Types of Dyslexia Phonological Dyslexia Working Memory Dyslexia Visual Processing Dyslexia Auditory Processing Dyslexia

Phonological Dyslexia This is the most common identifier and cause of dyslexia. 75% of people with dyslexia show signs of this problem. This affects the ability to identify and manipulate sounds Difficulties include: Manipulating sounds Taking away initial sounds Sound discrimination Syllables Blending sounds together / missing sounds/ getting the vowel wrong Mixing up sounds/ words. e.g. probably and properly Can’t think of the right words

Strategies Using funny pictures to teach the spelling of words Actions- e.g. skip ping Chunking Speech therapy techniques – using a mirror to look at the shape of the mouth for confusing sounds Pictures and actions are the best for helping memory

Working Memory Dyslexia An indicator of dyslexia can be low working memory . This is the mental workspace which stores and uses information for short spaces of time, e.g. times tables, phone numbers. In people with dyslexia this can be fragile and the smallest distraction can cause this information to be lost. A typical person can store between 5-7 chunks of information at a time however someone with dyslexia struggles with 3 It can appear that the child hasn’t listened or appears lazy

Difficulties include: Blending sounds and storing the sounds Following sequences of instructions Counting backwards Mental arithmetic – holding information in head Dictated information Reading for comprehension. This requires sifting through mental information.

Strategies Chunking- reduce information into chunks- takes up less memory space Repetition- over and over and over and over Name each step of a process Graphic organisers- picture thinkers can visually organise information- underline/ highlight, etc. Write problems out. These children usually have to write everything down to reduce memory workload Limit copying from the board

Visual Processing Dyslexia This is a neurological problem not a physical problem with the eyes. It is a neurological difficulty with visual processing and output of letters and words. However it can be a good idea to get vision tested just in case. This type of dyslexia is a reduced ability to make sense of information taken in through the eyes. This is specific to letters and words- the child may still have an excellent memory for pictures. Link pictures to words

Difficulties Slow reading speed Visual discrimination e.g. ‘b’ ‘d’ Mirror reversal – NO visual recognition to be able to self-correct Mirror writing is rare but letters are not Confused left and right Mixing letter sequences even though they know the spelling Visual memory- forgetting known words/ homophones and sight words- they need to remember how they look Difficulty copying – can’t remember Visual tracking- skip words/ misses lines Slow written output

Strategies Structured phonetic approach – teach spelling rules: phonic sounds Syllables Prefixes Suffixes 2. Mnemonic spelling strategies for sight words

Auditory Processing Dyslexia This means retaining spoken information. Seek a hearing test first. In other words ‘Hearing dyslexia’ The information is lost when the brain processes the sounds. This is a major cause of dyslexia and similar to Auditory Processing Disorder Difficulties: Repeating instructions Verbal sequential memory, e.g. times tables, months of the year, alphabet Short concentration Distracted by noise – pick up background noise Note taking Oral spelling Hard to recognise the differences between words

Strategies Limit instructions- 1 at a time Link to a picture – use a visual image Talk at a slower pace- this allows time to process the information Sit closer to the sound (Teacher) Rhyme and segment – practice e.g. po-ta-to / think, pink, sink 6. Don’t expect spoken information to be remembered 7. Print out homework and perhaps make sure they have a friend who they could contact if stuck 8. Use colours behind the text to reduce visual stress 9. Sound/ touch/ picture memory

How to help children with dyslexia Explain dyslexia to the child and the reasons why it makes work harder- although only if they have a diagnosis! Or parents are on board! Encouragement and praise Small steps over a period of time Systematic phonics- introduce phonics using a logical learning structure. Learn all phonic patterns Multisensory approach – see it, say it, hear it, write it. Overlearning Strategies- link to pictures Remember individual needs- allow a different pace Play to the pupils strengths- how they learn best. It will be a struggle for these children.

Strategies round up! Rhyming- mail, sail (Although hard for phonological dyslexia!) Mnemonics- silly sentences and pictures (Although hard for Auditory Processing Difficulties!) Mispronouncing – Wed nes day – good for silent letters- look for smaller words in words Syllables – learn the 6 types hel- met (closed) Re-cent (open) Car- pet (vowel r) Com- pete (magic e) Train- er (vowel team) Lit-tle (consonant l) Chunking-finger used to cover the word and learning all prefixes and suffixes helps.

Round up continued… Linking pictures – people with dyslexia are usually better at thinking in pictures Link concepts with images, e.g. linguistic concepts can be hard to visualise. E.g. Pre/ suffix heads and tails Learning strategies and rules is the key!

5 things people with dyslexia are better at…. Seeing the bigger picture and how things link together Thinking outside the box. 40% of self-made millionaires have dyslexia. Spatial awareness Creative ideas- doesn’t stop people being creative with words, e.g. poets. Pattern recognition – their dyslexia helps them to detect patterns.