October 11, 2024
As an educator with a PhD in children's and young adult literature, and someone who is deeply committed to helping children learn to read, I have worked with countless students who face unique challenges. One of the most significant challenges is dyslexia—a learning difference that affects reading, writing, and spelling. October is Dyslexia Awareness Month, a perfect time to shine a light on how we can support students with dyslexia, particularly through one crucial strategy: isolating each word in a sentence before trying to make sense of the text.
For students with dyslexia, reading can feel like an overwhelming task. They might see letters jumping around on the page, confuse similar letters, or struggle to connect the sounds of letters and words. This makes reading fluently and comprehending text incredibly difficult. However, breaking down the reading process into smaller, more manageable steps—such as isolating each word—can be a game changer.
When we teach students to isolate each word, we are encouraging them to take their time with decoding. Often, students with dyslexia rush to figure out the meaning of a sentence, only to stumble over words or misread them entirely. Instead of getting caught up in the whole, focusing on one word at a time allows them to:
Process Phonemes: Dyslexic readers often struggle with phonemic awareness—understanding that words are made up of individual sounds. Isolating words helps them practice sounding out each word without the pressure of a full sentence weighing on them.
Build Confidence: When a student with dyslexia can successfully decode a single word, it builds their confidence. Stringing together these small victories leads to greater success in understanding full sentences and paragraphs over time.
Reduce Cognitive Overload: Reading is a cognitively demanding task for students with dyslexia. By breaking the process into chunks—focusing on one word at a time—they can give their full attention to decoding that word without the added stress of interpreting a whole sentence or passage at once.
Improve Comprehension: Ironically, isolating words first helps students with dyslexia grasp the overall meaning better. When they rush to understand a sentence without properly decoding the words, comprehension is compromised. But when they master each word individually, they can string them together to make sense of the sentence more effectively.
In my educational business, where I work both one-on-one and in group settings, I emphasize this strategy with students who struggle with dyslexia. Here are a few ways we can support word isolation in a reading program:
Cover Parts of the Sentence: Sometimes, physically covering the rest of the sentence with a piece of paper while focusing on just one word helps students keep their attention on the task at hand.
Use Manipulatives: For younger students, using letter tiles or word cards allows them to practice isolating and decoding words without the distraction of surrounding text.
Slow Down: Encouraging students to take their time and focus on decoding rather than rushing to comprehension is vital. It's better to go slow and get it right than rush through and struggle with comprehension.
Dyslexia doesn't go away, but with the right support, students with dyslexia can become confident, capable readers. By isolating words, we're teaching students how to navigate their unique learning challenges while giving them the tools to succeed. As we celebrate Dyslexia Awareness Month, let's commit to strategies like word isolation that help all students find success, no matter their learning style.
Want a freebie that encourages students to practice using words in isolation (pssst---this is great for all readers, not just those with dyslexia). Check out my freebies section or click here.
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Want more posts about dyslexia? Check out my blog!