What is Dyslexia? 

About Dyslexia

A general term for disorders that involve a difficulty in learning to read of interpret words and letters i.e. the relationship between letters and sounds.

Dyslexia is genetic and runs in families and may range from mild to severe. It is important to remember that it has nothing to do with intelligence, but is just an alternative way of thinking.

It is not curable, but with appropriate accommodations all students can soar. Because a big part of our daily lives depend on some reading and writing, Dyslexia ends up impacting a person’s ability to cope with daily necessities.

But note that some students may struggle with reading and not necessarily be dyslexic. These students may lag behind because of not having previously received proper reading instruction and thus a lack a strong reading foundation. These students just need a more specialized reading instruction.

 

 

 

 

Recognizing the Dyslexic Student

PRESCHOOL

  • Struggles to name familiar objects and uses general words like thing instead
  • Has a hard time learning nursery rhymes or song lyrics that rhyme
  • Has trouble remembering sequences, like singing the letters of the alphabet
  • Tells stories that are hard to follow; has trouble talking about an event in a logical order
  • Has difficulty remembering and follows directions with multiple steps
  • Delayed speech
  • Mixing up the sounds and syllables in long words
  • Chronic ear infections
  • Constant confusion of left versus right
  • Late establishing a dominant hand
  • Trouble memorizing their address, phone number, or the alphabet
  • Difficulty learning to tie shoes
  • Can’t create words that rhyme
  • A close relative with dyslexia

RECEPTION TO PRIMARY LEVEL

  • Has trouble learning letter names and remembering the sounds they make
  • Often confuses letters that look similar (b, d, p, q) and letters with similar sounds (d/t; b/p; f/v)
  • Struggles to read familiar words (like cat or the), especially if there aren’t pictures
  • Substitutes words when reading aloud, like saying house when the story says home
  • Has trouble hearing the individual sounds in words and blending sounds to make a word
  • Has trouble remembering how words are spelled and applying spelling rules in writing
  • Confuses or skips small words like for and of when reading aloud
  • Has trouble sounding out new words and quickly recognizing common ones
  • Struggles to explain what happened in a story or answer questions about key details
  • Frequently makes the same kinds of mistakes, like reversing letters
  • Has poor spelling; may spell the same word correctly and incorrectly in the same exercise
  • Slow, choppy and inaccurate reading therefore, avoids reading whenever possible or gets frustrated or upset when reading
  • Difficulty telling time with a clock with hands
  • Trouble with math
  • Memorizing multiplication tables
  • Memorizing sequencing of steps
  • Directionality
  • Dreads going to school- may even make up excuses; pretend to be unwell.

SECONDARY SCHOOL

(Incl. previous characteristics)

  • Reads slowly, leaving out small words and parts of longer words when reading aloud
  • Often doesn’t “get” the joke; has trouble understanding idioms and puns
  • Has an easier time answering questions about a page of text if it’s read aloud
  • Takes a very long time to complete reading assignments
  • Limited vocabulary
  • Large discrepancy between verbal skills and written compositions
  • Poor grades in many classes

Sources:

  • Understood
  • International Dyslexia Association
  • Bright Solutions for Dyslexia

General Questions

FAQ

1. What are the class sizes for the full time program?

12-14 students per class.

2. Is there a waiting list?

For some levels yes.

3. What is the medium of instruction?

English.

4. At what age can a child enroll?

4-5 years.

5. Do you have classes for secondary school students?

No we don’t. However, we do enroll them for our literacy program.

 

 

6. My child has been assessed do you still do your own screening?

Yes we do our own screening which is not diagnostic but gives us an overall idea on the learners literacy skills.

7. Which curriculum does the school follow?

PSLE.

8. Do you offer any sports/cultural activities?

 Every Friday, we have the following clubs:

Chess

Knitting

Cooking

Arts and Crafts

We also have swimming throughout the year, provided by Propellers Swimming Academy. 

 

9. How many terms do you have?

3 terms