Dyslexia: It would be wonderful (4)

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if someone with reading difficulty could use something like a camera and take a picture of the words and have those words converted into speech? It would be wonderful, and there is! One very smart inventor who is also dyslexic created one. This technology is not entirely new, however. For many years we have had  computer software that scans written material and reads the words on the page out loud. Some programs even highlight the word one at a time so the reader can read along. Sounds wonderful, doesn’t it? Dyslexia is cured. Right? Not so fast. What we have found is that reading is not just getting the words off the page. Reading is the process of gaining meaning from print. Many students with reading difficulty have trouble on two fronts: figuring out what the words mean as well as figuring out how to say the words. And sometimes figuring out what the words mean all together is more problematic than decoding itself. Now, for some people, just figuring out the words on the page is very, very helpful. For others, it is just a piece of the pie. So when we think about the use of technology, we cannot see it as a panacea. We need to remediate the underlying causes as well as selecting assistive technology that can make life a little easier. Now, this camera thing is certainly helpful. And I applaud the inventor. But, we still need to teach kids how to read. 

Dyslexia: My Child Can't Read (3)

Not every child who is having difficulty learning to read is what we would term ‘dyslexic,’ which is a language-based disability. Some children just haven’t had the experiences with language and letters that other children have had. This can happen for many reasons. For instance, some children haven’t been to pre-school. Some children come from homes that have limited books around the house. Some children like to be outside and have little tolerance for sitting still and ‘reading’ books with their families. And finally some children have not received systematic instruction in letter/sound correspondence or phonics. Sometimes, children who have limited experiences for whatever reason are termed at-risk. That means that if they don’t catch up with their peers, they ‘may’ have difficulty in school later on. (The operative word here is ‘may’ because every child is an individual, and some defy the odds, in essence pulling themselves up by their bootstraps.) At-risk is serious and needs to be addressed with the same focus and energy as teaching for children with disabilities. So, what can we as parents and educators do to help these at-risk kids? The first thing is to recognize that there is not a minute to lose. The kids are behind and need to catch up quickly. They do not have the time to figure it out for themselves because the other kids in the class are moving ahead very rapidly. Kids at-risk need to not only to keep up with the other kids in the class, they need to CATCH up. That means that they may need to accomplish 1½ times to 2 times a much learning in one year, and sometimes even more, much more than the other children in class. So, parents and educators need to be cognizant of the type of instruction that will most benefit children at-risk. The good news is that many times, the same kind of instruction, explicit and systematic, that works with children with ‘dyslexia’ works just as well with children at-risk. The difference is that children at-risk usually make the connections easier and make progress at a faster rate. So, parents if your child is behind in reading, for whatever reason, steps need to be taken to address the situation, and the earlier the better! 

Dyslexia: My Child Can't Read (2)

I'm going to use the term reading difficulty instead of dyslexia because the term dyslexia conjures up, in so many parents minds, images of kids reading words backwards (which is totally erroneous). Reading difficulty is not a simple construct. And it appears from research that it really has nothing at all to do with intelligence. It can occur in children who are cognitively delayed (low- IQ) to those who are gifted and talented (high-IQ). That's something that we as parents have just got to get out of our heads. The idea that since my child can't read, he or she (because it occurs just as often in girls as it does in boys) is not very smart.

Let me assure you parents that many, many children with learning disabilities are very, very smart. When I was a fourth grade teacher, a little cowboy was in my class. He could not read. He came to me not reading, and he left my class without learning how to read (That wouldn't happen now. Believe me! but then I didn't have the know-how like I do now. And this little boy's face still haunts me because I could not help him over 20 years ago.) Anyway, back to the story. He may not have been able to read. But he could ride. The kid was the top rodeo star in his age group for the entire western U.S. He knew more about horses and ranches than most adults. Smart, smart kid with a great generous personality to match. I felt totally dumb next to him when talking about things that he was really GOOD at. So, parents, your kids who are having difficulty reading, celebrate what they can do well. Then just get them the help they need to read.

Dyslexia: My Child Can't Read

 Let's just first nibble around the corners of this topic. We'll talk more about it later. Today, let's just be clear as to what it is. The term dyslexia means difficulty with reading. Some people think that if a child reverses letters or words that the child must be dyslexic. The truth is that many young children who are beginning to read, whether they are dyslexic or not, make reversals. So, reversals are not good evidence of dyslexia. Researchers think that the cause of dyslexia resides in the way the brain processes language. Remember that post below about phonological awareness? Researchers actually think that those who have limited sensitivity to phonological awareness have more difficulty in learning to read.  From brain imaging studies, there appears to be support for this thinking. Now, the problem is that not all children who have trouble with reading should be labeled as dyslexic. But this is a topic for another day. Big plate, lots to digest, small bites.