Some of the main challenges for the dyslexic student

Source: http://www.prescriptionforsuccess.net/dyslexia.html#anchor_27

There are the main challenges for a Dyslexic student:

Reading-Difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition, decoding (phonetics) of words, reading comprehension and slow growth of vocabulary.

Spelling-Visual memory weaknesses prevent a child from having a strong memory of what many common words look like. Using multi-sensory materials and techniques is the most effective help with spelling. 96% of the English words are regular. A Dyslexic’s spelling word list should be very limited and the use of computers for spelling word practice and tests is encouraged.  Spelling words forwards and backwards is a big help for long-term memory of spelling words.  Please do not tell a Dyslexic to use the dictionary to find the spelling of a word.

Sentence punctuation- Often, Dyslexic children omit ending punctuation and capitals on words.  For practice, type a paragraph with 5-6 lines in it on the computer.  Have your student add the punctuation and capitalization.

Handwriting-with their poor memory, dyslexic children experience difficulty memorizing the sequence of movements which make up the writing of each letter.  If this problem is severe, it is called “Dysgraphia.” A Dyslexic’s handwriting should be graded only on the content, rather than on the handwriting.  The best help for improving handwriting and memorizing spellings is to teach Dyslexic students cursive handwriting and the use of a word processor is suggested.

Sequencing of Ideas-Telling a story in the right order or explaining what happened can cause problems.  Dyslexic older students need to be taught to use a rough outline before writing an essay.  At first, this will be time-consuming, but it will results in confident writers.

Plenty of children struggle with reading. In a few months of receiving extra help, they usually catch up. A child with Dyslexia has enduring and unexpected difficulty with reading, spelling, and writing.  A dyslexic child, although bright, will not just “get it” after receiving extra help through traditional methods such a tutoring. A Dyslexic person needs a different kind of help over a longer period of time.