Harrison Final Project - Research
This project focuses on dyslexia. It is an area of diverse populations
that should not be neglected. In fact, it is just as important as any
learning disability. Unfortunately, most educators probably do not know as
much as they should know about dyslexia. With this project, teachers
should become more aware of what dyslexia is and how it affects students.
Teachers will also learn how to decrease barriers to learning through
their teaching strategies and the use of assistive technology. In the
process, teachers should become more aware of ways in which they can use
Universal Design for Learning to enhance learning for dyslexics and other
students with disabilities.
Assistive Technology
Co:Writer - This
software is ideal for student who have problems with vocabulary, writing, or
reading, etc. It includes tools such word prediction, flexible spelling,
speech-to-text, topic dictionaries, momentary dictionaries, and
text-to-speech. It is designed for use by students at the k-12 level, as
well as those at the collegiate level.
Dyslexie - A
font that makes reading and learning easier for dyslexics. It was created
with the characteristics of dyslexia in mind. For example, every letter is
uniquely shaped which helps to eliminate common reading errors that are
associated with dyslexia such as swapping, mirroring, changing, turning, and
melting letters together. The most important features of Dyslexie font are
heavy bottom, inclined letters, enlarged openings, other shapes, longer
sticks, capital letters and punctuation , various heights, higher x-height,
and better spacing.
Kurzweil
3000 - Literacy software that will benefit students who have
difficulty with the mechanics of language or definitions. It was built in
features for reading, writing and study skills that should allow students to
keep up with their peers, as well as reach their full potential
academically.
Octopus Watch - It
teachers good habits and the concept of time, as well as fosters
responsibility, independence, and self-esteem. It has a built in scheduler
that helps students get organized and stay on task. Students learn good
habits and earn rewards in the process.
OpenDyslexic -
An open source font increases readability for dyslexics. It is constantly
being updated and improved based on input from dyslexic users. Both personal
use and commercial use of the product are available for free.
VocabAhead - A
website with tools that can help students who struggle with definitions or
terminology learn new words. It can also benefit English language learners.
It combines words, pictures, and audio to explain the meaning of each word.
Voice
Recognition - This tool can convert your voice into text. It
could help students who have difficulty taking notes, those who need help
with writing, spelling, or vocabulary, individuals with poor motor skills,
and those with bad organizational skills. Students would be able to use it
own their own to record lessons, express ideas for assignments or projects,
type essays or emails, record reminders, etc.
Additional Information
Articles for Further Reading
Berman, S. & Stetson, S. B. (2018). Dyslexia: Hiding in plain sight. Education
Digest, 83(6), 42.
The authors express their belief that
undiagnosed dyslexia and other language-based reading difficulties may
account for the low tests scores and subpar academic performance that has
been seen in many schools nationwide for over a decade. The authors
believe that these undiagnosed learning disabilities were identified late.
That is due in part to educators not knowing and understanding as much as
they should about dyslexia. Likewise, the authors believe that dyslexia is
a more common learning disability than most people realize.
Berrett, S. T. (2017). Dealing with the dyslexia paradox. Exceptional
Parent, 47(12), 44-46.
This article discusses how dyslexia is often
diagnosed late, if at all. Ideally, students should be diagnosed between
kindergarten and first grade. It is during that time that students learn
pre-literacy skills and reading skills such as emergent literacy skills,
phonological processing, alphabetic knowledge, print concepts, rapid
automatized naming, and language skills. Students begin to fall behind due
to the dyslexia paradox. The author goes on to discuss what
districts can and should do to provide proper professional development for
teachers so that they can effectively help students succeed academically.
Olds, S. (2016). Undiagnosed dyslexia. Therapy Today, 27( 5),
20-23.
This article discusses the effects that
undiagnosed dyslexia can have on students, even those enrolled in
post-secondary education. The author points out how the difficulties in
learning can lower students' self-esteem and lead to depression. This in
some cases is due to students not being diagnosed at an early age. The
author points out that problems can still arise for dyslexic students once
they enter college if they are not provide support or taught coping
mechanisms that can help them deal with the problems the experience when
trying to learn new things. However, another key point made in the article
is that the problems may appear to be magnified for students who are not
diagnosed because they are know or understand why they are experiencing
those difficulties.
Peterson, E., Kinell, J., O'Brien, L., & Valerie, L. M. (2017).
Demystifying dyslexia. New England Reading Association Journal, 52(1),
69-80.
In this article the authors wanted to
dispell some of the misconceptions that people have about dyslexia. Most
importantly, they wanted people to know what dyslexia is, review dyslexia
legislation, and address the question of how prepared teachers are to
address the needs of students with dyslexia. To accomplish these tasks,
the authors examined research about dyslexia, reviewed laws about dyslexia
in the New England and New York states, and studied survey results to
determine teacher preparedness, among other things.
Washburn, E. W., Mulcahy, C. A., Musante, G., & Joshi, R. M.
(2017). Novice teacher's knowledge of reading-related disabilities and
dyslexia. Learning Disabilities -- A
Contemporary Journal, 15(2),
169-191.
The authors explored research to determine
novice teachers' understanding of the characteristics of reading
disabilities such as dyslexia. Similarly, they examined whether factors
such as certification type, certification grade level, and exposure to
reading content could be used to predict how much the teachers know about
the disabilities. A survey was used as a measure of teachers' knowledge of
basic language concepts and their knowledge of dyslexia, as well as
reading-related concepts such as fluency word study, vocabulary, and
comprehension.
http://stacynharrison.com/Research.html
(March 2018)
