Dyslexia Although the school district does not diagnose students with dyslexia, it is a term that is used frequently by parents and teachers

Definition of Dyslexia Dyslexia is a specific, neurological learning disability. It is characterized by difficulties and/or fluent word recognition, and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language that is unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom instruction Source: International Dyslexia Association

Broca’s area: area used for vocalizing & matching letters with their sounds Parieto-temporal area: decodes the sounds of letters and words Occipito-temporal area: contains the memories of whole words Source: Overcoming Dyslexia: A New and Complete Science Based Program for Reading Problems at Any Level by Sally Shaywitz, M.D.

Fact or Fiction? myth fact Dyslexics see words backwards Dyslexics have problems sequencing the sounds in a word Vision therapy, colored lenses can correct dyslexia Dyslexia is a phonologically based problem Children outgrow dyslexia Dyslexia is not outgrown, but with appropriate interventions and accommodations, they can be taught to read fluently and spell accurately. Dyslexia affects mostly boys Dyslexia affects comparable numbers of boys and girls Source: http://dyslexia.yale.edu/Myths.html

Signs of Dyslexia Preschool K/1 2nd+ Trouble learning nursery rhymes Difficulty remembering the names of the letters Failure to learn the letters in their own name Persistent baby talk Failure to recognize that words come apart into units Inability to connect the letters with sound Inability to read common, one syllable words Reading errors that show no connection to the letter sounds Fracturing words (ex: flustrated-frustrated) Often pauses hesitates, and or uses lots of “umms” when speaking Difficulty with spelling and order of letters and/or numbers Does not read fluently Signs of Dyslexia Sources: 1)Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity 2)Elaine Offstein www.seeyourbrainwaves.com

Best Practices 1)Orton-Gillingham based tutoring – multisensory, sequential, systematic review 2)Accomodations Sources: 1) International Dyslexia Association 2)Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity

Good Sources: 1)Target the problem http://www.readingrockets.org/oldmedia/target_handout.pdf Great overview of the eight common reading problems students face. It presents each problem from the student, teacher, and parent perspective and what can be done to help 2)The Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity http://dyslexia.yale.edu/%3Fgclid=CISy6aKEk70CFY0-MgodPzMAug This Center was founded by Drs. Sally and Bennett Shaywitz who are both physicians and researchers. They have studied dyslexia for over 20 years. 3)Orton Gillingham http://www.orton-gillingham.us An approach to reading instruction developed in the mid-1930s by Samual Orton, a neuropsychiatrist and researcher, and Anna Gillingham, a professor and psychologist, both form Columbia University Their approach is language-based, structured, multi-sensory, and sequential. OG is the basis or many current reading approaches: Wilson Reading, SIPPS, Herman Method, Barton, Lindamood Bell. 4)International Dyslexia Association http://www.interdys.org 5)Embracing Dyslexia http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv=cBIK0XVPbXo Documentary on dyslexia