Treating Dyslexia
Research Shows that Early Intervention is Most Successful
The younger a child is introduced to an intervention the more likely it will be successful.
Some school systems start screening programs in the first grade to find at risk children. Those who are at risk are separated out for intensified instruction.
Unfortunately, those that truly have dyslexia may not be identified for several years, wasting precious time.
Dealing with Dyslexia is Tricky with Definite Do’s and Dont’s
Recognize that dyslexia is fundamentally a brain-based issue with attaching sounds to letters and words. Because of this traditional phonics-based techniques may not work well with a dyslexic child. With phonics a child is being instructed at an inherent weakness.
DO’S
- Be alert to the early signs of dyslexia
- Speech delays
- Articulation difficulties
- Delayed detection and interest in rhymes
- Try phonics first
- Consider instruction that is not phonics-based if child shows little progress
- Our Skill Builder Exercises are an example of instruction that is not phonics-based
- Whatever you are doing if it is not working try something different
- Read with your child
- Find material the child is interested in reading
- Push teachers to get a child the help he or she needs
DONT’S
- Do things that indicate to children that they are stupid because they can’t read.
- If your child struggles with phonics, don’t push it too hard.
- Pushing too hard with phonics can lead to resistance and frustration.
The Reading Success Lab Skill Builder Interventions
These exercises are not phonics-based. They promote sight recognition of words and math facts circumventing the issues that block a dyslexia reader from learning to read.
- A set of words or math facts at an appropriate level of difficulty is selected
- The child works with the set repeatedly until mastered
- A session with the set should take 10-20 minutes
- There should be 4 or more sessions per week.
- After each session a report displays showing improvements in speed and accuracy
- Once the child masters a set they move on to the next