Dyslexia and Mathematics

Some children with dyslexia do well at maths, but many of them will have difficulty.  Remembering times-tables, and basic number facts is a common difficulty. “Our combined experience of thirty years of teaching is specialist schools for dyslexics has lead us to the conclusion that all our (dyslexic) pupils have difficulty in at least some [...]

Reading

A child with dyslexia needs reading that is at his/her skill level. He/she will be below their age level, in reading in almost every case.  Reading material will need to be 2-5years below their age in difficulty. It is essential that they have reading tasks that are easy for them. Reading that is too hard [...]

Multisensory Learning

Children with dyslexia rarely learn well by sitting, listening and trying to remember what was said.  They usually learn best by hands on experience, by using as many of their senses at once when learning. In her book “How to Detect and Manage Dyslexia”  Philomena Ott defines multi- sensory learning as; “The simultaneous use of [...]

What Teachers can do to help a Dyslexia Child

Training in recognizing and providing for dyslexia is not provided for teachers in NZ.  However providing for dyslexia is covered under general provisions like the requirements in national Education Guidelines.  As mentioned above, a school should have resources and help available for the child, and for his/her class. The teacher can help by; 1    Understanding [...]

What Schools Can Do about Dyslexia

We know that in Every school in every year there will be about 10% of children with some degree of dyslexia.  Providing for these children is a responsibility of the Board of trustees and the Principal. It seems obvious that each school should set up a system, a structure, to identify these children, and to [...]

The Dyslexic Child at Home

Early identification and help is vital.  After only one year at school some children are feeling failures and turning off from school work. Parents often say that when they voice concern to teachers and schools about their son or daughter’s difficulties they are told that there is nothing to worry about. They are told “we have [...]

Weak Short Term Memory

A weak short term or working memory is a basic feature of many people with dyslexia.  This can apply to auditory memory (what is Heard) or visual memory (what is seen), or both. This is a problem or perception on how the brain interprets or stores input.  It does not mean that the person has [...]

The Gift of Time

Children with dyslexia often need more time to complete things. Slow processing of some information is one of the common features of dyslexia. This may show in: *   slow copying from the board, *   Slow in working out oral responses to questions. *   slow in computing basic number facts. *  slow in understanding what other [...]

Building on Relative Strengths

As well as taking the areas of weaker ability into account, by suitable adjustments, and teaching to improve literacy skills, the child’s (relative strengths should be consolidated and improved. It is important for him/her to get help to build up for one or more areas of (relative) competence. This includes both academic areas, and non-academic [...]

HOW, NOT JUST WHAT

Children and adults with dyslexia express great concern about the emotional and social impact of having dyslexia, rather than just having difficulty with the written language. At  home and at school, the negative and blaming reactions of teachers, family, and other children, causes great emotional distress. Having to struggle with literacy skills in the schooling [...]