Multisensory Teaching Approach For Dyslexia

Multisensory Teaching Methods For Dyslexia

Dyslexia Basics

Dyslexic children typically have difficulty absorbing new information, especially if it is abstract or involves memorizing sequences or steps. Multisensory teaching techniques help break down these barriers to learning by making the abstract more concrete, turning lists. Multisensory teaching is one important aspect of instruction for dyslexic students that is used by clinically trained teachers. Effective instruction for students with dyslexia is also explicit, direct, cumulative, intensive, and focused on the structure of language. Aug 23, 2018 Multisensory Teaching Approaches for Dyslexia Multisensory learning involves using two or more senses during the learning process. For example, a teacher who provides lots of hands-on activities, such as building a 3-dimensional map enhances their lesson by allowing the children to touch and see the concepts she is teaching.

According to the International Dyslexia Association, dyslexia affects up to 20 percent of all people. Dyslexia hinders a child’s ability to read, write and spell. Dyslexia may also cause problems with oral language. Symptoms of dyslexia include delayed speech, difficulty learning letters and words, difficulty memorizing math facts, difficulty reading fluently with comprehension, and poor spelling.

Dyslexia Instruction

Multisensory Teaching Approach For Dyslexia

Bright Solutions for dyslexia explains that the best way to teach children with dyslexia involves using a multi-sensory approach. Typically, school settings rely on mainly visual and auditory learning only. Students who learn about reading and spelling through auditory, tactile, kinesthetic, and visual activities retain and retrieve information more efficiently. Children with dyslexia do not usually learn phonetic or spelling rules intuitively; thus, they require explicit instruction in each and every rule pertaining to reading and writing.

Classroom Applications

Teachers can implement multi-sensory teaching techniques throughout the school day or they may want to implement these techniques while working with just the dyslexic students. Also, tutors and teaching assistants can use multi-sensory teaching techniques with dyslexic students. Practical teaching strategies for dyslexic students include:

Saying a letter name while looking at the letter on a flash card and drawing the letter in the air with their finger.
Use play dough or clay to make letters and words while looking at and saying the words.
Use sandpaper letter shapes to allow students to feel the shape of the letter with their finger while saying the letter name and sound
While looking at a letter, the child says the sound and also traces the letters shape with his foot on the floor.

To teach any concept using multisensory techniques, simply present each concept visually, auditorily and kinesthetically or tactilely. The key is to have students simultaneously participate in visual, auditory or kinesthetic/tactile activities all at one time.

Multisensory Teaching Methods For Dyslexia

Tips for Creating a Multisensory Classroom

Writing homework assignments on the board. Teachers can use different colors for each subject and notations if books will be needed. For example, use yellow for math homework, red for spelling and green for history, writing a '+' sign next to the subjects students need books or other materials. The different colors allow students to know at a glance which subjects have homework and what books to bring home.
Use different colors to signify different parts of the classroom. For example, use bright colors in the main area of the classroom to help motivate children and promote creativity. Use shades of green, which help increase concentration and feelings of emotional well-being, in reading areas and computer stations.
Use music in the classroom. Set math facts, spelling words or grammar rules to music, much as we use to teach children the alphabet. Use soothing music during reading time or when students are required to work quietly at their desks.
Use scents in the classroom to convey different feelings. According to the article 'Do scents affect people's moods or work performance?' in the November, 2002 issue of Scientific American, 'People who worked in the presence of a pleasant smelling air freshener also reported higher self-efficacy, set higher goals and were more likely to employ efficient work strategies than participants who worked in a no-odor condition.' Aromatherapy can be applied to the classroom.

Some common beliefs about scents include:

Lavender and vanilla help promote relaxation

Citrus, peppermint and pine help increase alertness

Cinnamon helps to improve focus

You may find that your students react differently to certain scents, so experiment to find which works best using a variety of air fresheners.

Start with a picture or object. Usually, students are asked to write a story and then illustrate it, write a report, and find pictures to go with it, or draw a picture to represent a math problem. Instead, start with the picture or object. Ask students to write a story about a picture they found in a magazine or break the class into small groups and give each group a different piece of fruit, asking the group to write descriptive words or a paragraph about the fruit.

Make stories come to life. Have students create skits or puppet shows to act out a story the class is reading. Have students work in small groups to act out one part of the story for the class.

Use different colored paper. Instead of using plain white paper, copy hand-outs on different color paper to make the lesson more interesting. Use green paper one day, pink the next and yellow the day after.

Encourage discussion. Break the class into small groups and have each group answer a different question about a story that was read. Or, have each group come up with a different ending to the story. Small groups offer each student a chance to participate in the discussion, including students with dyslexia or other learning disabilities who may be reluctant to raise their hand or speak up during class.

Use different types of media to present lessons. Incorporate different ways of teaching, like films, slide shows, overhead sheets, P owerpoint presentations. Pass pictures or manipulatives around the classroom to allow students to touch and see the information up close. Making each lesson unique and interactive keeps students' interest and helps them retain the information learned.

Create games to review material. Create a version of Trivial Pursuit to help review facts in science or social studies. Making reviews fun and exciting will help students remember the information.

_{References
'Do scents affect people's moods or work performance?' 2002, Nov 11, Rachel S. Herz, Scientific American
International Dyslexia Association. (2001). Just the facts: Information provided by the International Dyslexia Association: Orton-Gillingham-Based and/or Multisensory Structured Language approaches. (Fact Sheet No.968). Baltimore: Maryland.}