Responding to Dyslexia - Count Me In
Count Me In is an innovative support pack designed expressly to help teachers identify the early signs that a child might be dyslexic. Released in the spring of 2004, the pack includes a video, information and staff development activities. The project team have since produced a student teacher version and now provides a special area for parents on the Count Me In website.
I was, on the whole, considerably discouraged by my school days. It was not pleasant to feel oneself so completely outclassed and left behind at the beginning of the race
Winston Churchill on his dyslexia
4% - the estimated level of children in Scotland affected by dyslexia! Yet, a recent survey of Scottish primary teachers has highlighted that most lack confidence in their abilities to deal with the needs of dyslexic children.
What is dyslexia?
The word comes from the Greek meaning difficulty with words. For those affected, the area of the brain that deals with language processes information in a different way and it can affect reading, writing and spelling abilities as well as other cognitive skills.
The effects are felt in many hundreds of ways, either reading for pleasure or for the necessary things in life like surfing the internet, reading medicine bottles, looking at job adverts or choosing a programme to watch on television. By contrast, being able to read and process that information is something that most of us can do with very little conscious effort.
Being dyslexic does not mean that these skills cannot be learned. It simply means that different methods of teaching are required.
Count Me In support pack
The support pack was developed following a survey to identify the needs of primary teachers in all of Scotland's local authorities. Parents, young people with dyslexia and final year student teachers also gave their views.
The imprint of dyslexia goes far beyond literacy. It's directional – telling left from right, for example. It's organisational, affecting the organisation not just of things but of thoughts and ideas. Sequencing ability is affected. Dyslexics have short-term memory problems so they are frequently forgetful.
Kathleen Clark, Senior Lecturer in Educational Support and Guidance, and Project Director of Count Me In
The Count Me In project was funded by a Scottish Executive Education Department (SEED) Innovations Grant and brought together a number of organisations including the Scottish Dyslexia Trust, the University of Strathclyde, the Dyslexia Institute (Scotland), the University of Edinburgh, local authorities and parents' groups.
Kathleen reports that the level of support a dyslexic child receives entirely depends on the teacher's knowledge and understanding of dyslexia. "The damage to a child's self-esteem as a result of academic failure can continue into adult life – they don't know why they can't do things like other children".
The stigma and lack of sympathy these children experience can only exacerbate their low levels of self-confidence. Other children think they are stupid, because they are often the last to finish a worksheet, and teachers may regard them as either lazy or just not applying themselves. The child often believes what they hear about themselves.
The support pack flags up signs that would allow teachers to recognise as early as possible those children who are at risk because of dyslexia. If recognition occurs earlier then intervention and support in the learning process can be introduced to reduce the barriers to learning which can be caused by dyslexia before children have experienced failure.
Kathleen Clark, Senior Lecturer in Educational Support and Guidance, and Project Director of Count Me In
Despite being a recognised condition for well over a hundred years – it was first described in the British Medical Journal in 1886 – surprisingly there is little or no specialised training in recognising dyslexia either for student teachers or those already at work in our primary schools. It has been largely left to resourceful individuals to go out and investigate the subject on their own initiative.
Encouragingly, changes in thinking have taken place recently amongst those in a position to make lasting improvements. What was needed was collaboration between education authorities, dyslexia organisations, universities, parent groups and government. The development of the Count Me In support pack was the result of just such an association.
Dyslexia is found in all levels of ability. Children with dyslexia may have well-developed visual and spatial skills, others prefer an auditory approach and most will respond to learning through touch and movement. Every child has their own particular method of learning and this makes it more complex to develop methods, aids and teaching materials as there is no universal solution that can be applied to all pupils.
It has been recognised however that using a number of the senses at the same time is an effective method of teaching. This multi-sensory approach – looking, listening, saying and doing – can be useful in helping children strengthen the areas that are less well developed and make it fun rather than the usual struggle.
Look at a letter, feel its cut out shape in wood or sandpaper or make the letter shape with pipe cleaners for example. Use acronyms to help remember the spelling of tricky words like Ants Never Yawn for any or does, Dogs Only Eat Sausages. Transposing letters is very common and here a visual image can often help. The word bed can be recalled when the letters 'b' and 'd' are formed with the thumb and first two fingers of each hand. (Image) The brain will store these tactile, kinetic and visual memories and they may be easier for the child to recall.
There is some evidence to show that dyslexic children and adults can be highly creative. The list of famous dyslexics is extensive; John Lennon, Tom Cruise, Sir Steven Redgrave and Agatha Christie are just a few. Studies have shown that it affects more males than females but more importantly there is no evidence to show that dyslexia is a barrier to success.
The Count Me In pack is a much needed resource. Additional funding from SEED now enables the pack to reach many more schools and many more children; every primary school in Scotland can benefit from this initiative.
Contact details:
Dyslexia ScotlandNational Office
Unit 3
Stirling Business Centre
Wellgreen
Stirling
FK8 2DZ
Telephone: 01786 446650
www.dyslexiascotland.org.uk