Dyslexia Course with Learning Matters

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What?
There are more and more students coming through the system that struggle with Reading, Writing, and Spelling. I have 5 students in my class with various reasons for this. Some are diagnosed with traits of Dyslexia, ADHD, dysgraphia, dyspraxic and low processing. 



So What?
I want to know how best to help these students moving forward. Life is stressful enough for them. It is hard to know what you need to focus on most and what things to let go of. 
MY WONDERINGS:

  • Do I need to make my students who are dysgraphic/dyspraxic physically write or should I just allow them to go straight onto the computer?
  • Am I wasting my time giving spelling words to my dyslexic students?
  • What resources are available to help these students in the classroom?

Now What?

 LEARNING MATTERS CARLA MCNEIL









Attended 3 sessions with Carla, discussing and learning about Dyslexia.
Learnt that dyslexia is a genetic language-based learning disability. These students have a low working memory. They benefit from multi sensory learning, TOUCH - SEE - HEAR
Stress and anxiety create a chemical reaction in the brain and these students will remember their learning as a negative experience. This is chronic for dyslexics who worry all the time. they blame themselves and don't understand their learning difficulty. No one takes the time to explain to them. This erodes their self esteem, they feel under excessive pressure and can become withdrawn and socially isolated.

 Some strategies that I have implemented in my classroom straight away:

  • Explicit teaching of spelling rules (Word Work). e.g. FLOSS rule - double f, l, s if they follow a short vowel sound such as gruff, stuff, mess.
  • checking individuals phonological awareness (in the front of the Toe by Toe book is an alphabet page that I can use). Ensure they are saying the short sounds for each letter.
  • Understand that if they can't spell it they can't read it! Don't give students books to read that are out of their reading ability.
  • In guided reading sessions, if they come across a word that they haven't seen before just tell them. DON'T GUESS, good readers don't guess!  
  • Teach syllables and the rules for splitting syllables.

MY FINDINGS:
  • Students are beginning to break words up automatically when trying to spell them.
  • Thomas has used magnetic letters to practice his spelling words, when he does he gets them right.
  • Prompting students in guided reading sessions with words they don't know relieves some of the stress for them. (Discussing some of the topic specific vocab before reading has helped as well).

WANT TO:
  • Get some of my boys to use the coloured lines to help with their handwriting. Don't accept it being all over the place.
  • Use some of the new resources for reading to help with teaching specific sounds.
  • look at some of the recommended websites for Working Memory activities.
  • Rubrix Race - visual working memory
    • Blink - processing speed
    • Dr Erica Warren
    • Smiling mind
    • Musec Briefings 
    • 5 from 5
    • Nessy You-tube clips



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