This paper explains how and why dyslexia affects our children; it will also explain how it affects students and how we can help them. Those who are unfamiliar with the disability will receive an introduction to dyslexia’s characteristics as well as a description of proven methods which have been most effective in helping dyslexic students achieve success. The goal of this analysis is to provide an overview of why a percentage of our children is having difficulties and determine what is interfering with their ability to learn to read and write. During my observance of these students, I noted that these children have dyslexia. I can now understand why so many frustrated parents of children with learning disabilities (LD) with dyslexia lobbied for the establishment of special classes in schools for children with dyslexia.
[P]arents pushed for LD programs in schools for two main reasons: many did not see their failing children as mentally retarded and therefore refused to accept placement for them in classes for the mentally retarded, and schools did not provide services for children with severe reading or language difficulties unless they qualified for an existing special education category. …by the late 1950s, medical and psychological research, combined with parental pressure, led to the development of special school programs to meet the needs of a population of children that always had existed but only recently had been recognized. The ideological message in this interpretation is that schools, supported by medical and psychological research, are involved in an historic pattern of progress (Sleeter, 2010). Within each category, there are specific issues that will be discussed herein. In addition, the discussion will cover the way these issues influence or impact the students’ cognitive, behavioral, emotional, and social development as well as their ability to learn and interact with others. Special focus will be given to what special and general education teachers and other personnel can do to work effectively with students who have learning disabilities. The role of parents and administrators will also be discussed, including ways that they can help general educators with teach children with learning disabilities.
Researchers are always finding different and effective ways to assists students with dyslexia. Future and present educators must realize that there is no single teaching method that will produce positive improvement for all students with dyslexia. However, over the years, there is an increasing urgency to create and identify dyslexic students and provide them with effective math and reading tools. Researchers state that children who have been diagnosed with dyslexia should be taught using phonemic methods, with distinctive letter and sound traits.
Students with dyslexia will provide inimitable challenges to teachers as they are confronted with unique tasks of engaging students in the process of helping them overcome their difficulties. These students are educated in settings including self-contained, inclusive, and even regular classrooms. A child that has been diagnosed with dyslexia may be overwhelmed by a number of circumstances that come under the heading of learning disabilities. Dyslexia will make life a little complex for children in the classroom. Dyslexia most often manifests itself in the classroom and surfaces as the child is expected to develop at the same pace as their peers.
Dyslexia is a learning disability that affects a great number of Americans. It is imperative that teachers possess a thorough knowledge of this disability and continue to educate themselves in ways they can help students affected by dyslexia. It is very possible that all educators will encounter students who are dyslexic. So it is very important that educators be familiar with ways in which to assist dyslexic students become competent readers. It is well documented that reading and its comprehension affects almost all of a student's studies.
This learning disability affects millions of American children and adults. Many realize quite early and on their own that they are not like their counterparts. Their education and dexterity limitations often lead to ridicule; this may also lead to isolation and guilt over their affliction. There are some pros and cons of having dyslexia as a learning disability. Some will grow up to be underemployed adults in dead-end employment for life. Some will have difficulties with their families and still raise their own children properly. Drugs, alcohol, and even crime could be issues exacerbated by dyslexia. Children with dyslexia should be entitled to both reasonable and accessible instructional materials that introduce them to possible solutions for these issues.
Dyslexic students are multi-dimensional thinkers. They are highly creative and do extremely well at hands-on learning. Because a dyslexic student thinks in pictures, it is difficult for them to understand symbols, numbers, and written words; this causes them to think extremely higher thus causing them to develop creative ways or resolutions to a problem. Dyslexic students can learn to read and write, but methods must be geared to their unique style of their learning process.
One of the many issues in teaching children with dyslexia results from a lack of sensitivity to the individual differences among children, but institutions are learning to accommodate these differences. In order for teacher educators to offer both reasonable and accessible instruction, they should know what some of the characteristics of dyslexic children are and how their special needs can be met. Some of the characteristics of children with dyslexia include problems in reading, writing, oral language, math, study, and social skills.
Parents who have a child who is dyslexic will face a real struggle in supporting the child. But there are some things parents can do to help relieve their difficulties. All children need to receive recognition─from a word of praise─to hugs─to showing the child that he or she is special. This recognition will boost their self-esteem and help build confidence, security, and self-respect. These techniques will build self-awareness and a sense purpose for children. However, it is the opposite with dyslexic children. They rarely experience self-esteem or self-respect and their self-esteem gets trampled with every failure. Dyslexic children are usually withdrawn because they do not understand why they are different. Dyslexic children need constant support to build self-esteem because they need to discover their strengths. Some parents feel helpless as they observe their child move about without a purpose, but through proper education and a detailed support system, they can help their dyslexic child lead a fulfilled, useful and happy life. Reading is so vital for a child’s future well-being, yet there are many children who are having difficulty learning how to read. Recent studies have shown that a reading disability is found in as many as 17 percent of children (Gortmaker, Daly, McCurdy, Persampieri and Hergenrader, 2007). Some of the problems faced by these students with dyslexia can include confusing similar words, difficulty using phonics, and problems reading words with multiple syllables. Slow reading is often common in children with dyslexia, and there is sometimes difficulty with adjusting speed of reading to the nature of the reading task. Difficulty with comprehension and retention of material that is read can also prove to be challenging for the child with dyslexia; however, there is often no problem with material that is presented orally. One way to counteract the negative effects of decreased reading during summer vacation is to aid parents in implementing empirically-based interventions. For the study, Gortmaker, Daly, McCurdy, Persampieri and Hergenrader (2007) assessed the effects of summer parent tutoring on three children with LD using empirically-derived reading interventions. Brief experimental analyses were used to identify customized reading fluency interventions. Parents were trained to use the intervention strategies with their children. Parents implemented the procedures during parent tutoring sessions in the home environment and results were measured continuously in high-word-overlap and low-word-overlap passages to determine whether generalization occurred. Parent and child satisfaction with the procedures was assessed and results illustrated generalized increases in reading fluency in both high-word-overlap and low-word-overlap passages as a function of parent tutoring.
The results of the Gortmaker, et al. (2007) experiment show that parent tutoring during the summer months increases fluency and reading performance as all three students with LD increased oral reading fluency. The tutoring results were consistently positive across children, though some of the limitations were that experimenters did not manipulate the difficulty level of reading materials (students were tutored using stories that they were familiar with from the academic semester). The study did not examine the effects on students’ comprehension.
When it comes to writing, children with dyslexia can struggle with sentence structure as well as grammar. Issues with writing can include consistently misspelling words as well as letter reversals. Sometimes a child with dyslexia may have problems copying information from the board or an overhead projector. In terms of the actual writing process, poorly formed letters, difficulty with spacing words, capital letters, and punctuation are also some common problems that children with dyslexia must face. Oral language can also prove to be a challenge for children with LD. Some of the most common problem areas are with memorizing facts, expressing ideas orally (even when the child seems to understand the ideas), describing events or stories in proper sequence, and problems with grammar, inflection, and derivational endings. In a study conducted by Liu, McBride-Chang, Wong, Tardif, Stokes, Fletcher, and Shu (2010), the researchers investigated the extent to which language skills at ages two to four years could discriminate Hong Kong Chinese poor from adequate readers at age seven (Liu, et al., 2010). Two groups were formed, one with 41 poor readers with a median age of 7.3 years and the other with 41 adequate readers with a median age of 7.35 years. The two groups were matched on age, parents’ education levels, and nonverbal intelligence (Liu, et al., 2010). Different language tasks were tested at different ages: vocabulary checklist and Cantonese articulation tests at age two; nonword repetition, Cantonese articulation, and receptive grammar at age three; and nonword repetition, receptive grammar, sentence imitation, and story comprehension at age four (Liu, et al., 2010). Liu and fellow examiners noted dramatic differences between the poor and adequate readers in the age two vocabulary knowledge, age three Cantonese articulation, and age four receptive grammar skill, sentence imitation, and story comprehension. They also found that among all the measures, sentence imitation illustrated the greatest power in discriminating poor and adequate readers (Liu, et al., 2010). It may seem obvious that children with dyslexia would have trouble with writing, reading, and oral language skills, but children with dyslexia can also have challenges with math. Children with dyslexia, as mentioned, sometimes have difficulty memorizing facts, which can prove troublesome when trying to learn mathematics. There is sometimes a confusion or reversal of numbers, number sequence, or operational symbols. Difficulty reading or comprehending word problems may also exist as it pertains to mathematics. Problems with reasoning and abstract concepts can also prove to be quite a challenge for a child with dyslexia. In order for schools to help students with dyslexia, policymakers need to better understand what is behind the difficulties prior to acting. Policy makers need to see how this is affecting our society. Students need proper funding to support their reading skills, understanding language, and use of their working memory to solve a math problem. Children with dyslexia and a weakness in processing may also exhibit socialization problems due to others’ knowledge of their affliction. Many times, children that cannot memorize math facts should also be checked for working memory deficits. Study skills do not always come easily for children with dyslexia. For example, a child with dyslexia may have trouble organizing and managing his or her time. Following directions can also prove to be difficult for the child with dyslexia. Sometimes children with dyslexia have a hard time organizing their notes or other written materials. They may also need more time to complete their required assignments. One last note to make about children with dyslexia is that their problems do not always simply relate to academics. Children with dyslexia may potentially have difficulties with social skills as well. For example, some children with dyslexia have problems ‘reading’ facial expressions and body language. They may also have difficulty interpreting subtle messages such as sarcasm or irony. Other children with dyslexia may have a hard time following directions and may have problems concerning spatial orientation (i.e., getting lost quite easily). Difficulty telling time and distortions in time are also potential issues for children with dyslexia. Mayes and Calhoun (2006) research sample is comprised of 949 children, 6 to 16 years of age. The findings showed that LD percentages were highest for those with bipolar disorder (79 percent), ADHD [combined type] (71 percent), autism (67 percent), ADHD [inattentive type] (66 percent) and spina bifida (60 percent). Children with oppositional-defiant disorder, adjustment disorder, anxiety, and depression had relatively low LD percentages (18-19 percent). LDs in written expression were twice as common as LDs in reading or math. Other findings illustrated that children with neurogenetic disorders should be assessed for possible LDs because of the high potential yield and the need to intervene educationally if learning problems exist (Mayes and Calhoun, 2006). Sleeter, in an article entitled “Why is there learning disabilities ? A critical analysis of the birth of the field in its social context,” published in Disability Studies Quarterly, states that most school structures are fashioned around accepted categories for children. There are categories for first graders, gifted children, ‘slow’ children, and learning-disabled children─and they all “presume to designate real commonalities among children, and form bases on which children are grouped and taught” (Sleeter, 2010). Many educators, she claims, tend to take for granted the fact that those categories accurately reflect differences among children, and that their use enables children to be taught better (Sleeter, 2010). However, she posits that in accepting commonly-used categories for children, it is implied that educators “accept an ideology about what schools are for, what society should be like, and what the ‘normal’ persona should be like. Far from being objective fact, ideology rests on values and assumptions that cannot be proven, and that serve some people better than others” (Sleeter, 2010).

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