You Don’t Have to Be Dyslexic to Have Trouble Learning to Read English

You Don’t Have to Be Dyslexic to Have Trouble Learning to Read English

All but seven states now require teachers to be trained on recognizing and supporting students with dyslexia. In one way, that makes sense. Early identification and support can make a big difference in a child’s ability to acquire reading skills. But it is also very challenging since there continues to be disagreement even among the experts as to the nature and causes of reading problems.

Furthermore, we are now starting to understand the special challenges posed by written English. Could it be that there is a reason besides learning problems (dyslexia) and instruction that the vast majority of Finnish students learn to read int heir native language within a single school year, where it’s closer to 30% for students learning to read English?

In this webinar, we explore the contributions of cognitive skills such as attention, working memory, processing speed, phonemic awareness/discrimination, and visual system challenges in learning to read. Then we address the ‘special challenges’ of the English language and some promising approaches that can be implemented by classroom teachers.

If you have questions or need additional information on anything we discussed in this webinar, please email bhill@mybrainware.com. After you have watched this webinar, you can request a certificate of participation.