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Dyslexia Intervention Methods and Positive Support

Dyslexia Intervention Methods and Positive Support

Mark Fioramonti

Franciscan University of Steubenville

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Dyslexia Intervention Methods and Positive Support

Introduction

Education is a field unlike any other field of work. It involves hundreds of chaotic,

mischievous, adventurous, high energy, and loveable students with committed teachers dedicated

in providing an environment and opportunity for these students to learn. Teachers are tasked

with the opportunity to not only teach kids specific subjects but also to create relationships with

them so as to be able to prepare them for the world ahead of them. “Students do not care about

how much you know, until they know how much you care” (Liu, Robinson, & Braun-Monegan,

2016). Building these relationships with students should be a priority so that they too can care

about what they are learning and set themselves up for success. These students come from all

sorts of living situations, past experiences and unique skills, talents, and abilities. Some of these

students are very blessed with talents and school comes easily to them but for others, school is a

much more intimidating experience. For those students who struggle, school can become a very

unpleasant experience filled with a lot of frustration, lack of motivation, stress, and the feeling of

always being behind. Students with dyslexia often fall into this category. They view school in a

negative way, and struggle in many different aspects of school although they do have many other

great abilities. As Brad Rogers said “these students are smart but feel dumb” (Rogers, 2018)

Dyslexia can affect students in multiple ways. Students with dyslexia can be affected by this

learning disability through difficulty with reading fluency and in decoding, spelling, writing,

pronouncing words (Snowling, 2013) These difficulties come from struggling with phonics as

well as struggles in their cognitive ability (Tunmer, & Greaney, 2010). This specific learning

disability affects students throughout their entire life and these students especially struggle to

succeed with typical instruction (International Dyslexia Association, 2015).

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Dyslexia Intervention Methods and Positive Support

Dyslexia not only affects students academically but can also affect them emotionally and

socially. These students often struggle with their self-esteem, the feeling of being stupid and

even depression. But there is hope for these students. This paper will discuss how dyslexia

affects students and what interventions can be done to aid these students. Three specific

procedures will be discussed in displaying ways to assist students with dyslexia in reaching their

potential. These include early identification, proper instruction, and purposeful

encouragement. These three critical factors are what make up the most effective and used

interventions to help students with dyslexia succeed. With all of these components implemented

correctly and effectively, students with dyslexia will not only be successful within academics but

within every aspect of their schooling and post-schooling life. And is this not what teachers are

here to do? Educators are here to not only set up students for success in the classroom but for

their entire life. An emphasis will be put on the negative effect dyslexia can have socially and

emotionally on students and what positive interventions can be done for these students. It is

difficult to quantify the relationship between students with dyslexia and self-esteem but there is a

link between the two

Reading and writing are two of the most basic and vitally important skill sets to have as a

student. (Buttner & Hasselhorn, 2011). The importance of literacy in our society today is

crucial to success and a inefficiency in reading and writing skills can be detrimental (Burden,

2008) Reading and writing are very involved in every other topic from math, to science, to

history. Falling behind in either of these two areas means not only struggling in English but in

so many other areas in school. Annually, thousands of students are diagnosed with dyslexia

known as the most common learning disability out there. (Csizer, Kormos, & Sarkadi, 2010;

Scott-Beale, 2016). These students struggle to keep up with their peers Of all students in the
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United States who have special education, half of these students have a learning disability

(International Dyslexia Association, 2015). When looking at all of special education, the most

prevalent disability found is specific learning disabilities (Children and Youth with Disabilities,

2015). Out of the millions who receive special education around the US, one half of these

students have a learning disability. Looking at the entire population of the US, up to 20% have a

type or symptom of dyslexia (International Dyslexia Association, 2015). These are incredibly

huge numbers. The overwhelming prevalence of dyslexia and reading disabilities is clear. This

being said, educators must recognize the inevitable that students with learning disabilities will be

in their classrooms.

How then can dyslexia be defined? As its most fundamental level, dyslexia is difficulties

in learning to read (Elbro, 2010). The formal dictionary definition of dyslexia is “a

developmental disorder which can cause learning difficulty in one or more of the areas of

reading, writing, and numeracy Nontechnical name word blindness.” The dictionary also breaks

down the word dyslexia into its Greek roots of “dys” meaning “bad or difficulty” and “lexis”

meaning “word” (Dictionary, 2016). In essence, dyslexia is a language based disorder that has a

neurobiological bases and is characterized by difficulty spelling, writing, pronouncing words,

word recognition, decoding, and reading fluency (Crisp, Johnson, & Novakovic, 2012;

International Dyslexia Association, 2015; Snowling, 2013).

Structured literacy is a vital aspect of teaching students with dyslexia how to learn and

how to succeed in the classroom. One highly used and extremely effective method is the Orton-

Gillingham based instruction. This method is an approach that is not only systematic and

progressive but one that stresses the need for learning through a multisensory method. Orton-

Gillingham is a method that is contained and incorporated in many different programs that help
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students with dyslexia. Multisensory instruction is instruction that uses visual, kinesthetic, and

auditory learning methods. This multisensory approach along with clear, intensive, and explicit

instruction is used to help the learner gain skills in phonemic awareness, analytical abilities,

automaticity as well as things such as morphology, phonology, and semantics. Throughout this

instruction the material becomes more complex and students are able to build on previous

knowledge. It has been shown through research as well as the success rates of Orton-Gillingham

based programs that these programs work and truly do aid students in becoming better readers,

writers, and spellers (Hwee & Houghton, 2011).

Over the past 50 years, research on dyslexia has been increased. With so much research

at hand, educators should be able to recognize when students are at risk for dyslexia or a learning

disability. Often, if students are not recognized early and intervention is not implemented,

students will begin to fall behind in multiple areas. Early intervention is vital in preventing this

downward spiral. Research exists that displays the importance of intervening early as these

students are especially at risk in the developmental stage of their life (BURDEN) Establishing

some types of precursors can be helpful in identifying at-risk students. Students with poor oral

language, cognitive skills, and phonological awareness should be screened or assessed

(Snowling, 2013) More specifically, students who struggle speaking, pronouncing words, and

recognizing words should especially be paid close attention to (International Dyslexia

Association, 2015) Poor reading skills are accompanied by many negative effects which can be

prevented and counteracted through early intervention. Two key words can be discussed in

describing helping students with a learning disability. Educators can either use intervention as a

type of prevention or as a type of remediation. It is much more desirable to use prevention as it

hinders any negative effects of a learning disability to happen or start. While with remediation
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these negative effects have already occurred and they are trying to be stopped which is much

harder. In an ideal situation, students would be identified as at risk as early as possible so as to

get the aid and support they need so as to prevent negative effects (Poulsen, Nielsen, & Elbro,

2017).

In one study, preschool students at risk of dyslexia because of a family member having

dyslexia were studied to see if early intervention is useful. This home based program was used

before students were old enough to go to school and it involved dialogic reading and lots of

additional instruction. When compared to a control group and after entering formal school, these

at-risk students were found to have outperformed their peers (Van Otterloo, & Van der Leij,

2009). Identifying and supporting these at-risk students early on can help educators prevent the

numerous negative effects learning disabilities often carry.

Recognizing that students with dyslexia are up against so many educational

difficulties, do some of these struggles interpret into emotional, social, or psychological

difficulties or hardships? The amount of research on how dyslexia affects these students’ self-

esteem, self-concept, confidence, anxiety, and depression is scarce yet on the rise (Nalavany,

Carawan, & Brown, 2011; Glazzard, 2010). This research suggests that dyslexia negatively

affects these students’ self-esteem, self-concept, and confidence. Research done by Neil

Humphrey, indicated that students with dyslexia evade stressful situations and seek out

reassurance from their peers and teachers more so than their classmates. Humphrey also found

that these students are teased, bullied, and excluded more so than their peers. In another study,

conducted by Jonathan Gizzard, students with dyslexia were displaying similarly negative

attitudes and perspectives. Gizzards study was conducted through interview with students with

dyslexia. In the students that he interviewed, he found that many students compared themselves
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to their peers, were often isolated, felt stupid, and were often on the receiving end of many

negative teacher attitudes. Some of these students even made a connection between their

struggles with literacy and their intelligence which is a skewed connection (Glazzard, 2010). In

another study, students with learning disabilities were found to have much more negative views

of themselves then their peers. Developmental struggles in reading, writing, and spelling were

also found to be a warning sign to depression later in a student’s life by two different English

studies (Burden, 2008). All these studies have shown the link between dyslexia and negative

social, emotional, and psychological difficulties.

The question becomes, are these studies and statistics true? And if they are true, is

academic progress uniquely tied to self-esteem in students with dyslexia, should not this issue be

specifically addressed? The obvious intervention to these problems is positive behavior

interventions. But is this happening compared to the general education classroom? Does this

differ from the feedback students get in a general education classroom? And if it is what does

this positive reinforcement looks like when working with a student with dyslexia. Can and do

teachers have any control over aiding these students? Research has displayed the enormous

influence educators can have on their students’ self-esteem (Glazzard, 2010). And is this

positive intervention in anyway more so as it should be? Many strategies, programs, and

interventions are focused on teaching these students to overcome or cope with their learning

disability but very few, if any, are focused on these students positive school experience (Burden,

2008). In Gizzards interview study, students put emphasis on the teacher’s knowledge and

understanding of their dyslexia as well as the teachers being able to change and adapt their

content and instruction to aid these students. Above all, students with dyslexia gave particular
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value to the relationship teachers had with them. (Glazzard, 2010). Educators truly can have an

impact on these students in a positive way.

Purpose:

The purpose of this paper is to gain a general better understanding of exactly what

dyslexia is and what can be done for students with dyslexia. It has been shown that students with

dyslexia or with learning disabilities are a very prominent population of students in the field of

education. This population is one that needs the help of educators to succeed and educators need

to be prepared to teach, interact, and motivate these students. This being said, how are students

affected by dyslexia and what interventions can be done to aid these students?

The method or process by which research will be done will be completed in two

parts. The first part will be done through a survey about the negative social and emotional

effects dyslexia can have, completed by students with dyslexia. This will help either confirm or

refute research done on the effect dyslexia has in these areas. The second portion of research

will be done through observation and comparison. Three videos will be observed in which a

student with dyslexia is receiving intervention with the help of an intervention specialist that is

using a specific intervention program. A general education English classroom will then be

observed. In both of these observations, the amount of times the teacher positively and

negatively interacts with students is counted. The general education classroom and the

intervention classes will then be compared so as to determine if more positive reactions are being

applied with the students with dyslexia.

My prediction for this research is that dyslexia does have an aversive effect on students

with dyslexia. I believe this for two reasons. First, past research done by others that have

displayed and secondly because I have seen dyslexia have a very negative social and emotional
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effect on friends and family. Regarding the second portion of this research, I believe it will show

that positive interactions can be seen more often in the intervention programs then the general

education classrooms. I believe this because these intervention specialists realize the positive

support these students need.

As with any student, proper instruction is key in the academic success of students. In the

world of dyslexia, this is “proper instruction” is not only as important but also looks a little

different than that of general education classrooms. The International Dyslexia Association

(IDA) is an organization that was created to serve students with dyslexia. The IDA has created

standards of practice and knowledge. These standards were created for the benefit of teachers

who instruct reading so that they can have a framework on how to teach not only students with

dyslexia but all students. Three programs were recommended by the International Dyslexia

Association to help instruct students with dyslexia. These are Orton-Gillingham Instruction,

Wilson Reading Program, and instruction by the National Institute of Learning Development

(NILD). The Orton-Gillingham approach to instruction is highly and explicitly recommended

by the IDA. The Wilson Reading Program is accredited by the IDA meaning this program works

in conjunction with the IDA’s standards for practice and knowledge. Lastly, the NILD was

recognized by the IDA after a review of their institution for the alignment to the IDA’s

standards. These three programs can be very effective and involve a lot of one on one or small

group work (International Dyslexia Association, 2015).

Orton-Gillingham instruction is a broad phonics based multisensory instructional strategy

that helps students become better readers and spellers (Orton-Gillingham-based Strategies

(Unbranded), 2010; Ritchey, & Goeke, 2006). This instructional strategy contains three

component parts that are implemented throughout instruction. These include auditory, visual,
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and kinesthetic elements sometimes referred to as the language triangle. This form of instruction

is not only a widely used but commonly accepted strategy (Ritchey, & Goeke, 2006).

Created and developed by Barbara Wilson, the Wilson Reading Program is a program

which focuses on aiding students with difficulty in oral language in reading and spelling. The

Wilson Reading Program helps develop student’s skills in decoding, fluency, vocabulary, oral

language and comprehension through the application of interactive lessons and controlled

text. This program was accredited by the International Dyslexia Association in 2015. (Wilson

Reading System, 2010; Wilson Language Training Earns IDA Accreditation, 2015).

The last program that will be observed is the National Institute of Learning development

or NILD. The NILD is a program in which students with learning disabilities receive

intervention and instruction from therapists within the field of education. “The NILD was

recognized by the IDA for meeting their teaching training standards in reading.” (International

Dyslexia Association, 2015).

Review of Literatue

The early identification of anything can be helpful in any situation whether it be a

disease, some sort of threat, or dyslexia. Identifying students at risk of dyslexia can be very

beneficial for many reasons. Margaret J. Snowling, discusses the early identification of students

at risk of having dyslexia and the intervention of these students. The purpose of this research

was to determine the benefits of early identification and, once identified, the interventions that

can help students. Students with dyslexia were looked at as a whole and observational study

method was used to look at how early identification is intrinsically connected with success and

prevention. The author found that clearly defining dyslexia can be helpful to identifying students

early on. Establishing precursors within the preschool stage as well as the Response to
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Intervention framework were found to be beneficial in early identification. One of the key

points the author stresses is that dyslexia is not a distant or difficult to identify disability but

something that can be determined concretely.

This article, I thought, was very well put together. I have heard a bit about the

importance of early identification for any disability and wanted to look into the importance of

this with dyslexia, which this article displayed perfectly. This article also helped me find a clear

and concise of dyslexia and displayed that it is something that can be determined and not

something that has to be overlooked or students being perceived as “lazy.” I also liked how this

article stressed the importance of the Response to Intervention framework and how useful it can

be. As a whole I thought it was very beneficial but I do wish it had a little more on interventions

that could be used for young students with dyslexia. This article was relevant because it

discussed early identification as an important intervention technique along with a couple other

intervention techniques. There was not much wrong with the article that I did not like but I do

wish, like the other article, it had a little more data to back up some of the points made.

In the article, Lesley-Anne Balido-Dean, Lori Kupczynski, and La Vonne Fedynich , look

at students with dyslexia in the third, fourth, and fifth grade in the state of Texas and they are

then studied to determine their success rate with a specific dyslexia intervention program. The

participants for this study were selected from a district in the south- central portion of Texas. All

participants were third, fourth, or fifth grade students with dyslexia. The purpose of this study

was to determine the effectiveness of a dyslexic intervention program called the Basic Language

Skills program. A study was conducted by reviewing the results of a TAKS test. TAKS is a

standardized test that stands for Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills and helps measure a
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student’s performance in reading, writing, math, social studies, and science. The goal of this

study was to determine, through the TAKS, the level of improvement students with dyslexia had

while the Basic Language Skills Program was implemented. It was concluded that a majority of

students either met or exceeded the state standard. Only about 1% of students with dyslexia that

were studied did not meet these criteria.

Within this article, I liked how it used different grade levels to see the improvement

students had and did not just focus on one specific grade level. This helps give the research

more weight and does not limit it by just having a small sample size with a specific grade. The

study was not just confined to a certain grade level. Much like Orton-Gillingham, this program

seemed to be very effective and worthwhile to the district that used it. The only portion of the

article that was a bit confusing was the results of the findings. It was very intensive and involved

a lot of variables which made it a little hard to understand. I decided to investigate this article

because resources for the Orton-Gillingham studies seemed to be scarce and this program that

this Texas district used seemed to be similarly effective. To enhance or further this study, I

would do a more extensive study of this program throughout the country to see where it worked

besides Texas.

Methodology

The research conducted was twofold. The first portion was the survey and the other was

video observation. The survey was chosen to illustrate and confirm the research that was been

done by others about the connection between dyslexia and self-esteem, self-image, depression,

and many other negative social and emotional factors. The second portion of research that was

done was with video observation of three accredited or recognized methods of intervention.
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The survey was done with the help of the app Survey Monkey. The survey is a ten

question survey mostly comprised of yes or no questions. The questions have to do with

avoiding reading and spelling as well as embarrassment, comparison, frustration, sadness, and

depression caused by dyslexia. The survey also questions the positive support given by teachers

as well as the judgement classmates and teachers may make about students with dyslexia. This

survey was given to two sets of students with dyslexia. Some students who took the survey were

from an elementary school in the Ohio Valley and some students were from a homeschool

community in Northern Virginia, also of elementary age as well as middle school age. In this

research, I wanted to use elementary and middle school students because I have interacted with

students with dyslexia of this age and because these are the grade levels in which social and

emotional skills are often acquired.

The second portion of this research will be conducted in two comparing parts both of

which will be observation based. The first will involve the Orton-Gillingham, Wilson Reading

Program, and the NILD which are all recognized or accredited by the International Dyslexia

Association. Three videos, 10 to 15 minute length, will be observed in which intervention

containing all three of these programs will be conducted with students with dyslexia.

Intervention specialists will work with students with dyslexia in small groups or in one on one

intervention. The amount of times the specialist positively interacts with the student(s) will be

observed and counted. The same will be done with negative comments made to the student(s) as

well as mistakes made by the student. The second portion of this part of the research was done

by observing an elementary reading classroom in the Ohio Valley with no students diagnosed

with dyslexia but multiple with many clear signs of the disorder. In this specific classroom,

students from 3rd to 5th grade were given literacy instruction. This is a very unique and special
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classroom for many reasons. The class’s grade variety is fascinating because it contains many

gifted students, mostly 3rd graders pushed to upper level english, multiple struggling students,

mostly 5th graders that were held back and then many students in between. None of these

struggling 5th graders have been formally diagnosed with dyslexia but have many characteristics

that have been identified in students with dyslexia such as poor reading and spelling skills. I

observed the amount of times the teacher positively and negatively interacted with

students. This observation was done in three separate 15 minute sessions.

The positive and negative interactions of both the general education teacher and the

intervention specialist will then be compared. This will be done so as to have a better

understanding of how positive and negative interactions are made to general education students

and that of students with dyslexia. The whole premise of this research is the hope to display that

students with dyslexia are in need of and given more positive interactions then that of general

education students because these students struggle more so with emotional and social

difficulties.

Findings:

The findings, like the methodology, will be broken into two parts. The first of the

findings will be the results of the survey. The second portion, the observation research, will then

be compared and discussed as well. Both of these findings will help to display the impact

dyslexia can have on a student’s self- esteem and self-image as well as the necessary need for

positive interactions.

Within the survey, 14 elementary aged students with dyslexia participated over the course

of six days. The raw data and graphs can be seen above but this is an analysis of this data. The
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first question helped determine the age the participant was identified as being dyslexic, which

ranged from ages 6 to 13. The second question determined whether the students struggled with

reading or spelling in which 100% of the participants did. These two questions were posed so as

to correctly determine and identify the participants. Question number three dealt with student

avoidance of reading or spelling and out of 13 who answered, 12 answered yes to avoiding both.

I found this interesting as this is an obvious aspect in which students with dyslexia struggle and

avoiding these two functions displayed some of which their fear of completing these

tasks. When asked if they were ever embarrassed by their dyslexia, 11 participants answered it

does. This displays just one aspect of dyslexia that can affect students socially especially when it

comes to their confidence. Likewise, 11 participants answered yes when asked if they make

comparisons between themselves and their classmates. This comparison can be very dangerous

as these comparisons are unrealistic and can skew a student’s self-image. As stated in some of

the research, teachers can have a huge impact on students and if they lack understanding for

students with dyslexia it can have negative social and emotional effects. Question 6 pertains to

this in that it asks if anyone has ever thought they were being lazy or not trying when often it is

the students dyslexia. 12 participants answered that they had experienced this feeling from

others. This is an awful perception of these students as very often they are working hard to not

fall behind even more and then are labeled as lazy. Imagine the feeling of putting hours and

hours into a painting and then having someone tell you it doesn’t look good. This is an identical

experience that so many students with dyslexia experience which can definitely impact a

student’s self-confidence and self-esteem. In question 7, I wanted to see the amount of support

these students received from their teachers. I realize this is a broad question but wanted to see if

their teachers negatively or positively impacted them. When rated this support from 0 to 10 (10
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being very supportive, 0 being no support) students responses varied greatly. Some students

answered 0 while others answered 10 and many ratings in between. This just helped display the

importance teachers have on these students and the impact they can have. When asked if

classmates thought of them differently because of their dyslexia, only 4 students answered yes

while 9 answered no. I found this answer interesting as it was very different than the others.

This data helped to show, that students do not view students with dyslexia differently and in turn

might receive more support from their classmates. Keeping in mind the small sample size as

well as the vagueness of the question, I wish I could have reworded this question better and

gathered more responses. Questions 9 was a written response answer to whether or not dyslexia

makes them feel sad, frustrated, or angry. All fourteen students who responded said that it does

in some way. Some students responded by saying it does “all the time” while others responded

that it makes them “very frustrated.” These responses helped to make the negative connection

dyslexia has with causing these students anger, frustration, or sadness. These effects are real and

saddening. Not only are many of these students being labeled as lazy but this being done while

they are working on something that makes them angry or frustrated. Feelings of negative self-

worth can be an obvious result of these factors. Lastly, question 10 asked these students if they

had ever been teased or made fun of because of their dyslexia. Out of 14 answered, 9 said yes

they have and 5 answered no. I found this interesting as it just displays the amount of negativity

brought about because of the student’s dyslexia which can affect these students’ friendships and

can bring about isolation, confidence issues and even depression.

This data I found to be very interesting and in accord with that of which other research

has been done. A majority of these students are so often embarrassed, make comparisons, and

feel frustrated, sad, or angry because of their dyslexia. This analysis shows that these students
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are often misunderstood as being lazy and even teased or made fun of because of their dyslexia.

With this many negative feelings brought about by these students dyslexia, it is plain to see that

it can severely impact their self-esteem, self-worth, and confidence which all can lead to

depression.

The combination of the research done by others as well as my own research has displayed

the frustration and negative feelings that are accompanied with dyslexia. With this in mind,

educators need to be aware of these aspects and approach student’s dyslexia a little differently.

These students need praise, encouragement, and positivity to keep them motivated and not

frustrated, angry, or embarrassed. This recognition and positive attitude can greatly influence

their academic success.

When reviewing the comparison between the general education classroom and the

dyslexia intervention sessions the differences are very apparent. In the three observations

sessions in the general education classroom many more negative remarks were made then

positive. In the first 15 minute observation, 8 negatives were given compared to 2 positive

statements throughout the teacher’s interaction with students. In the 2nd observation, 8

negatives were given with only 3 positives and in the last observation 8 negatives were given

compared to only two positive statements. These numbers help to display the outweighing

negative comments made compared to positive ones. The difference between the negatives and

positives is apparent. When observing, a lot of negative comments were made by the general

education teacher to correct students. Comments such as “you don’t even have your notebook

open” or “you spelled it wrong; it’s right in front of you” are just a couple of the negative

remarks made by the teacher. While these negative remarks might not be damaging they can

very much be frustrating and discouraging to students especially those with dyslexia.
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One must understand also that, unlike the interventions with the students with dyslexia, this

teacher was dealing with a class of 22 students all with different needs and struggles and multiple

with ADHD.

These findings are now compared with the observations of the dyslexia intervention

programs which were between 10 and 15 minutes in length. In the Orton-Gillingham

intervention, which was conducted one on one; the specialist praised or encouraged the student

40 times. Throughout these 15 minutes, the student made over 15 mistakes in regards to the

material. The specialist was working with the sounds and writing of letters. This particular

specialist often prompted the student to rethink answers she got incorrect and praised her when

she corrected it. In the Wilson reading program, the specialist praised her students 32 times.

The educator put a lot of emphasis on the things students did well which reinforced the other

students to model their peers. The educator also reinforced every student in some way or

another. In the NILD program, the specialist praised the student 22 times with over 10 mistakes

made. This specialist was positive and engaging in multiple ways. She related to the student,

was very patient with him and even jokes around with him as well as plays games. This made

the student very comfortable and willing to ask for help. Many different phrases of praise or

encouragement were given. Such comments such as “I like your strategic thinking” or “that's a

great sentence” or “excellent that was really fast” were all positive remarks made by the

specialists. These educators recognized the specific thing they were doing well and praised it

specifically. They also were presented with multiple mistakes made by the students which were

not reprimanded but corrected and praise for the correction was made.
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Type of observation Positive interactions Negative Interactions Mistakes by student

Gen. Ed Sess. #1 2 8
Gen. Ed. Sess. #2 3 8
Gen. Ed Sess. #3 2 9
Orton-Gillingham Observation 40 0 17
Wilson Reading Observation 32 0
NILD Observation 22 0 14

The educational specialists in these videos are trained to work with students with

dyslexia. They know not only the material they need to cover and how to cover it but also the

way to interact with these students. The specialists realize the many frustrations that can be

accompanied by dyslexia and help compensate for these feelings. They are extra positive, very

encouraging, extremely patient, and do not get frustrated when the student makes a

mistake. They are very intentional and systematic about their praise. The relationship they are

able to build with these students is also critical. They are able to create a relationship with

student(s) in which the student feels comfortable with the teacher and they are not afraid of

making a mistake.
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Recommendations

The entire goal of this research is to display that students with dyslexia truly do struggle

with their self-esteem and that, to impact them in a positive way, educators need to make an

intentional and intense effort to love these students with a positive and encouraging attitude

supported with praise. The next step in this research is to provide education on this topic; to

better make teachers aware of maybe not the apparent, other struggles students with dyslexia

might have. A simple, yet comprehensive, method in which this could be done could be through

a teacher packet. This packet would not only display the need for academic help with students

with dyslexia but social and emotional help as well. It would highlight the three essential

components of helping students with dyslexia inside and outside the classroom as well as

instructional programs that would best help them. Most importantly, an approach to dyslexia in

which encouragement, praise, and positivity are not only the bases but the most essential aspect

of not only teaching these students but teaching them effectively and successfully. The

probability of having a student with dyslexia in any classroom is very high. Educators must

recognize this and be prepared to not only teach them but to love and impact them in a positive

way so that these students have the greatest opportunity to succeed in multiple aspects of their

life. ‘

The survey and observation were very informative but I would have liked a much bigger

sample size. Getting more students with dyslexia to take the survey, hopefully, would have

bolstered and further confirmed my research. I also would have liked to observed more teachers

in a general education setting and observing intervention specialists in person instead of on

video. Lastly, I think this be fascinating if this research were done in different grade levels

especially high school.

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Dyslexia Intervention Methods and Positive Support

To contrast these two very different educational settings and experiences is helpful to

better understand how to serve students with dyslexia. It has already been established and proven

that dyslexia can have negative social and emotional impact on students. Therefore, these

students need extra support, not only in aiding them with their education but in helping them

improve things such as their confidence and self-esteem. The general education classroom is a

good example of how these students do not need to be treated. They do not need constant

negative remarks followed by insufficient praise and encouragement. These students need

exactly what the intervention specialists have displayed in the videos. Intervention specialists

know exactly what they are doing and how to communicate and educate these students. They are

great examples of how students with dyslexia need to be treated. Discouragement and negative

remarks are nonexistent, praise is constant, and encouragement is very much prevalent. This

positive effect is not with intention and is very systematic and intense. Positivity such as this

impacts these students. They become confident and are encouraged to try again even when they

mess up. They are not told they are lazy or not trying but are met with understanding. This is

how students with dyslexia are meant to be taught. If this is done correctly, students with

dyslexia will not only excel in their academics but also in their social and emotional lives.

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Appendix:

1.) How old were you when you found out you had dyslexia?
2.) Do you struggle reading aloud or spelling?
3.) Do you avoid reading aloud or spelling in front of others?
4.) Are you ever embarrassed by your dyslexia?
5.) Do you ever compare yourself to your friends and classmates?
6.) Has anyone thought you were not trying or were being lazy when you were struggling?
7.) Rate the positive support your teachers have shown to you throughout your years in
school – 10 being very positive support and 0 being no support.
8.) Do you believe your classmates think of you differently as someone with dyslexia?
9.) Does your dyslexia ever make you sad, frustrated, or angry?
10.) Have you ever been teased or made fun of because of your dyslexia?

Raw data:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/results/SM-69QSP86LL