Dyslexia Learners’ Achievement Disparity

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Table of Contents

Literature Review
Intervention
Predicted Results
Ethical Considerations
Conclusion
Implications and Future Research
References

American education aims to ensure every learner, regardless of abilities’ variations, accesses, and benefits from quality learning. Dyslexia learners struggle significantly in reading, language, and spelling, making them appear slow. Dyslexia results from alterations in how people’s brains process information, with the state varying substantially from one person to another. Incorporating parents and classroom peers without learning disabilities to ensure they understand and support those with particular language needs is equally necessary for teachers aiming to deliver actual learning to the specific team.

Literature Review

Reviewing materials covering dyslexia complications among students provides educators and school managers with deep insight into the matter, leading to a better comprehension of the related challenges and available solutions. For example, Kershner (2016) investigates the connection between brain hemispheres’ dysfunction to dyslexia. The scholar targets to unravel a typical notion linking students with the condition to permanent learning shortcomings that are hard to manage in the classroom. Accordingly, Kershner (2016) aims to disapprove the perception that dyslexia results from low intelligence. The researcher’s findings show no support for the traditional suggestion that dyslexia is allied to abnormal left hemisphere lateralization. At the same time, the study’s limitation is the need for detailed descriptions divided by the subject of how to implement this information in the classroom.

Traditional viewpoints concerning dyslexia posit that children suffering from this condition have a unique, irreversible brain deformation that makes the group peculiar. Accordingly, Kershner (2016) suggests that poor connectedness among the left frontal and later language areas is the primary cause of dyslexia. Kershner (2016) agrees with other scholars that dyslexia is a manageable language comprehension problem among learners. This information is consistent with the ideas articulated by Dobson and Torgerson (2021). They write that the experiment shows that students with dyslexia require special attention in the classroom, which helps them to overcome their problems (Dobson, Torgerson, 2021). Even though this point is essential, the article by Dobson and Torgerson (2021) needs more practical examples to illustrate the hypothesis. Kunwar and Sapkota (2022) also use the experiment data from the mathematical classroom to show these claims, which is similar to the research conducted by Dobson and Torgerson (2021). The investigation proposes a solution to the specialized classroom, which improves the understanding of the topic. The limitation is connected with potential problems applying this knowledge in language classes.

Dyslexia students face real learning challenges that require considerate treatment to grasp knowledge like their average peers. This observation complies with the U.S. law demanding that no child is left behind education-wise. Hornstra et al. (2010) insist that checking the teacher’s attitude toward pupils with dyslexia is necessary to promote effective student learning. According to the researchers, dyslexia apprentices are hypersensitive to the learning environment, which is consistent with the information articulated by other scholars. Hornstra et al. (2010) emphasize hypersensitivity, which is a valuable contribution to the topic development, but they need to mention that a positive classroom environment is challenging to support. Therefore, dyslexia students schooling in unaccommodating classrooms face real problems despite struggling to comprehend concepts like their typical peers.

The classroom teacher’s attitude towards the particular group in various aspects affects them deeply. Hornstra et al. (2010) investigate the impact of general grading by teachers among dyslexia students to determine its effects on concept comprehension. Accordingly, Hornstra et al.’s (2010) findings reveal that teachers grading dyslexia pupils the same way as the other learners affect the former group’s fitting capacities. The results coincide with Evans (2014), who notes that dyslexia scholars often identify their struggles in classrooms and isolate themselves due to embarrassment whenever the situation reveals them as incapable fellows. The limitation of the article by Evans (2014) is the need for ways to solve the problem of coping with issues beyond the teacher’s control. Failing to take care of dyslexia students in a classroom by treating the whole class uniformly reveals the teacher’s careless attitude towards the exceptional learners, which hurts them substantially.

Students with dyslexia suffer continuously throughout their education, from primary to university. Tops et al. (2022) investigate dyslexia learners’ accommodation in the college realm and find the situation deficient, similar to the topic of student sensitivity discussed by Hornstra et al. (2010). According to Tops et al. (2022), lecturers and tutors should utilize more accommodating techniques to help fit these students with special needs. For example, many universities require apprentices to take written notes and prove their learning by writing examination papers. The two aspects disadvantage dyslexia students significantly because of their challenged writing and spelling capabilities.

Tops et al. thus suggest adopting internship learning and evaluation approaches among trainees with dyslexia to accommodate them. The limitation of this view is the lack of attention to the psychological effect of this segregation on students. Equally, Sykes (2008) claims that universities can format printed text material to accommodate dyslexia students, which is similar to the ideas of Tops et al. (2022). The researcher uses a bigger font and smaller line length, decreasing the volume of words per page, boosting white space volume on pages, and bolding the critical content as an adequate accommodation. Therefore, institutions failing to care for learners with dyslexia do not do that because of a lack of methods but out of ignorance. The limitation of this study is the need for practically applicable propositions to address this problem.

There exists no one-size-fits-all solution to the issues affecting dyslexia learners. As earlier noted, topics for students with this condition vary from one person to another, meaning that the teacher should focus on something other than adopting a particular teaching style to seal the gap. Instead, making the erudition environment as inclusive as possible and adopting highly supportive classroom strategies work effectively in accommodating the student with special needs. Tiernan et al. (2020) define an inclusive classroom as a space that promotes all students’ sense of belonging. Their empirical evidence suggests that learners in such a condition feel valued and respected for who they are. Hornstra et al. (2010) support these views, claiming that in similar circumstances, students experience a substantial degree of supportive energy and feel genuine assurance from others, thus allowing them to realize their best. Therefore, dyslexia’s effective management involves consulting and embracing various evidence-based strategies to accommodate the learner.

All the reviewed literature covers dyslexia and the existing gaps in scholarly attainment among its victims relative to average learners. Kershner (2016) notes that dyslexia is a disability resulting from brain structure issues, but its effects are manageable through effective environmental planning. Hornstra et al. (2010) do not approve of the teacher’s attitude toward the exceptional learners’ struggles inside the classroom. Evans (2014) says unmanaged classroom struggles among dyslexic students force them to isolate themselves and fail to learn appropriately. Hornstra et al. (2010) insist that teachers rate their classroom management techniques regarding dyslexic pupils’ accommodation against scholarly evidence to remain realistic and practical. Lastly, Tops et al. (2022) fault university lecturers’ blind utilization of text-based instruction and assessment methods for the progressive plights affecting dyslexic college students. Accordingly, the reviewed articles’ focus on the classroom coincides with and informs the present work’s thesis concerning the effectiveness of using new accommodative classroom culture for inclusive and considerate learning performance.

Intervention

Creating a collaborative and supportive classroom culture is the intermediation proposed for the problem. Accordingly, the strategy uses ten grade four learners, six with dyslexia, and four having normal learning abilities. The process aims to utilize multiple learning tactics to ensure equal comprehension of concepts and their reproducibility among all the students in the program. That way, the technique lasts for three months, and the facilitator aims to have all ten students exhibit above-average cognition of the subject under study. The class begins with the educator knowing every student individually and using shared games to create rapport. This aspect helps the pupils feel comfortable working together and consulting with each other during the short program.

The study involves reading, understanding, and reproducing an English language story. There is a weekly story, with Fridays being a grading day. The students will then produce three stories of their choice during the last two weeks of the program in a way that they find more comfortable. That way, the class involves multisensory activities and input, allowing learners to draw instead of write text notes during listening classroom tasks. Moreover, the facilitator provides L-shaped cards to the pupils to restrict the specific line the student reads during reading tasks. The provided classroom text is printed on white worksheets with a massive blank background and large letters with bolded keywords.

The teacher further provided audiobooks and text-to-speech software during the classroom to use by the dyslexia learners while also allowing voice recording instead of note-taking for the willing pupils. Assignments are handled using computer programs to aid in spelling and grammar correction when writing assignment content. Equally, the teacher never asks students to read aloud, copy things from the board, or anticipate them to deliver assignments within a fixed time. Extra time is created for dyslexia learners to interact with the facilitator to help recap and review the learned language concepts. General assessments are ongoing during the class to rate the pupils comprehensively. Lastly, the teacher allows dyslexia students to use drawings, recorded audio or videos, or written texts to reproduce the three stories required at the end of the class.

Predicted Results

The teacher anticipates that all ten pupils will recreate at least three exciting stories read during the three-month language, spelling, and reading program. The ten students are also expected to remain in the program throughout the three stipulated months. Accordingly, the facilitator expects several specific learning actions during the study. For example, the four regular students may not use the provided special learning tools during the class. The four will listen to the teacher, take notes, and manage reading aloud to the class. However, those with dyslexia will exhibit substantial struggles in reading that will lead them to use L-shaped cards, computer programs, recording tools, and drawing worksheets and charts during learning. It is further expected that learners with dyslexia will use the audio-to-text and text-to-audio tools during the class to facilitate concept comprehension during the course. Furthermore, the teacher expects a significant percentage of the learners with dyslexia to deliver their assignments in drawings. The group will include students who fear making mistakes, especially those who learn best visually.

Lastly, the classroom is expected to progress smoothly due to the established rapport between all the learners and the facilitator. Isolation, fear, and embarrassment cases should be absent or very minimal in case they will happen. The average students will learn about their peers’ particular needs and adopt friendly tactics to help them feel appreciated in the program. Also, students with dyslexia will understand the dangers of acting aggressively whenever one fails to understand an aspect and the best way to bridge the gap, leading to a highly considerate and collaborative class. Finally, the teacher expects to include all the learners’ parents and guardians in the specialized learning process to ensure holistic support to the pupils for maximum attainment.

Ethical Considerations

The planned project will involve participants of various kinds and several ethical considerations. The specific ethical issues to consider during the study are voluntary participation, anonymity, informed consent, confidentiality, results communication, and harm evasion. All participants in the program will willingly decide to do so without coercion to ensure voluntariness. The results from the program and all private information touching on the participants will remain highly guarded to promote anonymity and confidentiality. The participants will sign an agreement contract as proof of conscious consent, with the minors’ parents signing the contract for the learners. Lastly, the program will use evidence-based approaches to avoid harm, whereas all the participating teams and stakeholders will receive relevant results concerning the program’s realizations.

Conclusion

The proposed intervention concerns adopting a new classroom culture that takes care of dyslexic learners’ particular needs, both materially and socially. The model provides essential tech-based instructional tactics that promote equity in the classroom instead of equality. The culture-oriented intervention advances the existing classroom designing program suggested by various scholars to accommodate learning venues effectively. The proposed model is thus theoretically supported and pedagogically effective. The contribution of this paper is that the research of academic sources on managing students with dyslexia in the classroom might assist future educators in understanding the topic.

Implications and Future Research

The above-described program suggests the acquisition of collaborative and supportive classroom culture to bridge the attainment gap existing between typical and dyslexic students on matters of language comprehension performance. The intervention reiterates the harmful effects of ignoring needy pupils in classes, where many teachers focus mainly on using ordinary text-based instructions. The proposed intervention aims to compel schools to adopt contemporary tech-aided teaching strategies that help dyslexic students learn to the same extent as common apprentices. Using computers, allowing learners with dyslexia to answer questions in drawings or presentations, and giving them room to record class notes instead of writing them down with errors are some of the suggested solutions to bridge the gap. This initiative will improve the quality of education students with dyslexia had historically. Researchers and practitioners have a role in implementing and investigating the program further for possible improvements, while policymakers need to pass education laws channeling more money to schools because the suggested model is costly. Moreover, future investigations regarding the program can cover its effectiveness in bridging dyslexia attain gaps.

References

Dobson, W. S., & Torgerson, C. J. (2021). Dyslexia in higher education: a systematic review of interventions used to promote learning. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 45(2), 226-256. Web.

Evans, W. (2014). ‘I am not a dyslexic person I’m a person with dyslexia’: Identity constructions of dyslexia among students in nurse education. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 70(2), 360–372. Web.

Hornstra, L., Denessen, E., Bakker, J., van den Bergh, L., & Voeten, M. (2010). Teacher attitudes toward dyslexia: Effects on teacher expectations and the academic achievement of students with dyslexia. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 43(6), 515–529. Web.

Kershner, J. R. (2016). Forced-attention dichotic listening with university students with dyslexia: Search for a core deficit. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 49(3), 282–292. Web.

Kunwar, R., & Sapkota, H. P. (2022). An overview of dyslexia: Some key issues and its effects on learning mathematics. Turkish International Journal of Special Education and Guidance & Counselling ISSN: 1300-7432, 11(2), 82-98. Web.

Sykes, J. (2008). Dyslexia, design and reading: making print work for college students with dyslexia a qualitative interaction design study. [Doctoral dissertation]. Carnegie Mellon School of Design.

Tiernan, B., Casserly, A. M., & Maguire, G. (2020). Towards inclusive education: Instructional practices to meet the needs of pupils with special educational needs in multi-grade settings. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 24(7), 787-807. Web.

Tops, W., Jansen, D., Ceulemans, E., Petry, K., Hilton, N.H., & Baeyens, D. (2022). Participation problems and effective accommodations in students with dyslexia in higher education. European Journal of Special Needs Education, 1(1), 5-14. Web.

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