If you have children, I’m sure you’ve heard this expression before. Even as adults there may be times when we think, “That’s not fair”. Some of us may even say it out-loud. All of us are aware that some things in life aren’t fair; but we have to learn to live and thrive with whatever set of circumstances we have been given.
Let’s take a look at fairness from the perspective of teaching children. When you are teaching your children do you try to make everything as fair as possible? If so, how do you do this? Do your children show jealously if a sibling or another student has different expectations for a certain project than herself/himself? Do your children compare their strengths and weaknesses to one another? Do they want everything to be equal – exactly the same? I hope I’m not the only mother that has these problems from time to time. Take a minute to think about the following quote from Rick Lavoie, author and advocate for students with learning differences.
“Fair doesn’t mean giving every child the same thing. It means giving every child what they need.”
Most often, children understand fair to mean equal or exactly the same. If Timmy gets 12 M&M’s then Cara will count hers to make sure she gets exactly 12 M&M’s too. Children don’t want to be treated differently (unless it’s in their favor) from their siblings because they view this as being treated unfairly. This is part of human nature. Beyond M&M’s, children need to be told that they are unique and special individuals worthy of love AND different treatment. There is no person exactly like them and that is exactly why they will have different treatment from time to time. Things may not be perfectly equal…but they will be fair.
This concept will lead us into a discussion about giving accommodations to students who struggle with learning and paying attention. What do you think? Are accommodations fair? More to come next week!
Myth #6 Very few people are affected by dyslexia.
NIH reports that 1 in 5 children in the United States are dyslexic. Dyslexia affects the same amount of people cross culturally – even when different languages and alphabet systems are used.
Myth #7 People with dyslexia can’t read.
People with dyslexia can be taught to read if they are given the right type of instruction. The severity of the dyslexia will determine how long a student will be able to get by or cope without specialized instruction. Vocabulary will explode during a student’s third grade year. It is usually around this time when children can’t get by any longer using coping strategies to read. If children are taught phonemic awareness and a systematic method for sounding out words, they will learn to read up to their potential.
Myth #8 Some people outgrow dyslexia.
Dyslexia is a life-long learning disability. It can improve with training and support, but it will never completely go away. Dyslexia will not get better by itself. Intervention is the only way to help dyslexia improve. The earlier a child receives intervention, the better off they will be.
Myth #9 Four and five year olds that have reversals in numbers or letters, are probably dyslexic.
It is developmentally appropriate for children to have reversals when they are learning to write. Children should not have reversals after the end of first grade or after two years of handwriting instruction. If children have reversals after the end of first grade look for other sings and symptoms of dyslexia.
Myth #10 People with dyslexia (poor reading ability) have lower intelligence (IQ).
There is no correlation between intelligence and dyslexia. In fact, many people with dyslexia are often gifted in other areas. Individuals with dyslexia can have any range of intelligence – low, average, or high. Intelligence and reading and/or spelling ability are not related.
All of the answers to the quiz were false. What was your score? Don’t feel badly if you had a few answers wrong. Even up to my last year teaching in the public schools, (2014-2015) other teachers, administrators,reading specialists, and special educators weren’t knowledgeable about dyslexia and couldn’t tell the difference between myth and fact when it regarded dyslexia. It is up to us to share the facts and advocate for the children we love and support. By the way…these are not the only myths about dyslexia, just some of the most common.
If you took the Myth or Fact Quiz that was posted in December, check how accurate your answers were below! Come back to read my next post to see the rest of the answers next week.
Answers and Explanations
Myth #1 Dyslexia is not real.
Dyslexia is real. Dyslexia is one of the most researched learning disabilities and has been studied for over 30 years. Dyslexic reading tendencies are proven and can be seen in fMRI brain imaging. Dyslexia is the most common type of learning disability.
Myth #2 Dyslexia is when people see words and numbers backwards.
People with dyslexia do not see things backwards. (That would be a super power!) Dyslexia is not a vision problem. Individuals with dyslexia reverse or invert numbers and/or letters (b/p/d, q/g, n/u) because of directionality confusion.
Myth #3 A developmental reading disability is different from dyslexia.
The term dyslexia is another word for developmental reading disability or reading disability. The terms can be used interchangeably. There are other reasons children might struggle to read, but dyslexia is the most common form of reading disability. If a child is dyslexic they will also have difficulty with spelling.
Myth #4 Kids can’t be tested for dyslexia until they are at least 8 years old.
The National Institute of Health (NIH) reports that children can be tested as young as 5 ½ years old with 92% accuracy.
Myth #5 More boys are dyslexic than girls.
Prevalence for boys and girls are the same. Boys may be identified more often because they tend to act out more than girls. Their behavior gets them in trouble and gets them noticed. Girls are just as likely to have dyslexia as boys.
Being aware of the myths surrounding dyslexia will help you avoid common mistakes (pitfalls) that parents and professionals make when working with children who struggle to read and spell.
Myth
Merriam Webster Dictionary defines a myth as, “An idea or story that is believed by many people but that is not true.” There are surprisingly many myths floating around about dyslexia. Take the true and false quiz below to see how savvy your knowledge is about dyslexia.
True or False "Dyslexia Myth or Fact" Quiz
probably dyslexic.
The answers and explanations will be given in my next several bog posts. Revisit my blog to see how you scored!
It is statistically proven that 80% of people diagnosed with a reading disability are dyslexic. At first, this statistic surprised me and was honestly hard for me to believe. This is because in my years as a special education teacher I only encountered two students that were actually diagnosed with dyslexia.
When I learned of this statistic, I put it to the test in each of my classrooms year after year. I researched what signs and symptoms to look for, analyzed student data and testing, and began making parent phone calls to learn more about family history. Sure enough – I was amazed at my findings. Year after year my findings proved this statistic to be accurate. Some years the percent was even higher than 80%.
I couldn’t help but picture, in my memory, the struggling readers I had worked with in past years. Most were unsuccessful at making any substantial gains in reading - even when using corrective reading programs. Now I know how to help these kids. I’ve also learned a few things along the way to avoid. Giving students the tools and skills they need to read changes their entire life trajectory and improves their self-concept. There’s nothing better than seeing a child go from feeling defeated and frustrated to empowered and self confident.
In the next several posts, I will review common pitfalls that parents, teachers, and professional often make with struggling readers.
As parents and teachers, we have an incredible responsibility to raise our children to the best of our ability, striving to provide the best opportunities for their futures. Genes and past childhood experiences are things that can’t be changed, but if you suspect or know your child has dyslexia there are three factors moving forward that you will have some control over.
1. First, you can select a reading program that is in line with what current research has found is best practice for students with dyslexia. These types of reading programs are Orton Gillingham based (also known as structured literacy) and are simultaneously multi-sensory, explicit, cumulative, and diagnostic in nature.
2. Second, you can support your children by ensuring they are treated fairly and with understanding by other adults in their life. This falls along the adage that fair does not always mean equal. In other words, ensure that children are challenged and held to high expectations but also supported. There are many simple accommodations that can be used so children are able to access materials and curriculum at their age level. There are also many technology tools that offer great benefits for children with dyslexia. One tool that is absolutely necessary when children are reading well below their grade level is audiobooks. When children can listen to books they get the benefit of learning new content, improving comprehension, and making new connections. Accommodations have the power to turn something frustrating into something that is engaging.
3. Third, you must take into consideration strengths and interests. Where there is a weakness, such as dyslexia, there will also be strengths. Strengths must not be ignored. Often children need help finding out what their strengths are. They also need help developing their interests, skills and talents. Many people with dyslexia show natural strengths in critical thinking skills, the arts, athletic ability, musical aptitude, being empathetic, having great people skills, showing leadership qualities, mechanical skills, and more. Make sure children are aware of their strengths and have avenues to pursue interests and activities they enjoy so they can experience success.
Parents and teachers can change the entire trajectory of a child’s life by giving their children the gift of these three important factors. When these three factors are dialed in, the results are often very apparent. Children will show improved self-confidence, increased independence, willingness to learn, and improved skills.
Secondary conditions may develop if the dyslexia is left untreated or if the dyslexia is more severe. Some of these problems include difficulty with reading comprehension, vocabulary, and written expression. Many of these issues can be avoided or minimized if a child gets the right type of instruction at an early age. The brain has plasticity and can “rewire” with consistent, intense, and research based interventions in place. Accommodations are usually necessary to support student learning.
Other secondary conditions may be unavoidable. Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) or speech and language impairments are often coexisting. These are often conditions that children are born with.
For ideas on accommodations and strategies to level the playing field in school or at home, contact Kelly and request for more information.
1. Dyslexia is hereditary. Children with a dyslexic parent have a 50% chance of inheriting the disability.
2. Dyslexia affects on 1 in every 5 people in America.
3. Reading disabilities are estimated to comprise 80% of all learning disabilities.
4. 40% of individuals with dyslexia have the coexisting condition, ADD or ADHD.
5. Children are usually not identified as having a reading disability until the 3rd or 4th grade.
6. Children with dyslexia can be diagnosed as early as 5 years old.
7. Phonemic awareness is different from phonics and is the core and causal reason for reading problems.
8. Poor spelling ability is a symptom of dyslexia. Spelling has nothing to do with intelligence. Agatha Christie, Albert Einstein, and Ernest Hemingway were all horrible spellers!
9. Dyslexia is not a vision problem.
10. Individuals with dyslexia often have superior strengths in people skills, music, art, sports, creativity, visual perceptual skills, and critical thinking skills.
Please request my free resource, “Characteristics of Dyslexia” to receive a comprehensive list of symptoms.
I think my daughter and/or son might have dyslexia. But what exactly is dyslexia? How do I know for sure? What symptoms would I see? Isn’t dyslexia when you see words backwards?
When parents initially contact me for information, these are generally the types of questions they first ask. In this article, I will take some time to answer these questions. It is my hope that this information will offer more clarity on the subject and demystify some of the common myths that continue to be prevalent about dyslexia. First, let’s take a look at how dyslexia is defined.
Dyslexia Defined
The International Dyslexia Association (IDA) and National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) defines dyslexia in the following way:
“Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurobiological in origin. It is characterized by difficulties with accurate 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 often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom instruction. Secondary consequences may include problems in reading comprehension and reduced reading experience that can impede growth of vocabulary and background knowledge.”
Put simply, dyslexia is an inherited learning disability that runs in families. Dyslexia literally means "difficulty with language." Dyslexia varies in severity and symptom from one person to the next and can affect reading, spelling, writing, handwriting, word retrieval, articulation, directionality, and the ability to remember rote facts.