How To Help Children With Reading Disorders

By Catalina Nielsen


Every child needs to understand words to enable him/her cope with learning. If this is not possible, the affected individual will not only face challenges in learning, but in life as well. It is not easy to detect. In fact, some are only noticed once the child has begun schooling. There are two main reading disorders.

The most common reading disability is dyslexia. This condition manifests itself as a difficulty in learning, comprehension fluency and decoding words. This condition is believed to have three cognitive subtypes, which are auditory, visual and attentional. Although its causes are numerous, it does not affect the IQ in any way.

The second condition is Hyperlexia. This is a condition in which the individual can be described as having above average IQs with word-reading ability that is well beyond his/her age. This is more of a super ability in which the ability to recognize words goes beyond the expected levels. However, some Hyperlexics experience difficulties in understanding speech. The majority of those affected lie within the autism spectrum.

There are many theories that try to elucidate on approaches that can help children with learning disorders. This area has seen a lot of research to understand the underlying problems to help deal with the real situation. However, some of the suggestions still face controversies. Below are some simple steps that can help you assist a child with such a condition.

Playing word games can help with recognition. Puzzles and word games are quite enjoyable. They build the ability of the child to understand difficult words as well as vocabulary. You can try things such as crossword puzzles, Scrabble, word bingo, or Boggle.

Make reading aloud a habit. Encourage the child to read common things such as street signs, directions, and labels. This does not have to be at home or in the classroom; it can be done anywhere the opportunity presents itself including in the car or store. It will be easier for them to learn when they do it in turns.

Make the activity enjoyable. Engage the child in discussion regarding what is being read. When they see that others are enjoying the activity, they will also want to be involved. Make this a daily activity so that they can get used to some words.

Be encouraging to the child. Some children may have a big problem with memorizing what they have read. If you can have them explain and engage them in discussion, and then apply what they have learned, they will continually get better.

Make the child listen to books. He/she may benefit from listening to textbooks. You can also use trade books, tapes or other recordings. It is also important to use assistive technologies such as screen readers to help them see the words.

Make bedtime reading a habit. This will stimulate their abilities and help develop language. You can use novels above their age to help develop creativity due to the high vocabulary level. Discuss each chapter with them to see what they understood.

Children with reading disorders learn best when they use multiple senses. Multi-sensory instruction enables the child to hear, see, touch, and act out words. All these sense should be put to use to help the individual engage and learn faster.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment