Nearly one billion people around the world can neither read nor write. Of this number, an estimated 700 million people have dyslexia, a neurobiological, multifaceted, life-long condition which is often hereditary.
That’s according to Dyslexia International (DI), a Belgian non-governmental organisation (NGO) working in partnership with UNESCO and EI.
Dyslexia results in problems with reading, writing and spelling. It is usually associated with difficulties in concentration, short-term memory and organisation. However, it is not caused by poor motivation for learning or poor eyesight, hearing or muscle control, although it may occur with these conditions.
DI says that it is only recently that the devastating consequences of these specific learning difficulties are being taken into account.
The challenge of inclusion The main challenge for educators is managing dyslexia in the inclusive class setting – how to include the one in ten students who cannot respond quickly to the teacher’s question just because his or her brain, as a dyslexic learner, processes language differently.
However, DI longitudinal studies show that pupils with dyslexia who had supportive training from trained teachers from the outset did not fail to learn to read but, on the contrary, could keep up and even move ahead of their non-dyslexic peers.
Professional training vital To succeed in this, early intervention is key. Consequently, enhanced training is needed to assist teachers to reach and teach students who present symptoms of dyslexia, ranging from slight to severe.
Some of this training in teaching literacy and managing reading failure is accessible online.
For instance, on DI’s website, an e-Campus provides a wide range of quality free online materials for teachers’ trainers. Additionally, there is a Meeting Place for education authorities and a worldwide country directory for local ministerial, university and parent-teacher contacts.
The ‘ Basics for teachers: Dyslexia – How to identify it and What to do’ three-part, 20-hour online course, designed for teachers working in pairs, emphasises the importance of encouraging and systematically developing children’s abilities and promoting respect for ‘the other’.
Teachers can also find Dyslexia International’s film which explicitly demonstrates the recommended approaches and methodologies that, in fact, benefit all students, with or without learning challenges.
These include teaching via auditory, visual and motor channels to the brain known as multi-sensory teaching; structured approaches that allow the students to re-visit the material to reinforce learning and comments from experienced authorities.
EI: Changing societal attitudes “Education has a strong role in improving the lives of people with different abilities. But, to succeed in this, investment is necessary. Professional development training for teachers, for instance, is crucial,” stated EI General Secretary Fred van Leeuwen.
“Within the past five years, over 100 governments have signed the UN Disability Convention. Now it is time to move from paper to practice and implement this Convention in education systems around the world. Not only because it is a human right, but because teachers and students with disabilities can bring a unique perspective into the classroom, enriching education and society,” he concluded.
To access Dyslexia International’s resources for teachers and trainers, please click here