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Hygiene is not only an essential topic for all learners, but one that can be made practical, visual, and repetitive, too - which is great for learners with additional needs. Teaching hygiene isn’t just a health topic; it builds essential life skills. When young people learn routines like washing hands and brushing teeth, they are developing independence, self-care, and personal responsibility as they move towards independent adulthood.
Tip or Idea: Introduce core words such as soap, clean, and germs and then move to structured sentence stems like “I was my hands”. This supports language development, comprehension, and confidence whilst keeping instructions clear and accessible for all learners. Actions, chants, and routine visuals help to keep learning lively, memorable, and accessible.
Learning Village resource: Our Hygiene resource offers a wide range of activities to support your learners. Why not print the handwashing visual and display it by your sinks as a regular reminder?
It is widely recognised that young people and their families should be at the heart of their educational journey. The phrase “nothing about us without us” simply and powerfully reflects the need to include young people and their families in decisions that affect them. Pupil voice can provide crucial insights into the needs of young people with SEND. Parents can also provide a valuable overview of a child’s needs, strengths, and challenges. Using these insights to guide learning opportunities can enhance engagement, enjoyment and, ultimately, progress.
Assistive technology plays a crucial role in education, by removing barriers to learning, especially for students who face challenges in traditional classroom settings. It is becoming a greater priority within education.
For the first time, the UK’s Department for Education plans to include training on assistive technology for all new teachers. There is a vast range of assistive technology from mobility aids to communication tools and visual aids.
Dual coding, developed by Allan Pavio, is a teaching method that combines different types of stimuli to support students to learn and remember information. It is particularly beneficial for learners with special educational needs. An example might be combining words with pictures or audio with text.
Tip or Idea: Start with an image and ask students to explain in their own words what they mean or flip it around and provide students with a word and ask them to draw or create their own image.