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The increasing number of cases referred to the Child Guidance Clinic, and the
long waiting time before these cases are seen, underlines the urgent need for an extension
of the service so that more diagnostic and treatment sessions can be given by the
phychiatrist. This also means an increase in the educational psychologist and phychiatric
social worker staffing.
It is hoped that before very long extensions to the service in this area will be
approved.
REMEDIAL TEACHING OF READING IN LEYTON SCHOOLS
SESSION 1958-9
The following report was submitted to the Leyton Committee for Education by the
Educational Psychologist.
This report deals with the work done in the Junior Schools of Leyton to improve
the reading ability of children who have fallen behind although of normal or above
normal intelligence. This is the seventh year in which the scheme has operated and
the need for it does not show any signs of diminishing although one's impression is
that reading ability, in general, has improved. It has become increasingly clear to
the teachers that failure to learn to read in children of good intellectual capacity
is very often linked with some degree of emotional disturbance. The advantage of keeping
these small remedial groups in being in the schools is therefore self evident
since they provide a very simple and readily available means of helping some disturbed
children to reach adjustment. Further and more intensive help for disturbed children
is, of course, available at the Child Guidance Clinic but if the remedial groups in
the school can help some children to adjust then the heavy waiting list at the Child
Guidance Clinic is thereby relieved. It is essential, however, that Head Teachers and
class teachers, as well as the remedial teachers themselves, should be on the watch
for those children who cannot adjust even with the individual help of the remedial
group, but skill and experience are needed in judging the time for asking for more
help for the child. One boy, for instance, made only six months gain in reading
ability in his first eight months in the remedial group, but in his second year in
the group he has gained 39 months. There has to be a balance between acting too soon
and waiting too long. It seems that one has waited too long if a child is allowed to
pass on to the Secondary School still having made little or no progress in the remedial
group. During the first term in the 4th Year in the Primary school such children
should be brought to the notice of the Educational Psychologist.
The remedial scheme operated in nine primary schools. The teachers have continued
to work with their customary enthusiasm.
The number of children in the groups this year was 203 -
Number of boys 132 )
Number of girls 71 ) 203
The following table shows the length of tuition and gains in reading age in months
(60)