understanding dyslexia - optimus education · 1. dyslexia occurs across the ability range. 2. there...
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THE SENCO GUIDE TO DYSLEXIASusan Griffiths, Barry Groom and Andrew Smith
UnderstandingUnderstanding
Dyslexia
What does What does ‘‘dyslexiadyslexia’’ mean?mean?
DyslexiaDyslexia
= dys + lexia – difficulty with words
What do you know about dyslexia?What do you know about dyslexia?
True or False? True or False?
1. Dyslexia occurs across the ability range.
2. There are children with dyslexia in every classroom, and
adults who are dyslexic in most staff rooms.
3. 4% of the population are severely dyslexic, and an estimated
10% mildly so.10% mildly so.
4. Dyslexia is a learning difference - a combination of strengths
and weaknesses which affect the learning process in reading,
spelling, writing and sometimes number and calculation.
True or False?True or False?
5. Learners with dyslexia may also have weaknesses in short-
term memory, sequencing and the speed with which they
process information.
6. Dyslexia has a physiological basis – research indicates
neurological differences which generally affect the left neurological differences which generally affect the left
hemisphere, which deals with language and sequential
processing.
7. Dyslexia runs in families.
8. Dyslexia occurs on a continuum from mild to severe.
True or False?True or False?
9. Dyslexia occurs in all ethnic groups and in all languages.
10. Four boys are affected to every one girl.
11. Self-esteem is often low which can lead to reduced
motivation and sometimes to behaviour problems.
12. Learners with dyslexia can do as well as anyone else when 12. Learners with dyslexia can do as well as anyone else when
identified and given appropriate support.
Definitions of DyslexiaDefinitions of Dyslexia
British Psychological Society (1999)
• Dyslexia is evident when accurate and fluent word reading and/or spelling develops very incompletely or with great difficulty. This focuses on literacy learning at the ‘word level’and implies that the problem is severe and persistent despite and implies that the problem is severe and persistent despite appropriate learning opportunities. It provides the basis for a staged process of assessment through teaching.
Rose Report 2009Rose Report 2009
Towards a definition of dyslexiaTowards a definition of dyslexiaE
nvir
on
me
nt
genes
brain
biology
En
vir
on
me
nt
Phonological deficit
Speech delay
poor phonological
awareness
poor grapheme-phoneme correspondence
cognition
behaviour
(Frith 1999, Snowling 2005)
orthography
Orthographic consistency of European languages
Greek
Finnish
German
• English is very unpredictable in terms
of decoding words out of context.
Difficulties associated with dyslexia: Difficulties associated with dyslexia:
the English languagethe English language
German
Italian
Spanish
French
English
• English children can take longer to
learn to read than readers of other
European languages.
English is a particularly difficult (European) language to read!
• English has 26 letters and 44 sounds
• Large number of mono-syllables, e.g. cat, dog.
Difficulties associated with dyslexia: The Difficulties associated with dyslexia: The
English languageEnglish language
• One letter may represent five or more phonemes, e.g. do, dog, done, down, dole, more
• There are lots of ways to represent the same sound, e.g. ‘or’ = 11 ways (see below)
• Many high-frequency words are irregular, e.g. the, said, want.
raw, poor, more, ought, fork, taught, chalk, oar, four, warm, water
Difficulties associated with dyslexia: Difficulties associated with dyslexia:
WordWord--finding finding -- workshop activityworkshop activity
• Describe your hobby or interest to your partner in English
• You must not use any words containing the letters ‘e’ or ‘s’
How did you feel doing this activity?
Difficulties associated with dyslexia: visual Difficulties associated with dyslexia: visual
differencesdifferences
Some learners with dyslexia report that letters can appear to move in a variety of ways on the page. This can make sustained work with print difficult and tiring.
The effects may include:The effects may include:
• blurring
• letters swirling or flickering
• words squashed up or spreading out
• print running off the edge of the page, ordisappearing.
Rivers
Washout
Blurry
Swirl
Indicators of visual difficulties:Indicators of visual difficulties:
• Skipping words or lines when reading
• Losing place on the page
• Repeating words or lines when reading
• Using a marker or a finger to keep place on • Using a marker or a finger to keep place on
the page
• Reading very slowly, using a jerky rhythm,
hesitating.
Difficulties associated with dyslexia: Reading and Difficulties associated with dyslexia: Reading and
writingwriting
• There has been an emphasis on teaching phonics in schools.
• However, students with dyslexia may find phonics very difficult to master.
• Sight vocabulary – pictures of words stored in our minds – may be a problem
for students with dyslexia.
• Strategies are needed for decoding words not seen before.
• For pupils with dyslexia, reading and writing skills do not become automatic.
Rose Report 2009 p.110
If the process of writing is very effortful, it can be difficult for a
child to concentrate on what they are trying to get across. As a
result, written work may drift off the point, or be extremely short.
Difficulties with self-organisation can show themselves in the ability
of a child with dyslexia to plan and deliver long pieces of more
complex written work.
Difficulties associated with dyslexia: visual processing and memoryDifficulties associated with dyslexia: visual processing and memory
• Copy this passage neatly.
• You have five minutes to finish.
• This must be done before you can leave for
Workshop activity
• This must be done before you can leave for
your next lesson!
• Anyone not finishing must stay behind and see
me!!
Dyslexia: A specific learning differenceDyslexia: A specific learning differenceUnderlying difficulties may include:
•Memory (working memory, short and long term
memory- remembering times tables, tasks)
•Phonological awareness (reading, spelling)
•Word finding and labelling (fluency: speech,
writing)
•Speed of processing (understanding new •Speed of processing (understanding new
information)
•Planning and organising (written work; time)
•Sequencing (numeracy, following instructions)
•Motor difficulties (handwriting; PE)
•Self-esteem (lack of confidence; giving up)
•Automaticity (tasks require continued conscious
effort – they do not become automatic).
Strengths of dyslexiaStrengths of dyslexia
Some learners with dyslexia have outstanding creative skills. Others have strong oral skills. Some have no outstanding talents. BUT… they all have strengths, some typical examples being:
• creative and imaginative
• holistic thinking
• interpersonal skills
• visualisation
• different approach to tasks
• spatial awareness
• 3D perception.
TeachingTeaching
stylesstyles
LearningLearning
objectivesobjectives
Setting suitable Setting suitable
learning learning
challengeschallenges
Responding Responding
to pupils’ to pupils’
diverse needsdiverse needs
The circles of inclusion
AccessAccessOvercomingOvercoming
potential barriers potential barriers
to learningto learningSlide 1.3
Further CPD
• See the Primary and Secondary Inclusion
Development Programme:http://www.thedyslexia-
spldtrust.org.uk/media/downloads/inline/idp.1313664771.pdf
• Teaching and supporting pupils with dyslexia:
Department for Education: http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20110809091832/teachingandlearningr
esources.org.uk/collection/43759