Boost! Workshop – August 2026

Your child will have fun learning some memorable methods that will boost their reading, writing and spelling skills on this three-day (two and a half hours a day) workshop.  All learners will attend all three days of the workshop on 3rd, 4th, and 5th August for two and a half hours each day. The sessions are available in the morning for younger learners only (6-8 years) and in the afternoon for older learners only (9-11 years).

There will be structured activities and plenty of opportunity to get creative each day making useful resources and practising using these to support learning. These are methods and resources that will be used well into the future. For example, each learner will make …

• • a personalised journal to record tricky spellings and WOW words,
  • a spelly feet game to have fun learning spellings,
  • a word wheel to practice reading common phonic patterns.
  • a card game to practice recognising common words,
  • a memory aid to remind them how to skim read,
  • a flip chute to have fun reading tricky words,
  • punctuation characters to support writing,
  • a planning template to help generate ideas for a story.

All learners will take away their resources with them at the end of each day and parents will be provided with a pack to explain how these resources can be used again and again in the future to boost reading, writing and spelling skills.

The workshop will be presented by Anita Haigh and Claire Harvey. Anita is an experienced dyslexia specialist working at the Helen Arkell Dyslexia Charity as a consultant for parents and as a specialist assessor. She also delivers in-service training sessions, parent workshops for schools and has lectured and tutored on the Level 5 and Level 7 Diploma training courses for Specialists teachers and assessors.

Claire is Head of Education at Helen Arkell. She trained at the Centre (OCR Levels 3, 5, and 7) and has worked previously in a large primary school as SEN Team Leader. Claire has also worked at Helen Arkell as a tutor and lecturer on the Level 5 Diploma course, as a specialist assessor, delivered numerous in-service presentations to schools and organisations, and delivered the renowned Parents’ HELP course.

“He said ‘it wasn’t really learning, it was making things’ and ‘why can’t my school be like that’. He was learning but was so busy making things, he didn’t realise it. This is really good for him as he is a master at avoiding ‘learning’. He has said he would like to do it again and make new things.” (Parent)

If you have any questions about booking, please email courses@helenarkell.org.uk

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Cancellations:

IMPORTANT: Please read our cancellation policy before booking!

Course cancellation policy

Funding:

We have limited funding for subsidised places on this course. Please email courses@helenarkell.org.uk to request an application form.

Policy for subsidised places:

– You must pay a contribution towards the cost

– You must pay your contribution within 48 hours of your place being confirmed, after 48 hours, your place will be withdrawn

– Bursaries cannot be transferred to other dates

By filling in the form and returning to us, you accept the terms of the policy for subsidised places.