Alejandra Guzman

EDRE 4860.009
3 November 2015
Topic Essay
For my MGP I chose to research on students with dyslexia. I want to know how to
effectively instruct students with dyslexia in reading and writing. Before I began my research on
dyslexic students in a language arts classroom, I first had to understand what dyslexia is.
Dyslexia is a learning disability that is most known for difficulty in reading. According to the
U.S Department of Education, more than 2 million students ages 3-21 have learning disabilities
and the vast majority of them have trouble with reading. In fact, dyslexia not only affects
reading, it also affects the oral and written language. Some symptoms that are found in children
with dyslexia are difficulty in pronouncing words, reverses letters or the order of letters when
reading, and many spelling mistakes. Social skills, listening comprehension, memory, navigation,
and time management are all skills that are affected by dyslexia.
Students with dyslexia show a significant difference between what they can tell you
orally and what they are able to convey on paper. They may have trouble with spelling, grammar,
punctuation and sequencing. Some may have dysgraphia as well as dyslexia. Teachers are
encouraged to use a classmate for help before intensive tutoring is applied. As I researched more
into dyslexia and reading and writing in the classroom, I read a couple of articles that expressed
ideas and tips a teacher can use in the classroom for a dyslexic student. Some obstacles children
with dyslexia face when completing writing assignments are: difficulties with writing
conventions, and information and sequencing. According to Eileen Bailey, a special education

expert, Students with dyslexia may find that focusing on the grammar hinders their ability to
develop ideas. By putting aside the need for grammar and sentence structure, the teacher breaks
the assignment into parts, putting organization and sequencing of content first.
Dyslexia is considered a language based learning disorder and is thought of as a reading
disability but it also impacts a student's ability to write. Many children with dyslexia not only
have difficulties in reading but struggle with dysgraphia, a learning disability that impacts
handwriting, spelling and the ability to organize thoughts on paper (Bailey, n.d.). Having
students practice writing skills by writing in a personal journal each day helps to improve writing
skills, vocabulary and organizing thoughts into coherent paragraphs. There is often a large
discrepancy between what a student thinks and can tell you orally and what he can write down
on paper. Besides frequent spelling errors, some of the ways dyslexia affects writing skills:
essays are written as one paragraph with several long, run-on sentences, using little punctuation,
including not capitalizing the first word in a sentence or using end punctuation, odd or no
spacing between words, and cramming information on the page rather than spreading out. A
website called Beating Dyslexia gave information on strategies to use with dyslexic students in
the classroom. These strategies include, decoding unfamiliar words, improving eye tracking
when reading, reading fluency and reading comprehensions, reading aloud, using audio books,
and reading preparation.

Sources
Bailey, E. (n.d.). Journal Writing to Build Writing Skills. Retrieved October 18, 2015, from
http://specialed.about.com/od/readingliteracy/a/Writing-and-Dyslexia-Hub.htm
Carreker, S. (n.d.). Dyslexia: Beyond the Myth. Retrieved October 23, 2015, from
http://www.readingrockets.org/article/dyslexia-beyond-myth
Hodge, P.L. (2000). A Dyslexic Child in the Classroom. Retrieved October 24, 2015 from Davis
Dyslexia Association International, Dyslexia the Gift Web site:
http://www.dyslexia.com/library/classroom.htm
Lapkin, E. (2014, April 2). Understanding Dyslexia. Retrieved November 1, 2015, from
https://www.understood.org/en/learning-attention-issues/child-learningdisabilities/dyslexia/understanding-dyslexia
Free Reading Strategies and Guidance for Dyslexic People. (2010). Retrieved October 29, 2015,
from http://www.beatingdyslexia.com/reading-strategies.html