Helping Your Dyslexic Child: Strategies from the Four Resource Model incorporating Orton-Gillingham…

Helping Your Dyslexic Child: Strategies from the Four Resource Model incorporating Orton-Gillingham strategies.

Arthur S. Firkins ( December 2024)

At Home again. Verses. [Illustrated by] J. G. Sowerby and T. Crane (1886) From the British Library archive12806.t.30, page 42

Understanding and supporting a child with dyslexia can be challenging yet profoundly impactful. Dr. Arthur Stuart Firkins’ FRM framework, combined with some strategies from the Orton-Gillingham Method, provides an approach for parents to assist their dyslexic child. By focusing on neural pathways, phonological processing, and brain adaptability, parents can help their children develop essential reading skills.

Here’s how you can apply some of these ideas to help your child:

1. Code Breaker Resource

Neural Pathways: Dyslexia is associated with differences in the neural pathways that process language. Specifically, there is often reduced activity in the left hemisphere of the brain, which is crucial for language processing. This means that children with dyslexia might need additional support to develop these neural pathways effectively.

• Multisensory Learning: Engage your child in activities that involve sight, sound, touch, and movement to strengthen neural connections. For instance, use sandpaper letters, magnetic letters, or write letters in sand to create a tactile learning experience. I also like the idea of music, art and lots of focused physical activity focusing on coordination, gross motor and fine motor.
• Repetition and Routine: Consistent and repetitive practice can help reinforce neural pathways. Encourage reading the same book multiple times or practicing the same phonics exercises daily. Use the wonderful resources of your local library or the school library.
• Phonics Instruction: Focus on teaching your child to decode words by breaking them down into their phonetic components.
• Flashcards: Use flashcards with letters and corresponding sounds. Practice matching letters to sounds and blending them to form words.
• Phonics Worksheets: Provide worksheets that focus on phonics rules and patterns. For example, worksheets that highlight vowel sounds or consonant blends.
• Decodable Books: Use books that are designed for early readers and follow a phonics-based approach. These books help children practice decoding skills in context.
• Sight Words: Introduce high-frequency sight words that are difficult to sound out phonetically.

Read together and model good reading habits.

2. Text Participant Resource

• Phonemic Awareness: Teach your child to recognize and manipulate phonemes, the smallest units of sound in a language.
• Phonological Processing: Individuals with dyslexia often have difficulties with phonological processing, which involves the ability to manipulate sounds within words. This difficulty is linked to reduced activation in areas of the brain responsible for phonological processing.
• Sound Blending: Practice blending individual sounds to form words. For example, start with simple consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) words like “cat” (c-a-t).
• Sound Segmentation: Help your child break down words into their individual sounds. For instance, ask them to say the sounds in “dog” (d-o-g).
• Sound Substitution: Encourage your child to change one sound in a word to make a new word. For example, change the “b” in “bat” to “r” to make “rat.”

Reading together shows you value reading

3. Text User Resource

Brain Adaptability: The brain’s ability to change and adapt (neuroplasticity) plays a significant role in interventions for dyslexia. Structured literacy programs and targeted interventions can help rewire the brain to improve reading skills.

• Structured Literacy Programs: Implement structured literacy programs like Orton-Gillingham or the Wilson Reading System, which provide explicit, systematic instruction that helps rewire the brain for better reading.
• Explicit Instruction: Provide clear, direct instruction on phonics, phonemic awareness, and reading comprehension strategies.
• Systematic Approach: Follow a systematic approach that builds on previously learned skills and introduces new concepts in a logical sequence.
• Multisensory Techniques: Use multisensory techniques to engage your child’s senses and reinforce learning, art, music, focused PE, physical games, fine motor, gross motor activities.
• Repetition: Use repetition to help your child recognize sight words quickly. For example, practice reading and writing the word “the” multiple times.
• Visual Aids: Create flashcards or posters with sight words and their meanings. Display these in your child’s learning area for easy reference.
• Games: Play interactive games that involve sight words, such as memory matching or word bingo.
• Fluency Practice: Encourage your child to read aloud regularly to improve their reading fluency.
• Timed Reading Passages: Use timed reading passages to help your child practice reading at a steady pace. Gradually increase the difficulty level as they improve.

Focus on all four resources of the FRM

4. Text Analyst and Critic Resource

• Positive Feedback: Provide positive feedback and encouragement to boost your child’s confidence. Celebrate their progress, no matter how small.
• Partner Reading: Read together with your child, taking turns reading aloud. This helps them practice fluency and comprehension in a supportive environment.
• Metacognitive Strategies: Teach your child to think about their thinking (metacognition) to improve their reading comprehension.
• Self-Monitoring: Encourage your child to check their understanding while reading. Ask questions like, “Does this make sense?” or “What do you think will happen next?”
• Visualization: Help your child create mental images of the story as they read. This can enhance their comprehension and engagement.Help your child create mental images of the story as they read. Visualization aids in comprehension and makes the reading experience more engaging.
• Summarization: Practice summarizing the main points of a story or passage. This helps your child focus on key information and improve retention.
• Comprehension and Critical Engagement: Questioning Techniques: Encourage your child to ask questions about the text they are reading. Questions that focus on “why” and “how” help develop deeper comprehension and critical thinking skills.

By applying the Four Resource Model’ approach, and incorporating from the Orton-Gillingham method and parents can provide targeted support to help their dyslexic children develop essential reading skills and build confidence. Remember, consistency and patience are key to seeing progress. Your encouragement and support play a crucial role in your child’s journey to becoming a successful reader.