DYSLEXIA:

raising awareness

Janet Wightman

(inspired by Jo Watson)

• Agatha Christie, author

• Albert Einstein, scientist

• Alexander Graham Bell, inventor

• Cher, singer

• Hans Christian Andersen, author

• Henry Winkler, actor

• Jamie Oliver, celebrity chef

• Leonardo da Vinci, artist, scientist

• Michael Faraday, scientist

• Pierre Curie, scientist

• Richard Branson, entrepreneur

• Thomas Edison, scientist

• Tom Cruise, actor

Can you see any

connections?

TASK:

(in pairs / small groups)

• What do you know about dyslexia?

• Decide if each point is positive or negative.

Positive Negative

FACTS • Hereditary

• Continuum: MILD … MODERATE … SEVERE

• Various forms

• Average intelligence or above

• Most tend to be creative

• In UK 72% of architects are dyslexic

• More men than women

• Memory

• Note-taking

What does dyslexia ‘feel’ like?

TASK:

Write your name using the ‘wrong’ hand.

TASK: In pairs:

1. agree a name to write

2. both hold the same pen

3. write the name

TASK: Copy this:

إشراق(sunshine)

مطر(rain)

TASK: Draw a disabled sign from memory.

How do we learn?

• Encoding – taking on new information

• Storage - organising and holding

information

• Retrieval – remembering and being

able to access this information

Dyslexics often find learning difficult

because…

• Problems with auditory and/or

visual discrimination

• Difficulties with capacity

• Speed of processing

• Difficulties with manipulating

information

Visual processing difficulties lead to…

• Poor spelling

• Poor word recognition

• Poor sense of direction

• Mistakes when copying

• Misreading

TASK:

1. I …………… in my house for 3 years. (LIVE)

2. He ………………. in London for 2 years and

then he moved to York. (LIVE)

3. When I left school I cut my hair and …………. it

short ever since. (WEAR)

4. I ……………. him for 2 months. (NOT SEE)

AUDITORY processing difficulties:

• Remembering information/ instructions

(quick ‘forgetters’)

• Note-taking

• Concentration (especially in a busy, noisy

environment)

• Poor comprehension of text

• Word finding

Problems with sequencing:

• Word and sentence order

• Following a set of instructions

• Time/appointments

• Organising material

• Routine office tasks – filing etc.

Strategies • Instruction checks essential

• Constant repetition

• Positive reinforcement

• Time

• Short instructions, repeated

• Modelling /cont

Strategies • Coloured overlays

• Kinaesthetic activities

• Multi-sensory learning techniques

• Scaffolding, prediction

• Cuisenaire rods

• Mind mapping

• Word processor

Well, what I’m gonna do is I’m gonna ask

you to get into pairs, but before that

there/are some things we’ve gotta work out.

So, just jot down if you’ve got a pen, could

you write this, then when we’ve finished

that we’re going to do the next thing which

involves more………..

Learning Teaching, Jim Scrivener

• Kinaesthetic activities

• Mind mapping

• Word processor

• Multi-sensory learning

techniques

• Scaffolding, prediction

• Modelling

• Cuisenaire rods

Strategies • Instruction checks

• Constant repetition

• Positive reinforcement

• Thinking time

• Short instructions,

repeated

• Coloured overlays

Do any of these techniques seem familiar?!

The good news is ... the many dyslexic

STRENGTHS:

• Creativity

• Practical

• Lateral thinking

• Problem solving

• Seeing the ‘big picture’

• Good visual skills thinking in 3D

• Agatha Christie, author

• Albert Einstein, scientist

• Alexander Graham Bell, inventor

• Cher, singer

• Hans Christian Andersen, author

• Henry Winkler, actor

• Jamie Oliver, celebrity chef

• Leonardo da Vinci, artist, scientist

• Michael Faraday, scientist

• Pierre Curie, scientist

• Richard Branson, entrepreneur

• Thomas Edison, scientist

• Tom Cruise, actor

Resources • Dyslexia Action – a lot of resources

• Future Learn (British Council) – free courses

• Excellence Gateway:

Readwriteplus (rwp) – free

ESOL resources – intended for Ss in UK

THANK YOU