Dyslexics Learn Differently

Many children that have reading difficulty are dyslexic. Up to twenty percent of individuals have dyslexia and dyslexia occurs from mild to severe. All children with dyslexia can read some. Many kids compensate because they are smart or have a strong memory. Dyslexics often get by in early grades but struggle in upper grades when the quantity of reading increases.

Prevent low self-esteem and emotional damage

Young children that struggle to read often feel they are not as smart as other children. Many parents tell me they worry about their child’s self-esteem because their child makes comments like, “I’m bad at reading.”  A third grade girl told her parents she was stupid because other kids read so much better than her.  According to the International Dyslexia Association, a child’s feelings of inferiority develops by age ten and after this age it becomes extremely difficult to help the child develop positive self-esteem. This is why early age dyslexia testing is so important! DON’T WAIT.

Children as young as age 5 ½ can be evaluated for dyslexia. Warning signs of dyslexia in elementary students include: family history, slow choppy reading, difficulty sounding out words quickly, and poor spelling in everyday writing. Many dyslexics can pass school spelling tests but spell the same words wrong in daily writing. Warning signs of dyslexia in older students include: disliking reading, poor reading comprehension, and slow reading speed.

If your child has dyslexia there are specific reading programs that can help your child overcome it. You don’t want to simple give your child more practice. You have to use a different reading program that is based on the work of Dr. Samuel Orton and Anna Gillingham. There is a huge difference in the way to teach a dyslexic reader because dyslexics learn differently. The best reading programs to help children with dyslexia are Orton-Gillingham based and two of the most effective programs are the Wilson Reading System and the Barton Reading and Spelling System.

Online dyslexia tutoring

Another option is online tutoring using the group called DyslexiaConnect.com.  If you prefer one to one tutoring, contact us and I have a list of tutors that use these reading programs.