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Early Childhood Strategies:

 

Explanation: The strategy of using audio books or books on CD/cassette can be used for a variety of readers such as those beginning to read, English language learners, and students with dyslexia.

 

Strategy: The use of books on CD or audio books. The student or class can listen to the narrator read the book while they follow along with the words. The book can be read and repeated more than once if the student wishes. If a teacher is using an audio book the classroom, they could present the book under the ELMO in order to allow students to follow along if they do not have their own copies.

 

Research Rationale: Reading while listening to an audio CD becomes multisensory approach since they are hearing the book read to them and visually following with their eyes as well. Listening to books read aloud allows students to have access to stories that are out of their reading range but within their comprehension zone (Yale). Listening to books being read aloud helps students develop building blocks for reading comprehension (Yale). It also allows them to make predictions, make connections between the story & their lives, and learn new vocabulary.

 

Some websites for finding audio books:

Learning Ally  https://www.learningally.org/educators/

 

List of ten websites to download free audio books

 

Book Share www.bookshare.org

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Explanation: These are two strategies for teaching spelling to students with dyslexia. Since students with dyslexia have specific difficulty with spelling skills, these strategies are extremely important.

 

Strategy: First, visual or tactile cues can help to present the word. For example, if the spelling word was monkey, a picture or a small stuffed monkey should be presented first. This allows for visual and possibly tactile experiences. Then write the word on the board for the student to see. Read the word aloud to the student. Now the student has experience visual (and maybe tactile) and auditory cues for the word as well as just reading the word on the board. (Elementary Education: How to Teach Spelling to Children with Dyslexia)

 

Second, works well for a spelling list with phonics concept such as “igh.” This strategy uses a white board, dry erase markers, and the spelling words. The phonics concept is always written in red within the word. The other letters in the word are black. Then any picture clues to go with the word would be in blue, orange, purple, or any other color. Compound words can be segmented with the picture in order to give the reminder clue that they are two parts and to help remind the student to think of each section. See the example of this strategy in the video below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Research Rationale: The article "Spelling and Dyslexia" on Reading Rockets website describes the process of spelling and reason why it is specifially challening for students with dyslexia. Students with dyslexia often need different methods that are more multi-sensory in order to help cue the word for them. As with any student, different strategies will work best for different students. However, both of these strategies used above have been successful in their given situations.

 

(Reading Rockets, 2011)

 

Accommodations for all students with dyslexia:

  • Repeat Directions

  • Maintain daily routine

  • Provide students with a graphic organizer

  • Use step-by-step directions

  • Combine verbal and visual information

  • Present key words or points on the board

  • Use presentations balanced with oral & visual information and activites balanced between whole group, small group, or individual activities

  • Emphasize daily review

 

Accommodations involving student performance:

  • Change response mode ( For example: Students can use drawings, underlining, multiple choice, or can be given extra space for writing responses)

  • Encourage use of graphic organizers

  • Encourage use of assignment books or organizers

  • Include more information on worksheets or handouts to reduce copying of information

  • Turn lined paper vertically for organizing math work

  • Create hierarchical worksheets (easier problems working up to more difficult ones)

  • Allow use of instructional aids

  • Display work samples

  • Use peer-mediated learning

  • Use flexible work times

   

    (Mercer)

Strategies & Methods for Teachers

Middle Childhood Strategies

 

 

Explanation: Various vocabulary methods can be used in order to help dyslexic students (and other students as well) to learn vocabulary words.

 

Strategy: The strategy of illustrating new words can be used in order to help students with dyslexia better recall their vocabulary words. By drawing a picture to accompany the word, students are thinking about the meaning of the word instead of just memorizing the definition. Students can then create flash cards which include the word & their illustration that shows the meaning along with the definition. Other similar ideas include allowing students to create a motion or action that goes with the vocabulary word. This would be very beneficial to students who are tactile learners. Finally, students could write a story using their vocabulary words to demonstrate an authentic meaning. (Yale) With any of these strategies, the words should be read aloud to the student & read again multiple times as they begin their work with the new vocabulary words.

 

Research Rationale: Students with dyslexia struggle with written vocabulary, especially more complex words. Students may know the written word when used in a sentence and read aloud, but the written word on a paper they do not know. Regular drill & practice vocabulary methods are not likely to be as effective with dyslexic students (and other students as well). Options like the strategies listed above offer visual, tactile, kinesthetic, and auditory learning for the student. (Yale Center for Dyslexia & Creativity, 2014)

 

 

Explanation: The use of graphic organizers & limited note taking can help I student who is dyslexic. The graphic organizer can be used to stay organized when reading or writing. While limited note taking can allow the student with dyslexic to not fall farther behind as they learn it can also be used to organize thoughts during reading or writing activities.

 

Strategy: Students can use graphic organizer such as webs, story maps, timelines, KWL charts, Venn Diagrams, and flowcharts can help to keep information organized.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Use the website www.popplet.com to create graphic organizer webs online. Also, available through Popplet is an iPad applicatioin to create graphic organizers.

 

Other websites for graphic organizers:

 

Eduplace Graphic Organizers

Scholastic Graphic Organizers for Reading Comprehesion

Reading A to Z Graphic Organizers

 

 

Research Rationale: The use of graphic organizers such as webs, story maps, timelines, KWL charts, Venn diagrams, and flowcharts can help keep information organized, especially in students with dyslexia. By organizing this information with a graphic organizer while reading, students can keep the information organized in order to use it for answering questions, creating a summary, or writing about the nonfiction information once they are finished reading. (Long et al, 2007)

 

 

Adolescent Strategies

 

Explanation: Modified notes or graphic organizers can help to organize thoughts and shorten the amount of copying from the board students with dyslexia need to do.

 

Strategy:  The strategy of using modified notes can be used in order to complete the same notes that other students have, just in a different way. Teachers can modify notes by giving the student an outline that just has some blanks to fill in instead of having all of the notes to write throughout a class. Teachers could also create an outline which has blanks to fill in and provide a word bank. This way when the word comes up to fill in the blank, the student has the word in the word bank to view and fill in the blank. These type of modified notes can be created in a variety of ways in order to meet the specific students needs. Finally, the teacher could allow students to record so that they are not looking up and down to take down notes and not keeping up. If this is the route in which they choose, students could be provided with a Livescribe Smart Pen 3 (if possible) or a similar assistive technology to assist in note taking.

 

Research Rationale: Research has shown that adolescent students with dyslexia use graphic organizers and modified note-taking procedures in order to organize their thoughts and keep up with the note taking process.

(Kirby et al., 2008)

 

 

Explanation: In this strategy, the teacher will show students how to use a thesaurus for use in finding the correct spelling of words instead of a dictionary. This could be easier for students with dyslexia with very poor spelling skills.

 

Strategy: Allow students to look up the spelling of words using a thesaurus instead of a dictionary if possible. Instead of using a dictionary which can be a dead end if they start with the wrong beginning letter or are far off in the correct spelling. This strategy cannot be used with all words; however, if the word they’re looking for has a synonym that is a smaller word such as big, happy, sad, they can look up that word in the thesaurus and then locate the word they are searching for from the given synonyms.

 

Research Rationale: Spelling is important in professional writing. As adolescents, students need strategies for fixing spelling mistakes in their writing or finding the correct spelling before completing the writing process. Students can use an assistive technology which looks for spelling mistakes, but this is a more traditional way in order to fix spelling mistakes. Students with dyslexia may have more trouble finding a word in a dictionary because they could be far off from the correct spelling. For example: a student wants to look up the spelling of enormous and they think it starts with the letter “I”. If they go to the “I” section, they will never find the word enormous. However, if they use a thesaurus and look for the word “big” which is fairly easy to spell, they will come across enormous as a synonym. They will then have the correct spelling to use in their writing. (Brown & Ford, 2007)

 

 

Assitive Technology for students with Dyslexia:

 

 

 

 

Name: Bookshare program  www.bookshare.org

 

Cost:  Free

 

Purpose:  Bookshare® provides the world’s largest online library of accessible reading materials for people with print disabilities. Individuals can sign up for membership and access the library on their own. Organizations that serve individuals with print disabilities (schools, libraries, community centers, etc.) can sign up and provide access to their students or clients.

A Bookshare membership offers unlimited access to accessible books, textbooks, newspapers and magazines. Additionally, free access technology makes it easy to read books with a computer.

Through an award from the U.S. Department of Education Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), Bookshare offers free memberships to U.S. schools and qualifying U.S. students.

 

Targeted skill: Reading; all books on book share are screen-reader friendly so students can choose to listen & follow the text with their eyes as it is being read to them.

 

 

 

Name: LiveScribe Smart Pen 3 http://www.livescribe.com/en-us/smartpen/ls3/

 

Cost: $149.95 or Pro edition for $199.95

(similar products from Live Scribe - Echo Smartpen version $119.95, Sky smartpen $169.95)

 

Purpose: This product allows handwritten notes (taken on Livescribe dot paper) to instantly appear on your iPad, iPhone, or iPod. It allows students to record audio that’s synchronized with you written notes using the mics on your iPad or iPhone. Notes can be tagged, made searchable, and converted to text using the Livescribe+ mobile application.  This device is compatible with iPhone, iPad, iPod products.

 

Targeted skill: This would allow for organized note taking within a classroom setting. I can see this being a useful tool for middle school and adolescent students with dyslexia. It can help with organized note taking & better study tools

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Name:  Typ-O HD: Writing is for Everybody app for iPad or iPhone  https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/typ-o-hd-writing-is-for-everybody!/id372971659?mt=8

 

Cost: $14.99 for the app

 

Purpose: Not just word prediction! Typ-O knows how you misspell words. This is how it finds the right words for even your worst typos. This application is customizable & can be set with limited support, medium support, or a lot of support. It even allows students to change languages between English, Austrailian, German, French, and Spanish. Finally, it allows students to email, copy, or print their writing when completed.

 

Targeted skill: This app targets misspelling in order to increase readability and encourage writing in students who are not great spellers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last updated July 15, 2014

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