Q:
Is precision teaching the same as special educational provision?
My son has been diagnosed with a specific learning difficulty—dyslexia—and I have been informed that precision teaching constitutes the special educational provision required to meet his associated special educational needs. Should I accept this at face value?
Sean Kennedy
Talem Law
17 Mar 2025
A: SenseCheck
- 0 Yes
- 1 No
- 0 Other
- 17 Mar 2025
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No
Simple
No.
Precision teaching is a method of closely monitoring a pupil's progress through daily short practice sessions, with improvements tracked on simple charts. It involves breaking down learning into small, measurable steps, enabling teachers to identify precisely where a pupil may be encountering difficulties and adjust their teaching methods accordingly. This approach is frequently employed with pupils who have learning difficulties or special educational needs, particularly in areas such as reading, spelling, mathematics, and other foundational skills.
Precision teaching is widely utilised within mainstream education across the UK. However, it differs from special educational provision in that it is primarily a targeted assessment and instructional technique rather than broader forms of support, such as speech therapy or specially designed educational programmes. Therefore, a child diagnosed with dyslexia is likely to have distinct special educational needs that require tailored special educational provision beyond precision teaching alone. These needs and the necessary special educational provision should be identified by relevant experts, such as an educational psychologist or a specialist specific learning difficulties teacher.
The following extract from the Noddy Guide provides comprehensive information about special educational provision. In particular, please refer to:
08.02 Is there a rule specifying what counts as SEP?
08.03 Can learning life skills be SEP?
Sean Kennedy
Sean Kennedy
Talem Law
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