Everyone should know what the term “Dyslexia” means. It actually is a very common educational condition. According to Emily Lapkin from the website understood.org,
“It’s a common condition that affects the way the brain processes written and spoken language.”
This condition is primarily associated with trouble reading and many specialists and educators may refer to it as a “reading disorder” or a “reading disability.” You probably cannot imagine how many people in the world are affected by dyslexia, some of us might think that this issue is not too serious, or that people tend to grow out of it as they age. It is really important that if you have a child with this condition, you immediately look for specialized dyslexia teaching or help and support online (yes, there are many simple exercises for dyslexic people that you can actually do right from home).
Here are 5 easy but effective activities you can do with dyslexic children or people to improve their skills.
1. Practice syllable and phoneme segmentation
This exercise consists of identifying how many syllables are in a word or phrase. Take time to sit with your child and ask him to tell you how many syllables a word has; repeat each syllable, counting along with numbers as well. This way, the child will be hearing, repeating and learning the correct form of the exercise.
The next step you can do is practicing the phoneme segmentation; you can read aloud to your child and let him identify how many sounds are in a syllable or a word.
2. Missing syllables
Separating the syllables of a word can be very easy for some of us but for dyslexic people, it can be a challenge. To practice this activity, you can ask your child (or friend, or yourself) to omit a particular syllable from a word. Here’s a good example: What would be left if we remove the second syllable from the word “caramel”?
Caramel
How many syllables? 3 syllables
Divided into syllables: car-a-mel
What would be left? carmel
3. The substitution of syllables
There are many exercises that strengthen our articulation and phonology knowledge. The substitution of syllables is an easy one. Similar to number two, you ask the dyslexic person to replace a certain syllable of any word with another word. Example: Replace the 2nd syllable from the word “but-ter-fly” with the first syllable of the word “reduction.” It will result “but-re-fly”.
Another alternative exercise you can do with syllable substitution is identifying which syllable gets repeated in two or more distinct words. For example, which letters or syllables sound the same in “alligator”, “actor” and “calculator”? The answer is the syllable “tor”.
4. Apps for Learning Disabilities
The tech market develops millions of applications for many devices every year, including some that offer educational support and learning exercises. Lectio, for example, is a mobile application built to encourage independent reading for students with language-related learning disabilities.
This way of learning has been getting really common and not only for those who have this disorder. Many schools are using this software in their programs for additional support.
5. Sing!
Rhythm and rhyme, plus a melody make the learning process easier. Singing is poetry set to music, and kids will love this activity. Using a “sing-song” voice can be really useful in helping a child understand the concept of a syllable. Singing is a very effective way of becoming more aware of syllable and sound sequence.
Above all else, the most effective treatment for dyslexia is early detection. It’s a lifelong problem, and children with dyslexia may need special education. Attention paid at a young age can make all the difference in the future.
