DYSLEXIA RATIONALE

TESS DESMOND S00152856

Beaton (2004) states that the word dyslexia first appeared in 1872 and

was defined by a man named Sir Henry Broadbent. He described the

disorder as patients losing the ability to read, following brain injury.

There have been a number of definitions made since then, some being

alike and others contrasting. The Australian Dyslexia Association (2014)

claim that dyslexia is not a disability, but it is a learning difficulty with

words. The association speaks of it as being a difficulty of decoding

words in forms such as writing and speech. Some symptoms mentioned

by the association include reading slowly with mistakes, difficulty

spelling, problems learning the letter sounds and difficulty in reading

single words. Elliot & Grigorenko (2014) believe that the dyslexia label

is unscientific and problematic. This is because it causes confusion, as

there are so many different ways in which dyslexia can be defined or

understood. As there is no set definition of dyslexia, the diagnosis of

dyslexia is rarely consistent, meaningful or valid.

Beaton (2004) focuses on two types of dyslexia; acquired and

developmental dyslexia. Acquired dyslexia refers to dyslexia that occurs

after a person has learned to read. This supports Sir Henry Broadbents

definition, as it is a type of dyslexia that is likely to occur following brain

trauma. Developmental dyslexia describes learning problems, which

arise during the development of reading skills. Following these types,

are also two primary subtypes of acquired dyslexia. The first of these is

surface dyslexia, which relates to individuals who have the ability to

decode and read nonsense words accurately, however have difficulty

reading irregularly spelled words correctly, for example they may read;

island as is land. The second is phonological dyslexia, which is the

complete opposite of surface dyslexia. It refers to those individuals who

can read real words, but are unable to decode nonsense words.

Becoming a competent reader is extremely important for school and

occupational success. The National Endowment for the Arts (2004)

state that a lack of adequate reading skills results in limited academic

and employment prospects. Elliot & Grigorenko (2014) speak of

numerous studies that have found that there is a relationship between

early speech sound disorders, language impairments and reading

difficulties in schools. Sutherland & Gillon (2005) support this finding

and state that those children with severe speech sound disorders are

more likely to have difficulties with phonological awareness, as opposed

to typically developing children. The International Organisation of

Dyslexia (2014) state that 700 million people over the world are at risk

of being illiterate throughout their whole lives due to dyslexia. The

Organisation believes that this statistic is so high due to teachers lack

of knowledge and awareness of how to appropriately teach students

with dyslexia. Snowling (2012) emphasises the need for parents and
teachers to intervene as early as possible. She states that evidence has

shown that children who demonstrate reading difficulties can be

assisted through early interventions. Some of these interventions

include teaching phonemic awareness and frequently reading out loud

to allow children to develop an ear for words.

Roderick, Nicolson & Fawcett (2010) identify that there are a number of

differences, which teachers need to be cautious of when approaching

the teaching of children with dyslexia. They speak about how

educational approaches are formed on the expectation that children

immersed in the appropriate learning environment will somehow absorb

the necessary information and skills typical of them at that stage of their

learning. However children with dyslexia learn differently and have

difficulties with information, which is not explicit. They may also have

difficulties in learning by doing, therefore teachers need to have an

understanding of how they can best learn. Extra time in tests should be

given as well as assessments, which are modified to respond to their

needs. Bait & Folgieri (2013) state that students with dyslexia should

avoid white backgrounds behind texts when reading. This is because

they are sensitive to the brightness, which is caused by high contrast

colours.
Kapetanovic (2016) mentions the importance of integrating students

strengths into their learning. For example teachers could incorporate

music into an English lesson for a student who is musically talented.

This will benefit the student as it will increase their motivation and self

esteem levels. Kapetanovic also states the need for students with

dyslexia to have extra support through the use of technical aids in the

classroom e.g. iPads and computers. Bjorklund (2011) supports this

idea and states that iPads are fun and interactive and support

multisensory learning. The Orton- Gillingham multisensory method for

teaching reading has been in place since the 1930s. Leeming (2015)

speaks about this approach as a method, which emphasises the need

for simultaneous use of visual, auditory and kinesthetic language as

well as the use of all senses. Nicolson & Fawcett (2010) support this

method, as they believe it can improve the connection between the

different sensory regions as well as parts of the brain including the

thalamus and the cerebellum.

Ecalle,Magnan & Calmus (2009) encourage the use of technology-

assisted learning as they believe it increases students reading capacity

and word comprehension As mentioned previously, iPads are a great

learning resource for students with dyslexia. There are a number of

apps available for students to use not only at school but also at home.

Starfall Education Foundation is a supported charity, which creates free

and low-cost experiences for students to learn through exploration.

Starfall offers activities on the computer but also apps that can be used

on iPads. Some of the apps available on the iPad, which focus on

English, are ABC, Learn to Read, Its Fun to Read and Im Reading.

Therefore the resource offers great support and hands on exploration

for students with dyslexia. The app would be recommended for students

in the early years and could be used in small groups depending on the

accessibility of iPads and computers in the classroom.

The iPad version of Starfall integrates all the different activities into one

app, which makes it easy and convenient for people to use. The ABC

section of the app allows students to become familiar with the sounds

and visuals of letters. Therefore they can make connections between

how to sound out the letter as well as visualising the letter in upper and

lower case. They also learn to associate an object with a letter e.g. A for

apple. Tan, Wheldall, Madelaine & Wah (2009) believe that it is crucial

for students to become familiar with the alphabet in order for them to

decode unfamiliar words and read familiar words through sight.

Students can learn about letter-sound correspondence through the app

as they explore their ABC. This idea relates back to the Orton-

Gillingham multisensory approach as it allows students to use both

sounds and visuals. Another component of the app is the Learn to

Read section. This offers a range of activities for a range of skill levels.
The app reads books aloud in an interactive and engaging way and is

also easy for students to follow at their own pace. Despite the app being

engaging, it is also quite repetitive therefore it may become boring for

students to use. There is also no guidance, that suggests the best way

to use the site, and it is impossible to track student progress when using

the free version.

According to the Australian Dyslexic Association (2010) dyslexia is

estimated to affect 10% of Australias population. This figure shows us

how important it is for teachers and parents to have access to a number

of helpful resources, which support those who suffer from dyslexia.

Early intervention is extremely important as it allows appropriate action

to take place from an early age. However it is also important to

remember that people with dyslexia are likely to strengthen in other

areas such as visual thinking, spatial intelligence and verbal skills.

Therefore we should pay attention to students strengths rather than

their weaknesses, as this will increase their self-esteem and motivation

to learn.
 References

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