Educational practitioners, Edublox, urges parents to find out more about the reading and learning problems their children may have, so that they are better equipped to help them read, learn and achieve their highest educational potential.
“A severe reading problem may be described as dyslexia, however, what’s more important is knowing how these problems can be solved and that there is hope,” says Susan du Plessis, Edublox director of educational programmes.
Switching the letters ‘b’ and ‘d’ or reading the word ‘bog’ instead of ‘dog’ are well-known as typical signs of dyslexia.
When children are labelled dyslexic their failure at school is often excused because their problem is considered incurable.
People may say that their brain is “wired” in a certain way and it cannot be changed.
Du Plessis encourages parents not to give up on their children.
“Dyslexia is just a label for a cluster of symptoms of reading and spelling problems, the science of neuroplasticity proves that the brain can change.
“Often what appears to be dyslexia is a lack of certain cognitive skills which include laterality, form discrimination, auditory sequencing and phonemic awareness. If these cognitive skills are practised, a reading problem may become a thing of the past,” says du Plessis.
Even if a child is performing above average at school, compared to international education standards their relative ability is somewhat deceiving.
The Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) comparing the reading abilities of Grade 4 children in 40 countries, ranked South Africa worst in 2006.
A follow-up study in 2011, which found Hong Kong to achieve the best standard globally, revealed that our Grade four learners were ‘still performing at a low level overall on an easier assessment compared to their counterparts internationally.’
Research conducted by Edublox in Singapore last year confirmed this concerning situation.
“A child whose reading level is considered acceptable for their age in South Africa may be diagnosed as dyslexic in Singapore,” says du Plessis.
The mother of a nine-year-old girl who was diagnosed with severe dyslexia had been told that there was no hope for her child’s academic success.
“I was extremely worried when she had to copy ‘discover’ and wrote, ‘coversid’. How could she ever manage to write exams next year in Grade four? Whenever she reads, the letters would move on the page,” says her mother.
According to du Plessis, this is a sign of a severe reading problem.
After a 10-day intensive programme in cognitive development, the Grade three learner had overcome her first hurdle and informed her mother that the letters had stopped moving.
“She has much more self-confidence and is actually enjoying reading now,” reports her mother.
During this Dyslexia Awareness Month, Edublox franchises registered with the International Association for Cognitive Education in South Africa (IACESA), will offer at least 44 free information sessions for parents and teachers across the country.
As educational practitioners, they work daily with children who have reading and learning difficulties and can provide hands-on advice.
Edublox offers multi-sensory cognitive training, aimed at developing and automatising the foundational skills of reading, spelling and mathematics.
For more information visit www.edublox.co.za or contact 0861 338 256.
