The Importance Of Listening And Reading

Listening and reading promotes better understanding

Dyslexia is a language-based learning disability in which individuals experience difficulty in performing language-related tasks such as word recognition or reading, writing, spelling, reading comprehension, and sometimes speaking (Washburn, Binks‐Cantrell, & Joshi, 2014; Shaywitz et al., 2004; Snowling, 2009). However, people with dyslexia is still able to understand complex ideas provided they are given sufficient time to work through the information. According to Lapkin (2004), it may also be useful if people with dyslexia are actually provided with an alternative way to process information, for instance, to be given the option to listen to an audiobook instead of reading it. Ryan (2016)

One of the contributing factor to their positive learning experience with the screen reader mode was the option of listening and reading simultaneously. This has apparently helped them to gain better understanding of the passage read, with many commenting that it made them more confident and relieved to be able to use their listening skills. As majority of the typical participants in this study also indicated their strong preference toward this mode, it is seen that screen reader is also deemed appropriate for this group of learners. Examples of comments by participants include, “I believe I have broaden my knowledge on the subject more since listening to the screen reader. It has given me a better understanding (T2)… I am more focus and eager when there is a reading homework given by the school. Listening to the passage helps increased my understanding on the content (T5)… I do feel that my learning quality has gotten better with the screen reader since I learn more when I listen to the passage being read out (D4)… I can understand better if I listen to the passage than to read it by myself. So I am more confident to use this tool in the future (D8)”. Dyslexia Association of Ireland (2016) states that one of the possible indicators that a child or adult may be at risk of dyslexia is the ability to have better listening comprehension than reading comprehension. This was further strengthen by Dyslexia Victoria (2011) who agreed that reading comprehension in a dyslexic person may be low due to overloading of effort and energy spent in decoding words which results in a significantly higher listening comprehension. Generally, those who had a positive learning experience with the screen reader mode thought the audio enabled them to utilise their listening skills