dyslexia - Learning Difficulties Australia

The dyslexia debate: Should we isolate from
other poor readers a category called dyslexia?
Tom Nicholson
Massey University, Auckland
Dyslexia Debate - A discussion, Macquarie
University, Sydney, 3 August 2015
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Contact details
Tom Nicholson, Professor, Education, Massey University, Auckland
Phone: +64 9 443 9685 – mobile 021 1085 923
t.nicholson@massey.ac.nz
Publications that might be of interest:
New Zealand Dyslexia Handbook, by Tom Nicholson and Sue Dymock (2015,
NZCER Press)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwRgwh_fuoU
Phonics Handbook by Tom Nicholson, published in 2005 by Wiley (UK)
http://au.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-1861564384.html
Dyslexia Debate - A discussion, Macquarie
University, Sydney, 3 August 2015
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Dyslexia – a complex topic
Dyslexia Debate - A discussion, Macquarie
University, Sydney, 3 August 2015
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Sometimes it is hard to know if the student really has
dyslexia
Dyslexia Debate - A discussion, Macquarie
University, Sydney, 3 August 2015
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Why do children have reading problems? One belief is
parents do not support their children at home, but ..
Dyslexia Debate - A discussion, Macquarie
University, Sydney, 3 August 2015
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Another belief is that teachers do not teach very
effectively, but ..
Dyslexia Debate - A discussion, Macquarie
University, Sydney, 3 August 2015
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What is dyslexia?
One definition, well known and highly cited (Tunmer
& Greaney, 2010), is that dyslexia:
1. Is a persistent reading and writing difficulty
2. Happens to a normally developing student
3. Happens despite effective instruction
4. Happens because of huge difficulties in
decoding words by sound
Dyslexia Debate - A discussion, Macquarie
University, Sydney, 3 August 2015
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Should we use the term dyslexia?
Arguments against dyslexia:
• Labels are not helpful – stigmatises the student
• There is nothing special about dyslexia- we give the same reading
instruction to dyslexic pupils as for ordinary reading difficulties
• It is a way for middle class parents to get priority for their children, e.g., in
New Zealand just 17 pupils in decile one schools received special
assessment conditions (SACs) for external NCEA exams in 2014. Just under
1300 pupils in decile 10 schools received help.
Arguments for
• Some parents say that the label is a “relief”
• The simple view of reading and writing says that you can distinguish
dyslexia – it is a special category
• Middle class parents are more successful at getting help but that is
because we make it hard for poor parents to get help, by insisting on
expensive psychologist reports
Dyslexia Debate - A discussion, Macquarie
University, Sydney, 3 August 2015
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Myths about dyslexia
• Dyslexia is reading words backwards – but not peculiar to dyslexia
• Dyslexia is related to intelligence – many studies have found that IQ is not
the best predictor of reading difficulties
• Dyslexia is a different learning style – most people think they are visual or
auditory or kinaesthetic learners but no evidence to show this
• Dyslexia is a boy problem – but this is because boys are worse behaved
and this seems to draw them into remedial reading
• Dyslexia will go away with time – it seems to be the opposite – it persists
over a long time
• Dyslexia is a visual processing problem – but it does not respond to visual
training
• Dyslexia is a balance problem – research evidence has been criticised
• Dyslexia is helped with coloured plastic overlays or special glasses – but
studies have found no effect
Dyslexia Debate - A discussion, Macquarie
University, Sydney, 3 August 2015
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Dyslexia, family, and the school
• Students: feel different, low self-esteem, “I felt I was
the most stupid in the class” “They treat you like a kid”
“Embarrassing and humiliating”
• Teachers: “it’s one of those things conjured up by
pushy parents” “children who are either too lazy or
haven’t got the brains”
• Dyslexia friendly classroom – where the teacher
genuinely wants to help out
• Family - These students are average or above in oral
language so it comes as a surprise to their family that
they struggle to read/write – often from middle class
homes, successful parents
Dyslexia Debate - A discussion, Macquarie
University, Sydney, 3 August 2015
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Defining dyslexia via the simple view
of reading
(Nicholson & Dymock, 2015)
Dyslexia Debate - A discussion, Macquarie
University, Sydney, 3 August 2015
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Reading Difficulties
The simple view describes ‘the reader”
And 3 types of reading difficulties
Three types of reading difficulties
Problems with decoding (dyslexia)
Problems with Listening comprehension (hyperlexia)
Problems with decoding and listening (mixed)
Dyslexia Debate - A discussion, Macquarie
University, Sydney, 3 August 2015
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Steps in assessing for dyslexia using
the simple view approach
Dyslexia Debate - A discussion, Macquarie
University, Sydney, 3 August 2015
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A hypothetical classroom using the simple view
classification (using stanines)
Dyslexia Debate - A discussion, Macquarie
University, Sydney, 3 August 2015
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Alien Words – CVC (Bryant Test of Basic Decoding Skills)
Dyslexia Debate - A discussion, Macquarie
University, Sydney, 3 August 2015
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Alien words – silent e
Dyslexia Debate - A discussion, Macquarie
University, Sydney, 3 August 2015
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Alien words – consonant digraphs
Dyslexia Debate - A discussion, Macquarie
University, Sydney, 3 August 2015
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Alien words – blends and digraphs
Dyslexia Debate - A discussion, Macquarie
University, Sydney, 3 August 2015
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Alien words – multi syllable words
Dyslexia Debate - A discussion, Macquarie
University, Sydney, 3 August 2015
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William’s story …
Articulate, good vocabulary …
entered school with enthusiasm.
His year 1 and 2 teachers indicated to his parents that
he would do well at school and that his reading would
soon ‘take off’.
By year 3 he was aware something was amiss. His
parents were concerned because he was not making
age-appropriate progress in reading and spelling.
His poor reading and spelling skills were beginning to
impact on his self-esteem and self-worth. His
enthusiasm for school
disappeared.
Dyslexia Debate - A discussion, Macquarie
University, Sydney, 3 August 2015
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William …
After three years of schooling undoubtedly one of the
highest pupils in oral language in the lower SES, 250300 pupil school, William was reading and spelling well
below age level.
William’s school: had few [no] answers for his poor
progress.
William’s parents: at a loss
Dyslexia Debate - A discussion, Macquarie
University, Sydney, 3 August 2015
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William’s progress at Hamilton Reading Centre – would
the average poor reader have made such progress?
Measures
Start of Year 1
Start of Year 2
End of year 2
Age
10y 1m
11 y 2 m
11 y 10 m
Alien Words
20
32
37
Reading Accuracy
7y5m
8 y 11 m
13+
Reading
Comprehension
7 y 11 m
10 y 4 m
13+
Receptive
Vocabulary
15 y 9 m
Adult level
Spelling
7y3m
7y3m
Dyslexia Debate - A discussion, Macquarie
University, Sydney, 3 August 2015
8y2m
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Do dyslexic students read text differently? Not
many studies have looked at this
• Thomson (1978) compared dyslexic 10-year-olds with good readers
of the same age
• Method – N=40 students (20 dyslexic, 20 good readers of same
age); children read passages from Neale Analysis of Reading Ability;
their miscues were classified
• It could be that the dyslexic poor reader will make more
meaningful errors than the non-dyslexic poor reader because they
are able to use their language skills to make better guesses from
story context about words they do not know
• If they did do this then it would mean they are a different category
or poor reader. Their guessing skills might actually work against
them if they relied on this rather than trying to learn how to decode
– which might explain why they make good progress when they
learn decoding skill. The Thomson study looked at this question.
Dyslexia Debate - A discussion, Macquarie
University, Sydney, 3 August 2015
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The two groups – matched for age, sex, intelligence
(IQ), socioeconomic status
Dyslexic Group
Good reader group
Age
10.5
10.10
Reading age
8.2
11.8
Spelling age
7.7
11.10
IQ (non verbal)
11.7
11.8
Dyslexia Debate - A discussion, Macquarie
University, Sydney, 3 August 2015
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The two groups
Reading Ages (Neale Test)
Dyslexic Group
Good reader group
Reading comprehension
10.1
12.4
Reading Accuracy
8.1
11.3
Reading speed
7.4
12.6
Dyslexia Debate - A discussion, Macquarie
University, Sydney, 3 August 2015
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Thomson Discussion
1.
2.
3.
Dyslexic group’s reading comprehension level was at their age
level in the Thomson study – even though their oral reading and
speed was much lower than their chronological age. To have
normal reading comprehension for their age is in itself is different
to other poor readers.
Results: In terms of surface structure, dyslexic group made more
graphic and phonemic miscues than did the good reader group –
but made similar syntactic and semantic miscues.
The Thomson results indicated that the difference between the
good readers and dyslexic readers was in reading accuracy, not in
ability to use context clues. But we are doing more research on
this - to compare dyslexic readers with younger normally
developing readers of the same reading age and with younger
non-dyslexic poor readers. If their miscues turn out to be
different, then dyslexia may be a different category of poor reader.
Dyslexia Debate - A discussion, Macquarie
University, Sydney, 3 August 2015
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Miscue study results
Types of miscue –
surface structure
Dyslexic
Good reader group
M
M
3.0
5.3
*
Phonemic proximity 2.3
4.6
*
Syntactic proximity
7.2
7.3
ns
Semantic proximity
1.6
1.9
ns
Graphic proximity
Dyslexia Debate - A discussion, Macquarie
University, Sydney, 3 August 2015
Significance
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So the jury is still out: Do dyslexic students make
different kinds of reading errors to other poor readers
or younger normally developing readers?
• We still don’t have the answer to that question
• Thomson’s 1978 research compared dyslexic 10-year-olds
with normal readers in terms of their reading miscues
• But to answer our question, we need to compare the
dyslexic group with another group of matched poor readers
who are not dyslexic, and also use a reading-age match
with younger, average readers
• Comparing the dyslexic poor reader group with a group of
good readers does not answer the question
• Dyslexics’ reading errors may be different to other poor
readers – we need to do more research on this
• If they are different, then we probably need to keep the
label, “dyslexia”
Dyslexia Debate - A discussion, Macquarie
University, Sydney, 3 August 2015
28
Further reading
Younger students:
Nicholson, T., & Dymock, S. (2015). NZ Dyslexia Handbook. Wellington: NZCER
Press.
Dymock, S., & Nicholson, T. (2012) Teaching reading comprehension.
Wellington: NZCER Press
Nicholson, T., & Dymock, S. (2010). Teaching reading vocabulary. Wellington:
NZCER Press
Nicholson, T. (2005). At the cutting edge: The importance of phonemic
awareness in learning to read and spell. Wellington: NZCER Press
Nicholson, T. (2005). Phonics handbook. Chichester, UK: Wiley
Teenagers and adults:
Dymock, S., & Nicholson, T. (2013). Dyslexia decoded. Auckland:
Dunmore.
Dyslexia Debate - A discussion, Macquarie
University, Sydney, 3 August 2015
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Thanks for listening!
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