The rhetoric and reality of learning support in the classroom: towards a synthesis

Abstract

In this article Geoff Tennant reviews the literature on learning support, focusing particularly on the underlying principles and issues which need to be thought through. This is contrasted with his observations of learning support in classrooms in the London area, in which there was very little evidence that there had been any thinking behind what happened. Suggestions are then made as to how learning support can be used more effectively, representing better value for money and a more positive working environment for class teachers, those providing the extra support and, crucially, the children receiving it