Dyslexia is based in the phonological system of the brain. Dyslexia causes difficulty with the phonology of language. Phonology is the sound system of language. When a child has difficulty with their phonological system, they don’t understand how language can be broken into sounds or that the sounds can be manipulated. Dyslexia is a lifelong condition.
While it cannot be cured, it can be remediated. Individuals who have dyslexia can strengthen their phonological skills and learn to read. This is usually done through systematic, explicit instruction of phonemic awareness skills, phonics, and later, fluency. A child with dyslexia can learn to read. It may be more challenging, but instruction has been developed to specifically help a child who has dyslexia learn to read. These are called multi-sensory phonics programs and many exist to help individuals with dyslexia. Early identification and remediation are best, but people of all ages who have dyslexia can benefit from systematic, explicit instruction in phonics.
Some individuals may continue to be challenged by certain skills even after remediation. This may show up in their writing, in difficulty with spelling. It may show up in reading fluency, as they may be slower than average when reading aloud. But while they may read more slowly, individuals with dyslexia tend to have strong comprehension skills and understand big picture processes better. The strengths that come with dyslexia allow many individuals who have dyslexia to be successful creators, writers, doctors, artists, architects, lawyers and scientists.
LightSail knows that having a child learn to love reading is essential. LightSail has built-in supports for children who may have difficulty learning to read. The Personalized Reader allows personal specifications to be used while reading all of LightSail’s content. The library has books of all different levels and videos and audio clips to support comprehension. When a child reads in LightSail, they know they can get help with any word or sentence while reading. LightSail has gamified features where a child can earn badges and access many other features to support their interests.
Posted on 9.Sep.21 in Struggling Readers
