CLASSIC SIGNS OF DYSLEXIA

A student does not need a diagnosis of dyslexia to begin the Barton system, but you should suspect dyslexia.

Dyslexia is the most common reason a child with at least average intelligence will struggle with reading, spelling and writing.

Some of the classic signs of dyslexia your child may be struggling with include:

  • It should be extremely hard for the student to master their weekly spelling list from school.

  • The student probably cannot retain their spelling words from one week to the next.

  • The student’s spelling should be pretty bad when they write sentences and stories.

  • Although the student can read, they are probably slow and inaccurate.

  • When the student comes to a word they don’t recognize, they cannot easily sound it out despite years of phonics instruction.

 

EARLY INTERVENTION

Reading researchers say the ideal window of opportunity for addressing reading difficulties is during kindergarten and first grade. The National Institutes of Health state that 95% of poor readers can be brought up to grade level if they receive effective help early.

While it is still possible to help an older child with reading, those beyond third grade require much more intensive help.

The longer you wait to get help for a child with reading difficulties, the harder it will be for that child to catch up. If help is given in fourth grade (rather than in late kindergarten), it takes four times as long to improve the same skills by the same amount.

 
 

COMMON MYTHS ABOUT DYSLEXIA

DYSLEXIA CAUSES LETTERS OR WORDS TO APPEAR BACKWARD OR OUT OF ORDER.

Seeing letters or words backward or out of order is by far the most popular myth regarding dyslexia. Many children commonly reverse letters when writing or confuse word order when reading, but this is not necessarily a definitive sign of dyslexia. Additionally, dyslexia does not cause words to appear differently. Rather, children with dyslexia have deficits with phonological processing or connecting speech sounds with written letters or groups of letters. This language processing deficit or hindrance results in difficulty with reading and writing.

DYSLEXIA IS A SIGN OF BELOW-AVERAGE INTELLIGENCE.

There is no correlation between dyslexia and intelligence. Children with dyslexia display a range of IQ levels and are just as likely to be above or below average intelligence levels as anyone else. Dyslexia is identified when a child performs significantly below expectations in reading or writing, given their IQ range. With early identification, assessment and intervention, the effects of dyslexia can be mitigated and children with dyslexia can experience equal or greater academic success compared to their peers.

DYSLEXIA WILL GO AWAY OVER TIME.

Children do not simply grow out of a learning difference like dyslexia. Children with dyslexia may struggle less with reading and writing as they age, but it cannot be outgrown. People learn and progress much more quickly in their younger years, and accordingly, early intervention and support for children with dyslexia is imperative to their success.

 
 

DYSLEXIA IS RELATED TO PROBLEMS WITH VISION.

Vision problems neither cause nor result from dyslexia. Children with dyslexia are no more likely to have vision problems than children without it. Dyslexia is a language-based learning difference characterized by difficulty processing the phonological component of words and is completely unrelated to issues with eyesight, though the conditions can co-occur. Vision problems can certainly make reading fluency and comprehension more difficult, but glasses or contacts will not address dyslexia symptoms.

DYSLEXIA IS A CONDITION THAT CAN BE CURED.

Dyslexia is not a medical condition, nor can it be “cured” like one. This learning challenge is a lifelong processing difficulty that exists on a continuum - mild to severe - and early intervention and instruction can help to improve life with dyslexia. After a dyslexia diagnosis, children need appropriate education and instruction. Many dyslexia tutoring programs are rooted in the Orton-Gillingham Approach, which focuses on one-on-one or small-group classes to implement multisensory, structured and systematic teaching. With adequate tutoring and support, children with dyslexia can learn to live and work with dyslexia and use their learning differences as a strength.