Specialized instruction for dyslexia with Slingerland

What is Dyslexia?

According to the official definition adopted by the International Dyslexia Association in 2003, dyslexia is neurobiological in origin and its characteristics include poor phonological awareness, word recognition, spelling and decoding abilities, as well poor comprehension as a secondary symptom. It is also unrelated to intelligence or other cognitive abilities.  

Dyslexia is associated with specific cognitive deficits related to the brain’s ability to process and integrate visual and auditory input of linguistic nature and it occurs among approximately 17% to 20% of school-aged children. It is precisely related to visually presented linguistic information/ written language.

It is neurobiological in origin, because it involves the neural systems of the brain that process the auditory and visual aspects of language: the sound structure and orthographic coding. Reading involves many regions of the brain, but the regions associated with phonological processing are predominantly linked to dyslexia.

Children with dyslexia often resort to memorizing words instead of using phonetic decoding strategies.

What does the Science of Reading tell us?

What the sciences of learning tells us is that the brain actively links new information to existing information currently stored in memory. The metalinguistic approach of Orton-Gillingham in which learners actively engage in analyzing and manipulating language elements and concepts is perfectly aligned with the science of reading. In each lesson, the teacher connects prior knowledge and applies it to introducing new concepts.

The Slingerland Approach enables students to actively engage in the learning process rather than rely on rote memory. 

An illustration of a girl with pigtails reading a book with jumbled letters, sitting at a desk with a lamp, labeled with the word Dyslexia.

  • Samuel Orton, an American physician and a pioneer in the research of dyslexia, was the first to report on the phenomenon in the 1920’s, describing it as “word blindness”. He advocated for instructional methods based on the simultaneous engagement of visual, auditory, and kinesthetic channels, emphasizing the unity of the language systems. 

    The Orton-Gillingham approach, created in the 1930s, is a multisensory, structured, and sequential literacy intervention, designed to help students with dyslexia improve their reading, writing and spelling skills. 

    The Orton-Gillingham approach calls for the need for explicit instruction that is direct, sequential, systematic, cumulative, diagnostic, and multisensory in nature.

    Deeply rooted in decades of multidisciplinary scientific research, this methodology has become the gold standard for teaching structured literacy throughout US and Canada. 

  • Structured Literacy instruction consists of several components of language: phonology, phonics, morphology, etymology, syntax, fluency, comprehension, and handwriting.

    The instruction is direct, sequential, systematic, cumulative, diagnostic, and multisensory in nature.

    According to scientific consensus, combining those core language elements is what fosters the growth of the reading brain. 

  • The progression begins with the smallest unit of sight, sound, and feel - the letter/grapheme - and advances to more complex structures of words, phrases, and sentences.

    Each lesson presents new concepts in a systematic and sequential manner, and is tailored to meet the unique needs of each student.

    The Slingerland lesson format simultaneously engages the visual, auditory and kinesthetic-motor channels for successful integration through: direct and explicit handwriting instruction reinforcing the kinesthetic-motor pathways; vocabulary and oral expression through the routine Question of the day; decoding; structured reading & comprehension; auditory spelling & dictation.

  • According to research, handwriting is essential in developing spelling and reading skills due to the close relationship between letter production (handwriting) and letter perception (visual recognition). The cognitive process of linking the visual written letters with the physical act of writing is called an orthographic loop and is crucial for reading fluency and comprehension.

More recent research indicates that reading and spelling development involves the simultaneous and coordinated use of phonological, orthographic, and morphological word forms. It suggests that learners use these three components to spell words, and that early in their development, they can draw upon and coordinate all three skills. 

  • Illustration of a confused person with letters and scribbles above their head

    Phonological Awareness

    Phonological awareness is the ability to hear and manipulate the speech sounds (phonemes) within words, and segment those words into syllables and individual sounds. Phonological awareness is an essential prerequisite in developing reading skills and is one component of a larger phonological processing system.

  • Illustration of a child with red hair sitting at a desk, looking puzzled while writing in a notebook with scattered letters and question marks around them.

    Orthographic Awareness

    Orthographic awareness builds upon phonological awareness by linking the phonemes (sounds) to their visual representation - letters (graphemes). It refers to the ability to recognize, understand, and apply letter patterns and sequences within words and is crucial to developing reading fluency and automaticity.

  • Illustration of two silhouetted heads facing each other filled with letters. One head has neatly arranged alphabet letters, while the other has jumbled letters. Small figures interact with the heads, symbolizing communication and understanding. Soft background with clouds and plants.

    Morphological Awareness

    Morphological awareness is the ability to understand the smallest units of meaning in language, called morphemes. This awareness involves understanding how words are formed from roots, prefixes, and suffixes, and how these elements contribute to the overall meaning of a word.