A Framework for Understanding Dyslexia
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Delivering Skills for Life The national strategy for improving adult literacy and numeracy skills A Framework for Understanding Dyslexia Information on theories and approaches to dyslexia and dyscalculia Published by the Department for Education and Skills This document was produced as part of a project to research approaches to teaching and learning with dyslexic learners in adult literacy, numeracy and ESOL provision undertaken in 2003–04. The project was jointly led by the Learning and Skills Development Agency and NIACE on behalf of the Department for Education and Skills. A web version and additional materials can be found at: www.dfes.gov.uk/readwriteplus/understandingdyslexia The Learning and Skills Development Agency and NIACE would like to thank all who contributed to the project. © Crown Copyright 2004 Extracts from this document may be reproduced for non-commercial or training purposes on condition the source is acknowledged. Images on the cover and throughout this publication were taken from video footage of sessions between teachers and learners. Edited and produced by NIACE, Leicester Typeset by Boldface, London EC1 Cover design by Big Picture Interactive, Leamington Spa Printed by Newnorth Print Ltd Contents Skills for Life: the national strategy for improving adult literacy and 1 numeracy skills What is the Framework and who is it for? 3 Introduction 5 What is dyslexia? 5 The ‘deficit’ versus ‘difference’ models of dyslexia 6 How does dyslexia affect learning? 7 What do we know about dyslexic adult learners and their approach to learning? 8 How might you recognise a learner with dyslexia in your group? 11 What should you do if you think a learner might have dyslexia? 12 When should you refer a learner to a specialist? 13 What can you do to help people with dyslexia to learn? 13 How is dyslexia assessed? 17 What are the differences between dyslexic difficulties with maths and dyscalculia? 20 How does dyslexia affect maths? 21 What do we know about dyscalculia? 24 Theories of dyslexia 31 Making sense of the different theories 31 Summary of theories 32 Biological theories 32 Cognitive theories 33 Social interactive theory 34 What do theorists agree on? 35 Where are there areas of disagreement? 36 Approaches and programmes used by specialists 39 Structured cumulative approaches 41 Person-centred approaches 48 Physiological approaches 57 Approaches using technology 68 Resources 75 Theory tables: more detailed information on theories of dyslexia 76 Further reading: where to find out more about dyslexia and dyscalculia 115 Practical guides 115 Theoretical but accessible texts 119 Academic texts 123 Glossary 129 Index 137 SKILLS FOR LIFE: THE NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR IMPROVING ADULT LITERACY AND NUMERACY SKILLS country in excess of £10 billion a Skills for Life: the year. national strategy Skills for Life is not an education-only for improving strategy, nor is it just a Government response to literacy, language and adult literacy and numeracy skills needs. It covers all post-16 learners on learning numeracy skills programmes at levels from Pre-entry up to, and including, Level 2. These courses range from discrete and Many millions of adults in England embedded classroom and community need help to improve their literacy, provision, to voluntary and work- language and numeracy skills. Skills for based learning. Skills for Life addresses Life, launched by the Prime Minister in assessment through Key Skills, GCSE 2001, sets out the Government’s Maths and English and adult literacy strategy for meeting these needs. and numeracy skills certification. It is Since the launch of Skills for Life we therefore crucial that the strategy have gained an even greater insight supports and reflects the successful into the effects of low levels of literacy implementation of other post-16 and numeracy skills on individuals, strategies. These include Success for their families, the economy and All, the strategy for reforming post-16 society. For example, adults with poor further education, and the Skills literacy and numeracy skills could Strategy, which aims to ensure that earn up to £50,000 less over a the skills we develop are valuable to lifetime and are more likely to have young people and valued by health problems, live in a employers. Our goal to improve the disadvantaged area, or be skills of young people is also central to unemployed. They and their children the Opportunity and Excellence 14–19 risk being cut off from the advantages strategy. of a world increasingly linked through Every organisation and individual has a information technology. Additionally, contribution to make. Partnership and poor literacy, language and numeracy the ownership of Skills for Life by all our skills have been estimated to cost this key, supporting and development 1 SKILLS FOR LIFE: THE NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR IMPROVING ADULT LITERACY AND NUMERACY SKILLS partners are the most important • raising learner achievement elements for successful delivery. through the new national learning, teaching and assessment Government departments, the infrastructure and reducing barriers Learning and Skills Council (LSC), to learning. JobCentre Plus, the Prison and Probation Services, external partners in the post-16 learning sector, businesses, the CBI, the TUC and many others are all working together to improve the literacy, language and numeracy skills of adults through: • boosting demand for learning via a high-profile promotional campaign and by engaging all partners across Government and employers in identifying and addressing the literacy and numeracy needs of their clients and employees • ensuring capacity of provision by securing sufficient funding and by co-ordinating planning and delivery to meet learners’ needs • improving the standards of teaching and learning in literacy, numeracy and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) provision 2 WHAT IS THE FRAMEWORK AND WHO IS IT FOR? dyslexia. As many as a further 6% of What is the the population may be affected to a Framework and lesser extent – but some suggest that the percentage may be higher. Most who is it for? literacy, language and numeracy teachers will have some dyslexic learners in their groups and the This Framework provides general Disability Discrimination Act requires information on the nature of dyslexia, all teachers to be prepared to respond a review of theories about dyslexia, an to their needs. overview of approaches and The Framework contains four programmes used by specialists who sections: support dyslexic learners and a resources section including detailed • Introduction information on dyslexia theories, a list • Theories of dyslexia of further reading and a glossary. • Approaches and programmes used by specialists It is designed for teachers working in • Resources post-16 education or training. It is aimed particularly at those who teach The Framework does not duplicate the literacy, language and numeracy, guidance given in the Department for either within discrete provision or Education and Skills publication Access embedded within another academic for All: Guidance in making the adult or vocational programme, but who literacy and numeracy core curricula are not specialists in the field of accessible. However, teachers are dyslexia. We hope it will provide recommended to refer to Access for All useful information both for existing as perhaps the best source of practical teachers and for teachers in training. teaching suggestions to help dyslexic learners that is currently available. All teachers need an awareness of the indicators of dyslexia and dyscalculia The Framework itself is also available and need to know how to respond in a web-based version at when they recognise them. About 4% www.dfes.gov.uk/readwriteplus/ of the population are thought to be understandingdyslexia affected to a significant extent by 3 WHAT IS THE FRAMEWORK AND WHO IS IT FOR? This Framework was produced as part of a project to research approaches to teaching and learning with dyslexic learners in adult literacy, numeracy and ESOL provision undertaken in 2003–04. Part of that project involved action research with organisations where approaches covered in the Framework are in use. On the website, together with the Framework, are additional materials from those action research projects. These include learners and teachers talking about each approach and images of the approaches in action. 4 INTRODUCTION There are many reasons why people Introduction find it difficult to learn to read, write, or spell. For many such people, those This section is written for literacy, difficulties can be explained by the numeracy and ESOL teachers who are normal range of opportunity and not dyslexia specialists. It is designed experience. to be of use for teachers in discrete For others, however, those difficulties Skills for Life provision and for those do not seem so easily explainable. who support the development of Such learners may be what is termed literacy, language and numeracy in ‘dyslexic’. We understand dyslexia to learners on other programmes. It be a specific difficulty, typically provides general information on characterised by an unusual balance dyslexia and dyscalculia to help of skills. Dyslexia affects information teachers understand and respond to processing (receiving, holding, the needs of their learners. retrieving and structuring information) and the speed of processing information. It therefore has an impact on skills such as reading, writing, using symbols and carrying out calculations. However,