Dyslexia turned Mat Peterson from a guy with severe reading disabilities into an educator of grand calibre.His free-language approach I talked about in Teaching Without Words has created a real revolution in literacy education in the States. Watch this TED Talk to learn more about his story.
Talking about Dyslexia I deemed it important to provide my readers here in Educational Technology and Mobile Learning with a quick overview of what this phenomenon is all about. I am pretty sure all of you know about it and probably some of you have dyslexic students in their classes. Here are some ideas that might help you better understand your dyslexic students.
What is Dyslexia ?
Dyslexia is a specific type of language-based disability that is caused by a defect of some sort in the way the brain processes graphic symbols. Dyslexic people experience severe difficulties with reading, writing, listening and spelling.However, dyslexia is only a language related disorder and does not arise from any a developmental disability or physical limitation.
According to The International Dyslexia Association Ontario Branch, dyslexia affects these main areas :
Reading DifficultiesWatch this video to see dyslexia in action
- Learning sounds of letters
- Separating words into sounds
- Slow and inaccurate reading
Oral Language Difficulties
- Poor reading comprehension
- Delayed spoken language
- Misinterpretation of language that is heard
- Lack of awareness of different sounds in words and rhymes
Writing Difficulties
- Organizing thoughts
- Organization of ideas
- Poor spelling
Mathematics Difficulties
- Poor letter formation and spatial organization
- Memorizing math facts
- Correct sequencing of steps when solving problems
Misconceptions about Dyslexia
- Transposing digits within numbers
- Dyslexia is not a result of low intelligence. (An unexpected gap exists between learning aptitude and achievement.)
- The problem is not behavioral, psychological, motivational or social.
- People with dyslexia do not "see backward."
Here are two cool dyslexia maps I get from Dyslexia.org ( This is a great resource for learning more about dyslexia )
Here is the second map
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