their own with just the reader and an invigilator present they have a habit of saying no even when it is clearly needed. One or two are a bit better in this regard but not much. I think the SEN department is planning on raising a fair number of issues at that feedback meeting. At least one of the students really needs to be in a room on his own because he is such a distraction too. He can't sit still (in fact he is a lot like me in this regard) and also reads out loud. Fingers crossed we can get things sorted a bit.

[butterfingersbimbo]

havent got any advice but just wanted to wish the children well with their sats, el has got them soon....

[David Matthew Baker]

Good luck to el too in the SATs.

 

I just wish they didn't exist in some ways. All it seems to do is stress out the teachers and students. The number of teachers who keep telling the students that all this work they're doing towards them is for themselves is amazing. Really it is just for the government because they won't trust people enough. Sorry never been a fan of tests. I'm sure there must be a fairer way to judge ability. Tests rely too much on memory for my likes. Why should the ability level of someone also rely so heavily on the persons ability to remember facts. It should be on how well they can apply information when given it. After all how many people in the real world can't go and look up a formula in a text book if they need it.