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Developmental dyslexia is a
condition related to poor reading. Children with dyslexia have
difficulty learning to read due to one or more information processing
problems such as visual perceptual or auditory perceptual deficits.
Many but not all children with dyslexia have difficulty with reversals of
numbers, letters or words. New research points the way to specific methods
of instruction that can help anyone learn to read well no matter what the
underlying problem may be. Following the links will provide
interesting new information as well as extremely effective solutions for
all types of reading problems including developmental dyslexia.
Children who have an average or above IQ and are reading
1 1/2 grades or more below grade level may be dyslexic. True dyslexia
affects about 3 to 6 percent of the population yet in some parts of the
country up to 50% of the students are not reading at grade level. This
means that the reason for most children not reading at grade level is
ineffective reading instruction. The dyslexic child often suffers from
having a specific learning disability as well as being exposed to
ineffective instruction.
Children may have dyslexia or a learning disability if
they have one or more of the following symptoms:
- Letter or word reversals when reading. (Such as
was/saw, b/d, p/q).
- Letter or word reversals when writing.
- Difficulty repeating what is said to them.
- Poor handwriting or printing ability.
- Poor drawing ability.
- Reversing letters or words when spelling words that
are presented orally.
- Difficulty comprehending written or spoken
directions.
- Difficulty with right - left directionality.
- Difficulty understanding or remembering what is said
to them.
- Difficulty understanding or remembering what they
have just read.
- Difficulty putting their thoughts on paper.
Children with dyslexia do not exhibit these symptoms due
to poor vision or hearing but because of brain dysfunction. The eyes and
ears are working properly but the lower centers of the brain scramble the
images or sounds before they reach the higher (more intelligent) centers
of the brain. This causes confusion as well as frustration for the
learner.
When a child is having difficulty learning, a
comprehensive neurodevelopmental exam is important. This includes testing
of hearing, vision, neurological development, coordination, visual
perception, auditory perception, intelligence, and academic achievement.
Often, perception problems can be helped with simple
exercises which either help to improve a specific problem or teach
techniques to compensate for a problem. These often can be done at home.
In a few cases, a referral to an educational or speech therapist may be
helpful.
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The main reasons for reading problems are:
- Ineffective reading instruction
- Auditory perception difficulties
- Visual perception difficulties
- Language processing difficulties
Over 180 research studies to date have proven that
phonics is the BEST WAY to teach reading to all students. They also have
shown that phonics is the ONLY WAY to teach reading to students with
dyslexia and other learning disabilities.
Unfortunately, 80% of our nations schools do not use an
intensified phonics approach for reading instruction. They either use the
whole word (see & say) approach or a cursory use of phonics along with
the whole word method.
While most people can learn to read using the whole word
approach, it is not the best way to learn. It teaches through memorization
of word pictures and guessing. Unlike Chinese or Japanese which are
picture languages, the English language is a phonetic language. With the
exception of the United States which dropped phonics in the 1930's, all
other countries that have a phonetic language, teach reading through
phonics.
There are only 44 sounds while there are about 1 million
words in English. These facts readily explain why having to memorize 44
sounds as opposed to memorizing hundreds of thousands of words is the most
efficient way to learn to read.
Reading and writing is simply "talking on
paper." Children learn to talk by imitating sounds and then combining
the sounds to form words. The brain is programmed to learn language in
this fashion. Therefore, the most efficient way to learn to read is
through phonics because it teaches children to read the same way they
learned to talk. [Click Here For Latest
Brain Research Related To Learning To Read]
Children and adults who do not learn to read through an
intensive phonics program often have one or more of the following
symptoms:
- Below grade level reading achievement
- Slow reading
- Poor comprehension
- Fatigue after reading only for a short while
- Poor spelling skills
- Lack of enjoyment from reading
Some children have auditory discrimination problems.
This may have been the result of having chronic ear infections when they
were young. Others may be born with this learning disability. Correction
involves educational exercises to train the brain in discrimination and to
over teach the formation of the sounds used in speaking and reading.
Another group of children have visual perception
problems. They may actually reverse letters or words. They have difficulty
matching the word image on the page with a previously stored image in
their brain. Exercises that train the brain to "see" more
accurately may help but instruction with phonics is the best approach to
overcome this problem.
Language development problems can contribute to poor
reading and listening comprehension along with difficulty in verbal and
written expression. Learning appropriate word attack skills through
phonics along with special help in receptive and/or expressive language
skills improves this type of learning disability.
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It is not unusual for children to reverse
letters and words when they read or write up to the age of 6 or 7.
This is due to immaturity in brain development. Children who have
problems with reversals usually also have problems with left-right
directionality. Below are some exercises that have been found to
help improve directionality and reduce reversals.
Symptoms:
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Spatial confusion - unable to
differentiate left-right, on self, other, or paper.
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Confuses letter pairs as b-d, m-w,
p-q. Confuses words such as was-saw, on-no.
Remediation:
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Simplify tasks so only one new
discrimination is made at a time.
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Make each simple discrimination
automatic before the next one is introduced. Overteach 'b",
then overteach 'd", before presenting both together.
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Each discrimination that causes
repeated errors should be worked with by itself until the problem is
overcome.
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Trace, then write, the confused letter
or word and pronounce it as written.
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Use short frequent practice
periods. Lengthen the time between practice sessions as
the material is retained.
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If the child is confused about his own
left/right, use a ring, watch, ribbon or band on his writing
arm. Color cue side of desk or paper or word as a starting
place.
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Gradually increase the difficulty of
material to discriminate. If errors are made, go back to simpler
practice.
Suggestions for Improving Laterality:
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Trace hands on paper. Label
"right," "left."
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Play "Simon Says" -
"Touch right foot; raise left hand," etc.
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Child follows the directions in drawing
lines up, down, right to left, etc. and in touching parts of body.
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Child connects dots on blackboard to
make a completed pattern; repeats process on paper.
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Child shows hands in sequence pattern:
left, right, left, right, etc. Use marching as a variation.
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Child names objects on right and on
left. He moves to different parts of the room and repeats.
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Arrange story pictures in sequence,
left to right.
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Use lined paper for writing.
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Use weighted wristband to designate
right or left hand.
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Tracing activities, left to
right. Mark left with small "x." Use color tracing to
repeat.
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When beginning writing the lessons,
teach the child to begin as close to left edge of sheet as possible
(then can move only toward the right).
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In reading, use markers,
"windows," and other left-to-right directional aids.
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Additional
Topics Related to Learning Disabilities
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