The Literacy & Numeracy Conference 2024
with Les Staves, Dr Sarah Moseley, Carol Allen, Pete Wells and Richard Hirstwood
We are announcing our second summer conference: a day focused on developing literacy and numeracy for learners with severe and complex learning needs and autism, or both.
We explore the core subjects of Literacy and Numeracy from a sensory perspective with experts Les Staves, Dr Sarah Moseley, Carol Allen, Pete Wells and Richard Hirstwood.
Recognising that Literacy and Numeracy are two foundations for learning, we have curated a range of exciting and practical sessions that will extend and challenge your thinking whilst offering ideas and activities you can adopt and adapt for your learners.
Our presentations cover developing early maths skills; an inclusive reading curriculum; oracy; consolidating and generalising core curriculum subjects across the school day; a pre-phonics curriculum; sensory stories, and technology to support early numeracy.
9 am Admissions and a virtual tea or coffee to start the session!
9.10 am Welcome, introductions and a warm-up activity!
9.20 am Session 1: Cultural capital grows from roots of maths with Les Staves
This session will explore the roots of maths and illustrate appropriate approaches to teaching for children with very special needs. The mathematical learning outlined by the National Curriculum does not begin at the beginning, teachers of very special children need to understand the deeper roots of learning. Relevant teaching should focus on developing the sensory, practical and social mathematical skills that provide learners with the cultural capital they need for living.
10.10 am Session 2: Building Strong Foundations – equipping learners with essential phonics skills with Dr Sarah Moseley
Sarah explores strategies, evidence-based approaches, and practical tools that empower us to build a comprehensive and inclusive foundation for literacy development.
From supporting meaningful communication to choice-making and independence, Sarah considers why the role of phonics within the reading curriculum for all learners is critical.
Including:
strategies to support emergent and early literacy development for learners with complex needs
why phonics is the key to emergent literacy
the importance of phonics, phonological and phonemic awareness
a multisensory approach to phonics
11 am COFFEE and mini online learning activity
11.30 am Session 3: Inclusive Sensory Storytelling with Pete Wells
Pete examines the evolution of sensory storytelling to incorporate an increasingly diverse range of learners. Pete will demonstrate how simple stories can be used to address complex or difficult themes in ways that are accessible to all. He will also practically demonstrate how a single story can be adapted and delivered to maximise inclusion and engagement for even the most complex learners.
12.20 pm Q & A
12.30 pm – 1.30 pm LUNCH
1.30 pm Session 6: How to use technology and apps to support early mathematical development with Richard Hirstwood
Richard will consider how to effectively integrate technology and carefully curated apps into a broad range of engaging and inclusive sensory mathematical activities. The suggested ideas and strategies will cover various sensory needs to support learners on their mathematical journey!
2.00 pm Session 7: Speak up! with Carol Allen
Communication is at the heart of all human activity, especially learning. As a result, there has been an increased focus on oracy in the curriculum both by those engaged in developing a curriculum offer and those evaluating it, such as OFSTED. This session will examine the role of oracy in our classrooms; what it means to facilitate authentic student voice; how to empower non-speaking students via technology, and of course, why oracy is vital for independence for our students.
2.50 pm Q & A’s
3.00 pm Thank you and goodbye!
Richard Hirstwood
Les Staves
Dr Sarah Moseley
Carol Allen
Pete Wells
This conference will be appropriate for classroom practitioners from special schools and colleges, mainstream settings with specialist SEN provision and early years settings, and those working with pupils with autism, and severe/complex learning needs or both.
The following resources will be available in your account for one week after the conference date: a digital recording of this event, any resources shared/signposted during the session and a transcript of Zoom chat.
£185 plus VAT per place
You can choose to pay by credit card for this booking. You can also request an invoice by confirming your booking by entering a Purchase Order Number on the booking form.
All the resources from this event will be in your account at online.hirstwood.com. You will access these using the email address on the booking form and your password (instructions for creating your password are in the joining information).
Here you will find:
a digital recording of the event
resources shared or signposted during the session
a transcript of the Zoom chat
your certificate of attendance
These will be available for 10 days after the event.
Join our Facebook Group Sensory Support Spaghetti to connect with us and other like-minded professionals – for everything sensory
