Resources

Lasting change means being informed about options and opportunities to help a child with dyslexia and other reading and comprehension issues. Here are some important resources and answers to common questions to keep you up to date on intervention approaches.

For more information about dyslexia: https://dyslexiaida.org

For more information about the Slingerland ® Approach to dyslexia and other learning disabilities: https://slingerland.org/Home

For information on the California Guidelines Regarding Dyslexia: https://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/se/ac/documents/cadyslexiaguidelines.pdf

FAQs

How will I know my child is improving?

Children begin reading more efficiently and effectively after working with Angela. You can expect your child to begin reading more, and have an improved attitude about school work. They will be able to figure out single-syllable and some multi-syllable words, and may see improved grades at school.

Why can my child read some things so easily and have difficulty with other texts?

Beginning readers must learn to read words quickly and automatically. Phonemic awareness is the ability to identify and manipulate sounds in speech. This ability to blend and segment sounds allows them, in addition to orthographic or spelling memory, to readily identify words.

Difficulties in phonemic awareness or other problems may limit their ability to pronounce or recognize words they’ve never seen before. In fact, having a child pronounce a new word aloud as they read silently activates orthographic memory and helps build vocabulary.

The added auditory stimulus of reading aloud and re-reading phrases in a meaningful manner two or three times greatly improves fluency. (Learning to Read Words, Linnea C. Ehr, 2014.)

The quality of attention given to reading a wide variety of texts will result in your child finding more joy in reading both for pleasure and for academic needs.

Will keyboarding make writing easier?

Writing is a complex task that not only involves automaticity of legible writing or efficient keyboarding, but also the development and organization of meaningful expression. In addition, if a student has limitations with their orthography, or the spelling of letter-sounds or knowledge of spelling generalizations, writing suffers. Many students lack the automaticity required to functionally complete one or more of the subcomponents writing necessitates. Keyboarding fluency can aid some students, yet writing involves much more than a computer or pencil and paper.

Will repeating a year of school help?

Rarely will a student advance if material is taught in the same or similar manner. Instead, a new approach can be fruitful. According to the definition of dyslexia it is “…often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom instruction.”

Students with dyslexia need specific approaches in learning to read and write. Programs based on Orton-Gillingham principles specialize in offering highly structured, multisensory methods. These methods allow the student with dyslexia a fresh approach to language and building comprehension.

The Orton Dyslexia Society describes these special strategies as:

  • Multisensory
  • Alphabetic-phonic
  • Sequential
  • Cumulative
  • Linguistically-based
  • Systematic
  • Cognitive
  • Multi-disciplinary
  • Individualized
  • Emotionally sound

The Slingerland Approach is a classroom-based adaptation of the Orton-Gillingham Approach but is used frequently in small group and one to one sessions. It incorporates all these qualities effectively.

Do you have more questions?

Contact Angela to learn more about how she can help your child learn in a way that is meaningful for them.
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