What is dyslexia anyway?
There seems to be much confusion about terminology related to reading disorders. In public schools, a reading disorder may be termed a specific learning disability in basic reading due to that term being used in federal special education law. The term dyslexia is seldom used in educational settings. Generally, one would receive a diagnosis of dyslexia after thorough clinical assessment.
Most simply, dyslexia means an unexpected difficulty in learning to read. It generally is related to difficulty decoding words at the single word level. A language-based learning disability usually refers to having both decoding and vocabulary or other language deficits which can cause additional difficulty in comprehension.
The International Dyslexia Association adopted the following definition in 2002, and this definition is also used by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD):
"Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurological in origin. It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom instruction. Secondary consequences may include problems in reading comprehension and reduced reading experience that can impede growth of vocabulary and background knowledge."
With appropriate intervention using a multisensory structured language reading program, dyslexic children can be taught to read. This takes cooperation and hard work on the part of the child, his parents, teachers, and the reading therapist. Children who receive early intervention have significantly fewer problems than if intervention begins at third grade or above.
The 5 Major Areas of
The National Reading Panel has identified the 5 major areas of reading that research shows must be in place for reading proficiency. These areas, followed by a brief definition are:
Phonemic Awareness: the ability to identify and manipulate sounds in words. (Phonological awareness is a broader area which involves identifying and manipulating larger units such as words, syllables, onsets, and rimes.) It is important because it helps children decode words and learn to spell.
Phonics: Also known as the Alphabetic Principle, phonics is the ability to associate sounds with letters and then combine them into words. The scientific research has found that systematic and explicit instruction in phonics is most effective and should be started in kindergarten and first grade.
Fluency: the ability to read text accurately and quickly. Fluent reading is effortless and with expression. Children who have to focus on decoding will read slowly and be unable to give full attention to the meaning of the text. Repeated oral reading with error correction is an effective method of improving reading fluency.
Vocabulary: the words we use to receive or convey meaning through listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Vocabulary is learned indirectly and should also be taught directly. Poor vocabulary is very detrimental to comprehension.
Text Comprehension: understanding what is read; the reason for reading. Comprehension strategies must be taught directly. Six strategies that research has shown help improve comprehension are: comprehension monitoring (thinking as one reads through the text), using graphic and semantic organizers, answering questions, generating questions, recognizing story structure, and summarizing.
Much of the above information was adapted from the publication, Put Reading First: The Research Building Blocks for Teaching Children to Read, which is drawn from the National Reading Panel Report of 2000. See Resources for the link to the National Reading Panel site.
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