Common Misconceptions About Dyslexia | Edutopia

Dismantling tenacious myths about dyslexia – and drawing on evidence-based practices when teaching – can make a powerful difference for students with the condition.

Dyslexia is one of the most commonly reported learning disabilities in schools and occurs across all writing systems, yet myths about the condition—and about how best to support students identified as dyslexic—remain stubbornly influential, according to an article by Sharon Vaughn and Jack M Fletcher for American Educator.

Dyslexia, which affects approximately one in five students and often includes a genetic component, is sometimes perceived as a vision problem – reversing letters, or writing backwards, for example. But the disorder is actually connected to decoding – particularly to matching letters to sounds and identifying basic morphemic units of sound in written language – according to a growing body of research. Dyslexia can also affect spelling, writing, and math, and doesn’t “look precisely the same for all learners,” according to Vaughn and Fletcher.

Early screening and intervention for dyslexia are important – in fact, the popular practice of waiting until second grade to assess reading needs tops the authors’ list of myths about dyslexia – and the notion that only certified language therapists can provide effective reading interventions for these students once they are identified is false. Classroom teachers who are trained in reading instruction are well-equipped to meet the needs of kids with dyslexia, Vaughn and Fletcher note.

Read the article by Andrew Boryga here: Common Misconceptions About Dyslexia | Edutopia