TEACHING METHODS FOR DYSLEXIC CHILDREN

MULTI-SENSORY TEACHING METHODS

Studies from the National Institutes of Child Health and Human Development have shown that for children with difficulties learning to read, a multi-sensory teaching method is the most effective approach or treatment.

This is especially crucial for a dyslexic child. But what does it mean?
Using a multi-sensory teaching approach means helping a child to learn through more than one of the senses. Most teaching in schools is done using either sight or hearing (auditory sensations). The child's sight is used in reading information, looking at diagrams or pictures, or reading what is on the teacher's board. The sense of hearing is used in listening to what the teacher says. A dyslexic child may experience difficulties with either or both of these senses. The child's vision may be affected by difficulties with tracking, visual processing or seeing the words become fuzzy or move around. The child's hearing may be satisfactory on a hearing test, but auditory memory or auditory processing may be weak.

TEACHING PHONEMIC AWARENESS

To assess the skills needed I do a simple phonic spelling test. Where the group are found to have similar needs we work together using a range of games and activities. The children's individual needs are then targeted on their I.E.Ps and worked on in a one to one situation. The learning objectives are then divided into three sections;
• Learning and saying.
• Identifying phonemes and spelling.
• Recognising letters and reading.

To begin with I ensure the children know all the letter sounds beginning with the vowels. The children particularly enjoy learning a 'vowel rap'. When they know it well they are keen to go back to their class and perform it to the rest of the class. This helps build their self-esteem and confidence; they have learned something their peers don't know.
We then continue learning individual letter sounds [phonemes] and consonant digraphs. The children like to use these 'special' words and again take them back to class.
We then play games listening for phonemes and also their position in the words using a 3-,4- or 5-phoneme frame, [depending on how many phonemes are in the words.] The children slide letter cards in and out of the frame.

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