What is dyslexia?
The word dyslexia is derived from the Greek “dys” (meaning poor or
inadequate) and “lexis (words or language). Dyslexia is a learning
disability characterized by problems with language. Problems may
emerge in reading, spelling, writing, speaking or listening. Dyslexia
describes a different kind of mind, often gifted and productive, that
learns differently. Dyslexia is not the result of low intelligence.
Intelligence is not the problem. An unexpected gap exists between
learning aptitude and achievement in school. The problem is not
behavioral, psychological, motivational, or social. It is not a problem
of vision. People with dyslexia are unique; each having individual
strengths and weaknesses. Many dyslexics are creative and have
unusual talent in areas such as art, athletics, architecture, graphics,
electronics, mechanics, drama, music, or engineering. Dyslexics
often show special talent in areas that require visual, spatial, and
motor integration. Their problems in language processing distinguish
them as a group. This means that the dyslexic has problems
translating language to thought (as in listening or reading) or thought
to language (as in writing or speaking).
What Characteristics Accompany Dyslexia?
Few dyslexics exhibit all the signs of the disorder. Some common
signs are:
 Lack of awareness of sound in words, sound order, rhymes or
sequence of syllables
 Difficulty decoding words – single word identification
 Difficulty encoding words – spelling
 Poor sequencing of numbers, of letters in words, when read or
written, e.g.: b-d; sing-sign; left-felt; soiled-solid; 12-21
 Problems with reading comprehension
 Difficulty expressing thoughts in written form
 Delayed spoken language
 Imprecise or incomplete interpretation of language that is heard
 Difficulty in expressing thoughts orally
 Confusion about directions in space or time (right and left, up and
down, early and late, yesterday and tomorrow, months and days)
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Confusion about right or left handedness
Similar problems among relatives
Difficulty with handwriting
Difficulty in mathematics – often related to sequencing of steps or
directionality or the language of mathematics
Who Has Dyslexia?
According to researchers, learning disabilities, such as dyslexia,
affect as many as one in seven people in this country. Dyslexia
occurs among all groups, regardless of age, race, or income. Many
successful people are dyslexic, and many dyslexic people are
successful. Recent research has established that dyslexia can run in
families. A parent, brother, sister, aunt, or grandparent may have had
similar learning difficulties.
What Can Be Done?
Individuals with dyslexia require a structured language program.
Direct instruction in the code of written language (the letter-sound
system) is critical. This code must be taught bit by bit, in a
sequential, cumulative way. There must be systematic teaching of
the rules governing written language. This approach is called
structured, or systematic language instruction. Individuals with
dyslexia require multisenory delivery of language content. Instruction
that is multisensory employs all pathways of learning – at the same
time, seeing, hearing, touching, writing, and speaking. Such a
delivery requires a teacher or therapist who is specifically trained in a
program which research has documented to be effective for dyslexic
individuals.
The program we use in the Lewisville Independent School District is
Multisensory Teaching Approach or MTA. The MTA program is a
comprehensive curriculum that places primary emphasis on the 85 %
of the English language that is phonetically reliable for reading and
spelling. There are four major areas of study: alphabet and dictionary
skills, reading, spelling and cursive handwriting. Our teachers are
required to take eight days of initial training in the MTA curriculum
with ongoing training each month during the school year.
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Resources
Your child’s Dyslexia Interventionist
is:________________________________.
The school phone number is:______________________________.
Her/His conference period is:______________________________
Lakshmi Valdes is the Dyslexia Interventionist Supervisor. Her phone
number is 469-713-5200.
In LISD we are very fortunate to have a parent organization, PODS,
Parents of Dyslexic Students. Contact your child’s Dyslexia
Interventionist for more information regarding meetings.
The web site of the International Dyslexia Association is:
www.interdys.org. This web site contains valuable information and
current research about dyslexia as well as an e-mail exchange.
There are several sources for obtaining books on tape to use with
your child. Texas Talking Book – Texas State Library (1-800-2529605)or www.texastalkingbooks.org - Provides free tape recorder
and library material, but no textbooks are available. Recording for the
Blind and Dyslexic – Princeton, N. J. (1-800-221-4792) or
www.rfbd.org - Provides textbooks as well as reading material.
There is an initial fee as well as an annual fee. The Internet is also a
valuable resource in locating taped reading materials.
www.amazon.com is one site that offers a large variety of books.
You will find attached a copy of a portion of the Texas Education
State Law for Dyslexia and an overview of laws concerning dyslexia.
If you would like to see the complete law it can be accessed at the
TEA website. Also, you will find a copy of a historical perspective of
dyslexia, a summary of laws concerning dyslexia, and a suggested
reading list for parents.
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Suggested Reading for Parents and Students
Can’t Read, Can’t Write, Can’t Talk Too Good Either
*Charlie’s Challenge
Root and Gladden
*Thank You, Mr. Falker
Polacco
Learning to Read: The Great Debate
Dyslexia Defined
Jeanne Chall
Critchley, Macdonald and Eileen
Understand Dyslexia
Anne Marshall Huston
*Dyslexia – Unraveling the Myth
The Many Faces of Dyslexia
Priscilla Vail
Margaret Rawson
*Smart Kids with School Problems
Priscilla Vail
*When You Worry About the Child You Love
*Dyslexia in Adults
Clark
Ed Hallowell
Nosek
*How to Develop Your Child’s Gifts and Talents in Reading
*Keeping a Head in School
Dr. Mel Levine
The Orton Emeritus Series
International Dyslexia Association
Cheney
Overcoming Dyslexia Sally Shaywitz
Smart But Feeling Dumb
Harold N. Levinson
Parenting a Struggling Reader
Straight Talk About Reading
Susan L. Hall and Louisa C. Moats
Susan L. Hall and Louisa C. Moats
Helping Children Overcome Learning Difficulties
Jerome Rosner
* Books available for check-out from Dyslexia Office at the Administration Bldg.
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Historical Perspective
Until the late 1800’s, beginning reading instruction emphasized teaching letter/sound
relationships; reading and spelling were taught as related skills. Cursive handwriting
was taught to all students.
Around the early 1900’s the emphasis gradually shifted from directly teaching
sound/symbol relationships to a whole word approach. A manuscript form of writing
began to be used as the introductory form of handwriting in the early 1940’s; cursive
handwriting instruction was then deferred for approximately two years.
Late 1920’s: Dr. Samuel T. Orton saw patients unable to read, spell, or write, but could
determine no physical cause. Recognizing that the treatment was educational, he
prescribed specialized multisensory teaching techniques, and in the 30’s, worked closely
with a number of educators, including Anna Gillingham.
1930’s: Anna Gillingham had already been using multisensory techniques before she
worked with Dr. Orton. She and Bessie Stillman co-authored a teacher manual first
published in the early 40’s. Miss Gillingham believed that both students and teachers
must be taught one-to-one.
1965-75: Under the direction of Aylett R. Cox and Dr. Lucius Waites, the staff of the
dyslexia child study unit at Texas Scottish Rite Hospital in Dallas, Texas, extended and
refined the Orton-Gillingham methodology into a program known as Alphabetic Phonics.
They taught students in small, homogeneous groups of 6-8 students, and also trained
teachers in groups.
1978: Margaret T. Smith began writing curriculum materials to make it easier to teach
Alphabetic Phonics. The materials, called Multisensory Teaching Approach (MTA), were
field-tested in a public school setting for nine years. A four year study growing out of the
field testing project showed that after receiving MTA instruction, both regular and
remedial students in third through sixth grade showed improvement in reading and
spelling, some at highly significant levels.
1987: MTA was published by Educators Publishing Service. The comprehensive
program includes specific directions for instruction, practice materials, and criterionreferenced post-tests.
1991: MTA: Teaching a Process for Comprehension and Composition was published by
Margaret T. Smith and Edith A. Hogan. The practical guide incorporates multisensory,
guided discovery techniques for teaching whole language ideas. The book includes
information for the teacher, minilessons, and duplicating masters for practice activities.
1994: Multisensory Teaching System (MTS) Reading Program was published by
Margaret T. Smith. MTS follows the same curriculum as MTA, and is written in teacherfriendly minilessons making it easier to teach. MTS has been taught in K-2 grades in
addition to other reading programs, in chapter remedial reading for students with less
serious reading problems and in adult literacy classes.
COPYRIGHT 1994 BY MARGARET T. SMITH. PERMISSION TO DUPLICATE GRANTED.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
What is Dyslexia?
Page 1
Characteristics of Dyslexia
Page 1-2
Who has Dyslexia?
Page 2
What Can Be Done?
Page 2
Resources
Page 3
Suggested Reading List
Page 4
Historical Perspective
Page 5
Laws Concerning Dyslexia
Page 6
TEA Dyslexia Law
Page 7-29
Lewisville ISD
Dyslexia
Parent Booklet