Alphasmart: 
A small compact personal computer similar in size to a laptop but with the display screen and keyboard on one surface.  It can be used with Co-Writer attached to aid correct spelling in the context of writing.

Barrington Stoke Novels: 
These novels are matched to interest age and reading age and are available on tape so that children can listen and read. Available from LDA.

Clicker 4: 
A predictive computer software program.

Co-Writer: 
A predictive software program which offers children choices of words in context when engaging in written language work.

First 100 key words: 
The early intervention initiative in Scotland in 1997 raised awareness of the need to focus on the use of high frequency words or the most commonly used words to help children spelling for writing.  The Dolch list is an example of this but there are others.

Franklin Spellchecker: 
Personal electronic spellchecker which will offer a choice of words once children have made an attempt at spelling a word.

Individualised Educational Programme (IEP): 
This is a programme of work or plan designed to provide additional targeted teaching and learning as part of an intervention process when a child is in need of additional support.  All professionals involved with the child  together with parents should plan the IEP collaboratively.

Meares-Irlen Syndrome: 
A difficulty which affects reading.  This difficulty determines that print appears to move around on the paper.  Glare is also a factor because of black print on white paper. Coloured overlays and / or coloured lenses will sort out the movement and glare problem but the dyslexia will remain.  In some cases children thought to be dyslexic may just have Meares-Irlen Syndrome in which case their problems with reading will disappear after the introduction of the coloured lenses and/or coloured overlays.

Coloured overlays/lenses will not help all children who are dyslexic as Meares-Irlen Syndrome will not be present in every case.

Testing should be done by a Meares-Irlen qualified orthoptist.

Mind-mapping: 
A technique used to help develop memory and memory recall as part of learning and study skills.  Visual maps together with written label connections help individuals to memorise information, store it and retrieve it.  It is a multi-sensory strategy which has been researched and written about by Tony Buzan.

Mnemonics: 
A memory technique which can be used as an aide-memoire.  This can take various forms but often it is connected with using the letters in a word and creating a story around them as a support for spelling.  An example might be where – will heaven ever reach earth.

Multi-sensory approach: 
An approach that utilises visual, auditory and tactile/kinaesthetic elements based on the senses to enable children to work to their areas of strength.  An example of this is “Look, Say, Trace, Cover, Write, Check” for spelling.

Network Support Teacher: 
In some education authorities, support staff are organised into teams.  Each team provides support cover to a number of schools within an area cluster or network.

Paired Reading: 
A strategy designed to support learners with the process of learning to read.  Usually an adult or older child will read with the child who is struggling to read.  They will have a pre-arranged set of rules to direct the process.  Sometimes the older reader will read, sometimes both will read together and sometimes the child who is struggling will read.  In this process, the younger reader is the apprentice.

Phonological Awareness:
Awareness of and ability to hear constituent sounds in words, rhymes alliteration etc.  In addition to the 26 letters of the alphabet there are 44 phonemes like ai, ew, etc.  Being able to hear and clap the syllables in words is also part of phonological awareness.  The word alphabet has 3 syllables alph-a-bet.  Children who are dyslexic tend in the main to have very poor phonological awareness.

Screening Programme: 
A blanket criterion-based assessment which is used to establish the set of skills which children have developed at the time of assessment.  Such assessment would provide the information required to identify those children in most need of help and also pinpoint the areas of difficulty which would become the focus of future teaching.  Cross-curricular skills are observed and noted to provide a holistic profile of children at one point in time.

Special Educational Needs (SEN) Auxiliary: 
A Special  Educational Needs Auxiliary is a member of the support staff who is not a teacher but who is appointed to provide additional support to some children who have significant needs.

Different authorities have different names for such support staff and the criteria for their deployment vary from authority to authority.

Spelling Made Easy: 
A set of graded spelling books which can be matched to spelling ages.

Spellmate: 
A computer software programme used for practice and consolidation of spelling.

Starspell: 
A computer software program for reinforcement and consolidation of spelling.  Individualised spelling lists can be created on the programme.

Storybook Weaver: 
A computer software program which helps children to plan and write extended pieces of creative writing.

Write Out Loud: 
A computer software program which reads back text.