The Motor Planning Training Ladder.We aim to improve the student's pointing skills by starting with activities where we know the answer and they know the answer so that we can help them to correct pointing errors. As we work up the ladder and the student's pointing skills improve we can offer appropriate physical support without needing to know what the student should be typing. We can also work on fading physical support.

Using the Motor Planning Ladder with a normal in-class activity - A tool for differentiation as well as Motor Planning Training. 

Always have some written materials for the student to look at. This example lesson is cookery so the ingredients and method is the written input to the student. This happens to be an example taken

from the Christian tradition but you could of course apply the same principles to recipes such as Sandesh for Diwali or Klaicha for Eid. The same approach can be used across the curriculum for different subjects. 

If they need symbol support “Communicate in Print” or a similar symbol generating programme can be utilised as shown in this example: 

  

HOT CROSS BUNS: 

Traditional spiced, sticky glazed fruit buns with pastry crosses. Served as a classic Easter treat, the buns can be also enjoyed at any time of year. 

IngredientsFor the ferment starter:1 large egg, beaten215ml/7½fl oz warm water15g/½oz fresh yeast1 tsp sugar55g/2oz strong white flourFor the dough:450g/1lb strong white flour1 tsp salt2 tsp ground mixed spice85g/3oz butter cut into cubes85g/3oz sugar1 lemon, grated, zest only170g/6oz mixed dried fruit2 tbsp plain flouroil, for greasing1 tbsp golden syrup, gently heated, for glazing 

Method1. Prepare the ferment starter for the dough by combining the beaten egg with enough warm water to give approximately 290ml/½ pint of liquid. Whisk in the yeast, sugar and flour, cover and put

in a warm place for 30 minutes.2. make the buns: sieve the flour, salt and spice into a large mixing bowl and rub in the butter. Make a well in the centre and put the sugar and lemon zest in the well. Pour on the ferment starter.3. Gradually draw in the flour and mix vigorously, then knead to a smooth, elastic dough.4. Carefully work in the mixed dried fruit. Shape the dough into a ball, put it in a warm, greased bowl, cover with a clean tea towel and leave to rise in a warm place for 1 hour.5. Turn out the dough and knead to knock out any air bubbles and give an even texture. Shape it into a ball again, put back into the bowl, cover and put back to rise for another 30 minutes.6. Turn out the dough again and divide into 12 even pieces. Shape them into buns and leave to rest for a few minutes on the work surface covered with the tea towel.7. Place the buns on a lightly greased baking sheet. Slightly flatten each bun and then cut into quarters, cutting almost all the way through the dough, so that as each bun rises, it has a well-marked cross on it.8. Grease a large polythene bag and place the tray with the buns in it and tie the end. Put in a warm place and leave to rise for 40 minutes. 9. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 240C/475F/Gas 8. Make a paste for the crosses on the buns with the plain flour and 2 tbsp cold water. Mix until it is soft

enough to pipe through a nozzle. 10. Remove the polythene bag and pipe a cross on each bun. Bake the buns for 8 -12 minutes or until risen and golden. Brush the buns with hot golden syrup as soon as they are ready. Cool on a wire rack.

For Learners with more needs the language can be simplified as follows (in this example you pre-prepare the ferment starter for the students):

1.   Sieve the flour, salt and spice into a large mixing bowl.

2.   Rub in the butter.

3.   Make a well in the centre and put the sugar and lemon zest in the well. Pour on the ferment starter.

4.   Mix the flour, then knead to a smooth, elastic dough.

5.   Carefully work in the mixed dried fruit.

6.   Shape the dough into a ball, put it in a warm, greased bowl, cover with a clean tea towel and leave to rise in a warm place for 1 hour.

7.   Knead the dough again and put back into the bowl, cover leave for another 30 minutes.

8.   Turn out the dough divide into 12 even pieces shaped like buns.

9.   Cut the shape of a cross on each bun,

10.                Put in a polythene bag in a warm place and leave to rise for 40 minutes.

11.                Meanwhile, heat the oven to 240C/475F/Gas 8

12.                Make a paste for the crosses on the buns with the plain flour and 2 tbsp cold water. Mix until it is soft enough to pipe through a nozzle.

13.                Take the buns out of the bag, pipe a cross on each bun.

14.                Place the buns on a lightly greased baking sheet.

15.                Bake the buns for 8 -12 minutes or until risen and golden.

16.                Brush the buns with hot golden syrup as soon as they are ready.

17.                Cool on a wire rack.

The above could be symbolised in “Communicate in Print”.

For learners with significant needs you could provide the key points in a picture supported plans like this (even if you think the student is at the concrete level requiring objects of reference they should be exposed to pictures and words so that progression is built in):

1.Sieve the flour

 

2.Put in the sugar, lemon and ferment starter

 

3.Knead the dough 

4.Add the currents

 

5.Cover and leave for 1 hour

6.Divide the dough into small buns

 

N.B. When making multiple choice options for students you need to be aware of the best size and spacing of the choices. Every students needs may be different.

Example Ladder Step 2 Activities (single point):What are we making today? Point to the correct choice:

Hot Cross Buns

Doughnuts Roly Poly Pudding

Baps

You can include pictures if you think the student needs them.

Hot Cross Buns

Doughnuts Roly Poly Pudding

Baps

You could even turn it into a very basic exercise for those who are working at lower levels by giving them the correct picture to match.

Make sure you put the correct answer in a different place each time. 

Example Ladder Step 3 Activity (sequence):

Point to things we need to do in the correct order:

 

Add the currents

Rub in the butter

Sieve the flower

Knead the dough

For those with greater needs the above could have pictures added and a correct model could be shown to the student.

For those who are typing or writing a Step 4 sequencing activity could be to copy type a key sentence from the method.

Example Ladder Step 5 (simple quiz)Which of these pieces of equipment will you need for cooking hot cross buns?

Baking tray spoon Frying pan shovel

cloth jumper Wire rack sieve 

For those who are typing or writing a Step 6 quiz could be as follows:

1.   What fruit do we use to make Hot Cross Buns?

2.   What do we do with the dough when we have mixed it in the bowl?

3.   How long do we leave the dough under the cloth when we knead it the first time?

4.   How many buns are we going to divide the dough up into?

5.   What shape are we going to cut on the top of each bun?

Example Ladder Step 7 (choice of 2 – assistant does not know which should be chosen)

Do you like Hot Cross Buns?

YES NO 

Example Ladder Step 8 (choice of 3 or more – assistant does not know which should be chosen)Which do you like best?

Hot Cross Buns

Doughnuts

Roly Poly Pudding

Baps

Example Ladder Step 9 (quiz questions where there are a very few possible answers-usually one word answers)

List 4/6 of the ingredients we need to make Hot Cross Buns.

Example Ladder Step 10 (quiz questions where there are a more possible answers-usually more than one word answers)

List 4/6 sweet foods.

Example Ladder Step 11 (quiz questions where there are a range of possible answers-usually requiring more than a sentence)

Why do you think we put a cross on the Hot Cross Bun? What other shapes could we use?

(The real answer to this question is: The tradition dates back to pagan times when the cross

represented the moon and its four quarters. It was claimed for the Christian church in 1361 when Father Thomas Rockcliffe distributed the buns to the poor of St Albans.)

The student doesn’t need to give a correct answer. Just one that makes sense.

Example Ladder Step 12 (quiz questions where you don’t know what the student will write – usually requiring more than a paragraph)

Finish this story:

One day Sam came into the kitchen and smelt the lovely aroma of the Hot Cross Buns his mother had taken out of the oven and left on a rack to cool. They looked delicious. Mum was upstairs making the beds so Sam ......................

Steps 13 to 16 are communicative ones which is free speech on the part of the student with encouragement at 13 and initiated by them at 16.