Return-Path: <nifl-ld@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id iAOLPSQ15822; Wed, 24 Nov 2004 16:25:28 -0500 (EST) Date: Wed, 24 Nov 2004 16:25:28 -0500 (EST) Message-Id: <a05111b03bdca8ad2a29f@[10.73.2.247]> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-ld@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-ld@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-ld@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: Anne Murr <anne.murr@DRAKE.EDU> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-ld@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-LD:4536] RE: Dyslexia X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Content-type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset=us-ascii Status: O Content-Length: 2787 Lines: 59 Glenn Young, your postings always strike a chord with me - probably because what you describe from your experience resonates with the experiences of the adults who come to our Adult Literacy Center. Both research and our practical experience support your statement "If there is no clear basis for the understanding of the relationship between sound and letter (or letter combinations) then reading becomes guess work ...". My reading of the dyslexia research tells me that its main component is phonological, ie., (not knowing the short /o/ as in octopus goes with the letter "o" or how to blend discrete sounds such as /m/ /a/ /th/ into the word "math" or connecting the sounds /kw/ /i/ /p/ with the word spelled, "quip") etc., etc. I believe the auditory processing difficulties are tied to the phonological troubles. You said, "Difficulty in determining fine tones .... So if "ba" is heard the same as "pa" or "du" then how can the person realize that one is the sound for b and one for p and one for d if all the sounds are the same." It helps to link the kinesthetic, i.e, how does the sound feel in your mouth? what are you doing with your lips, is there a buzz in the voice box? with the letters in order to link the sounds to the correct letters. These difficulties, including processing rates and lack of fluency come mainly because the brains of poor readers are not wired to efficiently process verbal information. Poor readers use different parts of the brain compared to good readers (Shaywitz, Paulesu). It often takes adults years (not months) of practice and repetition to reach some level of fluency. Volunteer tutors in our Center are trained to use the Orton Gillingham-based Wilson Reading System. Its structure and instructional materials are user-friendly for the volunteers. Wilson does what your tutor did, i.e., helps to "learn the sounds and how to distinguish them." Several adults have completed all 12 Wilson Steps (in from 2-4 years and are now independent readers and spellers. All our learners are making progress. At least half of our learners stay in the program over 1 year and many are staying with it much longer - because they are learning. Our Center has very little funding. We keep going through committed volunteers who also stay because they see their students progressing. One man has begun to write his life story, titled "The Man Who Was Cheated." He knows that had he received intensive instruction as a child he would not have been cheated all through his life. But it's not too late to learn! -- Anne Murr, Coordinator Adult Literacy Center School of Education Drake University 3206 University Ave. Des Moines, IA 50311 anne.murr@drake.edu Tel 515-271-3982 Fax 515-271-4544
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