THE SENCO GUIDE TO DYSLEXIASusan Griffiths, Barry Groom and Andrew Smith

UnderstandingUnderstanding

Dyslexia

What does What does ‘‘dyslexiadyslexia’’ mean?mean?

DyslexiaDyslexia

= dys + lexia – difficulty with words

What do you know about dyslexia?What do you know about dyslexia?

True or False? True or False?

1. Dyslexia occurs across the ability range.

2. There are children with dyslexia in every classroom, and

adults who are dyslexic in most staff rooms.

3. 4% of the population are severely dyslexic, and an estimated

10% mildly so.10% mildly so.

4. Dyslexia is a learning difference - a combination of strengths

and weaknesses which affect the learning process in reading,

spelling, writing and sometimes number and calculation.

True or False?True or False?

5. Learners with dyslexia may also have weaknesses in short-

term memory, sequencing and the speed with which they

process information.

6. Dyslexia has a physiological basis – research indicates

neurological differences which generally affect the left neurological differences which generally affect the left

hemisphere, which deals with language and sequential

processing.

7. Dyslexia runs in families.

8. Dyslexia occurs on a continuum from mild to severe.

True or False?True or False?

9. Dyslexia occurs in all ethnic groups and in all languages.

10. Four boys are affected to every one girl.

11. Self-esteem is often low which can lead to reduced

motivation and sometimes to behaviour problems.

12. Learners with dyslexia can do as well as anyone else when 12. Learners with dyslexia can do as well as anyone else when

identified and given appropriate support.

Definitions of DyslexiaDefinitions of Dyslexia

British Psychological Society (1999)

• Dyslexia is evident when accurate and fluent word reading and/or spelling develops very incompletely or with great difficulty. This focuses on literacy learning at the ‘word level’and implies that the problem is severe and persistent despite and implies that the problem is severe and persistent despite appropriate learning opportunities. It provides the basis for a staged process of assessment through teaching.

Rose Report 2009Rose Report 2009

Towards a definition of dyslexiaTowards a definition of dyslexiaE

nvir

on

me

nt

genes

brain

biology

En

vir

on

me

nt

Phonological deficit

Speech delay

poor phonological

awareness

poor grapheme-phoneme correspondence

cognition

behaviour

(Frith 1999, Snowling 2005)

orthography

Orthographic consistency of European languages

Greek

Finnish

German

• English is very unpredictable in terms

of decoding words out of context.

Difficulties associated with dyslexia: Difficulties associated with dyslexia:

the English languagethe English language

German

Italian

Spanish

French

English

• English children can take longer to

learn to read than readers of other

European languages.

English is a particularly difficult (European) language to read!

• English has 26 letters and 44 sounds

• Large number of mono-syllables, e.g. cat, dog.

Difficulties associated with dyslexia: The Difficulties associated with dyslexia: The

English languageEnglish language

• One letter may represent five or more phonemes, e.g. do, dog, done, down, dole, more

• There are lots of ways to represent the same sound, e.g. ‘or’ = 11 ways (see below)

• Many high-frequency words are irregular, e.g. the, said, want.

raw, poor, more, ought, fork, taught, chalk, oar, four, warm, water

Difficulties associated with dyslexia: Difficulties associated with dyslexia:

WordWord--finding finding -- workshop activityworkshop activity

• Describe your hobby or interest to your partner in English

• You must not use any words containing the letters ‘e’ or ‘s’

How did you feel doing this activity?

Difficulties associated with dyslexia: visual Difficulties associated with dyslexia: visual

differencesdifferences

Some learners with dyslexia report that letters can appear to move in a variety of ways on the page. This can make sustained work with print difficult and tiring.

The effects may include:The effects may include:

• blurring

• letters swirling or flickering

• words squashed up or spreading out

• print running off the edge of the page, ordisappearing.

Rivers

Washout

Blurry

Swirl

Indicators of visual difficulties:Indicators of visual difficulties:

• Skipping words or lines when reading

• Losing place on the page

• Repeating words or lines when reading

• Using a marker or a finger to keep place on • Using a marker or a finger to keep place on

the page

• Reading very slowly, using a jerky rhythm,

hesitating.

Difficulties associated with dyslexia: Reading and Difficulties associated with dyslexia: Reading and

writingwriting

• There has been an emphasis on teaching phonics in schools.

• However, students with dyslexia may find phonics very difficult to master.

• Sight vocabulary – pictures of words stored in our minds – may be a problem

for students with dyslexia.

• Strategies are needed for decoding words not seen before.

• For pupils with dyslexia, reading and writing skills do not become automatic.

Rose Report 2009 p.110

If the process of writing is very effortful, it can be difficult for a

child to concentrate on what they are trying to get across. As a

result, written work may drift off the point, or be extremely short.

Difficulties with self-organisation can show themselves in the ability

of a child with dyslexia to plan and deliver long pieces of more

complex written work.

Difficulties associated with dyslexia: visual processing and memoryDifficulties associated with dyslexia: visual processing and memory

• Copy this passage neatly.

• You have five minutes to finish.

• This must be done before you can leave for

Workshop activity

• This must be done before you can leave for

your next lesson!

• Anyone not finishing must stay behind and see

me!!

Dyslexia: A specific learning differenceDyslexia: A specific learning differenceUnderlying difficulties may include:

•Memory (working memory, short and long term

memory- remembering times tables, tasks)

•Phonological awareness (reading, spelling)

•Word finding and labelling (fluency: speech,

writing)

•Speed of processing (understanding new •Speed of processing (understanding new

information)

•Planning and organising (written work; time)

•Sequencing (numeracy, following instructions)

•Motor difficulties (handwriting; PE)

•Self-esteem (lack of confidence; giving up)

•Automaticity (tasks require continued conscious

effort – they do not become automatic).

Strengths of dyslexiaStrengths of dyslexia

Some learners with dyslexia have outstanding creative skills. Others have strong oral skills. Some have no outstanding talents. BUT… they all have strengths, some typical examples being:

• creative and imaginative

• holistic thinking

• interpersonal skills

• visualisation

• different approach to tasks

• spatial awareness

• 3D perception.

TeachingTeaching

stylesstyles

LearningLearning

objectivesobjectives

Setting suitable Setting suitable

learning learning

challengeschallenges

Responding Responding

to pupils’ to pupils’

diverse needsdiverse needs

The circles of inclusion

AccessAccessOvercomingOvercoming

potential barriers potential barriers

to learningto learningSlide 1.3

Further CPD

• See the Primary and Secondary Inclusion

Development Programme:http://www.thedyslexia-

spldtrust.org.uk/media/downloads/inline/idp.1313664771.pdf

• Teaching and supporting pupils with dyslexia:

Department for Education: http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20110809091832/teachingandlearningr

esources.org.uk/collection/43759