As promised..Dealing with Dyslexia Part 3

Our daily routine cont....

8. Paragraph writing - Writing is extremely difficult for someone who doesn't read fluently or at all! Reading and writing is all about patterns. Graham has extreme difficulty deciphering these types of patterns. So, in most cases writing something makes absolutely no sense to him because he usually doesn't know what he's writing. He loves to tell me stories and he can give me great detail about a story that he's heard. Graham is an auditory learner. This is the case for most students who deal with dyslexia. We have found that stories on CD or Stories on his ipod, are the very best way for him to hear something he can then write about. I normally check out as many books on CD the library will lend me and when his older brother has reading time, Graham, has reading time. This is providing Graham with an enriching environment with no pressure. This speaks to Graham's natural intelligence. He is able to take what he hears from a book and then he can begin to write. I cannot sit Graham down an ask him to write an introductory sentence, the body and the conclusion. So we use the story web  method.

This is not the best photo. However, you get the point. It looks like a spider web. The center circle is the main idea and the circles around the main idea, make up the remaining paragraphs or sentences. Making the last circle, the concluding sentence. This is a time intensive project for the teacher. You have to ask the student leading questions to get the paper formed. We have done this about 5 times this year so far, and each time gets easier. Once the web is formed, we number the circles and he copies each numbered circle onto his paper. He is proud to have accomplished these papers. They have meaning to him, even if he cannot read them fluently. He knows that he knew the right answers to complete this project. To help keep Graham on the correct line and to help him spatially on the page. I highlight the lines with highlighter marker. If he has to write a lot on different lines, you may want to do each line in a different color.

The books we are using right now to inspire us, are from a company called Black Bird and Co..
http://www.blackbirdandcompany.com/  This program is all about creative writing. I use whatever grade level that has a book that would interest Graham. I can tone down or ramp up the work book to whatever level Graham is working at. The main objective is to feed Graham's interest level. I think this is the key to teaching any child with a learning disability. Find the interest and create the learning environment around that interest. If I cannot find a particular book already created on CD. I have bought an inexpensive microphone and have been recording my own. Recording things for Graham has become it's very own learning tool as well. Not to sidetrack too much, but once I learned Graham was an auditory learner, (which doesn't include me talking straight to his face, too many distractions involved) I have begun to use CD's and his ipod to record everything from his address, phone number, math facts and even his chore lists.

9. Vocabulary - I use a book recommended by Dianne Craft, called Vocabulary Cartoons. www.vocabularycartoons.com. Fun and easy! No explanations required.

Some other helpful work books are search and find books, like Where's Waldo. Play lots of games to keep the mind active without applying all the pressure. Perfection is a great game to keep the eyes moving and finding object and patterns.

Just a reminder...

When things get hairy and everyone wants to cry.

1. STOP
2. GET UP
3. GRAB A DRINK (water preferably)
4. HAVE THE STUDENT RUN AROUND, DO A JUMPING JACK, SWING ON A SWING
5. RE-CONVENE AND TRY AGAIN

I had to do it just today as a matter of fact. Every day is a challenge and every day is a triumph.