Teaching Dyslexic students in the English Language Classroom

2. TeachingDyslexicstudents in the English LanguageClassroom Donatella Fitzgerald Oxford University Press

3. Quiz • Work in pairstoanswer the questions! • Prizes!!!

4. Answers • 1. a) Greek : • dys(meaningpoor or inadequate) • lexis(meaningwords or language) • b) a slightdisorderof the brainthatcausesdifficulty in reading and spelling, forexamplebutdoesnotaffect intelligence. (Oxford AdvancedLearner’s Dictionary 8° edition)

5. Famous people withdyslexia

7. 1 – c • 2 – a • 3 – b • 4. BritishDyslexicAssociation: ‘Thereis no magicage’.

8. 5: all are indicators • 6: 5% ofschoolagechildren in Italy (approx 350,000 students) • 7 b) lower case • 8 c) mind maps d) Listen and Read

9. Today`s workshop • The effects of Dylexia • Associated issues • Dyslexia at school • Howteachers can help dyslexicstudents at school: • Whichactivities help dyslexicstudentslearn: Practicalideas • Supportfrom Oxford University Press

10. The effectsofDyslexia • Coredifficulty: word recognition, reading, fluency, spelling and writing • Problems in classroom, workplace • Affect a person’s self image • Demotivate students

11. A teacher sent the following note home with a six-year-old boy: "He is too stupid to learn." That boy was Thomas A. Edison.

12. dysorthography dysgraphia

13. Recognizing dyslexic students Studentshavedifficulties in: • Learningwords/letters/sounds • Spelling football/futbol , mirroredletters or reversed (p-b-d-g-w-n-m) • Reading/word recognition, misreads e.g. “look” and “lock”, “house” and “horse”. • Pronunciation • Learningsequencesofwords/letters

14. The brain • Left hemisphere • More analytical • Right hemisphere • Visual • creative

15. Dyslexia at school Strengthscentred at the centreof the brain.

16. What areas of learning do dyslexic students need help with? • 1. Reading • 2.

17. Dyslexicstudentsneedstrategiesto help with: • Reading • Writing • Spelling • Dealingwithsymbols • Letters • Numbers • Musical notation • Learningphonics • Followinginstructions • Listeningcarefully • Respondingaccurately and puttingthings in order

18. How can teachers help dyslexicstudents at school? • Adequate help and encouragement in developing learning strategies • Give exact and short instructions. • Adopt a multisensory approach to teaching • Apply an individual approach. • Don’t teach similar things one after the other • Let student learn by doing.

19. “if the dyslexic child does not learn the way you teach, can you teach him the way he learns?” • H.T Chasty – consultant in learning abilities and difficulties

20. A studentwithdyslexia • can be a positive, contributing, and valued class member • is an intelligent person who does not learn in the same way as others • learnsbydoing

21. Students with dyslexia have difficulty in English in the following areas: • Reading • Learning new vocabulary • Grammar • Writing • Speaking • Confidence

22. Reading and secondary school • Speed of reading • Scanning • Dictionaries • Reading for gist • Reading for details • Confuse similar words sun\son

23. A windowMarker

24. Reading • Dyslexiafriendly text • Thickpaper • Matt/notglossy • Cream/soft pastel (blue or pink) • Plain font eg. Arialor comicsans • Font size 12-14 point • Avoid green/red/pinkdifficultforcolourblindedstudents

26. Grammar • Grammar tables • Colour coding (always use the same colours).

27. A morphologicalchain

29. The alphabet • Difficulty in learning sequences • Draw letters on your back • Plastic letters • Putting words in alphabetical order • Alphabet ruler: for using dictionaries

30. An alphabetruler

31. Vocabulary • Poor memory • Revision techniques • Memo: vocabulary notebook • Learn words as a morphological chain • Road signs (lower case) • Word cards

32. The shapeof the word

33. Vocabulary in a box

36. Writing • Problems planning work • Spelling • Go through their plan orally • Key words • Mind maps

37. Speaking • Whole class activities:drills and choral repetition • Do not pick on a dyslexic student individually

38. Confidence • Introduce strategies into everyday class activities. • Digitalbooks can help

39. Apply a multi-sensory approach • Look, listen say • Listen and sing • Look, point and say • Listen and colour • Listen and do • Play the game

40. Oxford Test Makers • Change font oftests • Use strutturati exercises • Reduce numberofexercises • Print on pale blue/pink/creampaper

41. Homework • Difficulty in copying • Write on the boardcarefully • Write in the sameplace • Giveenoughhomeworktopractice the concept: butnottoomuch! • A homeworkdiary • A homeworkbuddy (facebook)

42. My Digital Book supporting dyslexic language learners • Allcoursecomponentswith audio • Zoom-infunctionofallpages • Sounds chart • The alphabetwith audio • Numberswith audio • Wordlistswith audio • Colour-codedsections

43. www.oup.com/elt/oxforditalysupport 2012

44. A studentwithdyslexia • can be a positive, contributing, and valued class member; • is an intelligent person who does not learn in the same way as others; • learnsbydoing.

45. If you can dream it, you can do it. - Walt Disney