Cognition and Learning
Cognition and Learning
What you might see
You might see students who:
- Finds literacy and/or numeracy skills difficult
- Makes slower progress over time despite support and adaptations
- Finds reading, writing or recording ideas difficult
- Needs support to understand and apply learning independently
- Finds it difficult to transfer skills across different situations
- Appears passive, distracted or disengaged during learning activities
- Benefits from practical, visual or hands-on learning approaches
- Experiences low confidence or motivation linked to learning difficulties
What you can try
Use transition and enrolment information to plan appropriate courses and support.
Provide practical, multi-sensory and visual learning opportunities. For example, in vocational courses opportunities to experience ‘hands on’.
Use graphic organisers, mind maps and visual supports to structure learning. Visual supports can include age-appropriate symbols, graphic organisers, mind maps.
Break tasks and activities into small manageable steps.
Provide opportunities to practise and apply skills in different contexts.
Offer alternative ways to record work and access information.
Provide access to assistive technology such as text-to-speech, word prediction software, audio tools or laptops where appropriate. These are often easily and freely available within the setting’s existing systems and students are able to use their own assistive technology in agreement with setting’s policy.
Teach assistive technology skills explicitly before expecting independent use.
Use flexible groupings and positive peer models to support learning.
Within Foundation Learning, small group provision within course focuses on the development of literacy and numeracy. Within Level 1 and above, course content also focuses on English and Maths with additional offers from settings to receive academic study support.
Use strategies that support thinking, problem solving and independent learning.
Make clear links to prior learning and explain the steps involved in tasks and activities.
Develop Preparation for Adulthood skills through everyday learning opportunities to build independence.
Celebrate strengths, achievements and progress to support confidence and motivation.
What you might see
You might see students who:
- Finds the usual pace of curriculum delivery difficult
- Needs additional time to process information and complete tasks
- Becomes overwhelmed when too much information is given at once
- Finds it difficult to work independently without support
- Appears passive, distracted or disengaged during learning activities
- Finds it difficult to record ideas or organise their work
- Benefits from repeated explanation, reinforcement and practice
- Experiences reduced confidence when learning moves too quickly
What you can try
Simplify the level, pace and amount of tutor talk.
Allow additional time and adjust expectations for the quantity of work produced where appropriate.
Programmes of study within lessons and course to consist of small achievable steps. Transition and enrolment information used to inform placement/ courses in order for students to be accessing the most appropriate courses.
Offer alternative ways to record work and access information.
Provide access to assistive technology such as text-to-speech, word prediction software, audio tools or laptops where appropriate. These are often easily and freely available within the setting’s existing systems and students are able to use their own assistive technology in agreement with setting’s policy.
Teach assistive technology skills explicitly before expecting independent use.
Provide specific meaningful praise and feedback linked to effort and achievement.
Give clear verbal feedback about next steps in learning.
Use structured routines and predictable lesson sequences.
Check understanding regularly throughout learning activities.
Present information clearly and in manageable chunks.
Use visual supports, models and worked examples to reinforce understanding.
What you might see
You might see students who:
- Finds memory, information processing or understanding difficult
- Needs support to understand and apply new concepts
- Finds sequencing, reasoning or problem solving difficult
- Has difficulty organising tasks, equipment or information independently
- Needs repeated explanation, reinforcement or overlearning of key concepts
- Finds it difficult to transfer learning across different situations
- Appears passive, distracted or disengaged during learning activities
- Benefits from structured support and clear routines
- Experiences reduced confidence when working independently
What you can try
Use transition and enrolment information to plan appropriate courses and support.
Provide repetition and overlearning of key concepts within course content.
Provide opportunities for revision, reinforcement and practice across different contexts.
Make clear links between new learning and prior learning.
Use review and overlearning strategies to support retention and understanding.
Use clear vocabulary and rephrase explanations where needed.
Provide vocabulary banks, glossaries and visual supports to reinforce understanding.
Break tasks into small sequential steps.
Teach and model organisational and prioritisation skills explicitly.
Provide access to assistive technology such as timetable apps, audio feedback or organisational tools where appropriate. Ensure students know how to access and use support tools independently. Students should be supported to have access to these when they need them. Many of these tools are freely available and part of existing systems and apps.
Provide small group support where appropriate to reinforce course content and independent learning skills.
Develop skills that support independent learning skills and Preparation for Adulthood.
Use structured routines and predictable approaches to support engagement and confidence.
What you might see
You might see students who:
- Finds reading, spelling and/or numeracy skills difficult
- Makes slower progress over time despite support or intervention
- Finds it difficult to access course content independently
- Has stronger verbal or practical skills than literacy skills
- Benefits from practical or vocational learning approaches
- Needs support to understand written information or instructions
- Finds written recording difficult or tiring
- Experiences reduced confidence linked to literacy or numeracy difficulties
What you can try
Use transition and enrolment information to plan appropriate courses and support.
Use baseline assessments and observations to identify areas of need.
Consider opportunities for mixed groupings as student’s cognitive ability is likely to be higher than their literacy skills might indicate particularly in vocational courses.
Use metacognition approaches to help students understand how they learn best.
Talk with students about strategies and adaptations that support them.
Use practical, visual and vocational learning opportunities where appropriate.
Make simple adaptations such as coloured paper, overlays, line spacing or adapted lighting where helpful. Teach students how to make and use these adaptations independently.
Provide access to assistive technology and adapted recording methods.
Encourage students to develop independent learning skills and Preparation for Adulthood skills.
Ensure staff use agreed strategies and approaches consistently across the setting.
Provide clear instructions and break tasks into manageable steps.
Reinforce strengths and celebrate progress to support confidence and motivation.
Resources and Advice
Training and Professional Development
- Language, Learning and Strategic Support Team: Free webinars including Support for Memory Difficulties, What do Dyslexic Pupils find difficult?, Maths Anxiety and Positive Mindset
Support Available
- Language, Learning and Strategic Support Team page on the Local Offer including courses