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Ross Morrison McGill founded @TeacherToolkit in 2007, and today, he is one of the ‘most followed educators’on social media in the world. In 2015, he was nominated as one of the ‘500 Most Influential People in Britain’ by The Sunday Times as a result of…
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Are school labels failing students who struggle?
Traditional learning difficulty labels may not fully capture the diverse challenges students face. A study suggests personalised assessment is key to supporting students more effectively.
Do diagnostic labels tell the full story?
This research, conducted by the University of Cambridge (n = 530), examined the cognitive and neural profiles of children with academic difficulties. Instead of relying on broad diagnoses like ADHD or dyslexia, the study used machine learning to identify four distinct clusters of learning difficulties, challenging the effectiveness of traditional labels.
Referrers were asked to identify the primary reason for referral, which could include ongoing problems in “attention”, “learning”, “memory”, or “poor school progress.”
The study found that children with the same diagnosis often had different cognitive challenges.
It identified four groups: those struggling with working memory, phonological processing, broad cognitive difficulties, and those who appeared typical on tests but still struggled in school. MRI scans (n = 184) showed that these clusters corresponded to distinct patterns of brain connectivity, reinforcing the need for more personalised support strategies.
- Yellow square = good performance
- Black square = poor performance
Credit: Astle et al., 2018
Why cognitive profiles matter more than labels
Understanding why students struggle is complex. The study suggests that learning difficulties are more nuanced than diagnostic labels imply. For instance, two students diagnosed with dyslexia may have vastly different cognitive profiles—one struggling with working memory while the other has phonological difficulties.
Labels may help students access support, but they do not tell the whole story. A more effective approach is to assess students’ individual learning profiles, ensuring interventions target their specific needs rather than relying on generic strategies.
For too long, school and college leaders have depended on diagnoses to determine support. This study highlights why that might be problematic. If students with the same diagnosis have different learning challenges, then blanket interventions may not be effective.
By focusing on individual cognitive profiles, teachers can ensure the right strategies are used. A student with working memory difficulties might need reduced cognitive load and visual scaffolding, while a student with phonological processing challenges may benefit from structured phonics interventions.
Rethinking student support in the classroom
Without a shift in approach, students may continue to receive ineffective support, leading to frustration and disengagement. So, what can teachers do? Here are three practical strategies:
- Assess beyond the label – Use formative assessments like working memory checklists or phonological screening to gain deeper insights into student needs.
- Adapt teaching strategies – If a student struggles with working memory, breaking tasks into steps and using retrieval practice can help. For phonological difficulties, explicit phonics instruction and repetition may be more effective
- Collaborate with specialists – Engage with SEND coordinators, educational psychologists, and parents to build a more complete picture of student learning needs.
CPD questions for teachers:
- How often do teachers rely on formal diagnoses to plan interventions?
- Could cognitive assessments provide more precise insights into student needs?
- What alternative strategies might help students with working memory difficulties?
- How can teachers differentiate support for students with the same diagnosis but different cognitive challenges?
- Are schools training staff to understand cognitive diversity in learning?
- Could technology help track individual student progress beyond labels?
- What role do parents and carers play in identifying learning challenges?
- How do current SEND policies impact personalised interventions?
- Are school assessment tools flexible enough to capture different learning profiles?
- What small classroom changes could better support students with diverse needs?
The research concludes:
Despite contrasting cognitive and neural profiles, the learning profiles of the working memory and phonological deficit groups were nearly identical. This diverges strongly from a preceding literature that emphasises a marked association between phonological difficulties and problems with literacy (Astle et al., 2018)
Download the full paper to explore the findings in more depth.
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