Teaching Students with Learning Difficulties: Preparing for work

Tuesday, 10 February 2009

Preparing for work

Here are some resource to use when teaching students with learning disabilities about the world of work.
There is a series of Writing with Symbols stories in e-live from Symbol World

There is now a new symbol world site (Oct 2011)

Horse Riding Instructor
Face Painter
Musician
Rabbit Show Judge
Film maker
Child care manager
Working as an aquarist
Working as a vet
Worm farmer
Naturalist
Working as a carpenter

View on the new symbolworld site

SEN Press has a series of readers based around work experience costing 4.99 each.
There is a demonstration page which will give you an ideas of the level .
Books in the series include:

Fast-Food Restaurant
Charity Shop
A Garage
Supermarket
An Interview
An Animal Charity

Talent website (register to download resources) has 7 pre entry to entry 1 resources based

around the topic jobs including:

Jobs/places of work/duties - An activity to match simple job descriptions to jobs.

Jobs and shops a PowerPoint used to describe different jobs and their places of work followed by a speaking activity.

Readwrite Plus ESOL Entry 1 Unit 10

is mainly based around speaking and listening

skills on the topic of work.There is an audio

script at the end of the PDF document .

The hard copy can probably be found in you college library and comes with an audio CD.

Skillsworkshop website has
Work an E1 resource which matches job titles to pictures.

Mencap website has as section called My Life My Work.
This has two videos:

Ben's work experience in a restaurant
Josie loves working in reception

The Community Channel has a short video ShopMobility showing a young man with learning disabilities working as a volunteer.

Elsewhere on the net there are examples of supported work projects. Many F.E. colleges work in partnership with these organisations and they are often the next step for students with learning disabilities.
Here are two examples:
Garvald Edinburgh