PREPARED BY AZUBUIKE CHINE B TECH.PGDE

1. 1
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
The quality of an education system cannot exceedthe quality of its teachers
is an obvious truth which applies to the assessment and teaching learners
of any age who are dyslexic. Thus the saying, you cannotgive what you
don’t have.
In other words, success depends first and foremost on teachers who know
what they are doing and why they are doing it.
BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
Accordingto Wikipedia definition; Dyslexia, also known as reading
disorder or alexia,is a learningdisabilitycharacterizedby
trouble reading despite a normal intelligence. Differentchildren are
affected to differentdegrees. Problems may include soundingout
words, spelling words, readingquickly, writingwords, pronouncingwords
when readingaloud, and understandingwhatwas read. Often these
difficulties are first noticed at school. The difficulties are not voluntaryand
people with this disorder have a normal desire to learn.
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
At regular times, the problem of dyslexia in school age children has posed
an area of great concern to both schools and homes who have little or no
knowledge of the problem. So it becomes impossible that they are able to

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find solution or effective managementof this worrisome disorder. This
therefore also puts the teachers in a state of confusion andbewilderment
on how to draw a line between those with dyslexia and the normal children
in order to carry them all along in the learningprocess.
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
This research has relevance from an educational perspective that views
dyslexia as serious impediment to optimal education. Furthermore, if left
undetected and properlymanaged could pose a very serious danger to the
child’s academic pursuit. The specific objective of this study is
1. To extract the causes of truancyin dyslexic pupils
2. To examine why teachers are incapable of dealingwith dyslexia in
pupils.
3. To find out why dyslexia is still unpopular or a mystery.
4. To view the effect of combiningdyslexic and normal pupils in the
same classroom
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
It is generallybelievedthat dyslexia can affect between 5 to 10 percent of a
given pupil population, although there has been no studies to indicate an
accurate percentage (Mc Candliss andNobel 2003, Brish 2005, Czepita and
Lodygowska 2006). In Nigeria, statistics are not readilyavailable. Verylittle
is known on dyslexia. This research study will be relevantto stakeholders in
the Nigerian education sector especiallyparents and teachers as well as
serve a useful resource material for future researchers.

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Parents Itis all too obvious that the effects of dyslexia can be deeply
disturbing for children andtheir parents. Moreover, there is a very real risk
that parents’ anxieties will be transmitted to children. Alongwith the child’s
experience of fallingbehind, this may result in worseningemotional barriers
to reading. All of which means that it will be essential for schools to engage
parents in a constructive dialogue about how, together, they can help the
child overcome the difficulties associatedwith dyslexia.
Teachers Within primary schools, teachers will know the children in their
classes.Reviews of progress, together with parents/carers andthe children
themselves, will point to difficulties that need further investigation/action.
Future researchers This research project will form an invaluable reference
material in the hands of future researchers, making their work simpler and
richer.
SCOPE OF THE STUDY
This study covers the strategies employed by teachers in the management
of dyslexia in primaryschools in Awka South L.G.A. of Anambra State.
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
1. What are the causes of truancyin dyslexic pupils?
2. Why are teachers incapable of dealingwith dyslexia in pupils?
3. Why is dyslexia still unpopular or a mystery?
4. What are the effects of combiningdyslexic and normal pupils in the
same classroom?

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CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
This chapter will review the relevantliterature to the study. It was done
under the followingsub-headings:
Concept of dyslexia : Definitions , historical background
Characteristics of dyslexia
Types of dyslexia
Causes of dyslexia
Concept of management
Summary of reviewedliterature
Concept of dyslexia
Dyslexia is a reading disorder in pupils identifiedin part by difficulties with
single-wordreadingandspelling(Lyon et al 2003; Pennington, 2009).
Prevalence estimates range from 6 to 17% of the school age population
dependinglargelyon criteria for the severity of readingdifficulties (Fletcher
et al., 2007). There is male preponderance, with a ratio of about 1.5:1 but
lower than historical estimates of about 3–4:1 (Rutter et al.2004). The
origins of dyslexia are neurobiologicalwith strong evidence for heritability,
but environmental factors also shape and ameliorate riskfor dyslexia; it can
be prevented in many children with early intervention (Fletcher et al 2007;
Pennington 2009).

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Definitions:
Earlier definitions such as that from the WorldFederation of Neurology
identifieddyslexia as a disorder of readingin the presence of average
intelligence, conventional instruction, andsocioeconomic status (Critchley,
1970). Such definitions have been widelycriticizedbecause they mostly
indicate what dyslexia is not, that is, definition by exclusion, andfail to
provide inclusionarycriteria (Rutter, 1982). Contemporarydefinitions have
evolved through research so that dyslexia is now often definedaccordingto
a definition from the InternationalDyslexia Association (IDA) as “difficulties
with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spellingand
decoding abilities.These difficulties typicallyresultfrom a deficit in the
phonological componentof language that is often unexpectedin relation
to other cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom
instruction.”(Lyon et al., 2003) Note that not only does this definition
indicate inclusionarycriteriaspecifyingthat dyslexia is a word-level disorder
but also that dyslexia occurs because of a specific cognitive deficit,
evidence of adequate classroominstruction, andabsence of other
disabilities that would explain the readingproblem (e.g., intellectual
retardation). There is no reference to intelligence quotient(IQ) or
socioeconomic status.

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These changes in the definition of dyslexia represent a fundamental shift in
scientific understandingof learningdisabilities that has occurredover the
past 25 years. A major component is the move away from general
descriptions of “readingdisorders”to specific types of readingproblems
that may involve
(1) decoding single words (dyslexia),
(2) the ability to read words and text automaticallyin the absence of a word
readingproblem (fluency), or
(3) a comprehension problemwhen decoding and fluency skills are intact.
A person with dyslexia typicallyhas problems with all three domains
because of the word readingbottleneck, but smaller groups of children
experience difficultyprimarilywith fluencyand/or comprehension. This
distinction is important because the neuropsychological and
neurobiological correlates will varydepending on the nature of the reading
problem (Fletcher et al., 2007).
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND: A neuropsychological perspective
To understandthe evolution of the concept of dyslexia, consider Benton's
(1975) review of research on dyslexia. At this time, neuropsychologists
assessed symptoms of brain dysfunction to understandthe etiology of
dyslexia as a prerequisite to treatment.

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Thus, Benton (1975) identifiedeight neuropsychological correlates of
dyslexia, includingdeficits in
(i) visuo-perceptual and audio perceptual functions,
(ii) directional sense,
(iii) right–leftdiscrimination,
(iv) finger recognition,and
(v) generalizedlanguagedeficiencies.
Children couldbe identifiedwith dyslexia based on a readingproblem, a
neuropsychologicaldeficit, soft neurologicalsigns, clumsiness,
electrophysiologicaldeficits, and even behavior problems, reflectingthe
historical origin of the concept of dyslexia in neurologicallybased
behavioral difficulties epitomizedby the hyperactive child(Rutter, 1982).
The term dyslexia has been defined in differentway but no conceptual
consensus has been reached. Accordingto Martin, Carlson and
Buskist(2007), it refers to a disorder involvingimpairedreading, writingand
spelling. The World Federation of Neurologists (1968) defined dyslexia as a
disorder in children who despite conventional classroomexperience fail to
attain the language skill of reading, writingand spellingcommensurate
with their intellectualabilities.In relatingdyslexia with learningdisabilities,
the National Institute of Neurological Disorder andStroke(2010) defined
dyslexia as a disorder that impairs a person’s ability to read and which can
visibly manifestas a difficultywith phonological awareness, phonological
decoding, orthographic coding, and auditoryshort term memory. Thus

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dyslexia is a learningdisabilitythat can hinder a pupil’s ability to read, write,
spell and sometimes speak.
Characteristics of dyslexia
Though dyslexia varies from person to person, common characteristics
among people with dyslexia are difficultywith spelling; phonological
processing( manipulationof sound) and rapid visual- verbal responding
despite having normal intelligence. Other notable characteristics of dyslexia
include difficultycopyingfrom the board or a book can also suggest
problems. There may be disorganization of written work. A childmay not
be able to remember content, even if it involves a favorite storybook.
Problems with spatial relationships can extend beyond classroom and be
observed on the playground. The child may appear to be uncoordinated
and have difficultywith organizedsport and games. (Grigorenko 2001)
Dyslexia can go undetected in earlygrades of schooling. The childmay
become frustrated by the difficultyin learningto read. Other problems can
arise that disguise dyslexia. The childmay show signs of depression and low
self esteem. Behavior problems at home as well as at school are frequently
seen.
The child’s success in school may be jeopardizedif the problem remains
untreated.
The emotional symptoms and signs are just as important as the academic
and requireddesiredattention. (Grigorenko 2001, Martin et al 2007)

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It is generallybelievedthat dyslexia can affect between 5 to 10 percent of a
given pupil population, although there has been no studies to indicate an
accurate percentage( Mc Candiss and Nobel 2003, Brish 2005, Czepita and
Lodygowska 2006. In Nigeria statistics are not readilyavailable. Verylittle is
known on dyslexia.
Types of dyslexia
Accordingto the National Institute for NeurologicalDisorder and Stroke
(2010) there are several types of dyslexia that can affect the child’s abilityto
spell as well as read. These include; Trauma dyslexia, Primarydyslexia and
Secondary or Developmental dyslexia.
i. Trauma dyslexia. This type of dyslexia occurs after some form of
brain trauma or injuryto the area of the brain that controls reading
and writing.
ii. Primarydyslexia: This type of dyslexia is a dysfunction of, rather
than damage to, the left side of the brain( cerebral cortex) and
does not change with age. Individual with this type are rarelyable
to read above primaryfour. Primarydyslexia is passed in family
line through their genes. It is found more often in boys than in
girls.( Czepita et al 2006)
iii. Secondary dyslexia: This type of dyslexia is said to be caused by
hormonal development during the earlystages of fetal
development. Developmental dyslexia diminishes as the child
matures. It is also more common in boys than girls. From the
foregoing, dyslexia may affect several differentfunctions.

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iv. Visual dyslexia is characterizedby number and letter reversal and
the abilityto write symbols in the correctsequence.
v. Auditory dyslexiainvolves difficultywith sound of letters. The
sounds are perceivedas jumbled or not heardcorrectly.
Causes of dyslexia
Although there are several causes of dyslexia, it is generallyagreedby
researchers (e.g Mc Candiss et al and Nobel 2003, Czepita et al 2006,
Martins et al 2010) that dyslexia is causedprimarilyby impairmentin the
brain’s ability to translate image receivedfrom the eyes or ears into
understandable language. It does not result from vision or hearing
problems. Dyslexia is not due to mental retardation, brain damage or lack
of intelligence.
Other causes of dyslexia accordingto researchers, is as a resultof slowness
or failure of language to lateralize to the left hemisphere. The failure may
be due to physiologicalabnormality, or to the child’s assumption that he or
she will fail or lack motivation. There is also the possibility of neural
immaturity; the brain is lateralized, but as a result of slowness in
development in the language area of the left hemisphere, the child has
difficultyin learning to read.( Kinsbourne and Cook 1971)
Apart from the foregoing, dyslexia can be causedas a result of factors
within the home and school. A number of researchers(e.g. Ikediashi and
Iroegbu 1998, Kalogo 2002 and Ikediashi 2010) agree that the family
environmentand the school to a large extent affect academic performance
of children in school.

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Studies by Kalogo 2002 have shown that the familyoriented variables relate
significantlyto the behavior and academic performance of the child. For
example, children from middle class families who had better home
environments performbetter in school work, stay longer in school when
compared with children frompoor backgroundwho may resort to truancy.
Their signs and problem of dyslexia may be better diagnosedand probably
better handled.
Similarly, the school and indeed certain aspects of its culture may pre-
dispose a childto dyslexia. There are many tensions in school life. The
school compels a child to adjust to strange children, unfamiliarteachers etc.
The school also compels the childto perform tasks that may be difficultto
tackle. Also school where the teacher is ill trained, lack of necessarybasic
instructional techniques to teach may aggravate a child’s personal struggle
with the fear of school. The result is that some of these children may find it
very difficultto adjust to the school schedule.
Concept of management
Managementcan be definedas the organization andcoordination of the
activities of a business in order to achieve defined objectives. Management
is often includedas a factor of production alongwith machines, materials
and money. Accordingto the managementguru Peter Drucker(1909-2005),
the basic task of managementincludes both marketing and innovation.
Practice of modern management originates from the 16th
centurystudy of
low efficiencyand failures of certain enterprises, conductedby English
statesman Sir Thomas More(1478-1535). Managementconsists of the
interlockingfunctions fo creatingcorporate policy and organizing,

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planning, controllingand directingan organization’s resource in order to
achieve the objectives of that policy.
However managementin the context of this research can be viewed
accordingto Donnel(1984) as the process undertaken by one or more
individuals to coordinate the activities of others to achieve result not
achievable by one individual actingalone. Furthermore, that management
is also seen as getting things done through efforts of others and can be
more scientificallyseen as the coordination of all resources by organizing,
directingand controllingthem in order to attain organizational objectives.
Management of dyslexia
When a childcannot read or write very well in the class. There is the need
for the teacher to know why. An experiencedteacher by way of careful
observation can easilydetect dyslexia. There is significantor generally
acceptable cure for dyslexia except its management. In addition the dyslexic
pupils can be assisted to learn to read and write with the appropriate
instructional strategies andeducational support. An important aspect of
dyslexia is for the school to develop a plan with the parent of the dyslexics
to meet their challenges.However, if the dyslexics currentschool is
unpreparedto address this condition, the childneeds to be transferredto
another school with better plan and facilities to handle dyslexia.
In addition, a good treatment plan shouldfocus essentiallyon
strengtheningthe child’s weakness while utilizingthe strengths. A

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multisensorymethod which requires the dyslexic to hear, see, say and do
something, could be employed.(Schulte-Korne et al 2010)
Summary of reviewed literature
Dyslexia is an often misunderstood, confusingterm for readingdifficulties,
but despite the many confusions and misunderstandings the term dyslexia
is commonlyused by a number of medical personnel, researchers and the
general public. Identifyingan individualas 'dyslexic' can help them to
understandtheir experiences but this label does not give any information
or direction on how to support and teach this individual to read and write.
For this reason the term dyslexia is often avoided in educational contexts
with preference given to the terms ‘learningdisability’, ‘specific learning
disability’or ‘specific learningdifficulty’. However, the continueduse of the
term dyslexia in research andby many members of the general public
means that these phrases are often used interchangeably, as will be the
case in this review. The purpose of this literature review is to examine
available research on dyslexia, the tools commonly used to identify the
affected pupils, the support services that are available to these pupils and
who provides these services.The overarchinggoal is to gather evidence on
the effectiveness of management strategies or techniques used to improve
literacylevels of dyslexic pupils or pupils at risk of dyslexia in order to

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inform evidence based policy developmentwithin the Awka South Local
GovernmentArea Ministry of Education.

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CHAPTER THREE
METHOD
This chapter describedmethods used by the researcher in carryingout this
study. The chapter is discussed under the followingsubheadings:
Research design
Area of study
Population of the study
Sample and samplingtechnique
Instrument for data collection
Validation of instrument
Reliabilityof the instrument
Method of data collection
Method of data analysis
Research Design
The survey research design was used in this study. It is noted that the
survey research study a group of people or items which is done by the

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collection and analysis from a particular groupof people or item for them
to represent a large number population. The opinion obtainedfrom the
group of people or items studied will be the general opinion of the entire
population or sample (Nwogu 1999)
Area of the study
The study covered all the forty two (42) government owned primaryschools
in Awka South local government area. The towns in Awka South Local
GovernmentArea include; Awka, Nibo, Nise , Amawbia, Mbaukwu,
Umuawulu, Okpuno, Isiagu and Ezinato. Based on the nine towns ,nine
schools were selected to represent the study.

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Population of the study
The population for the study consists of all the teachers in all the 42
government ownedprimary schools in Awka South Local GovernmentArea
of Anambra State. The total number of teachers was four hundredand
forty one (441)
Sample and Sampling Techniques
Simple random samplingtechnique was used to select one hundredand
fifteen (115) out of four hundredand forty one teachers which now formed
the sample size for the study.
Instrument for Data Collection
Questionnaire was the data collection instrumentemployed. The
questionnaire was designedby the researcher. The questionnaire consists
of two sections A and B; Section A was designedto collectbackground
information. Section B was structuredbased on the four research questions
formulatedfor this study. The researcher useda four point rating scale
under which the respondents were requiredto tick as applicable; Strongly
agreed 4points; Agreed 3points; strongly disagreed2points and Disagreed
1point.

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Validation of the instrument
The instrument was given to three experts, two in Educational Management
and Policy, and one in Measurementand Evaluation all from Nnamdi
Azikiwe UniversityAwka. My supervisor scrutinizedthe appropriateness and
adequacybefore the final draft was used.
Reliability of the instrument
To test the reliabilityof the instrument, the researcheremployedthe test-
re-test method. Accordingto Ozigi (1982) the test-re-test technique is a
process wherebythe researcheradministers the constructedquestionnaire
on the same reliable sample group more than once with the view of
discoveringnew consistencyon the completion of the test-re-test exercise,
the researcherdiscoveredthat the responses from the questionnaire given
out were consistentor near consistence. The researcher thus claimedthat
the instrumentwas valuable and reliable.
Method of Data Collection
The researcher wentto each of the schools that were randomlyselected
and administered one hundredand fifteen questionnaire to the teachers.
The questionnaires were administeredface-to-face andat the end the
researcher collectedthe questionnaires back from the respondents. Out of

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the one hundredand twenty seven questionnaires given out , one hundred
and eighteen of them were duly filled and returned.
Method of Data Analysis
The data collectedwere analysedusingfrequencies andpercentages. All
the data collectedwere analysedon a frequencytable with columns for the
respective respondents.

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CHAPTER FOUR
PRESENTATION OF RESULTS AND DATA ANALYSIS
This chapter dealt with the presentation of results and data analysis. The
results are presentedin tables accordingto research questions.
Research Question 1: To findout the causes of truancy among the dyslexics.
Table 1: Percentage Responses on causes of truancy among dyslexic pupils in
primary schools in Awka South local government area?
s
/
n
Questions No of
respon
dents
SA A SD D Total
(%)
No % No % No % No %
1 Teachers who are unaware of the
concept of dyslexia and are
unable to identify such pupils
115 98 85.2 9 7.8 - - 8 6.9 100
2 Lack of help for the dyslexic pupil
encourages truancy
115 87 75.6 28 24.4 - - - - 100
3 Dyslexic pupils have strong dislike
for school life
115 102 88.7 13 11.3 - - - - 100
4 Inadequate teaching materialsfor
dyslexic pupils affect their
learning capabilities
115 59 51.3 32 27.8 3 2.6 21 18.3 100
5 Inadequate supply of relevant
support materialby parents to
help their dyslexic children.
115 94 81.8 10 8.7 2 1.7 9 7.8 100
6 The schoolslack study/
recreational materials to aid
dyslexic pupils.
115 112 97.4 3 2.6 - - - - 100

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Table 1 shows that the greatest percentage of respondents fall within
Strongly agreed (SA). This is followed by Agreed (A) and StronglyDisagreed
(SD) and Disagreedrespectively. It indicates that there is more positive
response to the research question than negative. This shows that teachers
should identifydyslexic pupils and provide assistance in order to reduce
truancyamong them.
Research Question 2: To findout why teachers are incapable of dealing with
dyslexia in pupils.
Table 2: Percentage Responses on why teachers are incapable of dealing with
dyslexia in pupils in primary schools in Awka South local government area?
s/n Questions
No of
respon
dents
SA A SD D Total
(%)
No % No % No % No %
7 Teachers are not professionally
equipped to attend to the needs
of pupils with dyslexia
115 106 92 9 8 - - - - 100
8 Irregular salaries and delays
dampen teacherscommitment
to patience towards pupilswith
dyslexia
115 74 64.4 41 35.6 - - - - 100
9 Government’slack of
understanding and support for
such pupils with dyslexia
115 115 100 - - - - - - 100
10
School management are not
able to give extra allowance to
cater for pupils with dyslexia.
115 110 95.7 5 4.3 - - - - 100

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One hundredand six(106) out of one hundredand fifteen(115) respondents
strongly agreed that teachers are not professionallyequippedwhich
represents 92%. This table shows that most of the respondents answeredin
the affirmative to the factors listed.
Research Question 3: To findout why dyslexia is still unpopular or a mystery.
Table 3: Percentage responses on why dyslexia is still unpopular or a mystery
in primary schools in Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra State.
s/
n
Questions No of
respon
dents
SA A SD D Total
(%)
No % No % No % No %
11 Parents are uninformed and
therefore do not present the pupils
case to the school for monitoring.
115 92 80 15 13 - - 8 7 100
12 Lack of sufficient psychiatric
specialist hospitals for early
detection of such error as dyslexia
115 108 93.9 7 6.1 - - - - 100
13 High poverty rate amongst parents
who cannot afford professional
therapy for dyslexic children.
115 102 88.7 13 11.3 - - - - 100
14 Lack of consent from parents to
schools to apply measures they
deem proper for dyslexic pupils.
115 81 70.4 28 24.4 - - 6 5.2 100
The table shows that the respondents either strongly agreed or agreed on
the items listed above while only 7and 5.2% disagreed with the fact that
parents are uninformedandtherefore do not present the pupils case to the

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school for monitoringand lack of consent from parents to schools to apply
measures they deem proper for dyslexic pupils respectively.
Research Question 4: To findout the effect of combining dyslexic andnormal
pupils in the same classroom.
Table 4: Percentage responses on the effect of combiningdyslexic and
normal pupils in the same classroom of primary schools in Awka South Local
Government Area of Anambra State.
s/
n
Questions No of
respon
dents
SA A SD D Total
(%)
No % No % No % No %
15 Teachers spend extra time in
order to carry along the slow
learning dyslexic pupils.
115 69 60 39 33.9 - - 7 6.1 100
16 Dyslexic pupils suffer severe
psychological bullying from
normal pupils.
115 95 82.6 6 5.2 - - 14 12.2 100
17 Teachers overwhelming
preferences towards the sound
/normal pupils over the dyslexic
pupils.
115 83 72.2 19 16.5 - - 13 11.3 100
18 Teachers seem inefficient for lack
of ability to carry along both
normal and dyslexic pupils
simultaneously.
115 28 24.4 79 68.7 - - 8 6.9 100

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This table shows a negative response of 36.5% to all the items listed above
while others were answeredin the affirmative meaningthat the
respondents agree mostly on the items listed.

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CHAPTER FIVE
Discussion, Implication, Conclusion and Recommendations
Discussion
This chapter has far reachingimplications for education. It has further
revealedthe facts about some school children in our system that are
affected by dyslexia, and if left undetected could be a serious problemto
the child. Also, this research work has provided teachers and parents with
possible cues to look out for in children to detect earlier symptoms of
dyslexia.
The research work further showed that teachers ineffectiveness, academic
inadequacies, parental andhome pathological environments and perhaps
inadequate satisfaction of basic psychological needs at home and in the
school are implicatedas likely contributoryfactors in dyslexia.
However, most practitioners quite often incorporate the Kinesthetic method
also calledthe language- experience therapeuticmethod to manage
dyslexia. In schools this method can be used in regular classroomof today.
This involves classroomteacher solicitingwords to be learnedby the
dyslexic. These words are often repeated over time until they are mastered.
When a storehouse of words is acquiredthe dyslexic is requiredto
compose a story. The story is written by the teacher and any new word that

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appears in the story is equallytaught. The dyslexic can go on to read and
read it again.
In improvinga dyslexic reading, the teacher shouldnot read like the non
dyslexic rather should find a way of getting information from text that
works efficientlyfor someone who possesses such information differently
from the majority. Accordingto researchers, (e.gMc Candiss et al 2003,
Jones 2009) for alphabet writingsystem , the fundamental aimis to
increase the child’s awareness andphonemes and relate these to reading
and spelling. Studies have shown that trainingfocusedtowards visual
language or orthographic issues show better gains than mere oral
phonological trainingin managingdyslexia( Jones et al 2009).
Implications of the study
The dire implication of the study is to enlighten and bring to bear, the
existence of this ugly disabilityand the children affected to the
managementof primaryschools as well as the teachers who teach them,
Creatingawareness which this study has unveiledwill be the first step
towards a renewedspirit of dedication and service to these affected
children. In this way, the pupils are helped to build self confidence andalso
create a friendlyand enablingatmosphere which will afford them the
opportunity to tap into their potentials in life to the fullest.

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Conclusion
This research work is focused on discoveringstrategies to help in the
managementof dyslexia in school pupils in Awka South Local Government
Area of Anambra State. Four main problems were used as a guide to
findingout how teachers in the study area manage pupils with this
disability. These are: causes of truancyin dyslexic children , why teachers
are incapable of dealingwith dyslexia in pupils, why dyslexia is still
unpopular or a mystery and the effect of combiningdyslexic and normal
pupils in the same classroom.
Relying on the findings, implications and discussions were made.
Recommendations were also proffered.
Recommendations
1. As regards suggestions for intervention programmes, there is need
for the teacher to make judicious use of reinforcementstrategies.
Reinforcementshouldbe given for efforts as well as achievements.
The teacher’s instructionalstrategies shouldelicit self-esteem, love,
and responsibilityon the part of the child.
2. The teacher should make optimal use of meaningful learning
materials in teaching. This makes for intrinsic motivation in which

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school becomes more meaningful to the dyslexic than mere rigid
regulations. Since the academic demand on a childwith dyslexia may
be great, there should be frequentbreaks in class and homework
time. There should also be regular meetings of parents and teachers
in order to have a frameworkfor a common forum to discuss and
possible identifyproblems of pupils as wells as help in the mutual
process of the child’s training for optimal productivity.
3. Appropriate screeningand identificationtest instrumentshould be
made available to schools to help in earlyidentification andreferrals
to special schools in severe cases.
4. A consortiumapproach involvingspecialistin educational psychology,
medical neurology, special education linguists(e.g speech therapist)
etc may make optimal combination.
5. Workshops on dyslexic children need to be held among school
teachers in Awka South Local GovernmentArea to help them
understandthese unique pupils the more and thus modifying their
learningneeds appropriately.

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Developmental Dyslexia – Neurological aspects ; Friedlander W J,
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2. Brish J R (2005)
Research and readingdisabilityin Judith R Brish Multisensory
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Brookes, Publishing, p.8
3. CritchleyM. (1970)
The Dyslexic Child Charles .C Thomas; SpringfieldIL
4. Czepita D and Lodygowska E (2006)
Role of the organ of vision in the cause of development of dyslexia.
Klin Oczna 108 pp 110-113
5. Fletcher J M, Lyon G R, Fuchs L S, Barnes M A. (2007)
Learningdisabilities: From identification to intervention. GuilfordNew
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6. Fletcher J M, Vaughn S.(2009)
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APPENDIX
National Teachers Institute (NTI)
Kaduna
Kaduna State.
Dear Respondents,
LETTER OF INTRODUCTION
I am a post graduate student in education of the above named institution. I
am carryingout a research workon Strategies Employed By Teachers In The
Management Of Dyslexia In Primary School Pupils In Awka South Local
Government Area of Anambra State.
The research is strictly for academic purpose and the confidentialityof the
information is assured. Kindly assist me in getting the requiredinformation
I would need for a successful completion of my field study.
Thanks in anticipation of your favourable consideration
Yours Faithfully,
Chine Azubuike Onyeka

34. 34
QUESTIONNAIRE FOR TEACHERS
SECTION A
Tick( ) in each box as applicable to you
Gender: Male ( ) Female ( )
Age: 21 - 30 years ( )
31 - 40 years ( )
41 years and above ( )
Status of Respondent
Head teacher ( )
Classroomteacher ( )
Special subject teacher ( )
Teacher counselor ( )
Marital status
Single ( ) Married ( )
Highest Qualification of Respondent
TCII ( ) NCE ( ) OND ( )
HND ( ) B.Ed ( ) M. Ed ( )
Others specify_____________________________

35. 35
Years of experience in teaching:
0 - 10 years ( )
11 - 20 years ( )
20 - 30 years ( )
Above 30 years ( )
SECTION 2
The factors that cause truancy in dyslexic children.
s/n ITEM SA A SD D
1 Teachers who are unaware of the concept of dyslexia and are
unable to identify such pupils
2 Lack of help for the dyslexic pupilencourages truancy
3 Dyslexic pupils have strong dislike for school life.
4 Inadequate teaching materialsfor dyslexic pupilsaffect their
learning capabilities.
5 Inadequate supply of relevant support materials by parents to
help their dyslexic children
6 The school’s lack study / recreational materials to aid the
dyslexic pupils.

36. 36
The reasons why teachers are incapable of dealing with dyslexia in pupils.
s/n ITEM SA A SD D
7 Teachers who are not professionallyequipped to attend to
the needs of pupilswith dyslexia.
8 Salaryirregularities and delays dampen teachers commitment
to patience towards pupilswith dyslexia
9 Government’slack of understanding and support for such
pupils with dyslexia.
10 School management not able to give extra allowance to cater
for pupils with dyslexia.
The reasons why dyslexia is still unpopular or a mystery.
s/n ITEM SA A SD D
11 Parents are uninformed and therefore do not present the
pupil’scase to the school for monitoring.
12 Lack of sufficient psychiatric specialist hospitalsfor early
detection of why such errors as dyslexia.
13 High poverty rate amongst pupilswho cannot afford
professional therapy for dyslexic children.
14 Lack of consent from parents to schools to apply measures
they deem proper for dyslexic pupils.

37. 37
The effect of combining the dyslexic and normal pupils in the same
classroom.
s/n ITEM SA A SD D
15 Teachers spend extra time in order to carry along the slow
learning dyslexic pupils.
16 Dyslexic pupils suffer severe psychological bullying from
normal pupils.
17 Teacher’s overwhelming preference towards the sound
/normal pupils over the dyslexic pupils.
18 Teachers seem insufficient for lack of ability to carry along
both normal and dyslexic pupilssimultaneously