Download resource

Please enter your details to download this resource
Login
 

Enter your details to access this video

Or if you already have an account login to watch the video (if you don't you can register here).
Login
Teacher explaining comprehension skills to SEND learner
Author: Karen Wilson, SEND Specialist
Email share link LinkedIn share link Twitter share link Facebook share link
Approximate reading time: < 1 minute

SEND learners, particularly those with speech and language difficulties, can find comprehension more challenging for a range of reasons. Understanding of subject-specific vocabulary and inference can be difficult areas for some learners.

Tip or Idea: Start simple! Use single images or short sentences and talk about what is happening. Can your learner relate this to an experience they have had themselves?

Free resource to help you with this activity: Use our Rainforest Reading Comprehension flashcards and activities to work towards answering the associated rainforest comprehension questions.

Email share link LinkedIn share link Twitter share link Facebook share link

More articles by this author

SEND learner using non-verbal communication

SEND support: Non-verbal communication

Created: Wed 31st Jul 2024

Non-verbal communication such as body language, facial expressions and tone of voice convey information beyond words alone. It is an integral part of communication, building relationships and developing shared understanding. For some learners interpreting non-verbal communication is not always simple.

Tip or Idea: Understanding non-verbal communication can depend on many factors including cultural norms, situational context and the unique combination of words, actions and expressions used. Try to put communication in context and focus on more than simply the words used.

Illustration of a gardener watering flowers in a brain (training memory strategies)

SEND support: Memory strategies

Created: Thu 27th Mar 2025

Memory plays a crucial role in learning, by enabling the storage, retention, and retrieval of information. Some learners may have specific memory challenges such as short attention span, working memory limitations, difficulty with retrieval, or challenges organising and categorising learning. Learners with conditions such as dyslexia or ADHD may find memory processing more challenging.

SEND Support: Listening to and giving instructions - Prepositions

Created: Mon 13th Nov 2023

Learners having difficulty with receptive language or following directions may need support with learning propositions.

Tip or Idea: Ask your learner to draw or make an imaginary scene by following instructions e.g. Draw a house at the bottom of your page/Draw a sunshine above the house/Draw a tree next to the house. Extend this further: Can your learner tell you what to draw? Can they make a crazy or funny picture? Can they make a scene with physical objects?

Back to Blog