Information on Students with Dyslexia
Taken from Bright Solutions
•Dyslexia is inherited; 1 in 5 people have it. 90% of kids with dyslexia will NOT qualify for an IEP.
•Dyslexia has varying degrees: mild, moderate, severe, profound
• People with dyslexia have a physical structural difference in their brain, the right hemisphere is 1-% bigger than average. Their nerve pathways are different in their brains, causing a language processing disorder.
• Phonemic awareness is the core and causal factor separating normal readers from disabled readers. Phonemic awareness is an essential pre reading skill.
• Students with dyslexia often hit a brick wall in 3rd grade reading.
Ifachildhas3ormore of the following warning signs: encourage the parents and teachers to learn more about dyslexia.
Preschool
delayed speech, mixingupthe sounds & syllables in long words, chronic ear infections, stuttering, difficulty tying shoes / knowing left from right, trouble memorizing personal information
Elementary School
Letter / number reversals continuing past 1st grade, slow / choppy/ in accurate reading, extreme difficulty in cursive, slow now-automatic handwriting that is difficult to read, terrible spelling, often can’t remember sight words, difficulty telling time with hands, trouble with math facts, difficulty finding correct words in speaking, extreme messy personal spaces, dreads doing to school.
High School
All as listed above plus: limited vocabulary, poor written expression, unable to master foreign language, difficulty reading printed music, poor grades in classes, may drop out of school.
Classroom Accommodations
Accommodations Are Fair. Fairdoesnotmean treating every student exactlythesame.Fairmeans providing each student with what that Studentneeds tohaveachancetosucceed.
An Accommodation is a changein the way ateacher:
•presents information •tests students • hasstudents practicenew skills – sothat every studenthas achancetosucceed.
Dyslexic Students need a teacherwho:
•understands their frustration •understands that theirdifficultiesare due to aninheritedbraindifference •willnotgiveup onthem •willnotmake them look stupidinfrontoftheirfriends
Toreduce FearAnxiety:
• Neverforcethemtoparticipatein aspellingbee
• Never force them to read out loud in class.
•Never have them write on the board
•Don't pass papers downthe row
•Don't allow other studentstograde papersortests
•Never callonthem unless they volunteer
AccommodationsforReading
•Provideallbooksonaudio tape
•During silent sustained reading, allow studentstoeitherjustreador tolistenandread
Accommodations forSpelling
Ourstudentscan'tlearntospell by memorizing, nor can they learn to spell by writing a word 50 times. So, don'tgrade their spellingtests. Or even put aspelling gradeontheir report card (leave that area blank). •Ignore spelling mistakes on written assignments. •Grade oncontent,notmechanics
Accommodations for Written Expression
• Provide alternative to written reports.
• Make writing reports a team project.
Accommodations for Homework
• Shorten assignments• Communicate homework with parents
Test Formats
• Allow open-book tests or students to use notes • Oral testing • Extended time
• Draw line to answer or fill in the blank, not essay.
Research based best-options for instruction are ANY Orton-Gillingham based systems: Barton Reading & Spelling System, Singerland, Alphabetic Phonics, Project Read, Wilson, Language!
Instruction that will NOT work for children with dyslexia: Hooked on Phonics, Reading Recovery, Read Naturally, Accelerated Reader, Vision therapy and color overlays, Brain-Gym, Sylvan, Score, Kuman Centers, Medication
For more information,