"ONLY CONNECT"- THE LESS ABLE PUPIL IN THE ENGLISH CLASSROOM.

It seems not to matter at all what euphemism we use to label our `less able' pupils; whatever term we use rapidly comes to represent to us all that we most dislike about teaching, about kids, about whatever is most difficult and unpleasant in our w orking lives; and they, too, are aware of the connotations; and that is unfair. It may well be true that many of those whom we label thus are graceless, frequently in trouble, poorly socialised; but I would suggest that these are symptoms of underlying pr oblems which we fail to recognise.

These children have lost confidence - in their abilities, in their social standing, in their identity; and when we segregate them or offer them anything which in any way differs from the norm, then we simply confirm for them, once again, their own feelings of lack of worth.

They react in a number of different ways; some become timid and withdrawn; some aggressive; some display `undesirable' behaviour. They become particularly vulnerable to negative pressures from their peers, or from the media; they construct negative self-images; they are often given to alarming prejudices. However they react, it will almost certainly be in such a way as to make it difficult to form effective learning relationships with them.

I may be entirely wrong about this, but I feel that we cannot succeed with them by offering them a curriculum which concentrates exclusively on `basic skills', or which is a watered-down version of what we offer to the rest of their year-group - especially if in so doing we ignore their emotional and social needs and interests. What, then, should we do?

The first thing is to cultivate in them a high sense of their own worth; the second is to offer them, and to insist upon their following, a social model based upon courtesy and upon respect for them and for what they can do. Our immediate reaction might be to say that that is all very well, but the truth of the matter is that they are deficient in basic skills, so we should focus on that area.

It's easy to devise exercises which keep them quiet, and which give them regular doses of small success - which they certainly like. In the short term, they may appear to gain in confidence. The gains, however, are largely illusory; no real growth takes p lace. If that sort of thing is all that we offer them, then we rapidly come unstuck.

Our premises are false if we assume that they are on the same linear track as their fellows, but just a little bit behind them; it can look as if, with the right `remedial' help, they will eventually catch up. `Remedial', however, suggests strongly that t here's something wrong with them; and the last thing they need is to be told, again, that they are somehow defective.

With any other group of pupils, we would take care to find out where they were, and to start from that point. What, then, is a better starting point for our less able?

Try this. Think of the best pieces of written work, the best oral responses you have had from your pupils. What have been the most fruitful sources of increase in their command of language? Almost certainly, such achievements will have come when you have invited your kids to reflect upon their own significant experiences. Imagination first, then the effort of structuring, of composing, and finally of execution - all for you, or for some other trusted audience.

We know that the only way to improve language use is to use language; and we know that emotional involvement is the most powerful motivator we have. Why, then, do we not offer it to the less able as well? Because it looks difficult; because we haven't enough faith either in ourselves or in our pupils; because we find it very difficult to identify with them, to see their problems from their point of view. The real problem is to show them how they can distance themselves sufficiently from their own experience to be able to have access to it, to be able to structure it, to get sufficiently far away from its immediacy to be able to grasp it. They can be helped to value it, and, finally, to want to have the tools and equipment - the language - to be able to express it.

How do we offer them all this? It has to be said that not everyone can do it - a further reflection of the theme running through this handbook, that of the importance of teaching from our strengths and enthusiasms - but we can all at least point ourselves in the right direction.

1) We must talk to and with them; find out about and become genuinely interested in their worlds. We have to meet them as person to person, and we have to learn to make as few judgements as possible about what they offer - and what they offer can, at time s, be very disturbing.They need, first, to trust you - and they will test you, repeatedly, be sure of that.

2) As healthy relationships begin to be established - this will take time, and you can never be quite sure of them - so individual needs will begin to emerge. Teaching at this level is the teaching of individuals.

Writing is the biggest stumbling-block. Language use, in the most general terms, is not the problem which it might appear to be - witness the vivid oral command which these children often have. They love to talk, so start there. Mountains of discussion and oral activity. Gradually cut back your intervention and control, and they will slowly become self - sustaining.

Oral work is a powerful tool in helping them meet one of their first needs - that of composition, of structuring their experience. It flows, and it reflects the immediacy of their experience. The act of writing slows things down, they lose track; their experience is objectified, distanced, and it's gone, so they become discouraged. Writing, for them, takes place as a context fraught with past failure and sense of inadequacy; no wonder they are reluctant to tackle it.

Two specific problems face these children when we ask them to write.

1) Difficulties in composing, in the ordering of experience.

2) Difficulties with the mechanics of writing, from handwriting itself to totally unrealistic desires for perfection; if you have taught kids like this, then you'll know that their consumption of paper is remarkable, simply because one perceived mistake will make them discard what they have done and start again.

How to tackle these problems.

Start with composition, but not with written composition. Work with oral structures, taping, interviewing, making videos, word-processing, desk-top publishing, diagrams, pictures, cartoon strips - anything which gives them the idea of shaping experience, but not writing in longhand.

When they are confident about that, move to small pieces of writing, dealing with single experiences or feelings which are important to them. Poetic forms are useful here. Offer them structures and shapes for their words - simple patterns, repetition poems , whatever - then they don't have that to worry about. Go for the feeling, every time.

Now you should have something to edit and to polish; the demand will soon come from them. Self images should be improving by this stage, but don't be too pushy; this is NOT the time to suggest that coursework pieces really have to be 400 words long.

As far as writing about Literature is concerned, any simple response work is fairly easy to to achieve, but analytical work is far more difficult. To help the student cope with finding content and structuring what they write, prepare a carefully sequenced set of questions which, when when answered in sequence and in full sentences, will help with the creation of paragraphs, and with the sequencing of those paragraphs. More work, but it can succeed.

Be flexible and opportunistic. Have a broad view of where you are going, but don't be such a slave to it that you can't take advantage of their sudden enthusiasms. Remember how immediate life is to them. Draw on what their senses are telling them. Get them to co-operate with one another - set lots of pair or team tasks. Establish their confidence in their own abilities. You'll wait a long time for this to happen, but be patient; it will come.

Your rôle? To receive; to provide; to be trusted - not, at this stage, to be an assessor or a judge. Insist on quality, but not quantity. CONNECT.

Now that I come to re-read this, I'm sure I'm right about concentrating on them as individuals first, on accepting them as they are, then building. It's also true to say that much of what I've said ought to apply in our approach to all our pupils.

HD