ANABERTA OEHLERS-JAEN
HEAD, DAS INTERNATIONAL
PROGRAMME DIRECTOR OF SCHOOL-BASED PROGRAMMES
DYSLEXIA  ASSOCIATION OF SINGAPORE

Ms Anaberta Oehlers-Jaen started her career at the DAS in 2005 as an Educational Therapist and has since held various portfolios. For 4 years, she was the Preschool Manager of the DAS Preschool Service and was actively involved with children at risk of literacy delay and helped to launch the service at DAS. She assumed the position of Head of DAS International in 2011 to support both the local and expatriate international community of students, who may be experiencing learning differences through Specialist tutoring and Assessments. In her role as Maths Programme Director in 2014, Anaberta has presented at International conferences delivered in Singapore, the ASEAN region and the UK.

She is also actively involved in research and has published articles in the Asia-Pacific Journal of Developmental Differences. She holds a Master's Degree in Special Needs from NTU, a BA (English Language and Literature) from SUSS, a Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education from the London Metropolitan University as well as a Cambridge International Diploma for Teachers and Trainers (Dyslexia), along with Early Childhood Diplomas. She is also a qualified trainer with the Advanced Certificate in Training and Assessment (ACTA) by the Singapore Workforce Skills Qualification (WSQ). She has Fellow status at RETA, Register of Educational Therapists (Asia) and is also a Senior Educational Therapist. Delivering a professional service to the families of students with Specific Learning Differences is high on her priority and hopes to continue to serve this community both in Singapore and the region.

INTERNATIONAL FORUM:  DYSLEXIA IN EDUCATION

Hear from the distinguished authors of The Routledge International Handbook of Dyslexia in Education!

Drawing from the wealth of knowledge presented in the book "The Routledge International Handbook of Dyslexia in Education," edited by Lee Siang and Gad Elbeheri, this webinar promises to be a valuable resource for educators, researchers, and anyone interested in dyslexia awareness and intervention.

By exploring these diverse international perspectives on dyslexia, our webinar aims to foster a deeper understanding of the challenges and successes in different regions of the world.

Attendees will gain valuable insights, shared experiences, and practical strategies to enhance dyslexia awareness, identification, and support in their communities. Join us for this webinar to embrace dyslexia and together, we can make a difference in the lives of individuals with dyslexia worldwide.

ANGELA FAWCETT
RESEARCH CONSULTANT
DYSLEXIA ASSOCIATION OF SINGAPORE

Professor Angela Fawcett is a leading international researcher into dyslexia and other developmental disabilities, encompassing a range of theoretical and applied contributions to this field. Her approach is broad and interdisciplinary ranging from child and cognitive development to educational screening and intervention, as well as the development of cognitive neuroscience. She is the Vice President of the British Dyslexia Association and also the Former Chair and Director of the Centre for Child Research at Swansea University, UK. 

DST2 -  A Step Forward in Dyslexia Screening

The DST battery of tests has proved one of the most popular screening tests for dyslexia worldwide, with over 1 million children and adults benefitting from the profile derived. In this talk, we present the most recent instantiation of the test DST2, which brings together 5 tests into one, suitable for use remotely or face-to-face and including new tests of executive function. This test has been normed on 900 and will be published in August 2024 by Pearson Education.

KEYWORDS: Screening, executive function, 4.5-65

Executive Director, Institute of Behavioural Psychology

Anushka Daroga Kharadi is the Executive Director at the Institute of Behavioural Psychology in Pakistan, where she oversees the Academic, Remedial and Therapeutic activities of the Institute. Having done her Masters in Human Development from the University of Karachi, and her Montessori Diploma from the Association Montessori Internationale, Anushka brings extensive experience of working with mainstream and special needs students in her 32 years long experience in the field of education. Anushka has worked in both Pakistan and Canada and has served as a Principal in Shaheen Public School and also set up a Teacher Training Institute for Falcon House School before finally setting up her own Montessori school in Pakistan. Apart from her professional obligations, Anushka also volunteers on the Managing Committee of the Bai Virbaijee School (BVS), which is one of the oldest and most prestigious schools in Pakistan.

BOEN ERN XIN MICHELLE
OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST
PAP COMMUNITY FOUNDATION (PCF) 

Michelle is an occupational therapist who has 5 years of experience working in the community setting. She has worked with children of diverse profiles and needs and has a strong interest in early intervention, especially in the area of inclusive education. She works closely with educators and caregivers to advocate for the participation and engagement of all children and strongly believes that each child should have equal opportunity to learn, play and grow.

Strengthening Singapore Preschool educator's confidence in incorporating Theory of Mind (ToM) Strategies during shared book reading

The Nurturing Early Learners (NEL) curriculum framework in Singapore, as outlined by the Ministry of Education (2022), places strong emphasis on cultivating social and emotional competencies during preschool education. Among the five socio and emotional competencies highlighted, social awareness, which focuses on understanding others' viewpoints and empathetic responses stands out. This competency aligns with the Theory of Mind (ToM), a concept rooted in recognising diverse thoughts and emotions in individuals, as established by Premack and Woodruff (1978). ToM deficits can profoundly impact social relationships, influencing perspective-taking, conversation quality, and friendship formation. 

Prior studies in Singapore regarding ToM has been focused on understanding the impact of socio-cultural factors on ToM in preschool children (Hashim, Kim, Fischer, Yeung & Yu, 2021; Qu & Shen, 2013a; Qu, Shen & Qianqian, 2013b). 

Using a flexible online training module, this qualitative study aims to strengthen educators' confidence in incorporating ToM strategies when facilitating children’s play and social skills following a flexible training module on the application of ToM strategies in the classroom. The results of the study will provide insights into the effectiveness of using such a training method to support educator’s capacity building. This will contribute towards fostering a more comprehensive and impactful learning environment for young children, nurturing their social and emotional growth.

Keywords: Theory of Mind, social emotional competencies, social skills, social skills deficits, social-emotional development, early childhood, preschool educators, perspective-taking, shared book reading

CATHERINE NI CHUNHONG
EDUCATIONAL THERAPIST
DYSLEXIA ASSOCIATION OF SINGAPORE

Catherine Ni Chunhong has been with DAS since 2019. She provides Chinese language intervention to primary and secondary school bilingual learners with dyslexia and other special learning needs. Besides her direct intervention work with students, she also invests considerable time in curriculum development, research, and training and supervising new educational therapists.

Catherine graduated from James Cook University with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology (Honours) before joining the DAS. Catherine has a Specialist Diploma in Educational Therapy (Chinese support) and a Diploma in Childhood Learning Disorder and Management. Catherine is currently pursuing her Master of Education (Special Education) at the National Institute of Education in the Nanyang Technological University of Singapore. Before she joined DAS, she worked as an Orthopedic surgeon, a teaching assistant in a special-needs school, and a research assistant at the James Cook University. 

Orthographic Awareness and Its Relationship to Chinese Word Reading and Spelling in Young Bilingual Learners with Chinese Reading Difficulties in Singapore

Impairment in orthographic awareness (OA) is one of the primary cognitive deficits of Chinese reading difficulties (RDs). This study aimed to investigate the development of Chinese OA in elementary school learners in the bilingual context of Singapore by examining the structural and functional aspects of OA. This study also aimed to evaluate the relationship between the two facets of OA and Chinese word reading and spelling in typically developing (TD) learners and learners with Chinese RDs. 218 bilingual TD learners from Grades 3 to 5 and 513 bilingual learners with Chinese RDs from Grades 1 to 6 were assessed on their OA, word reading, and spelling. The results showed that structural and functional OA development has reached a high level in Grade 5 TD learners. As for learners with Chinese RDs, there appears to be stagnated development of OA from the middle to upper elementary grades. The significantly lower OA scores in learners with Chinese RDs compared to TD learners suggested OA impairments. In addition, the difference in functional OA score between TD learners and learners with Chinese RDs was found to be more significant than that of their structural OA score. The regression analysis showed that both structural and functional OA significantly contribute to word reading and spelling for both groups of learners. Functional OA played an increasingly important role in word reading and spelling as learners progressed from lower to upper elementary. Our findings emphasized the importance of targeted intervention in building structural and functional OA in learners with Chinese RDs.

Keywords: Chinese reading difficulties, orthographic awareness, bilingual, word reading, spelling, dyslexia 

CHEN WEI TENG
Literacy Specialist, The Oak Planters 

Wei Teng is a literacy specialist with 18 years of experience providing effective interventions and support to young learners struggling with dyslexia and other specific learning differences. She runs a literacy studio “The Oak Planters” which provides teaching and content creation services. 

A former Senior Educational Therapist at the Dyslexia Association of Singapore (DAS), Wei Teng played a pivotal role in leading the curriculum team in designing comprehensive frameworks for dyslexic students, focusing on speaking, listening, writing, and grammar, and also actively contributed to the development of teacher training programs. She was also a teacher at NorthLight School (Singapore), where she worked closely with at-risk teenagers from disadvantaged family backgrounds and played an integral role in planning and implementing the school’s literacy support programme for students. The programme targets students who were reading significantly below their chronological age and had various learning needs, including dyslexia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), had difficulties related to learning EL as a second language, as well as motivational issues. 

Wei Teng is also a picture book author whose debut picture book that focuses on the theme of inclusion “Murphy, See How You Shine!” won the Moonbeam Children’s Picture Book Gold Award (e-book category) in 2018 and was selected to be translated with the support of the Lee Kuan Yew Fund for Bilingualism. Additionally, with her love for storytelling, Wei Teng has conducted storytelling sessions at libraries, museums and schools, using her unique brand of musical storytelling approach with music and sounds. 

Wei Teng is a Fellow of the Register of Educational Therapists (Asia). She holds an honours degree in Psychology (2nd Upper Class) from the National University of Singapore and a Masters of Arts in Teaching English to Young Learners (with distinctions) from the University of York (UK). She also obtained a Diploma in Dyslexia Studies from the DAS and received comprehensive training in the Orton-Gillingham approach.

Storytelling for Children with Special Educational Needs 

Stories are meant to be enjoyed by everyone but for children with specific learning differences, the conventional storytelling sessions are challenging territories for them, including their caregivers. Learn more about their challenges and how to help neurodivergent children enjoy a good story alongside their neurotypical peers – so that storytelling can offer a space to allow individuals with diverse needs to experience the world together. Participants will learn tips on some preparatory steps that can be taken to prepare a conducive environment for storytelling, as well as what can be introduced during storytelling to sustain the attention of the children.

KEYWORDS: storytelling, special educational needs

DR CHRISTINA WHITE PROSSER
ADJUNCT ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY

Dr. Christina White Prosser is an Adjunct Assistant Professor and a Post Doctoral Scholar at the Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary. Dr. Christina White Prosser is an adult learning specialist, experienced educator, adult learning researcher, and proven leader in educational administration. She has been working in correctional education since 1999. Her professional experience includes various non-profit organizations and over 24 years in postsecondary education. Christina’s broad area of research explores the effects of transformational learning and self-perception in adults as they adapt to and adopt change later in life. She is currently researching the impact of technology-assisted literacy and language learning in incarcerated adults and the effects of policing and crime prevention education programs on youth.

Integrating Assistive Technology into Correctional Learning – Perspectives of Instructors 

There are considerable challenges in empowering struggling learners within Canadian correctional institutions with access to technology. Due to aging facilities, challenges with IT infrastructure, and the adoption of tech in programming, there is limited access to technology. However, many in the corrections population are neurodiverse and would benefit from the benefits of assistive technology. While 5% to 10% of the Canadian population have a learning disability, the incidence of learning disabilities in corrections can be up to 25%. 

My research project provides an opportunity to discover how assistive technology designed to assist with literacy learning supports students with Neurodiversity. The objectives of this research focus on better understanding how instructors and students in Canadian correctional facilities can use assistive technology, specifically scanning pens, to enhance literacy learning. Using mixed methods, including pre and post-literacy tests and semi-structured interviews the data gathered provides perspectives on the development of curriculum that includes specific integration of assistive technology, the learning differences, if any, between those learners in the experimentation group and those in the control group, and the perspective of the learners on their experiences using assistive technology. In this session I will speak to the instructor participants' experiences with integrating technology into the curriculum, what teaching strategies were effective and what they observed while students used the assistive technology to learn. This study will add to our understanding of how to implement assistive technology for adult learners in a correctional environment.

KEYWORDS: Adult Learning, Neurodiversity, Literacy, Corrections, Learning disabilities, Dyslexia

DR DAMARIS CARLISLE
THE LEARNING CENTRE HEAD
LASALLE College of the Arts, Singapore

Dr Damaris Carlisle is The Learning Centre Head at LASALLE College of the Arts, where she provides academic support to students and staff across the College.

She completed her Doctorate in Education investigating issues experienced by learners with special educational needs as they transition to university in Singapore.

She is committed to promoting the use of digital tools to enhance accessibility and remains passionate about education and promoting an inclusive campus. 

5 Minutes of Digital Inclusion: Raising awareness one step at a time

In the evolving landscape of higher education, a concerning gap persists: educators often lack the resources to meet the diverse learning needs of their students, exacerbated by budget and time constraints. Jennifer George and Damaris Carlisle address this issue through their initiative '5 Minutes of Digital Inclusion.' Our project aims to democratise access to knowledge on learning differences and digital inclusion tools, without adding to the already heavy workload of educators. Delivered as daily videos and readings, these compact, easily digestible segments fit into any busy schedule, offering essential insights on fostering inclusive educational spaces. Our approach is designed to be a catalyst, encouraging educators to delve deeper into the nuances of what it means to create truly inclusive classes and materials. Participants are invited to invest just 5 minutes a day for 25 days to engage with this content, aiming to prompt systemic change by inspiring individual actions. We believe that each small dose of information can act as a stepping stone toward a more inclusive higher education system. Join us on this journey toward making diversity and inclusion not just buzzwords, but integral components of education for all.

KEYWORDS: awareness raising, accessibility, digital technology, higher education, inclusion

DEDE THAM
EDUCATION MANAGER
EDUCATION DEPARTMENT
CHEN SU LAN METHODIST CHILDREN'S HOME

Dede Tham is a Certified therapist with the International Association for Counsellors and Therapists in the United States, a Certified Signpost Facilitator from KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital and a Certified Practitioner for Be the LIGHT: Crisis Support for Children and Youth. Her educational background includes an Honours Degree in Psychology with Counselling from the University of Greenwich, along with various post-graduate qualifications in special education and clinical psychotherapy. Throughout her career, Ms Tham has worked in diverse settings, including early intervention centres, specialized clinics, hospitals, schools, universities, and special needs support centres. Her research focus on designing interventions for marginalized populations has been published in peer-reviewed journal articles, and she has presented her findings at the Inclusive Education Symposium. 

RETA Case Management Discussion: Struggling Learners – Who are they and how do they learn? A case study

Parents and laymen may use the term “struggling learners” broadly to mean children who may not learn as well as their peers. However, “struggling learners” means something different to educators.  In schools, this group of students refer to those identified as needing supplemental academic intervention services. Students who struggle could have been impacted by adverse family environments. They might develop poor mental health conditions or have poor emotional regulation which affects learning. Students may struggle with learning if they have dyslexia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism or cognitive developmental delay. This study investigates how students with an impoverished start to life and education attain literacy skills. Although no assessment was done, they show signs of dyslexia and have poor vocabulary and word recognition. They also show poor emotional regulation. These factors contribute to their poor reading and spelling ability. The remediation process includes teaching reading and spelling via phonics instructions. Explicit teaching of grammar rules is injected into writing activities. Principles of Orton-Gillingham (OG) and Mediational Intervention for Sensitizing Caregivers (MISC) are utilised to build rapport and confidence. Students’ ability to learn is observed and monitored weekly. Strategies to inculcate a positive learning habit are implemented to improve students’ ability to sustain attention in a lesson. Results show that with the right teaching approach to motivate them, these students will attain literacy skills. Their positive learning attitude has resulted in reading and spelling progress. Recommendations on how to engage and teach such students are put forth for fellow educators to consider implementing.

KEYWORDS:  struggling learner, dyslexia, ADHD, low-income families

EDMEN LEONG
Director of Specialised Educational Services (SES)

Edmen has been with the DAS since 2010. He served as an Educational Therapist, Programme Manager as well as Assistant Director before assuming the post of Director of Specialised Educational Services (SES) on the 1st of January 2019. As Director of SES, Edmen oversees a range of programmes including Preschool, Speech and Language Therapy, Math, Chinese, Prep 2 PSLE and Speech and Drama Arts programmes. He has also pioneered the development of Short Term Programmes and oversees student workshops that DAS conducts.

Edmen graduated from the University of Western Australia, Perth with a degree in Psychology before joining DAS. He has since completed his Post-Graduate Certificate in Specific Learning Differences with London Metropolitan University and his Master of Arts in Applied Linguistics with the National Institute of Education Singapore where he won the book prize for being the top student in his cohort. Edmen is currently pursuing his PhD with an interest in the topic of reading motivation for struggling readers. He has presented at conferences and published papers on exam skills, curriculum development, reading comprehension and language testing.

Edmen strongly believes in unlocking the potential of every dyslexic learner and aims to empower educators and parents with sufficient knowledge and strategies to support struggling learners.

Numeracy and Chinese literacy support for learners who learn differently but do not have a diagnosis of dyslexia

The Dyslexia Association of Singapore (DAS) has been supporting learners with dyslexia by developing and delivering a range of programmes that are catered to their specific needs. In recent years, we have received requests from parents and organisations to support learners who, similar to learners with dyslexia, learn differently but do not meet the full requirements of a dyslexia diagnosis. Amongst the range of programmes, the DAS’ numeracy and Chinese literacy programmes piloted supporting this group of learners within our classrooms. Profiling tests were conducted to assess the students' needs prior to entry to the programmes. The progress of this unique group of students were tracked through tests administered over the course of their attendance in the programmes and through interviews with their educational therapists. Data collected suggested that this group of learners do benefit from the programmes, they are very similar to the profiles of learners with dyslexia, and that it is important to appropriately profile students according to their needs. This suggests bigger possibilities in the support provided for all learners to learn differently.  

DR ELEONORA PALMIERI
DIRECTOR OF PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PEDAGOGICAL
VICTOR CENTER MACERATA, ITALY

Dr. Eleonora Palmieri is the Director of the Psychological and Pedagogical Victor Center Macerata ( Italy) involved in dyslexia, dyspraxia, and autism according to the Crispiani Method practices. She is also the founder of FIDIAcademy International Center (a school for children with learning difficulties) where she works as a clinical psychologist, pedagogist and ITARD specialist. She is interested in special pedagogy and neurodevelopment disorders ( language, motor, perception) She has been involved in international projects as a trainer ( Singapore, Mumbai, Hong Kong, Poland, Malesia, Dubai) and she often attends as an expert speaker at International Conferences.

She has developed and coordinated partnerships with many experts in different countries, including universities (Poland, England, Spain, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Paris), training organizations, research centres, and pedagogical advice for teachers and parents.

She is the author with Prof. Piero Crispiani of Champion Pressing, Special Intensive Practices of Cognitive Motor Training by Istituto Itard, collana Les sauvages; She has also realized a Video Motor Training Itard, she is the author of many articles and Working Method of Champion LIRM ( Intensive Reading and Motor Speed).

The International FIDI Academy School: didactics, nature and movement. A new frontier for academic success

The International FIDI Academy School was born from the idea of a group of specialized pedagogues and Itard therapists who believe in motor coordination and didactics. The coordination of the project is by Dr. Eleonora Palmieri, Clinical Psychologist, Pedagogist and Neuropsychomotor specialist, director of the "Victor" Psycho-Pedagogical Center in Macerata. It is an initiative born from the desire to offer children and young people of all ages an alternative to traditional school, in a place surrounded by nature.

Participants learn through the ecological-dynamic practices of the Crispiani Method, a global method, suitable for everyone and therefore highly inclusive, capable of early intercepting any school difficulties such as dyslexia and dyspraxia.

The formula "didactics in nature and movement" sums up the importance of Neuroactivation Training based on Cognitive Motor Training. Motor skills are an integral part of teaching and help children and youngsters to achieve academic success.

Working Method of Champion LIRM (Intensive Reading and Motor Speed).

KEYWORDS: academic success, motor coordination, executive functions, didactics and learning.

Dr ELIZABETH OW YEONG WAI MANG
Teaching Fellow,

Psychology and Child & Human Development (PCHD)
National Institute of Education 

Dr Ow Yeong has been an educator in mainstream school education for the past 25 years. She has been an active proponent in looking into successful support for students with special needs for the past two decades. Dr Ow Yeong was thus awarded the President’s Award for Teachers in 2017 for her contribution, dedication and commitment. She is currently seconded to the National Institute of Education and is looking into educator training for pre-service teachers, special educational needs officers, as well in-service teachers in the area of special needs. 

Use of Poetry to empower students with SEN

Poetry as a powerful empowerment tool for students with special educational needs (SEN) has been neglected and not been surfaced and reintroduced fully for mainstream inclusive support. Poetry not only serves as an effective vehicle in supporting students with SEN in language and literacy, but the effects of poetry memorisation transcend and impact students beyond literary exploration, as it not only supports brain development but also instil confidence and self-efficacy amongst those who practise it while providing for the joy of learning. This small-scale qualitative study uses both document analysis of past research, as well as an ethnographic analysis of the use of poetry and poetry memorisation and recitation as a means of empowerment amongst local students (past and present). This study concludes that the use of poetry should be resurfaced as a viable mode of empowerment in teaching and learning for students with SEN. 

KEYWORDS: Poetry, SEN, Recitation, memorisation

ETHAN MING QUAN LEO
IT STACK DEVELOPER

Ethan Ming Quan Leo is a Stack Developer for IT solutions and has launched several apps, including the CSIM 1 & 2 which were presented at the World Literacy Summit 2023.  His expertise stems from taking part in competitions and work experience in the IT industry and continually updating his knowledge in the area of computer science.  Having graduated as the top student in the School of Informatics and Information Technology at Temasek Polytechnic, he has a Diploma in Information Technology with four awards – Singapore Telecommunications Course Gold Medal, Huawei International Project Prize, Huawei International Special Industry Prize, IMDA Excellence Award, Diploma in Information Technology with Merit. He is also a scholarship award recipient of the Turing AI Scholars Programme Scholarship (TAISPS) for his undergraduate studies in the Nanyang Technological University’s College of Computing and Data Science (CCDS). 

Scaffolding reading comprehension - The CSIM (Comprehension Scaffolding Interrogative Method) App

Have you ever encountered children who can read but fail to answer “Wh” questions coherently? This paper examines some reasons why this happens and how scaffolding for reading comprehension can be done with the use of a reading comprehension app called CSIM – Comprehension Scaffolding Interrogative Method. 

The above-mentioned method is effective in various research papers and the content developer of this app has published a comprehension book for practices based on the mentioned scaffolding methodology. Hence, the comprehension passages in the app are adapted from the book and the respective methodology is adopted as well. The reading passages in the app come in a variety of genres and the stories are well-suited for all ages.

By the proven methodology of scaffolding the schemata of sentences and user-friendly illustrated game practices, the CSIM app enhances the ability of the user to comprehend reading passages. The advantage of using the CSIM app therefore goes beyond the effectiveness of the methodology in that the technology of the app makes repeated practice much more convenient and appealing than the original pen-and-paper practices for children.

With the dawn of the post-pandemic era of COVID-19 and children growing up as digital natives, this app will serve all learners in ways that are radically different from how the generations previously did. Therefore, the CSIM app can be a great learning companion not just for the hyperlexic or poor-comprehenders, but for the general population as well when it comes to learning the English language through reading comprehension.

KEYWORDS: Reading comprehension, scaffolding, hyperlexia, poor-comprehenders, special-needs, intervention, technology.

FOUNDER & DIRECTOR, LATVIAN DYSLEXIA ASSOCIATION

Eva Birzniece, PhD, is the founder and director of the NGO Pro Futuro which started advocacy for students with dyslexia in Latvia in 2004 and which later became the Latvian Dyslexia Association. Eva holds her doctoral degree in philology but her parallel interest as a teacher of English has been reading and writing acquisition and difficulties some students face with these academic skills both in their native and foreign languages. She is the author and co-author of several books about dyslexia and evidence-based remediation and accommodation, including the use of ICT.

FOUNDER & DIRECTOR, LATVIAN DYSLEXIA ASSOCIATION

Eva Birzniece, PhD, is the founder and director of the NGO Pro Futuro which started advocacy for students with dyslexia in Latvia in 2004 and which later became the Latvian Dyslexia Association. Eva holds her doctoral degree in philology but her parallel interest as a teacher of English has been reading and writing acquisition and difficulties some students face with these academic skills both in their native and foreign languages. She is the author and co-author of several books about dyslexia and evidence-based remediation and accommodation, including the use of ICT.

Reading fluency in 4th grader Students in Latvia - Measures, Types of Mistakes and Implications for Instruction

Eva Birzniece, Dr. Philol., Latvian Dyslexia Association

The written Latvian language is a very transparent orthography which traditionally has led to very lax instruction of reading – it is assumed that as soon as a student knows the letters, he/she can read (a connected text). Though, the morphology in Latvian is very complex and could make reading in Latvian more difficult than predicted by the transparent orthography. During soviet times there was a formal  though brief and inconsistent direct training in reading in 1 st grade, but it was abandoned when Latvia created its first re-independent state education standard.

Regardless of that, Latvia has fared comparatively well on 4 th grade international PIRLS reading tests. But, when 15-year-old students are tested in OECD PISA reading tests, we see that student skills have declined. This has suggested for a long time that reading instruction as it was, was not effective in the long run.

The research on reading fluency and typology of mistakes conducted in academic year 2022/2023 for 4 th grade students of Latvia demonstrates that many students fail to reach reading fluency age/grade norm. Apart from the absolute low numbers of reading fluency another alarming tendency is that students in the 10 th and 25 the percentiles progress significantly slower than their peers reading in 75 th and 90 the percentile.

The most common mistakes are reading phonetically and morphologically   difficult/long words (consisting of 3 and more syllables) and understanding indirect/metaphoric meanings of expressions in literary text.

These findings bring us to a conclusion that Latvia urgently needs to bring explicit reading instruction back to primary grades and develop remedial reading programmes for those students who learn reading slower than their peers. Another task of our educational system is to develop data based levelled reading methodologies and, while striving to improve reading fluency of around 45% of poor readers, also develop compensation for insufficient reading ability – audio and multimedia textbooks and study materials not to deprive many students of academic content.

TINA TAN  & DR FRANKIE TAN

Dr Frankie Tan and Tina Tan have been married for 22 years, and are parents to three sons, aged 21, 20 and 15. Frankie is a Sport and Exercise Physiologist with Sport Singapore and has been an active advocate for Dads for Life and manhood initiatives. Tina is a Social Worker and freelance parent coach and trainer and is currently pursuing her Masters of Arts (SEN/ALN) with the University of South Wales as a scholar under DAS Academy. Tina has been serving with SPARK, a charity serving ADHD families in Singapore, since 2017. The couple often mentor young couples, men and women, and parents in various life issues and special needs parenting. They are also actively supporting School Parent Support Groups in their setting up of parent-peer support groups for parents with children with challenging behaviours and special needs. 

Parenting Diverse Needs - A Father and Mother's Voice 

Parents of children with special needs go through many unseen struggles. From unpredictable and frequent interruptions to daily family life to facing huge strains on family relationships and resources. From the process of identifying the child's needs to accessing a diagnosis to coming to terms with what the diagnosis entails. Parents seem to face an endless and undulating journey of loving and supporting their difficult child towards a more normal growth and development, whilst navigating the pressures of societal demands on them and their children to "be normal" and "not a disruption" to their peers and teachers. 

Listen to Frankie and Tina share their personal journeys and life lessons as they have journeyed with their now 20-year-old son, who was diagnosed with ADHD and Dyslexia at age 6, and Autism Spectrum Disorder at age 10. While learning to support their son, they've also reached out to support other fathers and mothers along the same journey as themselves. They will reflect on the unseen and unspoken challenges parents face, as well as the critical role parents play in helping their children access and engage interventions towards coping with and even overcoming their challenges.   

DR GEETHA SHANTHA RAM
Director SpLD Assessment Services, English Language and Literacy Division & Staff Professional Development, Registrar, Register of Educational Therapists (Asia), APJDD Executive Editor, Dyslexia Association of Singapore, DAS Academy Academic & Examination Board Member

Dr Geetha Shantha Ram joined the Dyslexia Association of Singapore (DAS) in 2004. Since 2013, she holds the position of Director of the English Language and Literacy (ELL) Division. In her capacity as Director, Geetha has played a key role in enhancing the ELL Programmes, which include the Main Literacy Programme (MLP), through the implementation of the Essential Literacy Approach and the integration of the MLP curriculum. Geetha is committed to providing targeted support for students with specific needs, which led her to develop two additional programmes: iReaCH, which offers higher-order skills intervention, and iStudySmart(TM), which guides upper secondary and post-secondary students in developing critical executive functioning and study skills. Her oversight extends to the SpLD Assessment Services and Staff Professional Development division, where she has been instrumental in developing professional pathways and ensuring quality assurance of all educational efforts. Geetha also serves as the head of the DAS Research Committee and is the Registrar of the Register of Educational Therapists (Asia) (RETA). Before her current role as Director, Geetha served as Assistant Director of the DAS Academy and continues to share her expertise by presenting at various local and international conferences. Geetha holds a Doctorate in Education, a Master’s in English, and a Post Graduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education (Distinction). Her recent research explores twice-exceptionality – the coexistence of giftedness and learning disabilities, which acknowledges the strengths and immense potential of learners with learning differences. With almost two decades of experience supporting individuals with dyslexia, Geetha is dedicated to providing high-quality services that redefine their potential and encourage them to appreciate their unique abilities.

HAMADATUN YUSUF
LEAD EDUCATIONAL THERAPIST & RETA ASSOCIATE FELLOW
DYSLEXIA ASSOCIATION OF SINGAPORE

Hamada is a Lead Educational Therapist at the Dyslexia Association of Singapore. She joined DAS in 2015 and has since been providing tailored intervention to diverse learners with dyslexia and other specific learning differences on the Main Literacy Programme (MLP). Outside of her classroom, Hamada is an Awareness Speaker for the DAS Outreach Team, where she speaks about Understanding Dyslexia to schools, organisations as well as private corporations. In 2022, she completed her Master's Degree in Special Educational Needs and Additional Learning Needs with the University of South Wales, UK. Hamada believes in empowering her students to see themselves beyond their difficulties and be advocates for their learning differences; she aspires to contribute meaningfully to the ongoing pursuit of creating an inclusive society.

Dyslexia in the Malay Language in Singapore

This presentation explores the findings of a research study that delves into the specific difficulties encountered by individuals who are English-Malay bilingual learners with dyslexia in Singapore. The purpose of the research was to gain a better understanding of the difficulties faced by bilingual learners with dyslexia when acquiring the Malay language, particularly in the aspect of reading and reading comprehension. Additionally, the study aimed to provide insights into the experiences of learners with similar profiles in the context of Malay as a second language. Inductive analysis revealed that word reading difficulties were affected by unfamiliarity of words, increasing word length and complexity of syllables and affixed words. Challenges in reading comprehension were due to poor word vocabulary and long comprehension passages. Additionally, the perceived usefulness of the Malay language as an alternative language for communicating with members of the community, as well as feeling supported in the classroom were the underlying motivating factors to learn the language. These findings suggest that in teaching learners of this unique profile, phonological knowledge and morpheme instruction can facilitate reading in the Malay language. The length and lexical level of a given passage is also a factor to take into account when assigning tasks in the classroom. Finally, the esteem and anxiety levels must be considered for these English-Malay bilingual learners with dyslexia to maintain interest and motivation to learn Malay as a second language in Singapore.

Keywords: dyslexia, English, Malay, Singapore, bilingual

HANI ZOHRA MUHAMAD
LEAD EDUCATIONAL THERAPIST AND EDUCATIONAL ADVISOR
RETA FELLOW
DYSLEXIA ASSOCIATION OF SINGAPORE 

Hani Zohra Muhamad is a Lead Educational Therapist and an Educational Advisor (EA) at the Dyslexia Association of Singapore. She has experience teaching and working with students with dyslexia and other comorbidities since 2007. As an EA, Hani contributes to the training and mentoring of new Educational Therapists and conducts annual educational quality assurance audits. Hani holds a Master's Degree in Education (Special Education) from Nanyang Technological University.

RETA Case Management Discussion: Struggling Learners – Who are they and how do they learn? A case study

Parents and laymen may use the term “struggling learners” broadly to mean children who may not learn as well as their peers. However, “struggling learners” means something different to educators.  In schools, this group of students refer to those identified as needing supplemental academic intervention services. Students who struggle could have been impacted by adverse family environments. They might develop poor mental health conditions or have poor emotional regulation which affects learning. Students may struggle with learning if they have dyslexia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism or cognitive developmental delay. This study investigates how students with an impoverished start to life and education attain literacy skills. Although no assessment was done, they show signs of dyslexia and have poor vocabulary and word recognition. They also show poor emotional regulation. These factors contribute to their poor reading and spelling ability. The remediation process includes teaching reading and spelling via phonics instructions. Explicit teaching of grammar rules is injected into writing activities. Principles of Orton-Gillingham (OG) and Mediational Intervention for Sensitizing Caregivers (MISC) are utilised to build rapport and confidence. Students’ ability to learn is observed and monitored weekly. Strategies to inculcate a positive learning habit are implemented to improve students’ ability to sustain attention in a lesson. Results show that with the right teaching approach to motivate them, these students will attain literacy skills. Their positive learning attitude has resulted in reading and spelling progress. Recommendations on how to engage and teach such students are put forth for fellow educators to consider implementing.

KEYWORDS:  struggling learner, dyslexia, ADHD, low-income families

Educational Therapist

Hope joined the Dyslexia Association of Singapore (DAS) as an Educational Therapist in June 2022. She provides intervention for students with dyslexia and other learning differences in the Main Literacy Programme (MLP). Since graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Biblical Studies from Cincinnati Bible College and completing certification to teach high-school English from the Ohio Department of Education through the College of Mount Saint Joseph, Hope has always been an educator, whether professionally or as a volunteer. She is passionate about helping young people discover the joy of learning and the beauty of language.

RETA Case Management Discussion: Struggling Learners – Who are they and how do they learn? A case study

Parents and laymen may use the term “struggling learners” broadly to mean children who may not learn as well as their peers. However, “struggling learners” means something different to educators.  In schools, this group of students refer to those identified as needing supplemental academic intervention services. Students who struggle could have been impacted by adverse family environments. They might develop poor mental health conditions or have poor emotional regulation which affects learning. Students may struggle with learning if they have dyslexia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism or cognitive developmental delay. This study investigates how students with an impoverished start to life and education attain literacy skills. Although no assessment was done, they show signs of dyslexia and have poor vocabulary and word recognition. They also show poor emotional regulation. These factors contribute to their poor reading and spelling ability. The remediation process includes teaching reading and spelling via phonics instructions. Explicit teaching of grammar rules is injected into writing activities. Principles of Orton-Gillingham (OG) and Mediational Intervention for Sensitizing Caregivers (MISC) are utilised to build rapport and confidence. Students’ ability to learn is observed and monitored weekly. Strategies to inculcate a positive learning habit are implemented to improve students’ ability to sustain attention in a lesson. Results show that with the right teaching approach to motivate them, these students will attain literacy skills. Their positive learning attitude has resulted in reading and spelling progress. Recommendations on how to engage and teach such students are put forth for fellow educators to consider implementing.

KEYWORDS:  struggling learner, dyslexia, ADHD, low-income families

DR JENNIFER GEORGE
Computing Head of Department
Goldsmiths University London, UK

Professor Jennifer George is passionate about inclusion and accessibility and currently working with students and leading the department, school and championing for Goldsmiths to improve student experience. She is also a National Teaching Fellow.

During her time at Goldsmiths, she has been either Head or Deputy Head of the Department, led on making the department disability inclusive and taught and supervised students in various areas of human-computer interaction (HCI).

Jennifer’s research areas include human-computer interaction, theology and the digital world and inclusion and accessibility in learning, teaching and assessments.

She has a keen interest in pedagogy and technology-enhanced learning and was previously the academic lead for learning technologies and digital media at Anglia Ruskin University.

5 Minutes of Digital Inclusion: Raising awareness one step at a time

In the evolving landscape of higher education, a concerning gap persists: educators often lack the resources to meet the diverse learning needs of their students, exacerbated by budget and time constraints. Jennifer George and Damaris Carlisle address this issue through their initiative '5 Minutes of Digital Inclusion.' Our project aims to democratise access to knowledge on learning differences and digital inclusion tools, without adding to the already heavy workload of educators. Delivered as daily videos and readings, these compact, easily digestible segments fit into any busy schedule, offering essential insights on fostering inclusive educational spaces. Our approach is designed to be a catalyst, encouraging educators to delve deeper into the nuances of what it means to create truly inclusive classes and materials. Participants are invited to invest just 5 minutes a day for 25 days to engage with this content, aiming to prompt systemic change by inspiring individual actions. We believe that each small dose of information can act as a stepping stone toward a more inclusive higher education system. Join us on this journey toward making diversity and inclusion not just buzzwords, but integral components of education for all.

Carlisle, Damaris D E: LASALLE College of the Arts

George, Jennifer: Goldsmiths University London

KEYWORDS: awareness raising, accessibility, digital technology, higher education, inclusion

JESSICA COLLEU TERRADAS
Catholic Education, Archdiocese of Canberra & Goulburn, Australia

Literacy specialist & instructional coach at Canberra and Goulburn Catholic Education where she contributes to the implementation of Catalyst, a system-wide education approach to teaching and learning. This work, informed by the Science of Learning and Science of Reading, has involved designing and implementing professional learning, resources and support across all 56 schools focusing on evidence-based teaching practices with a heavy investment in building early foundational literacy skills in young children. Before that, she was working in the Literacy Guarantee Unit for the South Australian Education Department. She recently travelled to the USA, England and France where she met with leading experts to investigate best teaching practices to support older struggling readers as part of her Winston Churchill Fellowship. Jessica’s entire teaching career has been spent supporting the most challenging and vulnerable students identified at risk for reading failures and her work was nationally recognised in 2019 with a Commonwealth Bank Teaching Award. Jessica has also led state-wide opportunities for networking, collaboration and support for educators to align with the science of reading in Australian schools.

The right to success in Blackpool secondary schools (England) – a case study about improving literacy in disadvantaged students.

Participants will learn about how a network of eight secondary schools has been addressing the low reading abilities of many adolescents aged 11-14 in Blackpool, one of the most deprived areas in England. As part of the Blackpool Literacy project, the schools have committed to a collective approach to sharing data and best practices grounded in the science of reading, and have already seen strong results. Screening options and suggestions for remedial programs will be explored. Suitable for upper primary and secondary teachers and leaders. This is a case study from my Churchill Fellowship report.

KEYWORDS: reading instruction and intervention, response to intervention, literacy, science of reading, Multi-tiered system of support, screening, progress monitoring

Joanne Yoong, PhD

Principal Economist and Behavioural Scientist

Dr Joanne Yoong, is an applied micro-economist and interdisciplinary researcher working on consumer and household decision-making in vulnerable populations. Dr Yoong holds multiple faculty appointments and is the author of over eighty peer-reviewed articles in leading economics, medical and public health journals. She has worked on projects around the world including Singapore, the United States, India, China, Ghana, Kenya, Cambodia, Indonesia and Iraqi Kurdistan. Dr Yoong received her PhD in Economics at Stanford University as an FSI Starr Foundation Fellow after an early career in financial services, and her AB summa cum laude in Economics and Applied and Computational Mathematics from Princeton University.

- Behavioral economics
- Health, financial, and social services research
- Socioeconomic development
- Program design and evaluation

Empowering Struggling Learners: A Research Roadmap for the Dyslexia Association of Singapore 

In Singapore, individuals who experience learning difficulties without a formal diagnosis of a learning disability are increasingly recognised as individuals who learn differently and are also known as struggling learners. Despite forming a significant fraction of Singapore's student population, they may be excluded from receiving targeted support or government subsidies, even though there is a growing body of research highlighting the feasibility and effectiveness of locally adapted evidence-based interventions that meet their needs. To foster a more equitable educational landscape, policymakers must prioritise expanding access, appropriateness, and affordability of programming for children who learn differently. 

Keywords:  Struggling learners, structured intervention, individuals who learn differently, neurodiverse 

DR JUNE SIEW
HEAD, DAS ACADEMY

Dr June Siew provides thought leadership in the field of special educational needs (SEN), focusing on dyslexia. She holds a grounded perspective of SEN, developed through her extensive experiences with students and their community of support. She is a pioneer in advocating inclusive practices in schools and has been training SEN Officers since they were first introduced to the mainstream school system in 2005. She passionately believes that the family and community are key to a child’s success and works closely with them to help students with SEN thrive.

Qualifications

Doctor in Education (Dual Award)
Institute of Education, University College London and National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University

Master of Arts (Specific Learning Differences)
London Metropolitan University

Bachelor of Arts
National University of Singapore

WSQ Advanced Certificate in Training and Assessment (ACTA)

An Exploratory Study on the Collaboration between SENO and Teachers in Mainstream Elementary Schools in Singapore 

Effective support of students with special educational needs (SEN) in mainstream schools requires good collaborative practices between educators and school support personnel within the schools. An exploratory study was conducted to examine how Special Educational Needs Officers (SENO) collaborate with teachers in Singapore’s mainstream schools to support these students. The main aim of the study was to examine the collaboration practices between SENOs and teachers in mainstream schools.  A total of eight participants, four SENO and teacher pairs from four elementary schools in Singapore, took part in the study. The four female SENOs were between 29 to 36 years old (mean age: 32.5 years). Their years of service in education ranged from two years six months to 12 years (mean: 8.1 years). In each school, observation and interview of the SENO-participants occurred before that of teacher-participants. Seven major themes emerged from the analysis: Contact, information sharing, joint decision, accountability, student support, human factor and inclusive culture. Implications for practice, limitations, and suggestions for future study were presented.

Key terms: collaboration, mainstream teachers, special educational needs officers, Singapore

Ke Yiyun Joyce, Educational Psychologist 

PAP Community Foundation 

Joyce is an educational psychologist who has been working with individuals with learning and behavioural needs. After diverse experiences in private, public and community settings, she now works with early childhood educators and caregivers in equipping them with the knowledge and strategies to support young children with developmental needs. She believes that all children are capable of learning, and the right support can enhance the well-being and educational experiences of these young learners.

Strengthening Singapore Preschool educator's confidence in incorporating Theory of Mind (ToM) Strategies during shared book reading

The Nurturing Early Learners (NEL) curriculum framework in Singapore, as outlined by the Ministry of Education (2022), places strong emphasis on cultivating social and emotional competencies during preschool education. Among the five socio and emotional competencies highlighted, social awareness, which focuses on understanding others' viewpoints and empathetic responses stands out. This competency aligns with the Theory of Mind (ToM), a concept rooted in recognising diverse thoughts and emotions in individuals, as established by Premack and Woodruff (1978). ToM deficits can profoundly impact social relationships, influencing perspective-taking, conversation quality, and friendship formation. 

Prior studies in Singapore regarding ToM has been focused on understanding the impact of socio-cultural factors on ToM in preschool children (Hashim, Kim, Fischer, Yeung & Yu, 2021; Qu & Shen, 2013a; Qu, Shen & Qianqian, 2013b). 

Using a flexible online training module, this qualitative study aims to strengthen educators' confidence in incorporating ToM strategies when facilitating children’s play and social skills following a flexible training module on the application of ToM strategies in the classroom. The results of the study will provide insights into the effectiveness of using such a training method to support educator’s capacity building. This will contribute towards fostering a more comprehensive and impactful learning environment for young children, nurturing their social and emotional growth.

Keywords: Theory of Mind, social emotional competencies,  social skills, social skills deficits, social-emotional development, early childhood, preschool educators, perspective-taking, shared booking reading

Professor, Child Development and Special Education
Director,  Centre for Child and Family Science
The Education University of Hong Kong

Kevin Kien Hoa Chung, PhD, is a professor of child development and special education and the director of the Centre for Child and Family Science at the Education University of Hong Kong. He was a former head of two departments: The Department of Special Education and Counselling and The Department of Early Childhood Education. Prior to joining the University, Kevin was an assistant professor and programme director of the Master of Education (Special and Inclusive Education), Faculty of Education at the University of Hong Kong. He was a high school teacher in Australia before embarking on an academic career. His research and teaching areas focus on developmental dyslexia and learning disabilities, literacy acquisition, assessment and instruction, cognitive and social-emotional development and inclusive education.

Professor, Child Development and Special Education
Director,  Centre for Child and Family Science,
The Education University of Hong Kong
Department of Early Childhood Education,
The Education University of Hong Kong

Kevin Kien Hoa Chung, PhD, is a professor of child development and special education and the director of the Centre for Child and Family Science at the Education University of Hong Kong. He was the former head of two departments: The Department of Special Education and Counselling and The Department of Early Childhood Education. Prior to joining the University, Kevin was an assistant professor and programme director of the Master of Education (Special and Inclusive Education), Faculty of Education at the University of Hong Kong. He was a high school teacher in Australia before embarking on an academic career. His research and teaching areas focus on developmental dyslexia and learning disabilities, literacy acquisition, assessment and instruction, cognitive and social-emotional development and inclusive education.

Centre for Child and Family Science, The Education University of Hong Kong

Department of Early Childhood Education, The Education University of Hong Kong

Building a support pathway for students with English language difficulties: What can we do? 

The importance of students with English learning difficulties as a second language and additional language has been increasingly recognised by educators, parents, and policymakers. Emerging evidence has shown the cooccurrence of reading difficulties between Chinese and English, and the estimated occurrence rate ranged from 30 to 50% for Hong Kong Chinese students at risk of reading difficulties in both Chinese and English. In this talk,

the speaker will highlight the challenges facing Chinese students with English learning difficulties (ELD) in Hong Kong, China, and provide a variety of strategies and activities to promote students with ELD in the classroom and at home from the Jockey Club Project RISE.

DR KITTY YEN HAN MO
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR
HONG KONG SHUE YAN UNIVERSITY

Dr Kitty Yuen Han MO is currently working as an Associate Professor of Hong Kong Shue Yan University. She has a long-standing interest in the field of special education and social services for dyslexic students and their families. Her background in social work and special education enables her to understand the difficulties facing a specific group of people. She is currently an Associate Editor of International Social Work.

Quality transition strategies for young people with intellectual disabilities 

Young people with mild or moderate intellectual disabilities need to leave special schools and enter adult employment services when they reach the age of 18. Literature suggests that quality transition strategies will help the transition process such as increasing family carers’ knowledge of adult services, enhancing their involvement in the transition, promoting school-home collaboration and further facilitating student-and-family-centred transition planning. In Hong Kong, there is a need to develop an understanding of transition strategies and components of transition plans to inform policy development and frontline school practice. In this qualitative study, research objectives include:

(a) examining factors that promote quality transition between special school and post-school placements for people with intellectual disabilities and their family carers and
(b) investigating the components of the overall transition plan and the type of quality transition strategies. In total, 23 young people with intellectual disabilities, their parents and teachers were interviewed.

The results indicated that transition strategies were categorized into five areas namely:
(a) personal (e.g. hygiene and personal self-care training);
(b) interpersonal (e.g. communication skills training);
(c) vocational (e.g. job training and job fieldwork practice);
(d) family (e.g. parents’ workshop); and
(e) social (e.g. community living training).

Factors promoting quality transition include collaboration between special schools and social services agencies, parental input and involvement, special school teachers’ awareness of the job markets, cooperation and communication among professionals within the school, resource provision of vocational training services, and transition strategies matched the student's ability and willingness.

KEYWORDS:  Transition strategies, people with intellectual disabilities

KOMAL PARTHASARATHY
ASSESSOR AND SPECIAL EDUCATOR
MADRAS DYSLEXIA ASSOCIATION (MDA)

Komal Parthasarathy is an experienced Assessor and Special Educator with the Madras Dyslexia Association (MDA). She has been associated with MDA for over 15 years, specialising in performing assessment of the extent and severity of learning difficulties in Children, identifying and providing remedial measures, counselling parents and in training teachers towards such activities. 

She is a Masters degree holder in Psychology and a Telecommunication Engineer by qualification. She has done certificate courses in :

- IQ and EQ assessments

- Career Guidance and Counseling

- Orientation to Couple Therapy

- Solution Focused Practices (SFP)

- Marriage, Family and Child Counseling

- Corporate Counseling

- My Career My Future (MCMF) – Certified Counselor

She has also helped children with autism and in counselling parents of such children. She has also performed IQ assessments for children and has also provided career counselling for students.

Dyslexia Awareness and Remedial Intervention Strategies in Schools – The Role of Impactful Training and Advocacy

Abstract

Certain children have challenges with learning and behaviour from time to time. During a child’s preschool years and throughout their school years, parents and educators should be on the lookout for patterns that may signal an underlying learning disability (LD). Towards this objective, a six-day training program was designed for primary school educators to facilitate early detection, which would help children receive extra help sooner and prevent them from falling behind.

The program's focal point was twofold: heightening dyslexia awareness and implementing pragmatic remedial strategies to assist students with Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD). This study delves into the assessment of the efficacy of the aforesaid training program, its impact on teachers' awareness levels and their adeptness in executing remedial strategies. 

Study Methodology encompassed the development of an exhaustive questionnaire, capturing qualitative and quantitative parameters. Data was gathered via face-to-face interviews with each teacher and analyzed using weighted scores, based on the relative significance of each parameter.

The program's content garnered commendable acclaim, for its informative nature and the incorporation of practical activities that seamlessly align with regular classroom teaching. Post-program, educators demonstrated a pronounced understanding of dyslexia's characteristics, identifying students with specific learning difficulties via a meticulously administered checklist and in deploying remedial strategies, bolstering competencies in reading, spelling, writing, and mathematics. 

The study reemphasized the significant need for such increased awareness sessions for teachers at various levels to facilitate intervention at the right time to make a positive difference in the diverse learning needs to children with learning disabilities.

KEYWORDS: Advocacy, Early Identification, Awareness Training to Teachers, Remedial Intervention, Inclusive Education, Multisensory Approaches (VAKT)

CEO - Dyslexia Association of Singapore
Co-Editor, The Routledge International Handbook of Dyslexia in Education

Siang Lee joined the Dyslexia Association of Singapore (DAS) in 2001 and became its Chief Executive Officer in 2014. He sits on the Board of DAS subsidiaries, DAS Academyand DAS International. Siang served on the Board of the US-based International Dyslexia Association and was the Chair of its Global Partners Programme Committee from 2016 to 2018 and he still remains a member of the Global Partners Committee representing Singapore. He has been awarded the International Dyslexia Association’s Excellence in Leadership Award 2020. Siang obtained his degree from the National University of Singapore via the sponsorship of the Singapore Armed Forces. He holds a Certificate in Dyslexia Studies and a Post Graduate Certificates in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education and in Specific Learning Differences from London Metropolitan University as well as a Post Graduate Diploma in Financial Management from the Singapore Institute of Management and an MBA from the University of Western Australia.

DR LOH PEK RU

Lecturer, National Institute of Education - Psychology and Child & Human Development 

Dr Loh Pek Ru has a PhD in Applied Psychology from Curtin University, Western Australia. Before becoming a faculty member, she was a practising senior psychologist and also a post-doctoral research fellow. Her research interests include child and adolescent mental health, neurodevelopmental disorders (ASD, ADHD and DCD), parenting stress and special education. 

An Exploratory Study on the Collaboration between SENO and Teachers in Mainstream Elementary Schools in Singapore  

Effective support of students with special educational needs (SEN) in mainstream schools requires good collaborative practices between educators and school support personnel within the schools. An exploratory study was conducted to examine how Special Educational Needs Officers (SENO) collaborate with teachers in Singapore’s mainstream schools to support these students. The main aim of the study was to examine the collaboration practices between SENOs and teachers in mainstream schools.  A total of eight participants, four SENO and teacher pairs from four elementary schools in Singapore took part in the study. The four female SENOs were between 29 to 36 years old (mean age: 32.5 years). Their years of service in education ranged from two years six months to 12 years (mean: 8.1 years). In each school, observation and interview of the SENO-participants occurred before that of teacher-participants. Seven major themes emerged from the analysis: Contact, information sharing, joint decision, accountability, student support, human factor and inclusive culture. Implications for practice, limitations, and suggestions for future study were presented.

Key terms: collaboration, mainstream teachers, special educational needs officers, Singapore

MANDY NAYTON, OAM
EXECUTIVE OFFICER,  DSF Literacy and Clinical Services
PRESIDENT, AUSPELD

Mandy Nayton is the CEO of DSF Literacy and Clinical Services and President of AUSPELD (the Australian Federation of Specific Educational Learning Difficulties Associations). She is an educational and developmental psychologist and qualified primary school teacher with extensive experience in the field of literacy education. Mandy supports schools with literacy planning and provides professional development in the areas of literacy acquisition, vocabulary development, working memory, learning difficulties and the assessment of learning disorders.

She was a member of the Federal Government’s Dyslexia Working Party in 2009/2010, a member of the Schools Disability Advisory Council in 2012/2013 and was the recipient of the LDA Mona Tobias Award in 2015. Mandy is an Adjunct Research Fellow at Curtin University’s School of Psychology and Speech Pathology, has conducted research in collaboration with UWA, Curtin and Macquarie Universities, and was recently awarded an OAM for her services in the fields of education and learning difficulties.

DR MARTIN BLOOMFIELD
Founder, Dyslexia Bytes - www.youtube.com/@DyslexiaBytes
Editor in Chief, NeuroConverse
Steering Committee Member, the Accessible Learning Foundation
Lecturer, the Berlin School of Business and Law

Martin has taught and worked in dyslexia and neurodiversity awareness for over twenty years, winning a Commendation for Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion from the British Council, sitting on a UK Parliamentary Advisory Board for dyslexia and neurodiversity, participating in the UK’s Centre for Social Justice “dyslexia and the criminal justice system” roundtable, and more recently taking up a position as a steering committee member for Britain’s national Accessible Learning Foundation, launched in Westminster Palace. 

Heavily involved with European-funded projects such as The Dyslexia Compass (aligning international dyslexia measurements across Europe), The SEN Toolkit (providing free neurodiversity training for mainstream teachers) and Autism Spectrum Pathways (helping autistic jobseekers find stable and fulfilling employment), Martin runs the Dyslexia Bytes project, raising awareness of dyslexia from an intercultural perspective, and has created the Dyslexia Map, the world’s most comprehensive map of dyslexia providers around the world. 

He is currently a Distinguished Fellow of the International Forum of Inclusion Practitioners, a member of GIEN, the Global Inclusive Education Network, a member of DAE – Dyslexia in Adults across Europe, a director of Nigeria’s Amina Dyslexia Centre, and is researching a book on intercultural perspectives on dyslexia. 

Martin delivers consultancy, lectureships, teacher training, and awareness courses on dyslexia and Special Educational Needs in universities, government departments, and businesses across Europe. He holds a PhD in ethics and diversity from the University of York.

Literal Inequality: The Injustice of Dyslexia 

Dyslexia is not merely a literacy issue. UNESCO has identified literacy as a human right, yet the disproportionate number of dyslexics in prison, sleeping rough, and suffering mental health problems shows that where it matters, those who need it most are being denied the very thing they’re entitled to – sometimes through ignorance or refusal, but often, through fear of expense – even where the economic case for inclusive education is overwhelming.

Injustice is hardwired into our practices: from the earliest mentions of dyslexia in the scientific literature, society has labelled children as deficient, disabled, and even (in some cases) cursed. The education system has institutionalised feelings of worthlessness for dyslexic children. The medical profession has contributed to millions of early and preventable deaths. Artificial Intelligence, even while offering solutions to many of the challenges that dyslexic students face, itself reflects, magnifies, and creates further inequalities. From all sides, some of our most vulnerable children and adults are stigmatised.

And yet it doesn’t have to be like that. Alternative provision can and does produce extraordinary results. Indeed, we know that dyslexics actually outperform non-dyslexics when given appropriate teaching. We know what works; we know how to apply it; and we know how cost-effective it is. The only question is – what’s stopping us?

This talk is a call to arms. Dynamic and interactive, it will present some startling facts, statistics, and research. Attendees will leave with a new understanding of where the injustices lie, and how to challenge and change them. 

KEYWORDS:  Dyslexia, SpLD, Neurodiversity, Neurodivergent, Ethics, Justice, Injustice, Equality, Inequality, Equity, Mental health, Literacy, Human rights, Education

DR NADYA SHAZNAY PATEL
Assistant Professor, Business, Communication & Design,
Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT). 

Dr Nadya Patel, an Assistant Professor in the Business, Communication and Design cluster at the Singapore Institute of Technology, has accumulated over twenty years of experience as an educator, researcher and trainer. With a passion for critical design thinking for interdisciplinary learning, she co-develops design innovation and multimedia design modules that aim to develop learners' creative confidence and critical competence for the future of work. She also leads a faculty community of practice for critical thinking in the disciplines. At the invitation of local and international institutions, she regularly facilitates professional development workshops on pedagogical approaches to improve teaching and learning practices. Committed to bridging the research-practice gap, she engages industry partners in applied research projects that leverage her expertise and interests in critical design and education. Over the years, she has worked with industry partners like UOB, Singtel and Social Service Institute to offer industry-relevant workshops on critical design future thinking, empathetic leadership communication, and corporate coaching and mentoring. 

Dr Nadya Patel graduated with a Doctor in Education from University College London, and her current pursuit of a Master's degree in Digital Management is a testament to her unwavering commitment to lifelong learning. Previously, she was a Research Fellow with the Centre for Pedagogy and Practice at Nanyang Technological University, where she was involved in two nationwide research studies, including the CORE study on the impact of national initiative TLLM on teaching and learning in schools, and the Singapore Kindergarten Impact Project (SKIP). Her research interests include critical design futures, AI in education, transdisciplinary learning, and empathetic, dialogic communication. She is a well-regarded educator, highly-rated workshop facilitator and regular presenter at international educational conferences. Dr Nadya, a teacher-researcher at heart, endeavours to remain at the forefront of transformational pedagogical approaches that leverage emerging technologies and transdisciplinary learning.

Blending Critical Design Futures Thinking: Empowering SpLD Educators and Learners for a Resilient Tomorrow

In the evolving tapestry of Education 4.0, intertwining Critical, Design, and future thinking is paramount to enriching the educational experiences of educators and learners with Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLD). This keynote delves into the nuances of transdisciplinary learning, underscores the evolving essence of 21st-century skills, and champions the convergence of Critical, Design, and Futures Thinking for an inclusive and pioneering approach to SpLD education. This presentation will underscore
(i)The Power of Holistic Thought Modalities: Cultivate environments that promote innovation and deep understanding by blending Critical, Design, and Futures Thinking;
(ii) The Imperative of Digital Literacy: Equip SpLD students with not just the ability to use technology, but to engage ethically and problem-solve in a digital landscape;
(iii) The Need for a Transdisciplinary Approach: Foster learning that is contextual and aligned with real-world challenges, breaking traditional disciplinary confines. 

Building upon empirical insights and contemporary research in helping learners internalise core thinking skills, the talk will explore the harmonious coalescence of these thought modalities, striving to infuse resilience, adaptability, and creativity into educators and students alike. Three recommendations will be shared: Engage in this interactive sharing as we cocreate knowledge, share insights, and envision an educational future that embraces inclusivity, innovation, and transformation. Together, let's synchronise ideas and elevate teaching excellence, illuminating the path for every learner, regardless of their struggles.

KEYWORDS: Critical Design Futures Thinking, Education 4.0, Transdisciplinarity

NURUL HUDAA BINTE MOHAMED DAUD
SENIOR EDUCATIONAL THERAPIST
Dyslexia Association of Singapore

A dedicated educator with a solid focus on the individual needs of differently-abled students, Hudaa has over 15 years of experience in classroom management and small group learning. She started her journey as a Special Educational Needs Officer and was introduced to the Dyslexia Association of Singapore during her trainee days. After eight years as an SEN officer, she joined the DAS as an educational therapist. Apart from the Main Literature Programme (MLP), Hudaa is also teaching the Prep2PSLE programme and is an Edtech Integration Specialist. She believes that technology can be used as a supplementary tool to enhance the learning of students with SEN.

Virtual Educational Therapy – Experiences And Perceptions Of Educational Therapists At The Dyslexia Association of Singapore

School closures were implemented in the first quarter of 2020 to curb the spread of COVID-19. Without adequate preparation time, students and teachers faced the problem of transitioning from face-to-face to online classes. Educational therapy sessions at the Dyslexia Association of Singapore (DAS) were affected too. This study explored educational therapists’ experiences and perceptions of online teaching and learning with school-going age students with dyslexia during the COVID-19 pandemic. To accomplish this, a phenomenological approach was employed using in-depth interview techniques with ten educational therapists from the DAS. A six-stage thematic analysis by Braun and Clark (2006) was employed to determine the themes for this study. The findings revealed four key themes: a) benefits of virtual educational therapy, b) challenges of virtual educational therapy, c) perceived success factors and conditions for effective virtual educational therapy, and d) after-effects of educational therapy for educational therapists. The findings suggested ways that could help educational therapists design better virtual lessons in the future. While online platforms may not be ideal for dyslexic learners, educational therapists believe that age and technological capability contribute significantly to the feasibility of virtual educational therapy. Recommendations for further research include, a) a study to explore dyslexic learners’ perspective and experience of online learning, b) a survey of online learning with other programmes, not just the literacy programme and lastly, c) an investigation into the mental health and well-being of dyslexic learners and educational therapists relating to online learning.

KEYWORDS: COVID-19, dyslexia, educational therapy, online teaching, phenomenological case study, remote teaching

OLIVER YUEN
Director (Finance)
RESEARCH FOR IMPACT

A natural fit for his economist portfolio, Oliver oversees and monitors the company’s cash flow and financial transactions, as well as produces financial projections. He strives for good documentation and insightful analysis, as well as to provide accurate and updated information to facilitate rational decision-making.

Empowering Struggling Learners: A Research Roadmap for the Dyslexia Association of Singapore 

In Singapore, individuals who experience learning difficulties without a formal diagnosis of a learning disability are increasingly recognised as individuals who learn differently and are also known as struggling learners. Despite forming a significant fraction of Singapore's student population, they may be excluded from receiving targeted support or government subsidies, even though there is a growing body of research highlighting the feasibility and effectiveness of locally adapted evidence-based interventions that meet their needs. To foster a more equitable educational landscape, policymakers must prioritise expanding access, appropriateness, and affordability of programming for children who learn differently. 

Keywords:  Struggling learners, structured intervention, individuals who learn differently, neurodiverse 

PATRICIA NG
EDUCATIONAL CONSULTANT

Patricia Ng is an educational consultant/tutor who specialises in tutoring individuals, pre-/in-service courses in special education and conducts research in early childhood and special education.  Her expertise stems from years of experience in teaching and continually updating her knowledge in the area of special-needs education.  She has a master’s degree from the National Institute of Education (NIE) in Nanyang Technological University (NTU) with a Dean’s Commendation for Research Award and the Society for Reading and Literacy Research Award, a bachelor’s degree from Glasgow Caledonian University, as well as a diploma in Physical Education (NIE-NTU) and a Pianoforte Grade 8 from the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music.  She also runs an online special interest group known as Learning Differently and has published works in the areas of language and literacy development, challenging behaviours, robotics and virtual reality applications, and Mathematics, Music, Special Needs and Physical Education. 

Scaffolding reading comprehension - The CSIM (Comprehension Scaffolding Interrogative Method) App

Have you ever encountered children who can read but fail to answer “Wh” questions coherently? This paper examines some reasons why this happens and how scaffolding for reading comprehension can be done with the use of a reading comprehension app called CSIM – Comprehension Scaffolding Interrogative Method. 

The above-mentioned method is effective in various research papers and the content developer of this app has published a comprehension book for practices based on the mentioned scaffolding methodology. Hence, the comprehension passages in the app are adapted from the book and the respective methodology is adopted as well. The reading passages in the app come in a variety of genres and the stories are well-suited for all ages.

By the proven methodology of scaffolding the schemata of sentences and user-friendly illustrated game practices, the CSIM app enhances the ability of the user to comprehend reading passages. The advantage of using the CSIM app therefore goes beyond the effectiveness of the methodology in that the technology of the app makes repeated practice much more convenient and appealing than the original pen-and-paper practices for children.

With the dawn of the post-pandemic era of COVID-19 and children growing up as digital natives, this app will serve all learners in ways that are radically different from how the generations previously did. Therefore, the CSIM app can be a great learning companion not just for the hyperlexic or poor-comprehenders, but for the general population as well when it comes to learning the English language through reading comprehension.

KEYWORDS: Reading comprehension, scaffolding, hyperlexia, poor-comprehenders, special-needs, intervention, technology.

PATRICIA TAN
Parent of a child with SEN

Patricia is a parent of an autistic child with special educational needs. She had previously homeschooled her children as well as worked as an educational therapist with DAS. Having stepped into the workforce after being a stay-at-home mum for more than 10 years, she continued to upgrade herself and recently completed her Post Graduate Diploma in Special Education Needs. Patricia enjoys working with children and believes that a child learns best when she is enjoying the lesson.

Journey as a parent and educator of children with special needs

Parenting a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and learning difficulties presents unique challenges, particularly when special education needs are involved. Patricia enjoys working with children and believes that a child learns best when the child is enjoying the lesson. She will be sharing about her journey from both a parent's and an educator’s point of view.

KEYWORDS: Parent, teacher, educator, autism, special education needs

DR PRISCILLIA SHEN
Assistant Head of DAS Academy

Dr Priscillia Shen began her special education journey as an Educational Therapist at DAS in 2005 and has rich experience in the field of special educational needs, especially in dyslexia. Her previous experience working closely with SpLD learners as an Educational Therapist has allowed her to take on a constructive and practical pedagogical approach. She believes in keeping up with current developments in the field to continually refine teaching practices and maintain professional passion. She is also a qualified trainer with the Advanced Certificate in Training and Assessment (ACTA) by the Singapore Workforce Skills Qualification (WSQ). While lecturing at the DAS Academy, she obtained her Doctorate in Education (EdD) at the National Institute of Education of Nanyang Technological University (NIE, NTU) in Singapore and the Institute of Education of University College London (IOE, UCL) in the UK, London. Her research interests are in dyslexia, bilingualism, Chinese language and Mathematics.

An Investigation On Cognitive-Linguistic Skills Of English-Chinese Bilingual Learners With And Without Dyslexia In Singapore

This research investigates dyslexia and the cognitive-linguistics skills, namely phonological awareness, orthographic knowledge, morphological awareness and rapid naming, of bilingual learners in Singapore whose first language is English and second language is Chinese. The two main research aims are to investigate whether the English-Chinese bilingual learners with dyslexia diagnosed only in English are weaker than their typical counterparts in reading and all cognitive-linguistic skills in both languages or either language, and to investigate which cognitive-linguistic skills are strong predictors of reading in each language. Results show that the bilingual learners with dyslexia performed significantly poorer than their typical counterparts in reading and all cognitive-linguistic skills in both languages, although their dyslexia were diagnosed only in English. Results also found all English cognitive-linguistic skills predictive of English word reading, especially the unique predictive roles of morphological awareness and orthographic knowledge after rapid naming and phonological awareness were controlled. Howeve only rapid naming and morphological awareness were found to be predictive of Chinese word reading. The results suggest that dyslexia may manifest differently in reading and cognitive-linguistic skills of English and Chinese languages in the English-Chinese bilingual learners, based on the two different predictive models with different empirically and theoretically supported orders of cognitive-linguistic skills as predictors for reading development in the two languages. The difference in the unique contributions of the four cognitive-linguistic skills underlying the reading development of both languages may suggest the difference lies in language structure and instruction. 

Keywords: dyslexia, bilingualism, English reading, Chinese reading, cognitive-linguistic skills

SANSKRUTI SHAH

Head - Early Intervention

Assessor and Trainer

Madras Dyslexia Association

Has a B.Ed in Special Education (Rehabilitation Council of India), is Montessori trained and working with children for the past 2 decades. 

Her primary focus of work is developmental teaching in the formative years and early intervention. Her passion for motivating children who are at risk of learning difficulties has grown. Her graduation in Psychology has aided her in understanding children by holistically nurturing them. Enthusiasm in research, understanding and aiding different aspects of child development has been her driving force. She believes that every day with a child is a new learning.

Wonder Exercises and its Impact on Learning 

A child’s foundation to development  and learning starts with sensory and motor interactions with the world while simultaneously developing their brain and body. This inturn has an impact on the child's life through schooling and beyond. 

Simple exercises and activities that can be done without fancy equipment or modern contraptions can be used at home and in the classroom to augment teaching methodologies. These have proven beneficial to children in general, and children with learning disabilities especially. 

Using wonder exercises is a fun way to help children build neural pathways in their brain. These networks form the foundation for children to build more complex networks that are required for formal academic work. These help create networks that allow children to develop complex thoughts and engage in tasks effectively. It is hence imperative to include structured as well as fun sensorimotor activities as a part of the child’s individualized educational plan. Sensory motor development is vital and sets the path to children gaining life skills, self-confidence, and mastery of their body and environment.  

The proposed talk is to demonstrate, through case studies, how at MDA and our partner school, Wonder Exercises are being used to enable holistic intervention of children with SLD to improve their motor function, sensory detection, and create learning readiness to accelerate the  expected academic changes. 

Deputy Director (Curriculum and Resource), Lead Educational Therapist and RETA Fellow

Serena Abdullah is the Deputy Director (Curriculum and Resource) with the English Language and Literacy (ELL) Division overseeing the development and implementation of the curriculum and resources at the DAS. She is also a Lead Educational Therapist who supports learners with dyslexia and special educational needs, including tertiary learners in Institutes of Higher Learning. Her love and passion for teaching have led her to continuously seek new and innovative teaching methods to bring out her learners’ potential and self-confidence, including developing their self-independence and resilience to overcome challenges and navigate life beyond their academic pursuits. Serena believes that every child progresses at their own pace but the process they take to reach the finishing line matters most!

Meet Serena at the POSTER EXHIBITION on LEVEL 2 - DAY 1 @ 10am to 11am

Steven Sim Lead Educational Therapist & Associate Fellow, RETA

Dyslexia Association of Singapore

Steven has been with the Dyslexia Association of Singapore (DAS) since 2015 and is a Lead Educational Therapist. Besides being trained to provide specialist intervention for children with Dyslexia and other specific learning differences, Steven also has a dual specialisation in PREP 2 PSLE, a Specialised Educational Services (SES) programme that aims to equip students with skills and strategies to perform well in National Examinations like PSLE. He is also a valued member of the DAS Outreach Team which provides talks to teachers, parents and the general public to increase their awareness of Dyslexia. He was awarded the Educational Therapist of the Year 2018 for ‘being a knowledgeable, passionate, professional, caring person and displaying initiative’ and therefore an exemplary role model in the DAS.

Steven completed his Post-Graduate Certificate course on Special Education Needs (SEN) in 2017 from the University of South Wales. His interest and passion to garner more knowledge in this specialised field pushed him to continue his studies. Despite the odds and difficult environment in 2020, he completed his Master’s in Special Education Needs. His dissertation thesis was entitled “Student Voice on teachers’ attributes that resulted in positive learning outcomes for students with SEN in mainstream schools in Singapore”

Meet Steven at the POSTER EXHIBITION on LEVEL 2 - DAY 1 @ 10am to 11am

SHAKTHI BAVANI D/O SATHIASILAN
LEAD EDUCATIONAL THERAPIST & RETA ASSOCIATE FELLOW

Shakthi joined the Dyslexia Association of Singapore in 2015 (DAS) and she is currently a Lead Educational Therapist.

She works with both preschoolers with early learning difficulties as well as primary and secondary school students with dyslexia and other specific learning differences. Shakthi is also a Preschool Core Team member which handles programme matters.

Shakthi is deeply interested in the application of research in teaching and is additionally a part of the Research Committee in DAS. She is also a member of the Register of Educational Therapist Asia (RETA) and enjoys learning in general but most of all from children.

Investigating the impact of a short-term targeted Preschool Intervention Programme on struggling 5 and 6 years old preschoolers in Singapore

This study builds upon previous research that demonstrated significant improvements in early literacy skills through the implementation of the Preschool Early Literacy Programme (PELP) in Singapore, which was designed based on Orton Gillingham principles (Sim et al., 2015; Wong & Sathiasilan, 2018). In this study, our primary objectives were to examine the extent to which these improvements were attributed to maturation over time and investigate the efficacy of a shorter targeted programme. We evaluated the impact of the intervention on Kindergarten 1 and Kindergarten 2 preschoolers identified as struggling learners by their teachers or medical professionals. Participants completed a pre-test, followed by a post-test conducted 10 weeks later. The intervention group received 20 hours of early literacy intervention spread over 10 weeks, while the control group did not receive any form of intervention.

The experimental group outperformed the control group in phonogram knowledge, phonemic awareness, high-frequency word recognition, reading, and spelling. These results suggested that PELP effectively improved early literacy skills in struggling learners. The implications of these findings are discussed, alongside the study's limitations, and directions for future research are proposed.

Keywords: intervention, preschool, Singapore

SITI HALIMAH BINTE MOHAMED YAHAYA

Lead Educational Therapist & RETA Fellow 

Curriculum Specialist (Prep 2 PSLE programme) 

Having graduated with a Master of Arts in Applied Linguistics from Nanyang Technological University, Siti Halimah is deeply committed to the pursuit of knowledge and the refinement of her professional practice. 

As a Curriculum Specialist with the Prep 2 PSLE programme, she plays a pivotal role in curriculum enhancement, teacher training, student assessment and research exploration. Simultaneously, Siti Halimah assumes the responsibility for steering marketing and IT-related endeavours within the Specialised Educational Services (SES). 

With a steadfast dedication to continuous learning and reflective practice, Siti Halimah strives to foster growth and innovation within educational contexts, embodying her belief in the transformative power of knowledge. 

Efficacy of teaching practices in online English comprehension lessons for learners with Specific Learning Differences (SpLD): A qualitative analysis 

The Prep 2 PSLE (Preparation for English Paper 2 PSLE) Programme was designed and implemented in 2013 with the primary goal of supporting primary school students with dyslexia and other specific learning differences (SpLD) in their school and national examinations. Previous studies have demonstrated that the programme is effective in addressing the examination needs of this group of learners through an explicit and systematic teaching methodology. In 2020, the program embraced online teaching and virtual lessons by incorporating video lessons and online educational apps into its curriculum delivery. This study seeks to evaluate the effectiveness of teaching practices through an examination of the utilization of online teaching tools to foster student learning, application, and engagement in virtual classrooms. This qualitative investigation involved the observation of one-hour-long recorded online classroom sessions of two separate virtual classes, each led by different educational therapists. The researchers analyzed how these therapists employed online learning tools, resources, and questioning strategies to elicit responses from the participating 5 students, aged between 10 and 12. The research data indicates that online tools are effective in enhancing cognitive engagement and critical thinking among learners. It also demonstrates the varied approaches educational therapists employ when integrating these tools into their instructional methods. The findings of this study offer valuable insights to educational therapists, highlighting opportunities to enhance their teaching methods through a strategic fusion of teaching tools and questioning techniques.

KEYWORDS: online teaching, SpLD, English language intervention, teaching practices

TAMMY LIM MEI ERN
SPEECH-LANGUAGE THERAPIST
PAP COMMUNITY FOUNDATION (PCF)

Tammy is a Speech-Language Therapist who has worked with preschool and school-aged children with diverse needs. She strongly believes in recognising and accepting the strengths and abilities of every child. She advocates for accepting and developing every child's mode of communication, so that they may communicate effectively and functionally in everyday life. Tammy also believes in the inclusion of children with diverse needs and creating opportunities for children to learn and play in a safe environment. 

Empowering teachers to build literacy foundations through UDL in the preschool classroom

Children read to acquire knowledge and develop an understanding of the world around them. Phonological awareness is key to shaping foundational literacy skills (Catts et al., 2001), and is highly predictive and causally related to children’s later ability to read (Snow, Burns, & Griffin, 1999). Developing phonological awareness lays the foundation for understanding the sound structure of language, which facilitates phonemic awareness and phonics acquisition (Schuele & Boudreau, 2008). 

As Singapore progresses towards including children with developmental needs within mainstream preschools, teachers need to tailor their teaching approaches to meet the individual learning needs of each child. Principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) are often used to support diverse learners in a classroom. This case study explores supporting K1 and K2 teachers to implement UDL strategies during literacy lessons. We hypothesise that embedding phonological awareness strategies through principles of UDL in lessons and play activities will enhance children’s literacy abilities. 

Children’s literacy outcomes, and teachers’ perception of changes in their confidence, knowledge and abilities will be measured and shared. With UDL embedded in literacy lessons within the classrooms, it will provide increased equitable learning opportunities, allowing all children of diverse needs to develop strong phonological awareness skills essential for literacy development from an early age. 

References: 

Catts, H., Fey, M., Zhang, X., & Tomblin, J. B. (2001). Estimating the risk of future reading difficulties in kindergarten children: A research-based model and its clinical implementation. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 32, 38–50. 

Schuele C., & Boudreau, D. (2008) Phonological awareness intervention: Beyond the basics. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools 39: 3–20. 

Snow, C., Burns, M., & Griffin, P. (Eds.). (1999). Preventing reading difficulties in young children. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.

KEYWORDS:  Literacy, phonological awareness, Universal Design for Learning (UDL), diverse learners, early childhood, preschool educators

DR TAN AI GIRL

Associate Professor,
National Institute of Education - Psychology and Child & Human Development 

Dr Tan Ai Girl has a PhD in Psychology from the University of Munich, Germany. She was a visiting scholar in Japan (2011) and a visiting professor in Germany (April, 2008 - 2009), Currently, she is a faculty member at the National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Her areas of research include multicultural education, creativity, inclusivity and sustainability. .

An Exploratory Study on the Collaboration between SENO and Teachers in Mainstream Elementary Schools in Singapore  

Effective support of students with special educational needs (SEN) in mainstream schools requires good collaborative practices between educators and school support personnel within the schools. An exploratory study was conducted to examine how Special Educational Needs Officers (SENO) collaborate with teachers in Singapore’s mainstream schools to support these students. The main aim of the study was to examine the collaboration practices between SENOs and teachers in mainstream schools.  A total of eight participants, four SENO and teacher pairs from four elementary schools in Singapore, took part in the study. The four female SENOs were between 29 to 36 years old (mean age: 32.5 years). Their years of service in education ranged from two years six months to 12 years (mean: 8.1 years). In each school, observation and interview of the SENO-participants occurred before that of teacher-participants. Seven major themes emerged from the analysis: Contact, information sharing, joint decision, accountability, student support, human factor and inclusive culture. Implications for practice, limitations, and suggestions for future study were presented.

Key terms: collaboration, mainstream teachers, special educational needs officers, Singapore

ABOUT TAN SEOK HUI:
SPEECH THERAPIST, RAINBOW CENTRE

As a current speech therapist with Rainbow Centre, Tan Seok Hui serves the adolescent school population - 15 to 18-year-olds - at Yishun Park School. She completed her MSc in Speech-Language Pathology at the NUS Graduate School of Medical Studies. With a research background in early language development in infancy, she has a keen interest in evidence-based practice for language and literacy intervention, and facilitating students' AAC use.

The role of neighbourhood density & visual support in phonological decoding treatments: Choosing intervention targets for non-readers and sight word readers with special education needs 

Word decoding is an important skill for beginner readers to acquire (Scarborough, 2001). Extant literature has demonstrated that individuals with specific learning differences do experience word and phonological decoding difficulties: Poor word decoding and phonological awareness have been shown to contribute to poor reading skills for children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder or ASD (e.g., Henderson, Clarke, & Snowling, 2014; Nation, Clarke, Wright, & Williams, 2006; Westerveld, Paynter, O'Leary, & Trembath, 2018; White, Frith, Milne, Rosen, Swettenham, & Ramus, 2006), and children with cerebral palsy (e.g., Asbell, Donders, Tubbergen, & Warschausky, 2010; Peeters, Verhoeven, Moor, & Balkom, 2009). The efficacy of word decoding interventions targeting phonological awareness in other populations such as children with Down Syndrome is well-established (e.g., Lemon & Fuchs, 2010; see also Lim, 2022). In contrast, few studies have examined the efficacy of such interventions for children with ASD and children with cerebral palsy. In the local special education context, although students who understand and express themselves verbally at sentence level typically acquire literacy skills through classroom instruction, a few students at each cohort do lag behind their peers either as non-readers or with weak word reading and spelling skills. This talk presents phonological decoding interventions for such students (i.e., adolescents with ASD or cerebral palsy who are non-readers or who are unable to read non-words). Clinical practice findings that highlight the role of psycholinguistic variables (e.g., neighbourhood density) and speech sound development (e.g., early sounds) for selecting treatment target words, and the effectiveness of using strategies such as visual support (Goetz, Hulme, Brigstock, Carroll, Nasir, & Snowling, 2008) for achieving intervention goals, are presented in this talk.

KEYWORDS:  phonological decoding, word reading intervention, non-readers, autism, cerebral palsy

ABOUT TAN SEOK HUI:
SPEECH THERAPIST, RAINBOW CENTRE

As a current speech therapist with Rainbow Centre, Tan Seok Hui serves the adolescent school population - 15 to 18-year-olds - at Yishun Park School. She completed her MSc in Speech-Language Pathology at the NUS Graduate School of Medical Studies. With a research background in early language development in infancy, she has a keen interest in evidence-based practice for language and literacy intervention, and facilitating students' AAC use.

Meet Tan Seok Hui at the Poster Exhibition on Level 2 - DAY 1 @ 10am to 11am

TINA TAN  & DR FRANKIE TAN

Dr Frankie Tan and Tina Tan have been married for 22 years, and are parents to three sons, aged 21, 20 and 15. Frankie is a Sport and Exercise Physiologist with Sport Singapore and has been an active advocate for Dads for Life and manhood initiatives. Tina is a Social Worker and freelance parent coach and trainer and is currently pursuing her Masters of Arts (SEN/ALN) with the University of South Wales as a scholar under DAS Academy. Tina has been serving with SPARK, a charity serving ADHD families in Singapore, since 2017. The couple often mentor young couples, men and women, and parents in various life issues and special needs parenting. They are also actively supporting School Parent Support Groups in their setting up of parent-peer support groups for parents with children with challenging behaviours and special needs. 

Parenting Diverse Needs - A Father and Mother's Voice 

Parents of children with special needs go through many unseen struggles. From unpredictable and frequent interruptions to daily family life to facing huge strains on family relationships and resources. From the process of identifying the child's needs to accessing a diagnosis to coming to terms with what the diagnosis entails. Parents seem to face an endless and undulating journey of loving and supporting their difficult child towards a more normal growth and development, whilst navigating the pressures of societal demands on them and their children to "be normal" and "not a disruption" to their peers and teachers. 

Listen to Frankie and Tina share their personal journeys and life lessons as they have journeyed with their now 20-year-old son, who was diagnosed with ADHD and Dyslexia at age 6, and Autism Spectrum Disorder at age 10. While learning to support their son, they've also reached out to support other fathers and mothers along the same journey as themselves. They will reflect on the unseen and unspoken challenges parents face, as well as the critical role parents play in helping their children access and engage interventions towards coping with and even overcoming their challenges.   

TEO YOU SE
EDUCATIONAL THERAPIST
INCLUSIVE EDUCATION TEAM, 
PRESCHOOL MANAGEMENT DIVISION
PAP COMMUNITY FOUNDATION (PCF)

You Se is an Educational Therapist who has been working with pre-schoolers with developmental delays. Her area of work focuses on literacy support for 5 and 6-year-old children under the Development Support and Learning Support programme. She strongly believes in the importance of early intervention and that all children can learn and thrive given the right support. 

Empowering teachers to build literacy foundations through UDL in the preschool classroom

Children read to acquire knowledge and develop understanding about the world around them. Phonological awareness is key to shaping foundational literacy skills (Catts et al., 2001), is highly predictive and causally related to children’s later ability to read (Snow, Burns, & Griffin, 1999). Developing phonological awareness lays the foundation for understanding the sound structure of language, which facilitates phonemic awareness and phonics acquisition (Schuele & Boudreau, 2008). 

As Singapore progresses towards including children with developmental needs within mainstream preschools, teachers need to tailor their teaching approaches to meet the individual learning needs of each child. Principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) are often used to support diverse learners in a classroom. This case study explores supporting K1 and K2 teachers to implement UDL strategies during literacy lessons. We hypothesise that embedding phonological awareness strategies through principles of UDL in lessons and play activities will enhance children’s literacy abilities. 

Children’s literacy outcomes, and teachers’ perception of changes in their confidence, knowledge and abilities will be measured and shared. With UDL embedded in literacy lessons within the classrooms, it will provide increased equitable learning opportunities, allowing all children of diverse needs to develop strong phonological awareness skills essential for literacy development from an early age. 

References: 

Catts, H., Fey, M., Zhang, X., & Tomblin, J. B. (2001). Estimating the risk of future reading difficulties in kindergarten children: A research-based model and its clinical implementation. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 32, 38–50. 

Schuele C., & Boudreau, D. (2008) Phonological awareness intervention: Beyond the basics. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools 39: 3–20. 

Snow, C., Burns, M., & Griffin, P. (Eds.). (1999). Preventing reading difficulties in young children. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.

KEYWORDS:  Literacy, phonological awareness, Universal Design for Learning (UDL), diverse learners, early childhood, preschool educators

CO-FOUNDER & BOARD MEMBER, LATVIAN DYSLEXIA ASSOCIATION 

Thomas Schmit is a graduate of the Canisius College of Buffalo with a BA in Biochemistry and a Master’s degree in Business Administration. Since moving to Latvia in 2001, he has worked as a teacher, university administrator and consultant. In addition to his professional endeavours, Tom is a co-founder and board member of the Latvian Dyslexia Association. He has been an active advocate of people with dyslexia and has written a number of projects that have been funded at local, national and EU levels. Tom has also participated in a number of research projects in Latvia that have helped decision-makers understand the extent of dyslexia in Latvia and how students, professionals and administrators perceive the issue.

WANG DINGXIONG, ANDY
MANAGER, SPECIALISED EDUCATIONAL SERVICES
LEAD EDUCATIONAL THERAPIST & RETA FELLOW

Andy has been with DAS since 2012, providing intervention for learners with dyslexia on the Prep 2 PSLE (Preparation for English Paper 2 PSLE) and Main Literacy Programme (MLP). As a core team member of PREP 2 PSLE, Andy actively contributes to the curriculum expansion of the programme, conducts training for its teachers and provides evaluations to support their classroom practices. In addition, Andy has a keen interest in increasing public awareness and understanding of Dyslexia. His role as an awareness speaker has helped DAS in reaching out to various audience platforms - educators, parents, government agencies and the general public.

Andy believes in merging theoretical concepts and practices to create a curriculum and pedagogy that addresses the diverse learning needs of students with dyslexia. His postgraduate academic achievements include a Master of Education (Special Education) with the National Institute of Education, Singapore, and a Postgraduate Certificate in Specific Learning Differences from the University of South Wales. He is a member of the Register of Educational Therapists (Asia) and has represented the PREP 2 PSLE programme at conference presentations and workshops.

Efficacy of teaching practices in online English comprehension lessons for learners with Specific Learning Differences (SpLD): A qualitative analysis 

The Prep 2 PSLE (Preparation for English Paper 2 PSLE) Programme was designed and implemented in 2013 with the primary goal of supporting primary school students with dyslexia and other specific learning differences (SpLD) in their school and national examinations. Previous studies have demonstrated that the programme is effective in addressing the examination needs of this group of learners through an explicit and systematic teaching methodology. In 2020, the program embraced online teaching and virtual lessons by incorporating video lessons and online educational apps into its curriculum delivery. This study seeks to evaluate the effectiveness of teaching practices through an examination of the utilization of online teaching tools to foster student learning, application, and engagement in virtual classrooms. This qualitative investigation involved the observation of one-hour-long recorded online classroom sessions of two separate virtual classes, each led by different educational therapists. The researchers analyzed how these therapists employed online learning tools, resources, and questioning strategies to elicit responses from the participating 5 students, aged between 10 and 12. The research data indicates that online tools are effective in enhancing cognitive engagement and critical thinking among learners. It also demonstrates the varied approaches educational therapists employ when integrating these tools into their instructional methods. The findings of this study offer valuable insights to educational therapists, highlighting opportunities to enhance their teaching methods through a strategic fusion of teaching tools and questioning techniques.

KEYWORDS: online teaching, SpLD, English language intervention, teaching practices

WENG YIYAO
PRESCHOOL PROGRAMME MANAGER
LEAD EDUCATIONAL THERAPIST & RETA ASSOCIATE FELLOW

Ms Weng Yiyao 

Yiyao is a Lead Educational Therapist and Preschool Programme Manager with the Dyslexia Association of Singapore (DAS). Since 2014, she has worked with pre-schoolers and school–aged students with dyslexia and other specific learning differences. She believes in empowering and equipping learners with the skills to overcome their challenges. Yiyao is also an associate fellow of the Register of Educational Therapists Asia (RETA).

Investigating the impact of a short-term targeted Preschool Intervention Programme on struggling 5 and 6 years old preschoolers in Singapore

This study builds upon previous research that demonstrated significant improvements in early literacy skills through the implementation of the Preschool Early Literacy Programme (PELP) in Singapore, which was designed based on Orton Gillingham principles (Sim et al., 2015; Wong & Sathiasilan, 2018). In this study, our primary objectives were to

examine the extent to which these improvements were attributed to maturation over time and investigate the efficacy of a shorter targeted programME. We evaluated the impact of the intervention on Kindergarten 1 and Kindergarten 2 preschoolers identified as struggling learners by their teachers or medical professionals. Participants completed a pre-test, followed by a post-test conducted 10 weeks later. The intervention group received 20 hours of early literacy intervention spread over 10 weeks, while the control group did not receive any form of intervention.

The experimental group outperformed the control group in phonogram knowledge, phonemic awareness, high-frequency word recognition, reading, and spelling. These results suggested that PELP effectively improved early literacy skills in struggling learners. The implications of these findings are discussed, alongside the study's limitations, and directions for future research are proposed.

Keywords: intervention, preschool, Singapore

Senior Specialist Psychologist

Winston is a Senior Specialist Psychologist who started working with the Dyslexia Association of Singapore (DAS) in 2013. At DAS, his core work involves conducting psycho-educational assessments on children and adults. He was involved in a longitudinal research project to evaluate the efficacy of the DAS Main Literacy Programme (MLP). This led to the poster and oral presentations of research findings at overseas and local conferences respectively. He also conducts talks for other DAS staff and external parties. During World Dyslexia Awareness Week 2019, he presented a talk on the topic of Comorbidities.

RETA Case Management Discussion: Struggling Learners – Who are they and how do they learn? A case study

Parents and laymen may use the term “struggling learners” broadly to mean children who may not learn as well as their peers. However, “struggling learners” means something different to educators.  In schools, this group of students refer to those identified as needing supplemental academic intervention services. Students who struggle could have been impacted by adverse family environments. They might develop poor mental health conditions or have poor emotional regulation which affects learning. Students may struggle with learning if they have dyslexia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism or cognitive developmental delay. This study investigates how students with an impoverished start to life and education attain literacy skills. Although no assessment was done, they show signs of dyslexia and have poor vocabulary and word recognition. They also show poor emotional regulation. These factors contribute to their poor reading and spelling ability. The remediation process includes teaching reading and spelling via phonics instructions. Explicit teaching of grammar rules is injected into writing activities. Principles of Orton-Gillingham (OG) and Mediational Intervention for Sensitizing Caregivers (MISC) are utilised to build rapport and confidence. Students’ ability to learn is observed and monitored weekly. Strategies to inculcate a positive learning habit are implemented to improve students’ ability to sustain attention in a lesson. Results show that with the right teaching approach to motivate them, these students will attain literacy skills. Their positive learning attitude has resulted in reading and spelling progress. Recommendations on how to engage and teach such students are put forth for fellow educators to consider implementing.

KEYWORDS:  struggling learner, dyslexia, ADHD, low-income families

YASHODHARA NARAYANAN
Head - New Initiatives

Assessor and Trainer 

Madras Dyslexia Association 

Yashodhara Narayanan is an expert in the area of child development having spent over 3 decades working with children of different age groups and with specific learning disabilities (SLD). She is one of the few who has the skills, training and expertise around multiple intelligences, a concept conceived by the well-known Dr. Howard Gardner. Yashodhara has worked extensively with and nurtured especially younger children to bring out their otherwise latent abilities thus giving them a perfect head start to building out their scholastic and co-curricular skills. 

Over the years she has worked as a kindergarten faculty in a number of schools in India across various Boards, as well as a volunteer teacher in the United States. At present, she is a full-time volunteer in the not-for-profit Madras Dyslexia Association (MDA) which focuses on the overall development of children with specific learning disabilities. She is the Project Head of the Multiple Intelligences Foundation (MIF) and Heads the New Initiative vertical. She is also involved in assessing children under 5 who may be "at risk" for SLD. She also takes the lead in training teachers of various schools on Multiple Intelligences and Early intervention. 

By way of education, Yashodhara has a post-graduate degree in pre-primary education from Bombay University. 

Wonder Exercises and its impact on Learning 

A child’s foundation to development  and learning starts with sensory and motor interactions with the world while simultaneously developing their brain and body. This inturn has an impact on the child's life through schooling and beyond. 

Simple exercises and activities that can be done without fancy equipment or modern contraptions can be used at home and in the classroom to augment teaching methodologies. These have proven beneficial to children in general, and children with learning disabilities especially. 

Using wonder exercises is a fun way to help children build neural pathways in their brain. These networks form the foundation for children to build more complex networks that are required for formal academic work. These help create networks that allow children to develop complex thoughts and engage in tasks effectively. It is hence imperative to include structured as well as fun sensorimotor activities as a part of the child’s individualized educational plan. Sensory motor development is vital and sets the path to children gaining life skills, self-confidence, and mastery of their body and environment.  

The proposed talk is to demonstrate, through case studies, how at MDA and our partner school, Wonder Exercises are being used to enable holistic intervention of children with SLD to improve their motor function, sensory detection, and create learning readiness to accelerate the  expected academic changes.