This document provides an overview of a dyslexia training presentation. It begins with an introduction and pre-assessment activity. It then discusses legislation defining dyslexia, characteristics of dyslexia like difficulties with word recognition and decoding, common myths, and screening tools. The presentation includes simulation activities and discusses interventions like focusing on phonological awareness, accommodations like extra time, and technologies to support students with reading disabilities.

1. DyslexiaTraining
Presented by: Rebecca McKeever
Charlotte Murdock
Sarah Gabrielson
RandolphTownship Schools
Randolph, NJ

2. What do these creative,
successful people have in
common ?

3.  Introduction—pre assessment activity
 Legislation/Definition
 Simulation Activity 1
 Screening
 Myths
 Characteristics of Dyslexia
 Simulation Activity 2
 Interventions
 Accommodations
 Technology for use with students with reading disabilities, including dyslexia
 Post assessment activity/share

4. Introduction
• On December 8, 2008, legislation was
introduced by the Senate in New Jersey
authorizing the establishment of the New
Jersey Reading DisabilitiesTask Force.

5. Introduction (con’t.)
The Reading Disabilities Task Force enabling
legislation declared that:
1) Approximately 85% of all children who receive special
education services have basic deficits in language and
reading;
2) Many students with reading disabilities are never properly
diagnosed and do not receive the necessary specialized
educational programs, and
3) It is in the public interest for the State to establish a
“Reading DisabilitiesTask Force” to study instructional
practices and strategies that benefit students with reading
disabilities and examine the way in which current NJ State
policies affect this population.

6. Adopted Definition
“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 growth of vocabulary and
background knowledge”
Source: International Dyslexia Association, 2002

7. Screenings
• It is possible to identify boys and girls at a high risk for dyslexia BEFORE they fall
behind.
• Two methods of screenings: large population screenings to determine at risk
students, and individual in-depth evaluations of children with specific concerns
• Large population screenings include:
- DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills)
is designed for PreK through grade three students,
and helps identify students at risk for reading difficulties
• Individual evaluations include:
- tests to evaluated phonologic skills and reading readiness for grade K-adult
© Source: Shaywitz, S. (2003) Overcoming Dyslexia, Random House, Inc.

8. Simulation Activity #1
• Comprehension questions:
• 1) Why are images good forWeb
accessibility?
• 2)Who would be negatively impacted by a
text-only site?

9. The Unmodified Paragraph
• “Would a text-only site be ideal for someone
with a reading disorder? Hardly. Images are
not bad for accessibility. They actually
increase comprehension and usability for
most audiences.”

10. Unmodified Paragraph (Con’t)
• What many people do not know, though, is there is
much more to the accessibility of an image than just
its alt text. Some people wrongly assume that images
are bad for accessibility, since alt text essentially
replaces the image with a text-only version of that
image.”
• By Paul Bohman
http://webaim.org/simulations/dyslexia-sim.html

12. EarlyWarning Signs/
Characteristics of a Dyslexic
Preschool Age:
- Trouble learning nursery rhymes (Humpty
Dumpty, etc.)
- Difficulty learning/remembering names of letters
- Difficulty knowing letters in own name
- Lack of appreciation of rhymes

13. Characteristics, cont.
Kindergarten/ 1st Grade:
- Failure to understand that words come apart into sounds
(phonemes)
- Failure to associate letters with their sounds
- Difficulties sounding out simple one-syllable words (cat, map)
- Reading errors that show no connections to the sound of the
letters
- Family history of reading struggles

14. Characteristics, cont.
Second Grade through Middle School:
Speaking:
- Speaks with pauses, umms
- Can’t come up with specific words, uses “thing” or
“stuff” frequently
- Confuses words that sound alike (ocean-lotion)
- Requires extra “think time” to respond

15. Reading
• Very slow in acquiring reading skills. Reading is slow
and awkward
• Trouble reading unfamiliar words, often making wild
guesses because he cannot sound out the word.
• Doesn’t seem to have a strategy for reading new
words
• Avoids reading out loud

16. General School & Everyday Life:
- Trouble remembering names, dates
- Pronounces names incorrectly
- Messy handwriting
- Trouble finishing tasks on time

18. Strengths of People with Dyslexia
• Creative, “out of the box” thinkers- great imaginations
• Strong comprehension of stories told/read to them
• Good at puzzles, building models
• Able to get the “big picture”- good conceptual skills
• Able to link abstract ideas together
• Often good at math, visual arts
©source: http://dyslexia.yale.edu/PRNT_signs.html

20. Interventions
• Poor phonological awareness is associated with
dyslexia.
• Phonological awareness is the ability to perceive
and manipulate the sounds that make up the
words in a person’s language.
• For most children, development of phonological
awareness is automatic.

21. The 44 Phonemes of English
• A phoneme is a speech sound. It is the
smallest unit of sound that distinguishes one
word from another.
• The 44 English phonemes are represented by
the 26 letters of the alphabet individually and
in combination.

22. PhonemicAwareness abilities
Blending (Decoding)
• “If I put these sounds
together, what word am I
saying?”
• /f/ /i/ /sh/
Segmentation (Encoding)
• “Tell me the three sounds
you hear in the word fish?

23. Accommodations
Accommodations and modifications are designed to
“level the playing field” and provide equal
opportunity to students with dyslexia, not to
provide an unfair advantage. Students with dyslexia
are provided with extra time because they need this
extra time to demonstrate their knowledge.
Source: Mather &Wendling, 2012

25. Accommodations
TIME
EXTRATIME, EXTRATIME, EXTRATIME!

26. Accommodations
NOISE
Many dyslexic students find background noise
helps them to concentrate. In the classroom
noise from other students or a very quiet
classroom can be distracting. Using an MP3
player or IPOD may be helpful.

27. Accommodations
TESTING
• Test orally if handwriting is slow or difficult to read.
• Permit use of a computer for written assignments.
• Design questions and assignments around a given
conclusion or fact. Dyslexic students think in concrete
wholes.

28. Accommodations
WRITING
• Do not base grades on spelling, grammatical
errors or punctuation.
• Do not expect the dyslexic student to use a
dictionary.
• Look for ideas and concepts.

29. Andrew Says:
Andrew is a 13 year-old student with dyslexia.
When asked what modifications have helped
him, he responded with the following:
• Extra time. “But I really don’t like being singled
out for extra time and have refused it going into
high school. It was OK in elementary school.”

30. Andrew says:
• Notes ahead of time. Copying from the board is
difficult and takes a lot of time.
• Assignments available on line. Not unusual to
get home and not be able to read the assignment
or it might be incomplete.
• Extra set of books at home. Reading ahead and
practicing is very helpful.

31. Andrew says:
• Math assignments on vertical lined or graph
paper helps.
• Steps highlighted. Step one is always a
specific color, step two always another color,
etc.

32. What can you do to help the dyslexic
student?
• Encourage – build self esteem.
• Answer questions often – precisely and
specifically.
• Chunk assignments.
• Turn written assignments into projects.

33. • Talk about a subject, rather than requiring the
student to read about it.
• When they look like they are day dreaming,
they may be learning by listening.
• Use as few words as possible to explain a
concept.

34. • Try to keep lessons short and to one concept.
• Use concrete pictures and diagrams.

35. Resources
• International DyslexiaAssociation :
http://www.interdys.org
• TheYaleCenter for Dyslexia and Creativity :
• http://www.dyslexia.yale.edu