BBC joins Dyslexia Action in promoting best practice

A BBC documentary called the Teacher Squad, to broadcast tonight, will highlight the issues surrounding dyslexic school children and joins promotes best practice guidelines for teachers to use in the class room.

The programme features one of learning disability charity Dyslexia Action's trained teachers, Katrina Cochrane and assesses the impact a qualified and experienced tutor can have on a dyslexic child's learning abilities.

Ms Cochrane said: "The major barrier to achievement for young people such as these is that teachers in today's UK schools are not equipped to spot and support dyslexic children.

"Special Educational Needs (SEN) training should become a core, compulsory part of Initial Teacher Training (ITT) for all teachers.

"The current 'optional modules' within ITT are unacceptable; SEN should not be a barrier and all children should be able to access the whole curriculum."

Another campaigning charity Xtraordinary People, founded and led by Kate Griggs, mother of a dyslexic child, also appears in the programme and is currently spearheading the campaign "Say No to Failure" to pressure for change.

Shirley Cramer, chief executive of Dyslexia Action, said: "Dyslexia Action has recently estimated that it will cost £36 million to train one teacher to specialist level in every primary school.

"This is a fraction of the cost to the Treasury, compared to the long-term implications of not addressing literacy difficulties as early in a child's education as possible.

"We urge parents and teachers to demand this for their children, their pupils and themselves. We urge the government to work with specialist organisations who can offer teacher training, specialist tuition, awareness training and consultancy.

"We have models of best practice and an answer to the issues of illiteracy," she concluded.

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