Dyslexia
Dyslexia is a learning disability that is very, very common among students and sometimes misunderstood by both the students and parents or teachers. Dyslexia is a difficulty in processing skills that negatively affect reading fluency, comprehension, word decoding and writing skills such as spelling. Because it can hinder theses skills, people often call it a "Language-based learning disability."
Dyslexia is affects students differently and in different subjects. For example, Student A might have a small decoding issue where as Student B may have a reading memory and recall issue. Dyslexia's affects can cause poor performance in other subjects. A student who is struggling to decode symbols in written language and reading may also have difficulties decoding the symbols in math. This is called Dyscalculia.
A student who has difficulty reading either aloud or independently may be suffering from Dyslexia. The difficulty from decoding text most likely will lead to comprehension and problems remembering details from a story. You can often see a wide gap between a student's comprehension listening to the story and reading the story.
Dyslexia also can cause memory issues that cause a student difficulty learning and utilizing correct spelling of words. Because of this, Dyslexia can also cause poor writing skills.
If you suspect a child might be struggling with Dyslexia, consult your school's reading specialist ASAP so they can provide the support the student needs to succeed. In the meantime, ensure the student has access to quiet time or quiet spaces for reading and writing. Also, provide text in a Dyslexic friendly format with large print and large spaces in between text lines. Utilize a "reading window" to help isolate a small amount of words at one time. As always, present academic material in small chunks or units, teach to logic rather than memory and utilize multi sensory teaching methods.
