YeeeHAA! Proof that Multisensory, Phonics-based Reading Instruction Is the Answer To Dyslexia

I've described effective teaching for dyslexics before. It needs to explicitly teach the connection between a sound (phonics) and the representation (graphemes). This is the basis of the Orton-Gillingham method, which has been observed to work.

"With about 112 hours of phonics-based instruction, adults with dyslexia had significant improvements in reading and changes in brain activity while reading," said Lynn Flowers, Ph.D., "We know that dyslexia is not something children outgrow, and our findings suggest that it's never too late for instruction to overcome this disability."

Dr. Guinevere Eden said: "Despite the fact that the majority of individuals with dyslexia are adults, little is known about the biological basis of how they can improve their reading skills. We need to understand the neural mechanisms behind these research-based reading instructions so that we can achieve a deeper understanding of precisely how these interventions work.

This article appeared in Neuron, October 28, 2004; vol 44: pp 411-422.

Flowers recommends that adult dyslexics who want to get reading instruction select a phonics-based program that focuses on the structure of language and how language works. It should also involve multiple senses, including how a letter looks, sounds and feels.

Simultaneous Multisensory Instruction: Sometimes we rattle this off and don't really explain what it means or why it is important:

Sight or seeing, using the eyes = VISUAL
Hearing or listening, using the ears = AUDITORY
Feeling or touching, using the skin = TACTILE
Moving through space and time, using the whole body = KINESTHETIC

Reading and writing go together; writing is a kinesthetic task--(can you feel how all the muscles in your hand and arm work to form letters as you write a sentence?).

Here are some types of programs that are phonics based, sequential, and multisensory, from a trusted sourceLD Online:

From the Orton-Gillingham method, many variations have been developed. Some of the modified Orton-Gillingham methods written by Orton students are The Slingerland Method, The Spalding Method, Project Read, Alphabetic Phonics, The Herman Method, and The Wilson Method. Other works included in which the authors of the programs used the tenets of Orton's work, but were not directly trained by Orton-Gillingham personnel are Shedd's Alphabetic- Phonetic- Structural -Linguistic approach to Literacy, and Starting Over (Knight). The Association Method (DuBard), and the Lindamood-Bell Method have as their basis the research into hearing impaired and the language impaired individuals. Multisensory Structured Language specialists

Do not accept Reading Recovery as a multisensory, sequential phonics-based program. It isn't, it's expensive, and ineffective. If you are having trouble getting your school district to provide a trained reading instructor for your chilld, read Getting A Certified Teacher from Writeslaw.

More about this: I find Susie Barton's site very informative.

If there is a 32 Degree Masonic Learning Center in your neck of the woods, check them out. Masons provide tested dyslexia remediation.

More news reports on the study: Web MD

Comments

[Holly Davison]

Hi Liz! I just thought I'd let you know about a program you may want to take a look at and mention, regarding systematic and explicit, multisensory phonics instruction: http://www.gophonics.com
Not only is "Go Phonics" a phonics program and designed to meet the needs of the dyslexic/LLD students, it is also a balanced literacy program that includes reading, handwriting, spelling, grammar, punctuation, comprehension, fluency, creative writing activities, K-2 language arts skills---with these skills practiced and experienced in 6 volumes of phonetically sequenced stories. By the way, it is Orton-Gillingham and Slingerland based and compatible--and has additional techniques and strategies that are of great benefit. It was developed by a professional mother daughter team to create an entire set of integrated tools and lessons that would support this method. Reading specialists, teacher, tutors, and parents like the program especially because of the stories, and also because of the set of 48 Go Phonics games for word decoding practice. Thanks for giving so much attention to dyslexia!

Holly