Dyslexia in Children

Dyslexia in Children - Symptoms
Dyslexia in children is a label with a wide variety of meanings, which is used to identify individuals who experience reading problems. Dyslexic students often have little desire to read and only do so when absolutely necessary. When they do read, they typically read slowly and comprehend little of what they read.

Without appropriate intervention, students often survive by using an incorrect coding system or by developing their own contrived reading system. Common characteristics could include:

Assembling word parts - This is unfortunately a common reading strategy sometimes reinforced at school. Children are taught to break the word into smaller pieces that are easier to recognize than the whole word. Often these "sub-words" are mispronounced, and letters are used in more than one word part (i.e. plant is read as plan-ant or literature is read as lite-rat-ture).
Common phonetic errors - These are accurate and phonetically correct decoding of irregularly spelled words (i.e. honey is read as hone-ee or prank is read as prahnk).
Whole word guessing - Children read the first few letters and then guess a known word that is similar in length and form (i.e. fork is read as food or spoon is read as span).
Limited code knowledge - Children's incomplete knowledge of the spelling and sound codes will cause them to write the correct number of sounds, but the incorrect spelling (i.e. made is written as mad or pout is written as pot).
Site Reading - Root words are easily recognized, but other forms or conjugations of words are not (i.e. funny is read fun or running is read as run).
Complete guessing - Guesses are made based upon the context (i.e. the is read as fun or big).
Letter naming - A child will read a word by saying the letter names (i.e. punch is read as peeuhenseeaetch).

Dyslexia in Children - Possible Solutions

Tutoring or Homework
Along with cajoling, threats, or promises of rewards, supplementing schoolwork with additional homework or tutoring are usually the first choices parents make when trying to "help" nonreaders. This is an understandable choice; however, if the problem is a combination of some weakness in cognitive learning skills related to reading and a poor reading system, as is most often the case, additional homework or the pressure of tutoring will only serve to further frustrate and discourage the challenged reader. If children are forced to attempt a task when they lack the skills and system to do so--even when a professional is trying to help--their frustration level increases, and the already challenging problem becomes even worse. Real change in reading ability depends upon discovering and correcting weak learning skills and rebuilding a student's reading system on the fundamental principles of accurate sound analysis.

LearningRx
The ThinkRx and ReadRx programs are designed to correct deficiencies in cognitive learning skills and rebuild a student's reading system on a sound-to-code foundation. The 24-week program is designed around short but intense training sessions in a one-on-one environment. The programs incorporate three components proven to be essential and effective to a successful reading program.

LearningRx develops Auditory Processing skills. This enhances students' ability to segment (pull apart), blend (put together), and analyze words at the phonemic, or basic, sound level.
LearningRx trains students to proficiency in a sound-to-code reading system that accurately and specifically represents all 43 phonemes.
LearningRx trains sequentially. First students train to mastery in the most common sounds and combinations. Then they master the less common combination and exceptions. This approach makes it unnecessary for students to memorize lots of rules (since those rules typically fail a high percentage of the time anyway).

By incorporating these three components into the training, progress is immediately evident. Early successes help dissolve previous frustrations about learning to read and encourage students to enjoy the process. Developing cognitive learning skills both provides the tools for strong reading and spelling skills and enhances performance in other learning areas as well. Students completing training in 2002-2003 averaged over 6-year gains in critical visual-auditory learning skills (a good measure of overall learning proficiency measured by the Woodcock Reading Mastery Test). Word Attack skills (the key ability that enables a student to read unfamiliar words accurately) recorded average gains better than 3 years. This means the average 4th grader, beginning at the 2nd grade level, could complete the training and attack and decode complex words like a fifth grader. In that same time, Auditory Processing gains exceeded 5.5-years. This meant that students gained well over 5 years in age equivalent ability to handle the essential tasks of sound recognition, segmenting, blending, and processing. These various gains, when combined and applied, resulted in substantial reading and other academic growth for our students. Imagine what gains like these could do for your child.

A Powerful, Positive Option
If you or someone you know struggles to learn or read, weak underlying cognitive skills and a poor reading system may be the cause. These problems can be corrected, and you can experience a lifetime of faster, easier learning and reading. Contact the nearest LearningRx Training Center (use the Center Locator) to learn more about ThinkRx cognitive skills training and ReadRx reading training and how they can improve your life.

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