Education Psychology Service
Dyslexia
2008 is the Year of Reading. We want all children to be able to read and enjoy books.
The British Psychological Society says that "Dyslexia is evident when accurate and fluent word reading and/or spelling develops very incompletely or with great difficulty despite provision of appropriate learning opportunities." This means that dyslexia gets in the way of children learning to read and spell properly. They struggle even though they want to learn and they have been taught well. We know that the way schools teach and treat children with dyslexia can make a big difference to how well they can overcome the difficulty. Many Leicestershire schools are changing to become more 'dyslexia friendly'. The Local Authority and central government is supporting schools to make this change. A training package devised by national experts will be available for all Leicestershire schools from this autumn. For many children learning to read is difficult. This has nothing to do with their intelligence. Leicestershire teachers know a great deal about dyslexia and how to help children learn to read and write well. Your child's rate of progress in reading will be assessed at regular intervals. If school assessments indicate more help is needed this will be provided. You will be told what the school is doing and how you, as a parent/carer, can help. Educational Psychology Service - If you would like to speak to an Educational Psychologist about your child please telephone the duty service on 0116 2845100.
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How parents can help if children make a slower-than-hoped-for start learning to read and write
There is much that parents/carers can do to help with reading and writing. The following five rules provide useful guidelines:
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Try not to put your son or daughter under stress. Reading should always be an enjoyable activity. Let your child re-read favourite stories as often as he or she wishes.
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When choosing books with your child, teach the '5 finger test' to see if you have the right book. Ask your son or daughter to read from a page in the chosen book and put a finger on each word he or she has difficulty reading. If there are more than five words on a page which your child cannot read easily then the book is too difficult at present to read for enjoyment.
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Read to and with your child every day. It doesn’t matter what you read – comics or magazines are fine. 5 minutes spent reading together for enjoyment every day will be more useful than half an hour once a week. Choose a time when it is fairly quiet, other children are not around and your child is not tired.
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Join your local library. Allow your children to choose their own books and change the books regularly. Using CDs is also recommended because listening to favourite stories helps to develop vocabulary knowledge and maintains interest in books and reading generally.
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Create a real purpose for writing e.g. thank you letters, invitations, shopping lists, diary notes etc. Handwriting practices can be suggested by your son or daughter's teachers. Learning the skill of writing in a joined style is important since it will help your child memorise spellings.
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Link
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Description
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National Year of Reading 2008
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Poets and songwriters, limericks and lyrics, nursery rhymes, power ballads and humorous verse.
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(external website)
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Information about the Special Educational Needs (SEN) Code of Practice , the Disability Discrimination Act and a wealth of information about how dyslexic learners can be helped.
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Parent Partnership Service
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Parent Partnership Services (PPS) are designed to ensure that parents and carers of children with special educational needs (SEN) have access to information, advice and guidance on SEN matters to allow them to make informed decisions about their child’s education.
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Specialist Teaching Service Learning Support Team
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Aim: To enhance the educational opportunities of children and young people who are experiencing learning difficulties including dyslexia.
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(external website)
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The BDA is the voice of dyslexic people. Our vision is that of a dyslexia-friendly society that enables dyslexic people to reach their potential.
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(external website)
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Dyslexia Action is a national charity and the UK's leading provider of services and support for people with dyslexia and literacy difficulties.
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e-mail page to a friend
