What is DyslexiaDyslexia is often surrounded by confusion for both parents and teachers. It is a neurodevelopment disorder- with a possible connection to genetics. It is based on poor phonological processing and it often effects boys more than girls. Dyslexia manifests itself in many different forms, and at many different levels. This is why it is so important to assess students properly so their needs can be identified
Problem Areas: 1) Reading, writing, and spelling • Students may have a better oral understanding • Poor reading/decoding but there is good comprehension • Have troubles recognizing or remembering word sounds • Word Substitutions • Difficulty with rhyming • Difficulty with the alphabet order • Slow or hesitant reading • Spelling difficulties • Poor word attack • Inconsistent and slow writing 2) Memory • Long term memory difficulties- can't organize or categorize properly 3) Processing Speed • May take the long way around to get to a response • Though this may also result in creative or innovative responses • Process visually 4) Automaticity • This is learning a skill or activity until it becomes second nature • Requires over learning • Often needs to happen with dyslexic students 5) Metacognitive Awareness • Learning to learn- Thinking about thinking • May choose insufficient learning strategies to come learn this way • Requires the ability to self-correct or self-monitor |
It is important for teachers and parents to understand that at the core of dyslexia is the inability to decode. There is a scale of dyslexia, not everyone will be effected the same way. Essentially there are three types of poor readers: 1) Those who have problems decoding (Dyslexia) 2) Those with poor listening comprehension (Poor Comprehenders) • These students can decode, spell and read well but do not understand what they are reading 3) Those who are affected by both poor decoding and poor comprehension Image taken from: Duff, F., & Clarke, P. (2011). Practitioner Review: Reading Disorders: What are the Effective Interventions and How Should They be Implemented and Evaluated? The Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 52(1), 2-12.
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