Complete the decoding activity from the PBS Misunderstood Minds website. Follow the directions and complete the short exercise, then return to this page. How well were you able to read and understand the passage? How did you feel while trying to read the passage? Were you confused? Frustrated? Embarrassed? Angry?

Introduction to Dyslexia

This exercise provided a simulation of the experience of a student with a developmental reading disorder, also known as dyslexia, which is a learning disability that impacts reading. The severity of this learning disability varies and each student requires individual attention and consideration. According to The International Dyslexia Association (2002), dyslexia can be described as follows:

Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurological in origin. It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom instruction. Secondary consequences may include problems in reading comprehension and reduced reading experience that can impede the growth of vocabulary and background knowledge.

There are a number of other learning issues that have been linked to dyslexia, such as:

· Students may have problems figuring out the meaning of simple sentences.

· Students may have trouble learning to recognize written words.

· Students may struggle with rhyming and identifying the separate phonemes in spoken words.

· Dyslexia seems to affect areas of the brain involved in language comprehension.

· Inaccurate diagnosis of a reading problem as a vision problem.

· Inaccurate diagnosis of a student with a reading problem as having lower than normal intelligence.

· Dyslexia may be accompanied by a writing and/or arithmetic disorder, which are also tasks involving using symbols to convey information.

· Dyslexia often runs in families.

(A.D.A.M. Medical Encyclopedia, 2010)

Furthermore, the Mayo Clinic states that children with dyslexia have normal vision and intelligence (Mayo Clinic, 2014). Despite difficulties with reading and writing, individuals with dyslexia can excel in numerous areas. Researchers at the Yale Center for Dyslexia & Creativity (2014) discuss how individuals with dyslexia can display strengths and lead successful lives:

Dyslexics often think of unexpected ways to solve a problem or tackle a challenge. We don't fully understand whether this kind of creativity comes from the extra work dyslexics have to do to succeed at reading, or whether dyslexics are just naturally creative. What we do know, though, is that many, many people with dyslexia, even some who really struggled with reading and writing in elementary school and high school, went on to college, and work in jobs they love.

What kinds of supports might you provide in your library to make the reading experience less difficult for struggling readers?

Some additional ideas for supporting students with dyslexia include*:

· Provide access to audio books

· Provide opportunities for listening to text read aloud

· Select library databases that have a read aloud feature

· Provide choice in how students demonstrate learning (e.g., videos, podcasts, performances, oral presentations, collages, posters)

· Define new vocabulary in reading selections before reading

· Accompany reading selections with visual displays (e.g., graphs, charts, illustrations, concept maps) or related multimedia

· Provide written notes and summaries of reading selections

· Explain how texts are organized (e.g., parts of books and chapters)

· Summarize or discuss key concepts before and after reading

· Clarify and supplement written instructions with spoken ones

*From Gunter et al., 2005; Steele, 2008

References

A.D.A.M. Medical Encyclopedia. (2010). developmental reading disorder. Medline Plus. Retrieved from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001406.htm

Gunter, P. L., Reffel, J. M., Rice, C., Peterson, S., & Venn, M. L. (2005). Instructional modifications used by National Board certified teachers. Preventing School Failure, 49(2), 47-54.

International Dyslexia Association. (2002). What is dyslexia? Retrieved from http://www.interdys.org/FAQWhatIs.htm

Mayo Clinic. (2014). Dyslexia: definition. Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/dyslexia/basics/definition/con-20021904

Shaywitz, S. (1996). Dyslexia. Scientific American. 98-104. Retrieved from http://dyslexia.yale.edu/PAR_DysArticleintro.html

Steele, M.M. (2008). Helping students with learning disabilities succeed. The Science Teacher, 75(3), 38-42.

The Yale Center for Dyslexia & Creativity (2014). Talking is easy… why isn't reading. Retrieved from http://dyslexia.yale.edu/Stu_whatisdyslexia.html

U.S National Library of Medicine, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, & National Institutes of Health. (2012). Medline plus: developmental reading disorder. Retrieved from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001406.htm