DysLEXIA
One of the most important techniques for helping students with dyslexia is phonemic awareness. This is the insight that every spoken word is a sequence of little speech sounds represented by letters. Like the traditional phonics first curriculum, the phonemic awareness approach depends on direct instruction. However, unlike the traditional phonics first approach, the lessons delivered through direct and systemic instruction are intended not as targets of memorisation via rote learning for example, but instead as examples that the children are expected to transfer and extend to their own reading and writing.
The phonemic awareness approach is intended to promote growth in word recognition and spelling. This is done not through flashcards or memorisation drills but through thinking, understanding and doing.
Phonemic awareness strategies can often be overlooked in the early years, which can have a substantial impact on children with dyslexia who have been in school for three or four years and have not had a proper intervention. Phonics is often the key for dyslexic children.
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DysGRAPHIA
You may have heard of Dyslexia, the disorder in which a person has difficulty learning to read. Dysgraphia is also a learning disorder, which translates as difficulty expressing yourself through writing. There are many causes of Dysgraphia, such as: Auditory Processing Difficulties, Visual Processing Difficulties and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.
There are many types of Dysgraphia, all of which present differently. However, some of the overlapping signs of Dysgraphia include:
• Difficulty spelling
• Reverse/ backwards letters
• Poor and illegible handwriting
• No difficulty with verbal/spoken expression
• Understanding the connection between words and letters
In young children, we may see the following signs of Dysgraphia:
• Confusion of upper and lower case letters
• Uneven spacing between letters
• Difficulty holding the pencil correctly, or having the correct posture while writing
For school-age children, signs also include:
• Difficulty thinking of words to write
• Reading aloud while writing
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Some dysgraphic students have great difficulty with spelling, especially if sequencing is a major issue for them. Additionally, many dysgraphic students experience dyslexia, a sequential processing problem that affects reading and spelling. These students need very specific remedial assistance in learning to spell phonetically. It is critical that they are able to represent unknown words using good phonetic equivalences.
DISCALCULIA
Dyscalculia is a learning disability in math. It is characterized by impairments in learning basic arithmetic facts, processing numerical quantities, and performing accurate and fluent calculations. These difficulties are below what is expected for the individual’s chronological age, and are not caused by poor education, or by intellectual deficits.
At the behavioral level, children with dyscalculia have difficulties retrieving arithmetic facts from memory, and they commonly rely on immature strategies such as finger counting while their age-matched peers are easily retrieving arithmetic facts from memory.
One-on-one specialised tuition can help your child with dyscalculia as the stress and anxiety is taken away. By using concrete materials, games, number lines, lots of discussion and by keeping it 'real', we can start to see a difference.
ADD/ADHD
ADHD is more of a superpower than a disorder - is a ‘disorder’ that predominantly affects adolescents and children but can show symptoms well into adulthood. It stands for ‘Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder’. Typically, symptoms you will exhibit if you have ADHD are; a struggle to focus, constant fidgeting, often forgetting things, talking a lot, and daydreaming. Although ADHD is technically defined as a ‘disorder’ it is by no means a negative thing. As a student, you still can excel, as long as you understand the right ways to utilise your ‘superpower’.
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Where it can seem almost impossible in a busy, noisy classroom to concentrate and stay focused, one-on-one tuition can provide a learning environment free from distractions. This allows children with ADHD to complete their work in a shorter time span and usually at a higher quality.
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Many students with ADHD are very creative and possess the ability to think outside the box. One-on-one tuition allows your child to freely display this creativeness though various hands-on activities we do together to assist in their learning. We all know that an engaged, happy child is a learning, thinking child.
DLD
Language disorders are distinct from speech disorders (that is, difficulties producing speech sounds), and may include weaknesses in vocabulary, word meanings or concept development. Intervention from one-on-one tuition can be of tremendous benefit to your child.
Children with receptive language difficulties are likely to have trouble comprehending information in class including understanding task instructions and developing an understanding of curriculum content. Weaknesses in comprehension often results in gaps in students' academic knowledge and difficulties learning at the same pace as their peers.
Expressive language weaknesses mean that a student is likely to experience difficulty expressing their knowledge and ideas through language. Students with poor expressive language skills may have difficulty using specific vocabulary, appropriate grammar, and structuring texts logically. This can result in poor academic performance in speaking and writing tasks. Intervention can be tailored specific to your child's needs.
