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Dyslexics better engineers, here is why - Hack Dyslexia - The Power Of Material Reasoning

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Our community dyslexia page on Facebook is called Mid-cities DIG...please join me there!!!!

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Support for parents and educators through current research, resources, and advocacy to promote dyslexia awareness. Please keep all posts and comments civil and constructive as we all have one goal:...

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Since the YCDC website began in 2007, we have received many requests about how best to help dyslexic students struggling with math. We reached out to Chris Woodin, the head of the Math Department at Landmark School, a respected school that specializes in teaching students with language-based learning issues, to help us find alternative methods for mitigating common math struggles that seem to accompany dyslexia. Woodin offered many helpful strategies to help address them, and we hope that it will help other teachers and parents who are looking for ways to support dyslexic children with math. We also hope that if you are a math specialist or a parent of a child who has struggled in math, you will share what has worked for you.

Breaking Down Math

Excelling at math, or just even being able to pass the requirements, draws on many different skills and ways of thinking-it calls on conceptual, logical, and spatial reasoning, but it also often requires neatness, exactness, and computational skills. There are many areas in which to shine in mathematics, but unfortunately, there are also many areas in which to struggle. These tasks change over time, demanding increased refinement or elaboration of skill sets, or the addition of new ones as a student progresses through school. Woodin encourages teachers to treat math problems with the same kind of thoughtful and targeted strategies that are applied to reading instruction.

In the classroom, we break down the complex processing tasks of reading and spelling into various subskills that can be tested and analyzed. As a result, students' strengths and weaknesses may be acknowledged and an effective course of action can be planned and implemented. Math skills, however, are not routinely evaluated in this manner. Math is usually assessed in terms of achievement: a student's ability to perform a set of increasingly sophisticated computations or word problems. Resulting scores define students as being "good, average, or bad" at math. The problem with these labels is that, much like reading and writing, math is made up of subskills, and it may be that a deficiency in just one of these subskills makes the student "bad" at math. A student who is a poor speller or has bad handwriting wouldn't necessarily be considered a poor writer. Specific weaknesses are not defined within the context of math, therefore specific therapies are not prescribed to treat them. In the math sphere, the "bad" math student who has been defined in very general terms is usually afforded an equally general course of remediation, and a repetition of previously introduced material ensues, or perhaps an enhanced sensory diet of "slower and louder" is dispensed.

The Relationship Between Math and Language Struggles

We often define dyslexia as an "unexpected difficulty in reading"; however, a dyslexic student may also have difficulty with math facts although they are often able to understand and do higher level math quite well. The specific skills that an educational evaluation measures to determine where language glitches, both written and verbal, occur can also be helpful in predicting where math breakdowns might occur. Using this knowledge, we can also develop strategies to address an individual student's struggles in math.

Math-specific skills, including the ability to recognize and relate quantities, should also be assessed and factored into the production of an effective program for students whose atypical learning profiles suggest the need for special attention.

Why and how should teachers use what they know about language remediation to address math problems?

Mutlistep tasks can be difficult for students who have trouble organizing, naming, or sequencing; however, experience has shown that these students can be helped by using instructional methods that forge meaning and context through physically organizing objects, naming the action, and writing the process down.

Students' learning styles must be acknowledged through the development of strategies that compensate for their individual difficulties. Woodin has found that using activities that involve visualizing, walking, and talking out problems are effective in developing vocabulary, organizational skills, and oral and written output.

Overview: Importance of Integrating Visual and Language Systems

Like reading, math involves many cognitive processes or systems. Ideally, teachers should diagnose and treat math breakdowns with the same specificity and strategies they apply to language-based instruction. When math remediation is most effective and efficient, it employs the same best practices that are used to address reading struggles. We know that using hand motions when teaching songs or poems may be helpful since it provides cues and context clues that reinforce learning of the content. Likewise, the best math instruction utilizes student strengths to mitigate weaknesses, and uses context and the integration of multisensory techniques to help the student create meaning and improve memory.
About Chris Woodin:
Christopher Woodin is a specialist in the field of mathematics and learning disabilities. A graduate of Middlebury College and Harvard Graduate School of Education, he has taught extensively at Landmark School in Massachusetts. At Landmark School's Elementary/Middle School Campus, he holds the Ammerman Chair of Mathematics. Christopher served on the Massachusetts Department of Education's Mathematics 2011 Curriculum Framework Panel, and teaches graduate-level professional development courses during the summer through Landmark's Outreach Program. Chris was the 1997 Massachusetts Learning Disabilities Association (LDA) Samuel Kirk Educator of the Year. He has presented at numerous international LDA and International Dyslexia Association (IDA) conferences, and has led math workshops to audiences across the country.

Christopher has published The Landmark Method of Teaching Arithmetic ©1995 and several journal articles. His latest project, Multiplication and Division Facts for the Whole-to-Part, Visual Learner: An Activity-Based Guide to Developing Fluency with Math Facts, is currently in press and due to be released in 2012. This comprehensive text features the methodologies and many of the activities that are described on The Yale Center for Dyslexia & Creativity's website. To learn more about Mr. Woodin and his work, please visit his page on the Landmark School website and his own website.

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Since the YCDC website began in 2007, we have received many requests about how best to help dyslexic students struggling with math. We reached out to Chris Woodin, the head of the Math Department at Landmark School, a respected school that specializes in teaching students with language-based learning issues, to help us find alternative methods for mitigating common math struggles that seem to accompany dyslexia.

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Please feel free to click and make your own box with comments or ideas!

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Please feel free to click and make your own box with comments or ideas!

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Jennifer

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A review of dyslexia in dyslexia across different languages, the characteristics that distinguish these students with dyslexia from ELLs without dyslexia and t...

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[PREMIUM] Students with Dyslexia Solve Math Differently

Interesting finding from the brain research lab at Georgetown. "The brains of children with dyslexia rely on unusual strategies to solve certain kinds of math problems, researchers report in NeuroImage..(also HERE). Usually, people use regions on the right side of the brain to solve math problems that require a step-by-step process, such as subtraction and [...]

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[PREMIUM] Students with Dyslexia Solve Math Differently

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Interesting finding from the brain research lab at Georgetown. "The brains of children with dyslexia rely on unusual strategies to solve certain kinds of math problems, researchers report in NeuroImage..(also HERE). Usually, people use regions on the right side of the brain to solve math problems that require a step-by-step process, such as subtraction and [...]

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Kids with dyslexia can have trouble with learning to read and write in grade school. Middle school may bring another hurdle: learning a foreign language.

Many schools introduce foreign languages in sixth or seventh grade. And by high school, it's often mandatory. Districts tend to require two years of foreign language in high school in order to graduate. But while having dyslexia can make it hard to learn another language, it's not impossible. And it may actually be helpful.

The Benefits of Learning a Foreign Language

For some students with dyslexia, learning a second language is an empowering experience. It may also help them understanding some of the nuances of English. With all kids, it can be a great way to tap into their cultural background. Plus, foreign languages can convey concepts that don't exist in the English language.

"Your child's choice of a foreign language can make a big difference in how well she does. It's important to follow her interests."

The Hurdles Kids With Dyslexia May Face

Not all kids with dyslexia end up feeling empowered by trying to learn a foreign language, however. For many, it's just too hard and stressful. That's because they're facing the same problems they had when they were learning to read and write in English.

They may not be able to recognize certain sounds, or associate letters with sounds. They may also have difficulty sounding out words they read and memorizing them so they can read them automatically.

Some kids might miss chunks of information and struggle just to stay focused. And all of them have the added complication of not being familiar with the language they're learning.

Choosing the Right Language

Your child's choice of a foreign language can make a big difference in how well she does. It's important to follow her interests. If French fascinates her, she may be more motivated to work at it than she would in another language. But if all languages are equal in her mind, she might want to take Spanish.

Spanish can be a good choice for kids with dyslexia. It's more predictable than many languages-it has fewer rules and exceptions. It shares many of the same root words as English. And it has only five vowel sounds to learn.

Helping Kids Succeed at Learning a Foreign Language

The same strategies that help kids with dyslexia learn to read and write in English can help them learn a foreign language. Ideally, schools would use a highly structured multisensory approach.

But most don't offer this type of specialized reading instruction for foreign languages.

Fortunately, there are a number of things parents can do to help their child. Here are some steps to consider:

Ask about accommodations. There are teaching strategies that might help your child. One is giving extra opportunities for practice and review. Another is explicitly teaching the speech sounds of the foreign language. A third is directly teaching the connection between the letters and sounds. Your child's school may not be able to offer this type of support, but it never hurts to ask.

Talk to the case manager. Your child's case manager may be able to work with the classroom teacher on teaching strategies. You can also ask for accommodations and modifications to be added to your child's IEP. These might include shorter tests and assignments, alternative assessments and extended time for tests.

Ask about a waiver. Some school districts will waive the foreign language requirement for kids with dyslexia. Find out what the policy is in your child's district. If your child has shown that she's tried a language, she may be able to satisfy the requirement by taking an alternative, such as a Spanish culture or literature class.

Look into American Sign Language (ASL). Some high schools (and many colleges) recognize ASL as a distinct language with its own syntax. Since there's no written spelling to master, it tends to be easier for kids with dyslexia to learn. Chances are your high school doesn't offer it. But you can see if it's offered at your community college and ask if the high school will accept the credits. Your child may also be able to take the course online.

See about summer school. In the summer, when your child isn't trying to juggle the demands of multiple subjects, learning a foreign language may be easier. Plus, classes in summer school may be easier than they are during the school year.

You may not be able to remove the hurdles your child faces in learning a foreign language. But you can help her handle the challenges, just like you help her with her reading issues. Simply being a good advocate will help her feel supported.

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Learning a Foreign Language With Dyslexia

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Kids with dyslexia can have trouble with learning to read and write in grade school. Middle school may bring another hurdle: learning a foreign language. Many schools introduce foreign languages in sixth or seventh grade. And by high school, it's often mandatory. Districts tend to require two years of foreign language in high school in order to graduate.

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Teachers use various methods to meet the needs of all students, including those who struggle.

Some methods include slowing down or speeding up the pace of the work for individual students within a classroom.

Other methods include using props such as charts and pictures to show students what they are expected to learn.

Teachers know that students walk into their classrooms with a wide range of abilities. But teachers try to find ways to meet the needs of all students, including those with learning and thinking differences. Here are five common teaching methods.

1. Differentiated instruction

With this approach, teachers change and switch around what students need to learn, how they'll learn it, and how to get the material across to them. When a student struggles in one area, the teacher creates a plan that includes extra practice, step-by-step directions, and special homework. Find out more about differentiated instruction.

This is a method that breaks learning into chunks. The chunks follow a logical order and move toward a clear goal. Teachers form a bridge between what students already know and what they cannot do on their own. These bridges are referred to as "scaffolds." They can include charts, pictures, and cue cards.

Teachers often use this method by presenting a model of high-quality work before asking students to work on their own. Just as they're used when constructing buildings, scaffolds are removed when they're no longer needed.

Using this method, a teacher draws a picture to map out thoughts and ideas. Graphic organization can help younger students with activities like identifying the characters in a story they've read. This can also help them plan and organize a story they'll write. Older students can "map out" history, like the events leading up to World War II, or compare and contrast people or topics.

Students use special phrases to help them remember information. Here's an example: Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally is often used to remember the order of operations in math: Parentheses, Exponents, Multiply, Divide, Add and S ubtract.

This strategy can also help with learning vocabulary. For example, a child can learn the scientific name for the common frog, Ranidae, by using rain as the keyword along with a picture of a frog sitting in the rain.

5. Multisensory instruction

This method links what students see, what they hear, how they move, and what they feel. When students learn using all of their senses, they remember the material better. Math teachers might use base ten blocks and two-sided counters so that students learn through touch. Drawing might help students learn new vocabulary by capturing the meaning of a word and sketching it.

Each child learns differently. Teachers will use many creative methods to teach your child - and the other students - so they all learn.

Mapping out ideas using pictures and charts is especially effective with struggling students.

Strategies that involve memorizing phrases help students remember concepts longer.

When students use all their senses, they remember the material better.

About the Author

About the Author

Ginny Osewalt is a dually certified elementary and special education teacher with more than 15 years of experience in general education, inclusion, resource room, and self-contained settings.

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5 common techniques for helping struggling students

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Teachers use various methods to meet the needs of all students, including those who struggle. Some methods include slowing down or speeding up the pace of the work for individual students within a classroom. Other methods include using props such as charts and pictures to show students what they are expected to learn.