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This page contains these sections:

Myths About Dyslexia Myths about Schools Myths about Classroom Modifications

 

Persistent Myths About Dyslexia

In 1994, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) released the results of their 14-year longitudinal study and specific research projects. The research projects have been independently replicated, have yielded the same results, and the results from these 18 university-based research centers are converging into a consistent model of dyslexia. Yet most people are unaware of these results. So as a parent or advocate, you will encounter the following myths frequently. Be prepared to refute these myths with solid, scientific evidence from either the NIH results, 20 years of reading research compiled by Marilyn J. Adams in her book Beginning to Read: Thinking and Learning about Print, and the paper by Louisa Moats and Reid Lyon in Topics in Language Disorders entitled "Wanted: Teachers with Knowledge of Language."

Dyslexia does not exist.

Dyslexia is a "catch all" term.

Intelligence and ability to read are related. Therefore if someone doesn't read well, they can't be very smart. Also, gifted children cannot be dyslexic or have other learning disabilities.

Dyslexia is rare (5% or less).

There is no way to truly diagnose dyslexia.

Dyslexia cannot be diagnosed until a child is 8 to 11 years old.

Many children who experience reading and writing problems in kindergarten through third grade will outgrow those problems. These children are just developmentally delayed.

Repeating a grade will often help children gain skills because it allows them to mature and become developmentally ready to read.

Children outgrow dyslexia.

Dyslexia is a visual problem. Therefore, vision therapy, eye tracking exercises, and/or colored lenses will solve the problem.

Children with dyslexia see things backwards.

Dyslexia only affects children who speak English.

Dyslexia affects four times more boys than girls.

All children who reverse b's and d's or p's and q's have dyslexia.

If a child does not "mirror write" or reverse letters and numbers, he/she does not have dyslexia.

The way to help a child to read is to force him or her to read at least 20 minutes a day.

Dyslexic children will never read well. It is best to teach them to compensate.

If you don't teach a dyslexic child to read by age 12, it is too late. They won't be able to learn to read after age 12. Back to top

Myths about Schools

Children with learning disabilities, including dyslexia, are almost always identified and treated in resource programs.

If a child does not qualify for a special education program, he or she does not have dyslexia.

Most resource specialists are highly trained in dyslexia and its remediation methods.

Most teachers have been trained about dyslexia as part of their certification. Here are the facts: New Study: Most Teachers Don't Know Symptoms of Dyslexia excerpt of a study by the No To Failure project in conjunction with the charity Xtraordinary People published on www.EducationGuardian.co.uk Supported and funded by the DfES, this unique No To Failure project has united all the leading charities and specialists in this field (in the United Kingdom) to create maximum impact. Did you know that 1 in 5 children continue to leave primary school each year unable to read, write or do math properly? Many of these children are dyslexic and may not be receiving the help they need. However, if supported by dyslexia trained teachers, these children can succeed. NUT research found that fewer than 14% of teachers felt very confident they could recognize a dyslexic child, and fewer than 9% felt very confident they could teach a dyslexic. 77% of teachers said they wanted extra training in dyslexia. To read more about the study and the No To Failure project, go to: www.xtraordinarypeople.com/no_to_failure/ To read about the U.K. government's new Dyslexia Support initiative, go to: www.dys-add.com/UKDyslexiaInitiative.pdf To read about New Zealand government's acknowledgement of dyslexia, and their plans to change classroom and teacher training, go to: www.dys-add.com/nzdyslexia.pdf

Most reading specialists know the latest research on dyslexia, can tell who is dyslexic and who is not, and use research-based reading programs that work for dyslexic students. Here are the facts: Colleges Don't Prepare Teachers New Study: What education schools aren't teaching about reading Authored by Kate Walsh, Deborah Glaser, and Danielle Dunne Wilcox Published by the National Council on Teacher Quality June 2006 Excerpts from the Executive Summary: Over the last 60 years, scientists from many fields including psychology, linguistics, pediatrics, education, neurobiology, and even engineering have been studying the reading process. This science of reading has led to a number of breakthroughs that can dramatically reduce the number of children destined to become functionally illiterate or barely literate adults. By routinely applying the lessons learned to the classroom, most reading failure could be avoided. It is estimated that the current failure rate of 20 to 30 percent could be reduced to the range of 2 to 10 percent. To do so, elementary classrooms must incorporate certain research-based practices, including: * Early identification of children at risk of reading failure. * Daily training in linguistic and oral skills to build awareness of speech sounds called phonemes. * Explicit instruction in letter sounds, syllables, and words accompanied by explicit instruction in spelling. * Teaching phonics in the sequence that research has found leads to the least amount of confusion, rather than teaching it in a scattered fashion and only when children encounter difficulty. * Practicing skills to the point of "automaticity." Regardless of social class, race, or income, roughly a third of all kindergartners require this explicit, systematic approach to learn how to read. Yet the resistance from many educators to change has been palpable. So the National Council on Teacher Quality decided to examine what aspiring elementary teachers are learning about reading instruction during their formal undergraduate training. Our analysis provides the most comprehensive picture to date of what elementary teacher candidates are learning -- or failing to learn -- about the teaching of reading. In our final sample of 72 colleges, after examining the syllabi and textbooks of 223 required reading courses for students who aspire to teach kindergarten through fifth grade, [a few of] our findings include: Finding #1: Most education colleges are not teaching the science of reading * Only 11 out of 72 colleges (15%) were found to actually teach all the components of the science of reading. * Nearly a third (32%) make no reference to reading science in any of their courses. Finding #2: Even courses claiming to provide a "balanced" approach ignore the science of reading The notion of "balanced literacy," which many colleges claim to promote, was developed in the 1990s. This approach was an effort to retain the best practices of the whole language method (presumably preserving the important role of good literature) while injecting greater emphasis on decoding (phonemic awareness, phonics, and fluency). However, our analysis revealed this balance is rarely achieved. Only 9 percent of the courses described as teaching "balanced literacy" devoted lecture time to teaching the science of reading as one of several approaches that teachers might need to know. That means 91% of professors who say their intention is to provide a "balanced" approach never acknowledge that there is a science of reading. Finding #7: Many courses reflect low expectations with little evidence of college level work College professors make too few demands on their students. Research papers that encourage or require aspiring teachers to present anyone's perspective other than their own are a rarity. In a randomly selected subsample of 75 syllabi, only eight (11%) call for the students' own feelings and observations. The most common assignment is a "literacy memoir," which asks students to reflect on how they themselves learned to read as young children. Further, no effort to develop practical application of knowledge is evident. Students rarely have to demonstrate their knowledge by writing and delivering lesson plans that apply the tools of reading instruction in a classroom setting. Among the study's many recommendations are: * Education schools that do not teach the science of reading should not be eligible for accreditation. * Elementary teachers should be required to pass a test in reading to achieve "highly qualified teacher" status. To read all of their findings and recommendations, go to: www.dys-add.com/NCTQstudy.pdf Back to top

Myths about Classroom Modifications

Explanation: Classroom modifications are made by teachers in mainstream classes to allow students with disabilities to learn and to demonstrate their knowledge. For a listing of the most commonly requested modifications, take a look at our Teaching Methods That Work page. Here are the myths regarding classroom modifications:

Only children who qualify for special education can get classroom adaptations.

If a teacher adapts for one student, it is unfair to all the others.

If a teacher reduces homework assignments, the student should never be able to make an "A" since all of the other students had to do the entire assignment.

If children are allowed to use a computer, they are never going to learn to spell.

Children need to learn how to survive in the "real world." Therefore, we are doing harm by adapting.

Allowing extended time to learning disabled students on tests isn't fair because it gives them an extra advantage.

Now that you're familiar with the persistent myths about dyslexia, discover the facts that 15 years of research by the National Institutes of Health have revealed. Back to top

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