Is the course suitable
for me?

The course is suitable for:

• teachers;
• special needs teachers;
• classroom assistants;
• parents home-schooling a dyslexic child;
• private tutors;
• parents with a dyslexic child in school; and
• other specialist educational workers.

Teachers

As a mainstream teacher you may feel the need to equip yourself with the skills to significantly improve your children's achievemenst in literacy. You may feel that you do not have the special training to know how best to help the childrem improve these skills. This course will give you the techniques and strategies that you need to allow children to develop their reading, writing and spelling skills, and to develop their natural enthusiasm for learning in your classroom.

Resource/Special Needs teachers

Research has shown that Synthetic Phonics is the best possible method for helping dyslexic children learn to read and spell. A s a teacher of children with some kind of learning difficulties in your school, you may feel that the training you have received is not up to date. You are in contact with dyslexic children (or children with similar difficulties) every day, and you want to learn more about exactly how their learning needs can be addressed. The Synthetic Phonics course will give you the teaching methods that can bring about a rapid change in a dyslexic child's learning rate.

There are no 'quick fixes', but you will learn how to help a child break through the particular learning barriers that dyslexia causes, especially with reading, spelling, and comprehension. It is often the case that, having made a breakthrough in these confusing areas, dyslexic children are able to move on and work within the broad average achievement level for their age-group, though with continuing support.

The course will give you the knowledge and practical teaching skills with which you will be able to advise other teachers in your school about how to assist and support the dyslexic pupils in their classes through synthetic phonics. It will also allow you to advise parents on how to approach their child's reading and spelling.

Parent with a child in school

If your child is experiencing difficulties with reading, spelling or math/s in school, the course will give you:

• an understanding of your child's difficulties with learning to read, write and spell;
• the skills you need to assist your child with their homework, reading, writing and and spelling;
• methods to overcome the particular blocks to learning that your child may be experiencing;
• a greater awareness of your child's visual and auditory strengths and weaknesses;
• the ability to help your child continue confidently with their learning.

Parents home-schooling a dyslexic child

A common reason for home-schooling or home educating a child is because the child has experienced failure in school. Parents feel that the school does not respond to the learning difficulties experienced by their child, and parents are upset and angry that the school cannot do more.

However, having decided to home-school, parents can feel that, whilst they are enthusiastic to help their child as much as possible, they lack the special skills required. Whilst the Synthetic Phonics Certificate course is not a general teaching course, it will train parents in the crucial skills they need. With these skills, a home-schooling parent will be able to help their child to overcome the learning barriers they face.

Private tutors

As a private tutor, you are probably already teaching children or teenagers with some kind of learning difficulty, though the exact difficulty may be undiagnosed. You may find that suitable teacher training courses are not available locally. The distance learning Synthetic Phonics Certificate course will allow you to offer the best possible techniques and strategies to teach a child to read and spell, as well as broadening your range of multi-sensory teaching skills. You will also be in a much better position to advise parents on how to help their child with their daily reading and school homework.

Classroom and learning support assistants

As a classroom or learning support assistant, you may feel that, whilst you are ready and willing to help a pupil with learning difficulties, you are not have the necessary training to assist them. The Dyslexia Certificate course will equip you with the practical skills you need.

Other specialist educational workers

You may feel that a lot of children are being referred to you, but you do not fully understand their learning difficulties. The Synthetic Phonics Certificate course will provide you with the knowledge of the best techniques for learning to read and write that will compliment your own specialist area.