Reading

Multi Sensory Programmes

Dyslexic learners have difficulty with auditory or visual processing or both. It is important that they are taught in a multi sensory way.

A good multi sensory programme should include: seeing, feeling, hearing, saying or singing, moving, smelling and tasting.

Auditory Difficulties

Many visual learners find reading hard because they have not grasped phonics due to auditory processing problems. They learn the alphabet and simple words visually. When they start to read they try to read the text visually using picture clues and guess at words they do not know.

The auditory cortex is not engaged at all when a visual learner reads; you can actually see this happening on an MRI scan.

As the text gets more complex the visual learner's confidence collapses.

Phonological awareness is vital for building reading fluency. Using a good phonic programme to stimulate the auditory cortex is very important for these learners.

Visual Difficulties

The dyslexic student with visual problems may complain that the words on a page move about or shiver, they often miss out words when reading and transpose or reverse letters. Visual dyslexics have trouble with reading because they have trouble processing and seeing what is written.

It is sometimes hard to identify a student with visual problems because they think that what they are seeing is normal and that everyone sees the printed word like they do.
Students with visual difficulties can be helped with coloured overlays or glasses and text can be printed on coloured paper. See visual problems for more information.

Early introduction to books

Research shows that children benefit from being read to from an early age, as this helps them learn how books work and develops familiarity with written forms of language.

This knowledge and experience makes things much easier when they then encounter print. During early reading children are exposed to printed words and begin to develop word-recognition skills and start to see links between sounds and letters.

Level of Difficulty

When working with a reluctant dyslexic reader make sure that the books they are reading are not too difficult. Nothing is more likely to put off a reluctant reader than text that is too difficult.

A student error rate should not be more than 10% if the reading is guided and even less if the book is for independent reading.

Reading should be pleasurable not a struggle or a battle.

Big Print Books

Some dyslexic people prefer large print books because they find them easier to read.