Dyslexia is known as the disability of learning. German neurologist Adolph Kussmaul identified this disability about 100 years ago.
The word dyslexia means difficulty with words. This challenge is often associated with the switching of letters or alphabets in a word. It is also considered a reading disorder by many, which extends beyond letter mixing.
Teaching techniques for Dyslexia
People who have this learning disability also have difficulty recognising the characters or alphabets and learning the sounds of the alphabet and hence fail to identify the rhyme of the words.
With growing age, children exhibit other symptoms of dyslexia which are difficulty in spelling and delay in the development of the language. Many parents send their dyslexic children to school but do not have sufficient funds to fund their child’s education.
They often borrow loans for unemployed with bad credit online. Hence, it is your responsibility as a teacher to take proper care and follow the right teaching techniques for such children.
Teaching methods that work with dyslexic children
There are different methods or approaches which many teachers and parents are practising to deal with and help dyslexic children learn.
•The Orton–Gillingham Method
This is one of the popular methods and has been in use for a long time to teach children having the reading disability.
The method focuses on establishing the connection between alphabets and sounds so that children can assign meaning to the language and hence develop comprehension of the same.
The multisensory approach is also used in this method which means to use the various senses such as sight, sound, touch, and movement while learning the language.
•The Structured Literacy Approach
In this teaching approach, various techniques such as clapping with the syllables are used. This helps the child to divide the word into its components or phonemes and understand it better.
In this teaching method, the focus is to connect the sounds to their alphabets through reading and through spelling. Hence both visual and audio means are used.
This learning approach is based on systematic and progressive learning that allows the lessons to be logically connected and built with one another.
•Becoming a Compassionate Teacher
Compassion is the key while you approach a dyslexic child. This disability specifically affects the self-esteem, confidence and mental health of the child. Having compassion towards the child allows you to understand the mental state of the child better and work towards improving it.
With compassion, you will be able to help increase the self-worth of the child. You can increase their self-esteem or confidence by giving them the opportunity to answer questions aloud.
Whatever method you select to approach a dyslexic child, just be sure that you incorporate compassion towards the child’s state to work better towards the development.
Teaching a dyslexic child has always been looked at as challenging compared to teaching children with no learning disabilities. But because of these effective and valuable teaching techniques, working with a dyslexic child is no longer considered a challenge around the world.
There are several institutes and online programs which help you engage with such children with difficulties. They provide customised programs with customised tasks, activities, and exercises that address the deficits in functions or skills in children with learning disabilities.
Handy Teaching Tips for Students with Dyslexia
•Praise as much you can to boost confidence
A person having a learning disability loses confidence and self-esteem to a great extent. Boosting their confidence is the first step for any dyslexic child before they learn to overcome their challenges.
Experiencing failure and embarrassment already take a hit on their esteem and often make them believe that they are not capable of learning or as good as other so called “normal” children.
You can provide the opportunity for them to succeed in smaller tasks, and praising them for those small achievements will help re-establish the lost self-confidence or self-esteem.
•Do not ask them to read aloud
Dyslexic children have a hard time understanding and reading words. Often words are misread or skipped, which cause embarrassment or shame to the children. Avoiding reading aloud or in front of others will help them save from such embarrassment.
•Avoid using the term ‘lazy’, ‘slow’ or ‘inefficient’
Children who have dyslexia already work much harder than others for a similar task. Understand that they have difficulty focusing while reading, writing, or listening. Avoiding terms like lazy or slow will help you motivate them for their efforts and motivate them for better.
•Do not expect much-written work
Dyslexic children may be verbose or good with spoken language, but they struggle a lot to put the ideas into writing.
Give them more tasks related to reading, listening and make them understand. Avoiding writing tasks or keeping them to a minimum will help the child to understand better.
•Take help of technology – computers
While physical writing could be torturous for most dyslexic children, the use of gadgets could be a lifesaver. Make them use computers or tablets with writing soft-wares which make life much easier. They can use Spell Checker and take help in grammar and punctuation too.
Conclusion
Dyslexia is a learning disability that makes learning a challenge for children. Understanding the limitations of a dyslexic child is the first to help you handle dyslexic children better. It will allow you to play the right role in their development.
