Programs

Programs

Overcoming challenges to learning

Emerson House experience and research based programs help children 
fill the gaps in the foundations of literacy and mathematics 

Emerson House programs are structured for success


Children who come to Emerson House have typically experienced considerable challenges in reading, spelling, writing, and/or math and can have low self-esteem due to this. Our research and experienced based programs are structured to give each child success at every step and consequently build confidence and enjoyment in learning. This is achieved by:
  • Starting where the child is secure and confident
  • Empowering children to take control of their own learning using a guided discovery approach
  • Being structured and cumulative, introducing new concepts in explicit and small steps at the child’s pace
  • Using multi-sensory teaching methods to increase learning pathways
  • Teaching key concepts that can be generalised from to protect the child’s memory resources
  • Providing lots of opportunity for over learning

Literacy

At Emerson House, we provide an individualized literacy program for each child, using the principles of systematic, multi-sensory, and phonics-based teaching. Research has shown that this is the most effective approach for those with Specific Learning Difficulties. We specialize in teaching children not only to read and spell, but also helping them to enjoy reading and to understand what they read. This is achieved by ensuring that:
  • Children learn the underlying skills necessary for reading and spelling success including phonological processing and visual recognition skills. We place particular emphasis on the development of phonological (language sound) skills needed to decode words (sound out) for reading and encode words (hear the sounds in our mind) for spelling, as this is where the majority of our students need the most support. We also teach explicit multi-sensory strategies to read and spell sight words. 
  • We use phonics-based reading books for beginner readers, where words that cannot be sounded out are clearly differentiated from those that can be decoded. 
  • Words are studied separately before reading books are attempted, increasing successful decoding and word recognition.  
  • All aspects of reading are supported — accuracy and fluency of decoding and word recognition as well as comprehension.  
  • Word families (words that share the same spelling pattern) are explored, enabling children to read and spell many words from one pattern. 
  • Using sentence dictation, we help students make the connection between word and sentence level writing skills. 
  • Sentence dictation also provides the opportunity to focus on handwriting, sentence structure, punctuation, and grammar. 
Once ready, children can progress to creative writing to add structure to their imagination.


Mathematics

At Emerson House, we understand that dyslexia, dyspraxia (developmental coordination disorder), as well as dyscalculia (a Specific Learning Difficulty in math), can have an impact on mathematical development. Our program is specifically designed to address these challenges and individualized for each student.  

The Emerson House approach to teaching math to children with Special Educational Needs is to teach in a highly structured, cumulative, and multi-sensory way, using reason-based methodologies. The children use physical materials which are organized into simple cognitive tools and are actively integrated in the learning experience.

The Emerson House Math program was founded by Dorian Yeo. Dorian’s work at Emerson House was pioneering in explaining how Specific Learning Difficulties, such as dyslexia, can impact mathematical learning (Yeo, 2003).

Emerson House Math program has remained at the forefront of research and best practice for more than 25 years through the further development of Dorian’s work by Jane Emerson and Patricia Babtie and collaborations with eminent researchers in mathematic difficulties such as Professor Brian Butterworth of University College London (UCL). 

Touch-Typing

Being able to touch-type is an invaluable skill for any student and a life changing skill for some. At Emerson House, children are helped to achieve cursive writing whenever possible. We also incorporate a multi-sensory touch-typing course into our literacy program and offer an after-school typing clubs as there are many benefits for students who are struggling with literacy, such as:
  • By using a phonics-based typing program, reading and spelling skills are reinforced alongside learning to type as letters and words are read aloud, displayed visually on screen and then typed by the student. 
  • Proficient touch-typing skills can remove some of the emphasis on the physical aspects of writing and allow students to focus more on elements such as structure and content.  
  • Once a person can type, they can use any computer, they are not reliant upon particular software. 
  • There are also significant benefits for students with handwriting difficulties where it might be appropriate to have the longer-term aim of using a laptop to produce written work.
We employ the latest computer learning software and teaching techniques to develop the student’s typing speed and accuracy. Students follow a graded multi-sensory program. Letters, words, and punctuation are taught in groups of five modules: four learning modules followed by a dictation module. Students are taught with the keyboard covered until correct finger movements are secure.

To register for our Touch-typing clubs, CLICK HERE!
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Typing without looking is like flying!
— EHL Student

My daughters both have assessments for dyslexia and dyspraxia and found maths extremely difficult. At primary school they were well below average in this subject, however with Paula's help they both managed to get A grades for their exams [at 16]. They really enjoyed their sessions with Paula even though they were after school and so the girls were already quite tired, however Paula's teaching style, personality and sense of humor never failed to enthuse them and they always came away having had fun, feeling confident, and looking forward to the next session with Paula.


— Qona, parent, London

At Emerson House, we realized that our most important task was to set out to make the foundations of number-work as simple, clear, and easily understood as possible. 

 

The[se] teaching ideas… have made a difference to the happiness, confidence, progress, and attitude towards math of the children whom we have taught.


— Dorian Yeo, (2003) founder of the Emerson House Math program
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