Diyslexia, Dsycalculia, And Dysgraphia

Kendra Reynolds

Dr. Frank Goode

EPSY 3350-70

September 29, 2017

Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, and Dysgraphia

Too frequently dyslexia, dyscalculia, and dysgraphia are clumped together and thought to be the same problem. In reality, the three issues are similar but also constitute many of their own distinct complications. Dyslexia is manifested not only in seeing letters backwards and upside down but is the inability to decipher sounds and letters or shapes. “Dyslexia reflects a deficiency in the processing of the distinctive linguistic units, called phonemes, that make up all spoken and written words.” (Shaywitz pg98) This makes it difficult for the child to sound out words phonetically to read fluently; they might also struggle with remembering

A child with dyslexia may not have the problem of translating letters into sound but just struggle with understanding what is being read causing schoolwork to take longer than their classmates. As the child gets older, dyslexia may cause the child to complain about reading, to have trouble remembering dates and require more time for assignments and tests. (Yale Center) When a child suffers with dyscalculia he might find it hard to get the math basics down at a young age. This is because he cannot visualize numbers as meaning something more that just a shape. Often when a new math concept is learned, it is forgotten the next day, causing low grades on tests. These children also commonly have a hard time telling time and direction. Some symptoms of dysgraphia are poor handwriting, the inability to record thoughts on paper, missing letters or using replacement words that don’t always make logical sense. Spelling is a struggle and the child tires from writing

First, the teacher needs to know what symptoms to be aware of, and then discuss with parents the best course of action. In the case of dyslexia, a child would benefit from slowing down, more time given “These children require more intensive instruction of longer duration of the kind provided in the third tier of RTI models” (Tunmer and Greaney pg 239) and more one on one instruction. In slowing down the child has more time to listen, prepare them, and use reading methods that work for them. Children with dyslexia have the chance to excel when they can listen to books on tape while following along and also if given the opportunity to type their work on a keyboard. Providing the child with larger print and in some instances a customized assignment with familiar words would help the child. “Speaking is natural, and reading is not. Reading is an invention and must be learned at a conscious level.” (Shaywitz pg 99) Giving the child ample reading time will improve their abilities. If a child has math anxiety because of dyscalculia they may benefit from learning to finger count, using manipulatives and hands on math problems. Make sure the child understands one concept before moving on to the next step, possibly be verbalizing what they know, and allow them the time they need to finish assignments. As a teacher you can help the