1. Introduction to dyslexia and its impact upon the learning of English
Professional Development Course on Catering for Diversity in English Language Teaching ENG5315 The Characteristics of Diversity
Session 2
Introduction to dyslexia and its impact upon the learning of English
Prepared by Ruby Yang, Department of English, The Hong Kong Institute of Education 1

2. What is dyslexia?
The word ‘dyslexia’ comes from the Greek (Riddick, Wolfe, & Lumsdon, 2001).
dys = impaired
lexia = word
Prepared by Ruby Yang, Department of English, The Hong Kong Institute of Education

3. Definition of dyslexia
Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurological in origin.
It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom instruction (International Dyslexia Association, ).
Prepared by Ruby Yang, Department of English, The Hong Kong Institute of Education

4. Dyslexia: Some key facts
More boys than girls are identified with dyslexia.
Dyslexia is individual
Prepared by Ruby Yang, Department of English, The Hong Kong Institute of Education

5. Causes of dyslexia Acquired dyslexia
Acquired dyslexia occurs when someone who is a good reader loses at least some of that ability due to a brain injury (Hultquist, 2006).
Prepared by Ruby Yang, Department of English, The Hong Kong Institute of Education

6. Causes of dyslexia Developmental dyslexia It is genetic.
However, dyslexia is not 100 percent inherited (Hultquist, 2006).
Prepared by Ruby Yang, Department of English, The Hong Kong Institute of Education

7. Causes of dyslexia Neurological factor
There is now considerable evidence that there is a neurological basis to dyslexia.
This means that the brain structure and the neural connections needed for processing information may develop differently in dyslexic children (Reid, 2007).
Dyslexic difficulties might be due to either a left-hemisphere deficit or a lag in the maturation of left-hemisphere function for language (Thomson & Watkins, 1998).
Prepared by Ruby Yang, Department of English, The Hong Kong Institute of Education

8. Non-dyslexic and dyslexic brains
Prepared by Ruby Yang, Department of English, The Hong Kong Institute of Education

9. Types of dyslexia Phonological dyslexia
People whose reading difficulty is caused by trouble understanding the different phonemes in words (Hultquist, 2006).
People with phonological dyslexia cannot sound out words very well.
Some people also mispronounce words. They might drop some sounds from words.
When people with phonological dyslexia try to spell words, they often add extra sounds, leave out sounds, get sounds in the wrong order, or write down the wrong sounds.
Prepared by Ruby Yang, Department of English, The Hong Kong Institute of Education

10. Types of dyslexia Orthographic dyslexia
People who have trouble remembering what words and letters look like (Hultquist, 2006).
They might have trouble to tell the difference between the letters b, d and p, q.
They might also confuse words that look alike.
People with orthographic processing problems often read very slowly and make many errors when there are a lot of words on a page. They might also skip lines when they read.
Prepared by Ruby Yang, Department of English, The Hong Kong Institute of Education

11. Specific difficulties of dyslexia: Reading
Reverse, omit or add letters or words
Lose the place when reading
Difficulty with the sequence of the alphabet
Difficulty pronouncing multi-syllabic words
Reading speed is slow and hesitant and often with little expression
Confuse words which have the same or similar sounds
Prepared by Ruby Yang, Department of English, The Hong Kong Institute of Education

12. Specific difficulties of dyslexia: Writing
Inconsistent writing style
Slow writing speed and reluctance to write a lengthy piece
Unusual writing grip or sitting position
Prepared by Ruby Yang, Department of English, The Hong Kong Institute of Education

13. Specific difficulties of dyslexia: Handwriting
Poor handwriting
Grip the pen tightly
Dyslexic children are always in a hurry to finish. They also have difficulty copying accurately.
Small, cramped writing is often produced. It may also be the large spiky uncontrolled type.
Messy crossing out or one letter superimposes on another (Pollock, Waller, & Politt, 2004).
Prepared by Ruby Yang, Department of English, The Hong Kong Institute of Education

14. Prepared by Ruby Yang, Department of English, The Hong Kong Institute of Education

15. Prepared by Ruby Yang, Department of English, The Hong Kong Institute of Education

16. Specific difficulties of dyslexia: Spelling
Bizarre spelling
There may be bizarre spelling: llob - doll, wyt - wait, kss - snake, and other more recognizable spelling: pant - paint, ors - horse, dog - god (Thomson & Watkins, 1998).
Prepared by Ruby Yang, Department of English, The Hong Kong Institute of Education

17. F.3 English quiz

18. Prepared by Ruby Yang, Department of English, The Hong Kong Institute of Education18

19. P.4 English writing
Prepared by Ruby Yang, Department of English, The Hong Kong Institute of Education 19

20. P.4 English writing
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21. Specific difficulties of dyslexia: Memory
Poor short-term/working memory
There can be difficulties in remembering lists of information, even short lists, or short instructions (Reid, 2007).
Prepared by Ruby Yang, Department of English, The Hong Kong Institute of Education

22. Specific difficulties of dyslexia: Memory
Organizational difficulties
Children with dyslexia may show poor organization of their timetable and items needed for learning (Reid, 2007).
Prepared by Ruby Yang, Department of English, The Hong Kong Institute of Education

23. Specific difficulties of dyslexia: Visual perceptual difficulties
A small percentage of dyslexic children report that words on the printed page can appear fuzzy or blurred or jump around even though they seem to have normal vision.
Prepared by Ruby Yang, Department of English, The Hong Kong Institute of Education

24. Specific difficulties of dyslexia: Temporal difficulties
Dyslexic children need more time to learn or process information.
Prepared by Ruby Yang, Department of English, The Hong Kong Institute of Education

25. Other symptoms of dyslexia
The individual child may have no difficulty in communicating his ideas. It is only when faced with communicating via the written word that the deficit is highlighted.
Left/right confusion and directional difficulties
The dyslexic child may well cover up any difficulties by playing the ‘clown’ or attention seeker, or conversely, being the ‘invisible’ child (Thomson & Watkins, 1998).
Prepared by Ruby Yang, Department of English, The Hong Kong Institute of Education

26. References
Hultquist, A. M. (2006). An introduction to dyslexia for parents and professionals. London: Jessica Kingsley.
International Dyslexia Association. ( ). Frequently asked questions about dyslexia. Retrieved April 1, 2008, from
Pollock, J., Waller, E., & Politt, R. (2004). Day-to-day dyslexia in the classroom. London: RoutledgeFalmer.
Reid, G. (2007). Dyslexia. London: Continuum.
Riddick, B., Wolfe, J., & Lumsdon, D. (2001). Dyslexia: A practical guide for teachers and parents. London: David Fulton.
Thomson, M. E., & Watkins, E. J. (1998). Dyslexia: A teaching handbook. London: Whurr.
Prepared by Ruby Yang, Department of English, The Hong Kong Institute of Education

27. Useful websites about dyslexia
The British Dyslexia Association
The Hong Kong Association for Specific Learning Disabilities (Chinese website)
The International Dyslexia Association
The Learning Disability Association of America
Prepared by Ruby Yang, Department of English, The Hong Kong Institute of Education