Unit 2: Why do children with learning disabilities struggle with phonics instruction?
Learning Disabilities and Phonics
What is a learning disability?
A learning disability can be described as a neurological disorder which means the way a person brain is wired is different than other people ("What Is a Learning Disability?"). Many people with learning disabilities have difficulty reading, writing, spelling and organizing information ("What Is a Learning Disability?"). Did you know “Fifteen percent of the U.S. population, or one in seven Americans, has some type of learning disability, according to the National Institutes of Health” ("What Is a Learning Disability?").
("What Is a Learning Disability?")
Why do children struggle with phonics/literacy?
"80% of students with learning disabilities have reading problems" ("What is a Learning Disability?") Children struggle with phonics and reading due to lack of phonemic awareness. Phonemic awareness is the knowledge that our words are made up of sounds. Children must realize that words are made up of sounds before they can begin to read or write these sounds. "Perceiving words as sequences of phonemes is important in learning to read and write because the link between phonemes and letters is the basis for alphabetic writing systems such as English and Spanish" (Graves, Juel, Graves, Dewitz 157).
When children are exposed to literacy experiences, oral language, rhyming and vocabulary from an early age their ability to read will increase (Lyon). The main goal of reading is to understand the print but if you cannot decode unfamiliar words or recognize words quickly you will experience difficulties with reading (Lyon). Children with disabilities have difficulty breaking down words into phonemes to decode the word.
(Lyon)
Signs of a Learning Disability
Preschool
- "Speaks later than most children
- Pronunciation problems
- Slow vocabulary growth, often unable to find the right word
- Difficulty rhyming words
- Trouble learning numbers, alphabet, days of the week, colors, shapes
- Extremely restless and easily distracted
- Trouble interacting with peers
- Difficulty following directions or routines
- Fine motor skills slow to develop "
Grades K-4
- "Slow to learn the connection between letters and sounds
- Confuses basic words (run, eat, want)
- Makes consistent reading and spelling errors including letter reversals (b/d), inversions (m/w), transpositions (felt/left), and substitutions (house/home)
- Transposes number sequences and confuses arithmetic signs (+, -, x, /, =)
- Slow to remember facts
- Slow to learn new skills, relies heavily on memorization
- Impulsive, difficulty planning
- Unstable pencil grip
- Trouble learning about time"
Poor coordination, unaware of physical surroundings, prone to accidents
(“Common Signs of Learning Disabilities". LD Online)
Case Study:
Johnny is an 8-year-old boy in second grade. He enjoys playing outside with his friends at recess and playing sports. Art is one of his favorite classes because he enjoys painting but has weak fine motor skills. He has difficulty concentrating and staying on task at school. Johnny has trouble reading words. He often confuses short vowel sounds and has difficulty rhyming words. Johnny often guesses at words only paying attention to the beginning sound.
Question: What are the signs of a learning disability?
Record Here: Learning Log
Activities:
1. Identifying the misconceptions
Learning Log: Guiding questions for video: What were your thoughts on the video? What is one of the biggest misconceptions about children with learning disabilities and learning to read?
Reflection/Discussion:
How has your view of children with learning disabilities changed? How has the video impacted your previous ideas of teaching reading?
Record your reflection here. Be sure to discuss topic with your classmates. Comment and respond to others about your thoughts and reactions. https://todaysmeet.com/Unit2Reflection
Additional Resources
Who is Really Learning Disabled?
Reading Interventions for Children with Learning Disabilities
Video- Different Types of Learning Disabilities
References
Cormier, Matthew. "Fatcity Decoding." YouTube. YouTube, 27 Sept. 2012. Web. 30 Apr. 2016.
"Common Signs of Learning Disabilities." LD OnLine: The World's Leading Website on Learning Disabilities and ADHD. Web. 30 Apr. 2016.
Lyon, G. Reid, Dr. "Reading Disabilities: Why Do Some Children Have Difficulty Learning to Read? What Can Be Done About It?" Wrights Law. Spring 2003. Web. reprinted from The International Dyslexia Association's Quarterly Periodical
"What Is a Learning Disability?" LD OnLine: The World's Leading Website on Learning Disabilities and ADHD. Web. 30 Apr. 2016. <http://www.ldonline.org/ldbasics/whatisld>.
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