Dyslexia and learning are strongly linked, and that’s undeniable. One essential thing to remember: a child with dyslexia is not an incapable child, but a child waiting for the right tools. And these tools do exist! Imagine their pride when they realize they can read and understand just like other students. Several experts argue that most children labeled as dyslexic are not actually dyslexic. To better understand this idea, it’s important to focus on the teaching methods used: unfortunately, some neglect the fundamentals of reading, which include phonological awareness, the connection between sound and letter, and explicit, structured instruction. Through this article, I would like to prove one thing to you: the difficulties caused by dyslexia are not insurmountable!
A complete definition of dyslexia to help you understand it better
Officially called ” specific learning disorder with reading deficiency “, dyslexia seems to affect more and more people, both children and adults.
This disorder affects the ability to read and write, manifesting as difficulties decoding words, recognizing letters, or associating sounds with written symbols. It also impacts comprehension of written text. However, dyslexia can also present itself in other forms: an inability to follow verbal instructions, short-term memory problems, or difficulties organizing thoughts.
Recent research¹ shows that dyslexia results from an alteration in the neural circuits involved in phonological processing, often located in the left hemisphere of the brain. Interventions based on multisensory approaches and phonological remediation are therefore proving more effective.
Colette Ouzilou, a speech therapist, explains in her book ” Dyslexia, a Real-False Epidemic ” that throughout her career, she has actually encountered very few “true dyslexics.” She asserts that only 1 to 2% of children labeled as dyslexic are actually dyslexic, while numerous statistics suggest much higher figures: between 5% and 15%.
Like Colette Ouzilou and Ghislaine Wettstein-Badour, several specialists support the idea that the majority of reading difficulties stem from inadequate teaching, particularly the semi-global reading methods introduced in the 1960s, and not from genuine neurological disorders. It would therefore be wiser to verify that the problem is not a failure of the learning process itself (global or semi-global methods), especially if there has been no significant disruption prbeforehe the start of learning (preschool).
On the other hand, the hyper-intuitive culture (in the sense of reflexive, rapid, and non-analytical functioning) of our postmodern era also explains the explosion of symptoms associated with dyslexia. Speed reading cannot be effective and can only lead to confusion of letters and words, making it difficult to access meaning. I discuss this in more detail in my article on fluency.
On this point, Elisabeth Nuyts-Vaillé offers the following explanation: “The symptoms of dyslexia are the result of an unconscious integration of learning. Reconstructing the conscious learning circuits makes it possible to reduce the symptoms, or even rule out a dyslexia diagnosis .”
Diagnosing dyslexia-where does it begin?
Often, doubts arise at the end of first grade, a stage where most students can read and write more fluently. If a child experiences significant difficulties and signs of dyslexia are observed, the teaching staff can report it to the parents. But sometimes, it is the parents themselves who notice it first.
It is at this point that an appointment is made with a speech therapist who is the recognized specialist for learning disabilities. By carefully observing the child and offering them adapted reading and writing exercises, the speech therapist can establish an accurate diagnosis.
The earlier the diagnosis, the better the support. If the report establishes a diagnosis of dyslexia, the child will receive support and will then be able to:
- Request a PAP (Personalized Support Plan) allowing him to have specific accommodations at school, and even during exams.
- Request an MDPH file to be accompanied by an AESH in your class.
Dyslexia and learning at school-What difficulties do students face?
Learning disabilities have a significant impact on academic learning, and dyslexia is no exception! Children affected by dyslexia experience several difficulties:
- To keep up with the school schedule, without a break for attention, the imposed pace is often far too intense to follow.
- To read and write fluently: depending on the school level, teachers’ demands become more and more precise, and a child with dyslexia cannot keep up with this pace.
- Emotional problems: a student’s academic difficulties in a class group can bring other problems, such as lack of self-confidence, frustration, and inevitable stress.
- A delay in other subjects due to reading and writing problems: if the student has difficulty reading instructions, they will struggle to understand the exercise and will therefore not respond correctly, whether in French, mathematics, history, etc.
- A lack of concentration and attention, students struggling with the intense pace, assessments, and exercises, as well as the scrutiny of their classmates, may experience attention difficulties. Here again, attentional breaks are essential.
But the impact of dyslexia is also felt outside of school. Individuals with dyslexia encounter difficulties in everyday life, such as reading a map while traveling, reading road signs, following a recipe, and so on. It is the person’s overall autonomy that is affected. So, how can we take preventive measures against dyslexia?
Early exposure to the key to fighting dyslexia?
To prevent dyslexia, it is essential to promote early exposure to reading. Indeed, the influence of early reading exposure on dyslexia is a subject studied in several fields, including developmental psychology, neuroscience, and education. Furthermore, Stanislas Dehaene, in his book “Reading in the Brain,” discusses the importance of early exposure to books for the development of the neural circuits involved in reading, particularly in the left hemisphere. Dehaene shows that early stimulation helps form the brain connections necessary for letter and word recognition. Although he does not establish a direct link with dyslexia, he explains that a lack of exposure to reading from a very young age can delay the development of these circuits, which can exacerbate predispositions to dyslexia. Interesting, isn’t it?
Furthermore, studies conducted by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) have shown that children who have early exposure to book-related activities with their parents (such as reading stories) develop better reading skills later in life. These studies conclude that the home environment plays a crucial role in the development of phonological skills, an area in which children with reading difficulties often struggle.
The term ” early exposure to reading ” generally refers to the reading-related interactions and activities a child is exposed to in the early years of life. This exposure can include parents reading stories, becoming familiar with books, and playing games involving sounds.
Here are some tips to encourage early exposure to reading, depending on your child’s age:
- Between 0 and 3 years old: read stories to children, familiarize them with books without pictures at first, then with very few words later on, and play games around sounds (saying only the sounds of the letters and not their names). There’s no need to teach the alphabet at this age; it would be detrimental to their development.
- Between 3 and 5 years, ld reads lots of stories, and increasingly longer ones (preferably with very few pictures) to develop better phonological and lexical skills, as well as orientation within a book and the direction of reading (the parent uses their finger while reading). Avoid having children “recognize” words, because words are not pictures! For example, a child’s first name: they are only able to read it (as well as those of their classmates) after discovering the alphabet and the phoneme-grapheme correspondence.
- Between 5 and 7 years old: continue along this path in parallel with the explicit learning of the basics of formal reading and the alphabetic code.
It is very important to continue reading regularly, even as children grow up. Whether they are 3, 7, 10, or 12 years old, shared reading time is essential at any age. This is not only because these reading moments significantly improve all children’s reading skills, but also because having a rich and stimulating environment within the family brings numerous benefits. A child who sees their parents reading daily, or who is read to regularly, will naturally be drawn to books. Reading together provides an opportunity to share, talk, and strengthen bonds: crucial factors for dyslexic students
Supporting a person with dyslexia in their learning-my advice
To effectively support a dyslexic child, several methods can be implemented (in addition to sessions with a speech therapist, as mentioned above). To begin, it’s essential to review the fundamentals and principles of effective learning, including:
- The development of phonological awareness (and therefore of phonemes)
- Explicit teaching of the correspondence between sounds and letters
These two skills are often taught inadequately and hastily in all our schools. For example, learning to break words down into syllables or doing sound hunts are activities to be avoided. It is essential to adopt effective tools and training to develop them properly and thoroughly. Here are some suggestions to help you, whether you are a teacher, a parent, or both!
To offer a rich and stimulating family environment
The role of parents, and more broadly of the family environment, is crucial. They are the bridge between school and home life: working collaboratively with teachers (and specialists!) is essential to providing effective learning tools. Without dialogue, progress is impossible. Parents are also present to monitor the progress of the various strategies implemented for their child diagnosed with dyslexia: the activities of the RéEDUK’action method or MULTI’MOUV® exercises are readily available to parents to complement any speech therapy sessions. These are fun, accessible rehabilitation activities designed to best support parents with the challenges they face. Activities practiced three or four times a week can improve academic performance and even allow the child to overcome the diagnostic criteria.
Being there for the child to help them manage their difficulties strengthens their self-confidence: they feel supported. It’s very important to praise them for every new step forward. And remember: patience, kindness, and active listening are the key elements of successful support.
The training course Improving reading skills and overcoming ‘dyslexia’ with 5P reading.
As a former middle school teacher, I have frequently encountered reading and writing difficulties among my students. And I know how challenging it can sometimes be to manage this within a classroom setting in order to properly support each student’s pace.
Recently, I created a training course to support all people affected by dyslexia: “Improving reading skills and getting out of ‘dyslexia’ with 5P reading”.
Within this program, I provide you with effective tools to:
- Strengthening reading skills and access to implicit meaning, at any age
- Defining and using the keys to mindful reading
- Identify the steps to develop the skills of fluent and meaningful reading
- Using the keys of mindful reading in individual or group coaching
This training isn’t just for those with diagnosed reading difficulties. In fact, these techniques also help strengthen the reading skills of people who have already built a solid foundation in their initial learning. The result? Better comprehension and a deeper understanding of implicit meaning.
Who is this training for?
- Teachers, trainers, educators
- Schools (private, non-profit, independent)
- Support professionals
- The parents
Once phonological awareness has been developed and the explicit teaching of sound-letter correspondence has been addressed, the brain must relearn to read fluently. The 5P reading keys will then be the primary tool for restoring the ability and pleasure of reading.
Interested in this program? Don’t hesitate to contact me, I’ll answer all your questions! Together, let’s offer a different approach to supporting individuals with dyslexia.
Tips for supporting dyslexic children in daily life, as dyslexic children experience difficulties daily. To help your students or your child progress more confidently, here are some tips that can be implemented at school or at home
- Adapting one’s language: a child is not dyslexic, but has dyslexia. A simple play on words or a significant difference, in your opinion?
- Reading guides: These are useful for helping the child focus on the sentence while reading. You can create one yourself.
- Adapt the font on documents that you can write on a computer: you should favour Arial, Verdana, Comic Sans MS, and Tahoma.
- Increase the line spacing in a computer-generated document to maximize readability. If you provide handouts to your students, this is a good way to support those with learning disabilities.
- Give the child more time to read aloud with clear articulation, which requires listening and patience.
- Limit the reading to certain parts of the text and gradually increase the amount.
- Do not ask him to read in front of the whole class if he does not feel ready (in general, this is a practice that I strongly advise against).
The symptoms of dyslexia can be challenging for academic learning. Yet, children with dyslexia are also capable of learning all the concepts covered in class, provided they are given the appropriate tools. With good personalized support, attentive listening, patience, and a stimulating environment, all children, even those diagnosed with dyslexia, can progress smoothly in their schooling. It simply requires adapting our teaching methods.
