Beyond the Broom Cupboard: the Wider Impactof Specialist Dyslexia Training for TeachingAssistantsKathleen Kelly & Dominic GriffithsManchester Metropolitan University, UKdominic.griffiths@mmu.ac.ukThe Rose Review (2009) identified the need forschools to develop their capacities to supportchildren with dyslexia through developingstaff knowledge and expertise. Whilst Roserecommended the training of many moredyslexia specialist teachers, the reality for manyEnglish schools has been that it is teachingassistants (TAs) who are actually teachingstructured programmes to support dyslexicchildren. It has been important, therefore, todevelop specialist dyslexia training courses forthese key members of the workforce. Thesehave ranged from informal school-based trainingto formal accredited courses, such as theAccredited Learning Support Assistant (ALSA)qualification, developed by the British DyslexiaAssociation (BDA).The present study examined the impact of thistraining on 21 TAs in two English urban LocalAuthorities. Semi-structured interviews soughtto tease out how this training had developedtrainees’ knowledge, attitudes and behaviours,to what extent TAs were carrying out the rangeof roles for which they were qualified and whatcontextual factors might be enabling or blocking their impact. Implications for TA deployment,support and further professional developmentare discussed, as well as implications for TAdyslexia training programme design.
