An adult to act as a reader and/or scribe (also known as an amanuensis) is an important provision for many children and young people with vision impairments, not just in exams but in the classroom too.
Using a reader and/or scribe can significantly reduce the amount of visual effort used, day-to-day in the classroom, which can help prevent visual fatigue.
The following is useful information to know:
Providing an adult as a reader and or/scribe needs to be bespoke to the child or young person. Ask them for their views on what specific subjects or times of day they feel they would benefit from using a reader and/or scribe. Remember, they are the expert on their vision. Some children and young people need constant access to a reader and/or scribe, as their vision may fluctuate throughout the day or their level of vision loss may mean they are only able to use their vision for short periods.
Take steps to promote a positive, trusting relationship between the child or young person and the key adult acting as their reader and/or scribe. The child or young person will only be able to freely dictate if they are comfortable with the adult. It is therefore helpful for the adult and child or young person to spend time together prior to being in the classroom.
Scribes do not just write words; they are also allowed to draw or add to diagrams under the child or young person’s dictation. This can be helpful in maths and science.
An obvious role of a reader is to read from books and paper resources, but a reader is also very helpful when reading from screens. This provides practical assistant support for those who may be using computer software or apps in subjects like music or technology. Top tip: spend time with the child or young person to pre-teach the various options available to them when using software or apps. This will help them anticipate and plan ahead.
The child or young person will need to be trained to use a reader and/or scribe before it becomes a normal way of working. They will need to develop their skills in communicating instructions to the reader (such as, “Please repeat the previous sentence”) and/or scribe (such as, “Please delete the previous word and replace with…”) clearly and confidently. They will also need to add punctuation. The child or young person must understand that they have complete control and ownership over their work.
In addition to above, it is important that the child or young person practises using a reader and/or scribe under timed conditions, if appropriate to their age. This could include training a Year 5 child in readiness for Year 6 SATs, or a Key Stage 3 pupil in readiness for Key Stage 4.
Top tip: Listen to audio books that capture a child or young person’s interests. Afterwards ask questions about the story. |Ask the child or young person to dictate their answer to you. This technique can help practising using a scribe.
Signposting
AQA advice about using a scribe for spelling, punctuation and grammar marks: Spelling, punctuation and grammar marks
Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ): Regulations and Guidance: Regulations and Guidance – JCQ Joint Council for Qualifications