Why wait if you have concerns?
What will we teach your child?
Phonics. Reading. Vocabulary. Fluency. Spelling. Writing
What is the cost?
$70-$100 per hour
What is primary method?
Phonological intervention
What is Dyslexia? (Any one of the following)
(1) Literacy deficits: reading at an appropriate pace and/or mispronunciations
(2) Struggling to understanding what is read (Comprehension)
(3) Problems with spelling.
What are other tell-tale signs?
(1) For composition, good marks for content/creativity but marked down for spelling errors .
(2) Most sections in English Paper 2 are good but poor marks for Editing and Comprehension.
(3) When reading, tendency to miss out words (omissions) or add their own words (insertions) to a passage.
What is NOT dyslexia?
Mathematics difficulties. Attention/hyperactivity. Writing problems. Language disorders.
What is often overlooked by teachers, private tutors, educational therapists and parents?
Low self-esteem and anxiety.
How do we help with literacy ?
We don’t just teach phonics. We teach how to use it – phonological processing.
We supplement this with a reading program that is suitable for you child’s level and build up from that level.
What causes deficits in comprehension?
1. Deficits in reading (cognitive load tied up in decoding)
2. Poor vocabulary and limited exposure to general knowledge (Verbal Knowledge)
3. Undeveloped critical skills (Fluid Reasoning)
4. Weak short-term memory
5. Negative experiences with reading; e.g., scolding, poor performance (Behavioral reinforcement)
When should I approach you for help?
1. Private tuition or school remediation is not helping
2. You are teaching your child but sessions are marked with yelling, crying and fear.
What can I do on my own?
From our experience, students with dyslexia are usually 2-years behind their peers in terms of reading/comprehension. This is what you can do:
(a) Reading. Get books from library that he can easily read. If your child cannot read 90% of words on a page, this book is too difficult – find one that he says “this one so easy!”
(b) Comprehension. Parents fall into the trap of buying more books at the same age-level (e.g., for P4 student, they buy more P4 practise books). We suggest starting with 2 years below (i.e for P4, start with P2).
(c) Positive experience. Avoid pointing out mistakes but train yourself to praise what he gets right and small achievements. You will know you have succeeded when he automatically takes out a book to work.
(d) Try Chat GPT. Generate passages that are 1-2 years below his level (input that he might have dyslexia). Request for comprehension exercises, at least 10-20 marks. Take screen-shots/feed results. Request for revisions based on his progress.
Resources:
https://www.das.org.sg/about-dyslexia/what-is-dyslexia/what-is-dyslexia.html#signs-and-symptoms
https://www.bdadyslexia.org.uk/