An overview of Dyslexia for Parents Oakgrove Integrated Primary School Lorna McSparron, Julie Young, Catriona Sargent

Aims of today’s session:  To raise awareness of ‘Dyslexia’.  To discover the possible barriers to learning.  To identify further parent training needs.

Continuum Affects learning to read, spell or write. Not indicative of cognitive ability Persistent What is a Specific Learning Difficulty (Dyslexia)? SpLD - Specific Learning Difficulty

Possible indicators of Dyslexia… Talking & Listening Talking & Listening Memory Memory Motor control Motor control Behaviour Behaviour Reading Reading Spelling Spelling Writing Writing

Indicators - Talking & Listening  Is later than most children at learning to speak.  Difficulty learning letter sounds.  Difficulty segmenting and blending sounds.  Difficulty pronouncing and repeating multi-syllabic words e.g. emeny = enemy, pasghetti = spaghetti  Word finding difficulties  Auditory discrimination difficulties – f/v/th

Indicators: Memory  Difficulty learning to write and spell own name.  Difficulty remembering oral instructions-(especially a sequence)  Apparent lack of concentration.  Forgetful/absent-minded – reading book, P.E. kit.  Remembers better when shown what to do rather than when told.  Problems with rote memory e.g. tables, learning poetry.  Difficulty with sequences e.g. learning the alphabet, numbers, days of the week, months of the year.

Indicators - Motor Control Development of motor skills is delayed… P1 – P4 Difficulty with  using a knife and fork  Learning to dress – what goes on first  Copying shapes with a pencil,  colouring inside lines  Simple jig saws P5 – P7 Difficulty with  Pencil grip  Letter formation  Joined writing  Scissor activities General difficulties with co-ordination – buttons & laces etc.

Indicators-Behaviour  Easily distracted – use of avoidance tactics when asked to read aloud or write.  Lacks self confidence, especially around reading and writing tasks.  Many people with dyslexia have a family member with dyslexia.

Indicators - Reading Difficulty with-  Learning Key words  Reads slowly with little expression or fluency  Comprehension reading test scores may be higher than sight vocabulary reading test scores (due to higher IQ).  Listening comprehension is better than reading comprehension  Consistent and persistent reading errors such as; Reversals – b/d, p/q Reversals – b/d, p/q Transpositions – left/felt Transpositions – left/felt Whole word reversal – tip/pit, was/saw Whole word reversal – tip/pit, was/saw Word substitution – house/home Word substitution – house/home

Indicators - Spelling Spelling is inappropriate for age and is not indicative of general ability.  Spelling the same word differently on the same page=went / wnet/ wente/ wetn  Bizarre spelling - ws=yes & mulc = milk  Leaving out a letter – bent= bnt  Adding a letter – rot = rout  Changing letters around – said = siad, plaese=please  Confusion of similar letters - b/d/ p/q  Vowel confusions- pit = pet, mud = mod Poor spelling contributes to poor written expression.

Indicators - Writing Has difficulty with –  Copying accurately, especially from the board.  Poor handwriting – inconsistent spacing, poor letter formation, untidy presentation.  Inappropriate pencil grip often with a high degree of tension.  Confusion on use of upper and lower case letters.  Punctuation  Better oral skills than written  Uses avoidance tactics in written activities  Difficulty planning, sequencing and organising written text ie.. Story writing

Code Workshop… a challenge for you!  Copy the following text accurately.  You will have 5 mins.

It’s all Greek to me… Το μυστικό της μακροζωίας Ένας γιατρός για τα πόδια του το πρωί παρατήρησα μια ηλικιωμένη κυρία συνεδρίαση για το βήμα μπροστά και το κάπνισμα πούρου. Αυτός πλησίασε και της είπε, "δεν θα μπορούσα να βοηθήσει, αλλά πόσο ευχαριστημένος ανακοίνωση δείτε! Τι είναι το μυστικό σας;" "I καπνίζουν πούρα δέκα την ημέρα», είπε. "Θέλω να φάω το πρόχειρο φαγητό και πριν πάω για ύπνο μου φάει ένα ωραίο ζουμερό κεμπάπ. Πίνω ένα μπουκάλι Τζακ Ντάνιελς κάθε εβδομάδα, σκληρού, λάβετε πολύ λίγο ύπνο και δεν ασκούν καθόλου," εξήγησε, χαμογελαστά toothlessly. "Αυτό είναι απίστευτο!" είπε ο γιατρός. "Ποια είναι η ηλικία σας;" "Είκοσι τέσσερις», απαντά η ίδια.

Translated…The Secret of Longevity A doctor on his morning walk noticed an elderly lady sitting on her front step and smoking a cigar. He approached her and said, " I couldn't help but notice how happy you look! What is your secret?" " I smoke ten cigars a day," she said. " I only eat junk food and before I go to bed I eat a nice juicy kebab. I drink a bottle of Jack Daniels every week, party hard, get very little sleep and no exercise at all," she explained, smiling toothlessly. " That's amazing!" said the doctor. " What age are you?" " Twenty-four," she answered. ?

Presenting written information Printed information might look something like this to dyslexic learners: Click on the text box on the left to see the animation.

Famous people with dyslexia:  Jamie Oliver  Tom Cruise  Harrison Ford  Cher  David Beckham  Whoopi Goldberg

"You may have tangible wealth untold; Caskets of jewels and coffers of gold. Richer than I you can never be – I had a mother who read to me." I had a mother who read to me." The Reading Mother Strickland Gillilan Thank you… Reflection…