Supporting Dyslexic Children With Reading

In the UK today (June 2013) approximately 10% of the population demonstrates dyslexic tendencies. What is dyslexia? The brain is divided into two sides. The right hand side focuses on the academic requirements of everyday life. The left hand side concerns itself with creative aspects. For most people it is the right hand side that is the dominant side. For a fortunate few both sides will be equally dominant making them both academically capable but also creative. For some the left hand side dominates. What does this mean? For those people whose left hand side dominates there will be both pros and cons. These people are often creative and have the ability to think outside the box. They show strong empathy skills. However, the down side is that they may find reading and spelling more difficult and experience difficulties with visual tracking. Learning your left and right can cause confusion. Sequencing and organisational skills may prove to be challenging and short term memory skills can make following even the shortest set of instructions a challenge. How can we recognise dyslexia? Dyslexia will sometimes run in families Sometimes a link is recognised between hearing loss in a child and their dyslexic tendencies It is equally common in both boys and girls One of the most noticeable traits it the distinct difference between a child's verbal and written abilities. When speaking a dyslexic child may come across as being incredibly bright, but when you speak to them, the work would appear to have been produced by a much younger child. The letters may flow as one long word (no gaps between words). If you ask a child to correct their work they may not be able to see the mistakes, or that the same word has been spelt several different ways within the same piece of writing. Some letters may be written the wrong way around And words that would normally be considered easy to spell (simple cvc words: cat, dog, pen) may be spelt wrongly. Although it is normally words that cannot be sounded out which will cause greater issues: friend = frend, or the right letters may be present but presented in the wrong order: said = said, does = dose. When reading the child may frequently lose their place, jumping from line to line, or missing out words. This is caused by problems with the visual tracking. It will knock a child's confidence when they are asked to read aloud and may cause problems when copying down from the board. Following instructions and organisation can both be problematic because of having to follow sequences of more than just one step. Finally this problem with following sequences often shows its self in maths especially in the form of learning the times tables Supporting your child with reading Most parents want to help their child with reading and spending the one to one time listening to them. However, in many families this idyllic image falls short.

A scenario typical to many households: Parent and child sit down to share a book. The child full of enthusiasm starts to read. The parent stops them and points out they have made a mistake. What should the word say? The child corrects the word, continues and possibly makes the same mistake again. Is the child not concentrating? You have just corrected this mistake. The reading continues and more mistakes are made. The child's enthusiasm dwindles and the parent is slowly becoming agitated. The child skips a line. The parent points it out and they return to the correct place. The scenario is going from bad to worse as the child becomes more demoralised and the parent's become more frustrated at this apparent lack of effort.

Some children will find reading easy, however for many it is a chore to be endured rather than enjoyed. Yet a confidence and enjoyment of reading has so many benefits in life and not just during our time in education. It assists us with spelling, a wide vocabulary, improved grammar and for many provides an enjoyable source of relaxation. I once heard the parent and child reading time referred to as "Golden Time"; a fantastic image that we may need to remind ourselves of from time to time. Remember when you are reading with your child, it is reading time; keep this separate to learning new words and learning phonics. Only dwell over a word when necessary as otherwise you will lose the flow of the story and you stand the risk of the enjoyment leaving the activity. Outlined below are some simple techniques which may take some of the pressure out of reading. . Reading together is supposed to be a shared experience, so share it. Start by reading a sentence each, then maybe a paragraph or a chapter. Don't hurry this though, let the child dictate. By doing this it will take some of the pressure of the child and give you the opportunity to get through some of the story without the constant barrage of mistakes. This will also help the story flow better, giving it more meaning. . If a child struggles over a word that cannot be sounded out, tell them what it says. You may have to repeat it several times before they remember it but it will keep the story flowing. . If it is a word you feel the child may be able to sound out if supported; help them to break the word down, look at familiar sounds. Use the other words in the sentence to help, or the pictures. Don't spend too long on this though; remember this is a reading task! . Choose stories/books the child enjoys and that are within their capabilities. This will enhance their enthusiasm and desire to take part . If you feel the stress is starting to build up, have a break. . I've created several simple games that I use in my lessons to helps share the reading: . A) Create a pack of cards. Some will be blank, some will have a photo of your/the child's face on. You take it in turns to turn the cards. If a card is turned with a photo on that person reads the next sentence, paragraph, chapter (as appropriate), if a blank card is turned, you're safe so turn another card. It's simple but by making the activity into a game it takes out some of the stress making the child more relaxed and more likely to succeed with the task. . B) Another game I use is: Think of a subject that is of interest to your child or a pet that you might own. For example, dogs. Around the outside of a sheet of paper put pictures of 2 different dogs and some coloured circles. Choose which picture relates to which person, for example you may be the Labrador puppy your child might be St. Bernard. You throw the dice and move the specified number of spaces. You can move in any direction around the board, but: if anyone lands on the picture of the Labrador you will have to read a sentence, paragraph, etc. If anyone lands on the Saint Bernard, your child reads. A coloured circle means you are safe and no one has to read. By moving in any direction it means you can manipulate the game so that an even amount of reading is done, lightening the load from the child and incorporating that element of fun. . Keep reading times short, unless the child wants to keep reading. It is far better to have short successes than to have a long drawn out sufferance on both sides . Finally and most importantly: give lots of justified PRAISE, this will have the biggest impact of all. Share the praise with other family members. We all like to hear we have done well and for it to be acknowledged. It gives us the strength and the motivation to keep trying.