Is your Child Struggling with a Learning Disability?
May 11, 2010 by colleen
Filed under Ezine Archive
Even the brightest students and the ones that score very high on an IQ test may have problems reading. Some may thing they’re stupid because they can’t read, but if you look at the tests and their grades in other classes, you’re sure to see this is far from the case.
If you think your child has dyslexia, then you know how hard it is to have this diagnosis achieved. Most schools don’t know how to test for this and they certainly don’t know how to help children overcome this issue.
In 1925 a gentleman by the name of Samuel Orton created a system that would help these otherwise bright children become better readers. This program is still used today, but only in select schools. Most times it’s used in a one-on-one setting and in private schools.
Dr. Orton wanted to find a teaching method that would use both the right and left brain. Grace Fernald was a psychiatrist and she created a kinesthetic approach that included air writing and word tracing. While using these writing styles the child would say the words out loud.
Phonics is also something that is important in this practice. Phonics is basically sounding out the words one letter or sound at a time. Once the child has learned the sounds of each letter and combination of letters it will become easier for them to read and write.
The program is called Orton-Gillingham and Anna Gillingham helped him create the 70 phonograms that are used today. There are 44 phonemes (sounds) that make up the English language. This program helps children to learn these sounds and remember them.
There are five steps to achieving the Orton-Gillingham program are listed below.
1. Phonemic Awareness
2. Phonics
3. Syllables
4. Rules and Probabilities for sounds
5. Roots, Affixes, and Morphology
Once all of these steps have been achieved, you’ll start to see changes in your child’s learning ability. His reading skills will improve and you’ll see changes in your child’s eagerness to learn.
The Orton-Gillingham technique was such a successful program that they’ve used it as the basis for creating more programs to help many other disabilities in children.
Dyslexia is found in a large number of children, but is rarely diagnosed in a regular school setting. Most times it’s found when the parents become discouraged and take action to help their children improve. This action is usually taken through programs outside of the school. Hiring a tutor is one option and another is special programs for children with learning problems.
These children need to learn and be taught in a completely different way then other children and you don’t usually find a teacher within a regular public school that has the ability to teach in this manner.
If your child has a learning disability and you’re struggling to find the right help, consider finding someone to help you with the Orton-Gillingham program. If you don’t have a program in your community, search online for someone to help. It’s important for your child’s future that you do the research needed to find someone to help them overcome this disability.
Be sure to check out http://www.helpfordyslexicchildren.com to find out about a great reading program based on Orton-Gillingham.
