Useful Strategies for teaching children with Moderate Learning Difficulties

This is the most common difficulty and students with MLD usually perform at a significantly lower level than their peers in reading, writing, spelling and sometimes numeracy. They are likely to struggle with both content and presentation of work. There is no identified specific reason for this difficulty.

Learning Outcomes

Students with MLD need learning outcomes that are closely matched to the stage they have reached and which build on what they already know, understand and can do.

Outcomes should offer just enough challenge to move students on, but not so much as to render tasks unachievable.

When students are struggling with new learning, it can be useful to break the task down into small steps. This will help identify any gaps in essential prior learning and pinpoint the next step.

It is good practice to:- ‘track back’ to find material at an appropriate level for a student with MLD.- Leave out sections and concentrate on parts that are particularly important or relevant

for the student.

Effective Teaching Approaches

Encouragement. Peer support – often it feels more comfortable if a peer provides that support. Finding ways

in which students can help each other, when appropriate, releases the teacher to work with other pupils.

Multi-sensory teaching styles – when working with the whole class, active and interactive teaching that gives students opportunities to handle objects, see pictures and use movement will engage pupils with MLD more than unbroken teacher talk.

Providing lots of examples to help the student learn concepts – it is important to provide multiple examples of new concepts and, where possible, to take these examples from pupils’ own real-life experience rather than talking in abstract terms.

Scaffolding – putting in support (like doing part of the task for the student or doing it with them) that is slowly withdrawn.

Repetition, reinforcement and opportunities to practise – problems often arise for students with MLD when the teacher moves on too quickly, before they have had a chance to consolidate what they know.

Access Strategies

Clear instructions – students with MLD need short, clear instructions, repeated in necessary. Pre-tutoring – preparation for a task so that they come to it already knowing the key

vocabulary and concepts. Using a TA to pre-tutor a group of students can be more useful than the TA supporting them with the work the class has been set as it promotes independence and may enable them to take a fuller part in the lesson.

Explicitly teaching the vocabulary the student will need –putting up lists of key vocabulary for a particular topic or lesson and teaching the meaning of each word will give students a head start with their subject learning.

Alternatives to written recording – it is very difficult for some students to extract the salient points from information they are given and to record their ideas using conventional written recording.

Use of pre-prepared frameworks to support recording - using a range of alternatives to writing and making regular use of support systems such as writing frames and other visual approaches.