Teaching Literacy to Individuals with Dyslexia: What Research Tells Us

As educators, it is essential to identify and understand the underlying roots of learning challenges to integrate appropriate intervention practices for all students (Goswami, 2008; Hudson, High, & Al Otaiba, 2007). As educators, it is essential to recognize the early warning signs of learning challenges to provide students with the support they need to overcome the learning obstacles (Berninger, Lee, Abbott, & Breznitz, 2013; Gray, 2008; Hudson, High, & Al Otaiba, 2007). As educators, it is essential to use the right tools and assessments to know students are learning (Hudson, et al., 2007). Many diverse learning challenges with literacy have dyslexia at the underlying root. Learners with the life-long obstacle of dyslexia must adapt their learning skills to overcome difficulties with language processing (Goswami, 2008). Unfortunately, common misconceptions still plague definitions and understandings about dyslexia (Washburn, Joshi, & Binks-Cantrell, 2011), and early warning signs can be easily overlooked during early elementary school (Gray, 2008; Hudson, et al., 2007), which challenges the question: how to help those individuals with this disability? Dyslexia will be defined and research based practices will be shared (Berninger, Lee, Abbott, & Breznitz, 2013; Griffiths & Stuart, 2013; Lorusso & Bakker, 2011; Vellutino, Fletcher, Snowling, & Scanlon, 2004). References Berninger, V. W., Lee, Y., Abbott, R. D., & Breznitz, Z. (2013). Teaching children with dyslexia to spell in a reading-writers\u27 workshop. Annals Of Dyslexia, 63(1), 1-24. Goswami, U. (2008). Reading, dyslexia and the brain. Educational Research, 50(2), 135-148. Gray, E.S. (2008). Understanding dyslexia and its instructional implications: A case to support intense intervention. Literacy Research and Instruction. 47(2). 116-123. Griffiths, Y., & Stuart, M. (2013). Reviewing evidence-based practice for pupils with dyslexia and literacy difficulties. Journal Of Research In Reading, 36(1), 96-116. Hudson, R. F., High, L., & Al Otaiba, S. (2007). Dyslexia and the brain: What does current research tell us?. Reading Teacher, 60(6), 506-515. Lorusso, M. L., Facoetti, A., & Bakker, D. J. (2011). Neuropsychological treatment of dyslexia: Does type of treatment matter?. Journal Of Learning Disabilities, 44(2), 136-149. Vellutino, F. R., Fletcher, J. M., Snowling, M. J., & Scanlon, D. M. (2004). Specific reading disability (dyslexia): What have we learned in the past four decades?. Journal Of Child Psychology And Psychiatry, 45(1), 2-40. Washburn, E. K., Joshi, R. M., & Binks-Cantrell, E. S. (2011). Teacher knowledge of basic language concepts and dyslexia. Dyslexia, 17(2), 165-183