Understanding Dyslexia: Myths, Characteristics, and Support Strategies
Dyslexia is a constitutional disorder that results in difficulties with reading, writing, and spelling, despite adequate instruction and intelligence. Common myths include misconceptions about IQ and that it can be cured. Key characteristics involve challenges in decoding words, poor fluency, and difficulties with phonological awareness. While dyslexic children may struggle academically, they often excel in verbal skills and other subjects. Resources like specialized apps and educational strategies can support their learning. October is National Dyslexic Month—use this time to raise awareness in schools.
Understanding Dyslexia: Myths, Characteristics, and Support Strategies
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Presentation Transcript
What is dyslexia?... “Dyslexia” means a disorder of constitutional origin manifested by a difficulty in learning to read, write, or spell, despite conventional instruction, adequate intelligence, and sociocultural opportunity.
Common Myths In Dyslexia Stupid • Low IQ Very Rare!!! Backwards Letters Can be cured! More boys have it!
Some Characteristics of Dyslexia: • Difficulty reading real words in isolation • Difficulty accurately decoding nonsense words • Slow, inaccurate, or labored oral reading (low fluency) • Difficulty with learning to spell • Poor rhyming • Poor grasp of abstract ideas (idioms, hyperboles) • Confuses small words with other words such as at for to, said for and, or goes for does • Difficulty with sound and letter relationships
Characteristics Usually Caused BY: • Difficulty with the development of phonological awareness, including segmenting, blending, and manipulating sounds in words (student may sound hesitant) • Learning the names and letters and their associated sounds • Phonological memory (holding sounds, information about words, sight words in memory) • Rapid naming of familiar things, letters, colors, and sometimes numbers
So…these Children commonly experience: • Difficulties with reading comprehension • Difficulties with aspects of written composition • A limited amount of time spent on reading activities • A LOW SELF-ESTEEM!
Interestingly enough…. • These children usually do well orally when it comes to other subject areas like social studies, science, etc. • They sometimes have a larger oral expressive vocabulary • Dyslexic children will do well with listening comprehension • They usually understand math word problems if read aloud • Dyslexia students usually have average to high average scores in ability assessments like CogAT or Naglierre.
Apps for ipads and iphones • snapWordsA-$9.99 • ABC Order-$1.99 (alphabetizing words K-6) • Dyslite-$12.99 (changes font and backgrounds; colored overlays; optimized for dyslexics) • Penultimate Notetaker- (4-12) • Dragon Dictation Lite- Free (dictate and will text back what was stated) • Boggle and Whirly Word (fun word building games for older children) • Phonics games for every rule and pattern (K-6) • vBookz- $4.99 (classics read aloud; 4-12) • Letter Reflex (practice common reversals; K-6) • Cursive Writing- Free • Readingrockets.org (other helpful sites, books, blogs, and apps)
National Dyslexic Month is in October!!! Ideas for your campus: • Do an in-service on dyslexia to heighten awareness • Celebration in dyslexia classroom • Do a reading night at your school with multisensory centers • Hang posters around the school of famous people who have dyslexia www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_qGJ9svUbM