Oliver Twist: an exploration of interactive storytelling and object use in communication

Keith Park invites practitioners to respond to his detailed plans for integrating communication skills, and the use of real object 'props', with the teaching of literature to pupils with severe and profound and multiple learning difficulties. This article builds on work described in two previous contributions to the pages of the British Journal of Special Education . In the first (Park, 1997), Keith Park reviewed the theory and practice of communicating using 'objects of reference'. In the second article (Park, 1998), he described an approach to teaching Dickens which used interactive storytelling as a context for promoting communication skills. Keith Park combines these themes in this article, which provides both a theoretical commentary and ideas for a series of practical sessions.     

Interactive Storytelling: From the Book of Genesis

Keith Park, advisory teacher for Sense (the National Deafblind Rubella Association) in Greenwich and Lewisham, London, has written about his approach to interactive storytelling for BJSE before. This article describes a series of poetry workshops based on chapters 37 to 45 of the Book of Genesis (the story of Joseph and his family) using the text of the King James Bible of 1611. The workshops took place at Charlton School in Greenwich between September and November 2002. The full text of the Genesis workshops, with a clear exposition of their implementation, is provided here but the article begins with a restatement of the principles of interactive storytelling. The importance of developing curriculum access for pupils with multi-sensory impairments while simultaneously supporting staff who work with these young people in schools is emphasised. Keith Park discusses the relevance of the circle concept in storytelling and the strong focus, in the poetry workshops, on rhythm. He goes on to evaluate the impact of the workshops, both in terms of staff confidence and through examples of the pupils' responses mapped against the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) framework for recognising the attainments of pupils with learning difficulties. The article concludes with some indications of further developments in this exciting and innovative area of practice.     

Planning, teaching and assessing the curriculum for pupils with learning difficulties: a response from EQUALS

EQUALS is a national organisation that has a major concern for the development of a curriculum that promotes the inclusion of all pupils. The EQUALS movement has, in the past, published its own materials in support of curriculum development for pupils with learning difficulties. In this article, Keith Humphreys, EQUALS' quality assurance manager, provides a response to the publication of the QCA/DfEE guidelines. He discusses EQUALS' response to these guidelines and proposes a way forward for schools already using EQUALS materials. While acknowledging that the implementation of the QCA/DfEE guidelines will lead to an evolution of good practice, he articulates a concern that staff should continue to appreciate and value their own development work. Keith Humphreys details the ways in which EQUALS intends to support this process of evolution in the future.     

Teacher and pupil ratings of self-esteem in developmental dyslexia

Neil Humphrey is a lecturer in psychology at Bolton Institute. In this article, based on the research he carried out for his PhD thesis, he explores the relationships between dyslexia and self-esteem in pupils. Neil Humphrey gathered data using both teacher rating scales and pupil self-reporting. He compares results from a group of pupils with dyslexia in mainstream settings; a group attending units for pupils with specific learning difficulties (SpLD); and a control group. In discussing his findings, Neil Humphrey presents practitioners working towards inclusion with a carefully considered challenge.     

莎士比亚十四行诗对比分析——以第18首和第130首为例

文章以莎士比亚十四行诗第18首和第130首为例研究莎翁独特的语言艺术.莎士比亚高深的语言艺术让他的作品久盛不衰.莎士比亚的语言天赋既体现在他所创作的戏剧中,同时也体现在他的十四行诗里.多种修辞方法的巧妙运用,使他的戏剧和十四行诗读起来意味深长.     

从女权主义的角度解读莎士比亚的女性形象

威廉·莎士比亚在世界文学史上起着极其重要的作用,他的作品长期以来倍受人们关注。本文主要从女权主义的角度分析其笔下的女性人物形象。     

The Gender Mix Among Staff in Schools for Pupils with Severe and Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties and its Impact

Phil Goss has extensive experience as a practitioner and manager in schools for pupils with severe and profound and multiple learning difficulties. In this article, he reports on his enquiries into the gender mix among staff in these schools. He finds that there are significantly more women than men working as teachers and in support roles in these specialist contexts. Phil Goss goes on to discuss the outcomes of his research into headteachers' perceptions of the impact of this gender imbalance. In concluding, he makes a series of proposals for future policy on recruitment and staff development, for teachers and teaching assistants. Phil Goss argues that we need to find ways to bring more men into this work.     

莎士比亚的人文主义思想在其四大悲剧中的体现

莎士比亚的作品中处处洋溢着人文主义思想,尤其在其四大悲剧中,通过悲剧形象的塑造向人们传递了人文主义的内涵,讴歌了人文主义精神,表达了对人文主义理性的追求。     

莎士比亚悲剧中的平民情怀

莎士比亚坎坷曲折的生活经历,造就了他伟大的艺术成就和宽广的胸怀,在他的剧作,尤其是四大悲剧中表达了自己的平民情怀,对民众疾苦的同情及对平等的热切渴望。莎士比亚是一个与时代同步的人文主义者,也是一个伟大的平民。     

Access to numeracy: a case study

More and more pupils with learning difficulties are being taught in mainstream settings but how inclusive is the teaching they experience? In this illustrative case study, Ruth Germain, a teacher in a mainstream primary school, looks at how Paul, a pupil with Down's syndrome, is supported during 'dedicated numeracy time'. She examines the relationships between whole-class, group and individual teaching; the nature of the support Paul receives; and his educational and behavioural responses. The article closes with a call for further research into the implications for teaching and learning of the inclusion of pupils with learning difficulties in mainstream contexts.     

Meaning-led learning for pupils with severe and profound and multiple learning difficulties

This paper proposes that learning and teaching for pupils with severe and profound and multiple learning difficulties could be enhanced by a closer focus on emotional factors and on the careful identification of what is meaningful for them. Phil Goss, senior lecturer in counselling and psychotherapy at the University of Central Lancashire draws on understandings about emotional development gleaned from child psychiatry and psychotherapy to inform our awareness of the deep-seated factors that may influence the complex needs of these pupils. He describes a research study in which he analysed findings from interviews with parents and carers about their perceptions of what is meaningful for their children. These outcomes are elaborated using findings from a pilot study on one pupil in which perceptions about what is meaningful for him were used to inform the ongoing planning of his learning. Phil Goss then uses the implications of this study to argue for fuller and more systematic involvement by parents and carers in planning for pupils with severe, and profound and multiple learning difficulties. Finally he suggests ways in which access to learning could be rendered more fruitful by adopting a meaning-led approach.     

Literacy Acceleration and the Key Stage 3 English Strategy – comparing two approaches for secondary-age pupils with literacy difficulties

Literacy for pupils in the secondary phase of education is a key concern for practitioners and policy makers alike. Tony Lingard is the SENCo at a large comprehensive school in the south-west of England but he is also involved in staff development and school improvement initiatives across the UK. Literacy Acceleration is an intervention strategy for pupils with literacy difficulties that he and his team at school have been developing over many years. He undertook the research reported in this article at a comprehensive school where Literacy Acceleration was well established and being delivered by experienced staff. The research found that Year 7 and 8 pupils with literacy difficulties who followed Literacy Acceleration made significant progress with reading and spelling while similar pupils, who only had access to National English Strategy classes, did less well over the period of the study. The research also found that most of the pupils who experienced Literacy Acceleration in small groups, as well as mainstream English lessons, preferred being taught in smaller Literacy Acceleration groups where they also felt that they were making more progress. In concluding his article, Tony Lingard argues that pupils with literacy difficulties need specific, targeted interventions and that it may be a mistake to assume that the normal secondary English curriculum effectively meets their needs. This small-scale study therefore offers a challenge to a widely accepted policy. It suggests that abandoning strategies that focus on addressing the particular needs of pupils with literacy difficulties (of which Literacy Acceleration is one example) may not best serve the interests of a significant group of learners.     

从四大悲剧看莎士比亚的平民情怀

坎坷曲折的生活经历,造就了莎士比亚宽广的胸怀。莎士比亚以平民的眼光观察世界和人生,并在剧作中表达了自己的平民情怀。他肯定了下层人的智慧、美德和力量,表达了对于民众疾苦的同情及对于平等的热切渴望。莎士比亚是一个与时代同步的人文主义者,也是一个伟大的平民。     

The Dearing Review of the National Curriculum

Richard Byers is well-known for his work supporting development in schools for pupils with learning difficulties and for his particular interest in the impact of the National Curriculum upon schemes of work in the whole curriculum. Exchanges of views with friends and colleagues have greatly influenced the contents of this article.     

Assessment using the P scales: best fit – fit for the purpose?

In this article, Andrew Martin, deputy headteacher at Greenside School in Stevenage, provides an outline of the development of the P scales as an assessment tool for pupils working below Level 1 of the National Curriculum. He recounts the difficulties his school found in using P scales to track pupil progress from year to year and describes and evaluates a computer package which he devised in order to fulfil this function. He goes on to discuss current issues in the use of P scales, many of which were highlighted through use of the computer package. These issues include inconsistency in the use of the P scales; variations in pupil profiles; difficulties over making 'best fit' judgements; the need for moderation; and relationships with other curriculum and assessment systems in the school years and in the Foundation Stage. Andrew Martin closes his article with a call for consistency in approaches to assessment, particularly in view of the fact that P scale assessments are to be collected as part of statutory end of key stage data collection arrangements in future.     

The role of special schools for children with profound and multiple learning difficulties: is segregation always best?

The education of young people with profound and multiple learning difficulties continues to raise challenges and controversies. In this article, Ben Simmons, an ESRC funded PhD student and research assistant, and Phil Bayliss, programme director for the masters degree in special education and disability, both based in the School of Education and Lifelong Learning at the University of Exeter, describe their research into provision for pupils with profound and multiple learning difficulties in a special school in the south west of England. Their work, based in an interpretivist, qualitative approach, set out to illuminate issues relating to the inclusion of pupils with profound and multiple learning difficulties. The findings presented here suggest that the school, in spite of its strong reputation, struggled significantly to provide appropriate learning experiences for pupils with profound and multiple learning difficulties. Ben Simmons and Phil Bayliss discuss the need for improved staff development opportunities focused on enhancing current levels of knowledge and skills. They conclude by calling for a reappraisal of the established view that special schools necessarily provide the best learning environment for pupils with profound and multiple learning difficulties.     

A Tentative Study of Figures of Speech Used in“Hamlet”

Rhetoric is a traditional discipline with a history of over two thousand years.Figures of speech play a pretty important role in verbal communication.People are attracted by"Hamlet"written by Shakespeare and his employing words and artistic enchantment.Shakespeare once learned classical literature,rhetoric,Latin and French.He is famous for his dramas.His language in dramas is rich and colorful and he is good at using figures of speech in his dramas.This paper explores some figures of speech and mainly focuses on how pun,metaphor and transferred epithet are employed in"Hamlet",in order to have a better understanding of the theme and the artistic features of Shakespeare.     

Teaching subjects to pupils with profound and multiple learning difficultiesConsiderations for the new Framework

Nicola Grove, who lectures in speech and language therapy and works in a school for pupils with severe and profound learning difficulties, and Nick Peacey, Director of the Special Educational Needs Joint Initiative for Training (SENJIT) at the Institute of Education, discuss the development of a framework for teaching National Curriculum subjects to pupils with profound learning difficulties through discussion with mainstream specialists.     

Dickens for All: Inclusive Approaches to Literature and Communication with People with Severe and Profound Learning Disabilities

Keith Park, a teacher of children with visual impairment and learning disabilities with the Greenwich Visual Impairment Service, describes a series of multisensory interactive drama games re-telling the story of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, following a discussion of the potential uses of literature with people with severe and profound learning disabilities.     

Integrating studients with special educational needs into mainstream schools in OECD countries

After graduating from the University of London in psychology, Peter Evans completed his Ph.D. in the field of special education. He directed a research project, funded by the Department of Education and Science, on curriculum development for pupils with moderate learning difficulties. Subsequently he became responsible for programmes on special education at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in Paris. Peter Evans has published many books and scientific papers in the area of learning difficulties. Recent books includeIntegrating students with special needs into mainstream schools (1995) andOur children at risk (1995).