100% agree. SLANT is awful for children with SEN too. Like you pointed out, they concentrate so much on the acronym that they can't take in what the teacher is saying.
Some schools have a similarly disappointing set of guidelines called the 5 Ls:
Lips: no talking
Legs: crossed and still
Looking at the teacher
Laps: hands on laps
Listening: which they say is only happening if all these other Ls are happening.
Students are rewarded or chastised according to these guidelines. Too bad for the clever child who is fidgeting and rocking and looking at the carpet to make sure they are deeply processing what the teacher says!
Hooray for CAMEL! Thanks for another great letter.
Similarly, I went to tour our local elementary when my daughter was kindergarten-aged, and I found signs instructing children how to walk up and down the stairs...
Listen with curiosity. Other people could be right or wrong.
Children must move to learn! Not just their hands and body. They also need to move ideas ... that flexibility of mind. That kicking around of ideas. The pleasure of uncertainty and wonder.
Let's design school cultures and classroom environments that nurture and celebrate curiosity.
When my ADHD daughter is learning best she is moving, listening to music and usually singing or talking to herself. My brain could not learn like this but she can. Silent learning and being still are what made school so unsuccessful for her.
Sounds like you visited a Charter school! KIPP (Kids In Prison Programs) employs this method of "learning" and then likes to punish the kids when they go "off track". This has been happening for at least 10-15 yrs. Charters use this approach because many of their teachers are out of TFA (teach for America) and don't have a degree in education.....so they don't know how to really teach....they just know how to deliver content.
100% agree. SLANT is awful for children with SEN too. Like you pointed out, they concentrate so much on the acronym that they can't take in what the teacher is saying.
Completely agree. 100%.
Some schools have a similarly disappointing set of guidelines called the 5 Ls:
Lips: no talking
Legs: crossed and still
Looking at the teacher
Laps: hands on laps
Listening: which they say is only happening if all these other Ls are happening.
Students are rewarded or chastised according to these guidelines. Too bad for the clever child who is fidgeting and rocking and looking at the carpet to make sure they are deeply processing what the teacher says!
Hooray for CAMEL! Thanks for another great letter.
Similarly, I went to tour our local elementary when my daughter was kindergarten-aged, and I found signs instructing children how to walk up and down the stairs...
Sounds good. I like CAMEL.
Ugh. Yes, our schools call it Full Body Listening. Such ableist garbage! It’s essentially, sit down and shut up so the teacher can feel powerful.
You are rocking it girl! Challenge assumptions
Ask unexpected questions
Move when you need to
Explore the world and
Listen with curiosity. Other people could be right or wrong.
Children must move to learn! Not just their hands and body. They also need to move ideas ... that flexibility of mind. That kicking around of ideas. The pleasure of uncertainty and wonder.
Let's design school cultures and classroom environments that nurture and celebrate curiosity.
Oh my gosh, really shocked by this! Love CAMEL though.
When my ADHD daughter is learning best she is moving, listening to music and usually singing or talking to herself. My brain could not learn like this but she can. Silent learning and being still are what made school so unsuccessful for her.
Sounds like you visited a Charter school! KIPP (Kids In Prison Programs) employs this method of "learning" and then likes to punish the kids when they go "off track". This has been happening for at least 10-15 yrs. Charters use this approach because many of their teachers are out of TFA (teach for America) and don't have a degree in education.....so they don't know how to really teach....they just know how to deliver content.
Would love to read your thoughts on the latest report on attendance and "disadvantage gap" https://www.theguardian.com/education/2025/mar/17/unauthorised-school-absence-widening-disadvantage-gap-in-england
Camel 🐪 is great!! Do you think it works in all contexts?