Dyslexia
Dyslexia
“Dys” means difficulty with and “lexia” means words – thus “difficulty with words”. Originally, “Dyslexia” referred to a specific learning deficit that hindered a person’s reading ability. More recently, however, it has been used as a general term referring to the broad category of language deficits that often includes the ability to hear and manipulate sounds in words as well as the ability to read and spell words accurately and fluently. When breakdowns occur in these foundational reading skills, dyslexic students often struggle to understand what they read as well as develop vocabulary at a slower rate.
“Dyslexia is a learning disability that is neurological in origin. It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component and or auditory processing of language that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom instruction. Additional consequences may include problems in reading comprehension and reduced experience that can impede the growth of vocabulary and background knowledge” (Minn. Stat. §125A.01, subd. 2). Dyslexia is one of the most common learning disabilities. Research from the National Center on Learning Disabilities suggests that one in five individuals is affected by dyslexia (NCLD, 2015).
Dyslexia is not a problem with intelligence (IQ) or motivation.
It simply means having difficulty reading words.
Dyslexia is primarily a problem when students struggle to learn the individual sounds of speech which impacts both written and spoken language.
Dyslexia is a learning disability in reading.
Mainly, rote memorization and rapid word retrieval are difficult for students with dyslexia.
Dyslexia can be identified as early as kindergarten. Students with dyslexia may struggle with naming letters, writing letters, and pairing the sound with the letter.
In the early grades, students with dyslexia will struggle with oral reading. Oral reading difficulties can be determined by a student struggling with accuracy and speed when reading. For some students, only the speed is affected.
Students may have trouble reading words on a list when they cannot use the story's context to identify words.
By fourth grade, students with dyslexia may struggle with reading silently and show signs of poor spelling (Wolf & Berninger, 2016).
Difficulty remembering sequences, such as counting to 20, days of the week, or reciting the alphabet.
Poor rhyming skills
Difficulty recognizing words that start with the same sound
Difficulty with pronunciation
Trouble clapping hands to the rhythm of a song
Poor word retrieval
Difficulty remembering names of places and people
Trouble following multistep directions
Learning to speak
Learning letters and their sounds
Organizing written and spoken language
Memorizing number facts
Word reading
Reading quickly enough to comprehend
Persisting with and comprehending longer reading assignments
Spelling
Learning a foreign language
Correctly doing math operations