Dyslexia, the reading learning disability

Hi group members,

I noticed that conversation on Dyslexia was started inside the "Welcome and Introductions..." thread.  In this new LINCS Community format, it is essential to have discussions in specifically labeled threads so they can be easily followed and searched.  Dyslexia is such an important topic within reading that it can get lost unless it has its own discussion thread.

I invite Andrea, Camilia, Marsha, and Shellie to bring their conversations over here and resume the discussion.  I also invite other Reading and Writing group members to join in.

Here is a discussion starter -- At http://www.ncld.org/adults-learning-disabilities/do-i-have-ld , there is interesting information entitled "Do I Have LD" from the National Center for Learning Disabilities.  It has wonderful information for adult ed. students that know they have problems learning and for teachers in our field.

Here is a question ---- >  Have any of you had a student enter your adult education and literacy program and say that he/she has a learning disability that was diagnosed while in K-12?  If so, I invite you to tell us about it by clicking on the "Comment" button below.

I look forward to this discussion.

 

Rochelle Kenyon, Subject Matter Expert

Disabilities in Adult Education group

Comments

Hi everyone,

In November I will go to a conference, "Learnign and the Brain," here in Boston.

I will go to all the sessions I can find on dyslexia and report back here.

While we were on the other list serv format, I became very interested in Hugo Kerr's description of his teaching, which stressed

vision.  As you may remember, he did not believe dyslexia existed, and I wondered if his teaching methods had lead him to this conclusion.

As you know, the drum beats in American teaching of people with dyslexia focus on matching up sounds with letters.  Our discussions

became at one point centered around actual teaching practices, and this was extremely illuminating.  Teachers draw conclusions from what

actually works, or doesn't work in their classrooms.  I think "field experience," methods and conclusions, is important to any conversation

on dyslexia.  

 

Andrea

 

 

 

 

 

I wonder how many teachers realise that dyslexia is partly the result of the inconsistencies of English spelling and that English-speaking countries have higher percentages of students who still struggle with reading and writing by the end of their formal schooling than ones with more regular orthographies?

I appreciate that most people on this forum will be far more interested in how best to help the pupils who come to their classes. So I will only explain this further if anyone is interested in understanding how English spelling makes the life of dyslexics much harder.

I have said quite a bit about it on two blogs:

http://englishspellingproblems.blogspot.com/2010/01/english-spelling-is-worst-for-weakest.html

and

http://englishspellingproblems.blogspot.com/2010/04/english-spelling-irregularities.html

I would be happy to answer any questions u may have after reading those.

Masha Bell
Ex English teacher, now independent literacy researcher
www.EnglishSpellingProblems.co.uk
http://EnglishSpellingProblems.blogspot.com
http://ImprovingEnglishSpelling.blogspot.com
and Youtube video 'Why improve English spelling?'

    We do, as teachers, make judgments based on what happens in front of us.    

Looking forward to your report! 

Hi Rochelle and all,

As a teacher, I actually had several students who during the orientation process tell me that they had been diagnosed with LD in the K-12 setting. These were all students who had recently dropped out of high school, say ages 16-22, but they were comfortable self-disclosing. The follow-up conversations to begin to understand any accommodations and so on was more difficult.

In a couple of instances we were able to secure the information we needed from the school system to secure accommodations on the GED test.

Kaye

 

Kaye,

From my experience in training, I'm hearing just the opposite; students are not disclosing. Teachers and tutors are frustrated because they feel they can't get their students the services and accommodations they believe the student needs. The students are in the same age rage as yours. 

Shellie