Dyslexia
I can’t read. Do I have dyslexia?
- Learners with dyslexia have difficulty with accurate and fluent word reading, reading rate, and spelling
- Gaps in the language systems of phonology (speech sounds), orthography (matching letters to sounds), and morphology (parts of words) prevent learners from automatically recognizing and remembering language
- Over time learners compensate for this glitch by avoiding reading at all costs which can severely impact learning
I can’t read and my teacher said I do not have dyslexia. What now?
- Dyslexia is only one of the many types of learning disabilities associated with reading
- From sounds to words, to sentences to paragraphs, reading is a language activity
- The path to reading fluently requires language processing and executive functioning
- PEARL’s Process will determine the root of your reading deficits and teach you how to read
Dyslexia: A Glitch with a Gift
Dyslexia is one type of a specific learning disability. From the International Dyslexia Association: https://dyslexiaida.org/definition-of-dyslexia/
- 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 limit growth of vocabulary and background knowledge
Despite these challenges, learners with dyslexia often have an extreme strength, talent, or superpower beyond their peers. Here are some of the fascinating gifts we have been privileged to observe in our learners:
- Identify patterns, remember visual stories, good at finding things
- Intuition and knowing what they need in order to learn
- Viewing situations from many perspectives
- Musical, athletic, or artistic ability
- Seeing the pieces that compose a puzzle or mechanical process and assembling them
- Unrestricted imagination and curiosity that cannot be “cured”
- Individuality to stand out from their peers
- Struggles with boring rote learning and strives to understand the meaning of material
- Persistence and grit – when you work harder than others to read, this dedication often translates to persevere through other challenges
- Creative thoughts to invent solutions to big problems
- Dyslexia affects mostly males.
- I reverse my b’s and d’s but write my other letters correctly. This means I have dyslexia.
- I write only with my left hand and score 70% on my weekly spelling test. This means I have dyslexia.
- I was taught how to spell certain words and can read slowly, so my psychologist said I cured my dyslexia.
- I am a straight A student but I am a slow reader. Teachers told me I don’t have dyslexia.
- I have memorized the words to my favorite books. This means I do not have dyslexia.
- I can read most books, but it takes me three times as long as my peers. I do not have dyslexia.
- Since I can understand books in Audible, I do not have dyslexia.
- I struggle to write. Since I can read some words, I do not have dyslexia.
- I have ADHD. I do not have dyslexia because I can recognize some words and I just need pay attention.
Power of PEARL
