November Dyslexia Newletter
November 2023
Fall is Here!
With cooler weather comes a great opportunity to spend more time reading! Farmersville ISD has many ways for Dyslexic students to enjoy reading. Check out reading apps such as Learning Ally, Epic, and BookShare and listen to a good book!
LEARNING ALLY
We try to empower students with tools they can use in the Dyslexia classroom, but more importantly within their general education classes. Here is a great article from Learning Ally that will help you as a teacher or parent to understand some of the struggles of dyslexia that you might be seeing outside of their academic world.
Did You Know?
If a student is not reading on grade level, that student is missing out on crucial vocabulary. Students with dyslexia need multiple exposure to the same word before they can begin to recognize it, much less use the word. Audiobooks provide students with the opportunity to hear the word read aloud while eye reading which allows the student exposure to more "academic" vocabulary. This is why audio programs such as Learning Ally and Bookshare are fantastic resources for students.
Remember for students in K-2 eye reading is more important while using audio books to fill in. As students grow older, audiobooks become more important to allow students to hear and read along with more complex stories, ideas, and words.
CONNECTING THE DOTS ~MADE BY DYSLEXIA
This is such an amazing read! It is a wonderful resource for every parent of a dyslexic child. From what dyslexia is, the history and future of dyslexia, dyslexia thinking skills, general skills to misconceptions about dyslexia. Here is the link if you want to check it out:
http://madebydyslexia.org/assets/downloads/made_by_dyslexia_connecting_the_dots.pdf
COMICS, GRAPHIC NOVELS AND DYSLEXIA: A Curious Connection…
Comics and Graphic novels are a wonderful way to help dyslexic readers strengthen their vocabulary, build their reading confidence, and foster a love of story.
IT TRAINS YOUR BRAIN
A comic book trains your brain. It works the right muscles and, if you’re struggling, it can teach you to read. You see images for context, you see the words that go with them, and your mind learns to fill in the blanks. You learn to build the narrative as you go.
COMICS USE MORE BIG WORDS!
Research (Hayes and Ahrens) shows that comic book average 53.5 rare words per thousand compared to 30.9 for children’s books, 52.7 for grown-up books, and 17.3 for college graduates talking with friends!
COMICS IMPROVE RECALL AND PROBLEM SOLVING
In other studies, broadly-defined lower-performing readers showed large improvements in reading comprehension when high level text was present with comics (Jun Liu) in addition to comic readers showing improved recall for material and applied problem solving after reading words with graphics.
THE TEXT IN COMICS IS BETTER SUITED TO DYSLEXICS
In general, the use of expressive san serif fonts, capitals, and thought bubbles, and short bits of text makes the visual aspects of reading in comics easier for many dyslexic children and adults.
Experiences to Increase Vocabulary
- Ensure repeated exposure to vocabulary in different contexts. Creating multiple exposures to words (research tells us that students need to encounter a word at least 12 times or more) will allow students to increase their familiarity with the word and aid in comprehension of it.
- Accurately pronounce and spell novel words. Teaching vocabulary should be paired with phonics and phonological processing activities.
- Play games such as Outburst Jr., Catch Phrase, Taboo, Mad Gab, and category card games which reinforce newly learned vocabulary.
- Use index or flash cards. Repetition is a key strategy to learning vocabulary. These cards should incorporate: the word, definition, use in a sentence, antonyms, synonyms, and roots.
- Script activities around a book or picture to engage students and enhance spoken language, in the areas of increased vocabulary and sentence length.
- Have students act out sentences with adverbs which promotes active engagement with vocabulary.
- Color code words in a textbook or novel using a highlighter. Assign a color to adjectives, adverbs, and conjunctions. Once the highlighting is completed, ask your students to incorporate 2 new adjectives, adverbs, and conjunctions into their written summary of what they read.
Dyslexia Handbook
Here is where you can find it:
Oral Language and Dyslexia
According to the International Dyslexia Association, " Oral language refers to the knowledge and skills that we use to produce and understand spoken language. Language knowledge and skills also serve as the foundation for learning to read and write. Oral language is composed of five main components: phonology, morphology, vocabulary or semantics, syntax and pragmatics".
One main misconception is that oral language is only associated with early childhood. While oral language is critical during childhood, individuals are still learning through adulthood.
If you would like more information on this topic, here is a link: https://dyslexiaida.org/oral-language-impairments-and-dyslexia-2/
Quote of the Month
“Dyslexia is a different brain organization that needs different teaching methods. It is never the fault of the child, but rather the responsibility of us who teach to find methods that work for that child.”
- Dr. Maryanne Wolf, Education Researcher and Dyslexia Advocate
Thanksgiving Break:November 20-24
Please note students WILL have school on Monday November 13th .
There will be NO SCHOOL due to Thanksgiving break from November 20th - November 24th.
Happy Thanksgiving! Count your blessings and enjoy time with your family and friends.