Presentations

The Effectiveness of Current Methods of Instruction Commonly used with Students Who Have Dyslexia_ A Constructivist Perspective

Student Author Information

Amanda Wrightson, Lynchburg CollegeFollow

Location

Schewel 208

Access Type

Open Access

Entry Number

69

Start Date

4-4-2018 4:15 PM

Department

Education

Abstract

The purpose of this project is to analyze methods of reading instruction used to teach students with dyslexia to read. The analyzing of these methods will be done using the lens of constructivist theory, in order to determine if these methods should be truly effective, or if they will simply teach students mechanisms to cope with their learning disability. For the purposes of this study, a coping strategy will be viewed as any strategy that helps students manage symptoms of their disability, while an effective method method of teaching will be viewed as a method of instruction which alters the way a lesson is taught in order to better suite a student’s needs.

One of the most important skills that a child gains from going to school is the ability to read. Some students face challenges in their learning that make acquiring this skill more difficult than it is for their peers. A great number of these students are believed to have dyslexia, even some of those who are not diagnosed. It is estimated that number of people who have dyslexia is approximately 1 out of every 5 people in the world. It is important for general education teachers to know which methods of instruction allow students with dyslexia to achieve the most success in reading, because they are bound to have these students in their classrooms. Constructivism is a widely accepted theory in the education field which can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of teaching methods. The theory, most simply, states that prior knowledge is what allows students to achieve further cognitive growth. It is important for students to be constantly achieving further cognitive growth, and it is especially important to make sure of this for students with learning disabilities, such as dyslexia.

Further research will be done through this project in regards to constructivist theory and how to apply it when analyzing methods of instruction. The end goal is to come up with a list, of sorts, of methods of reading instruction that work in building the reading abilities of students who have dyslexia, while also furthering their cognitive growth. This will make it easier for educators to accomplish each task which they intend to accomplish when it comes to teaching their students to read. It will also ensure that students who have dyslexia, and other difficulties in reading, will not be left behind academically.

Faculty Mentor(s)

Dr. Gail Brown

Rights Statement

The right to download or print any portion of this material is granted by the copyright owner only for personal or educational use. The author/creator retains all proprietary rights, including copyright ownership. Any editing, other reproduction or other use of this material by any means requires the express written permission of the copyright owner. Except as provided above, or for any other use that is allowed by fair use (Title 17, §107 U.S.C.), you may not reproduce, republish, post, transmit or distribute any material from this web site in any physical or digital form without the permission of the copyright owner of the material.

This document is currently not available here.

Share

COinS
 
Apr 4th, 4:15 PM

The Effectiveness of Current Methods of Instruction Commonly used with Students Who Have Dyslexia_ A Constructivist Perspective

Schewel 208

The purpose of this project is to analyze methods of reading instruction used to teach students with dyslexia to read. The analyzing of these methods will be done using the lens of constructivist theory, in order to determine if these methods should be truly effective, or if they will simply teach students mechanisms to cope with their learning disability. For the purposes of this study, a coping strategy will be viewed as any strategy that helps students manage symptoms of their disability, while an effective method method of teaching will be viewed as a method of instruction which alters the way a lesson is taught in order to better suite a student’s needs.

One of the most important skills that a child gains from going to school is the ability to read. Some students face challenges in their learning that make acquiring this skill more difficult than it is for their peers. A great number of these students are believed to have dyslexia, even some of those who are not diagnosed. It is estimated that number of people who have dyslexia is approximately 1 out of every 5 people in the world. It is important for general education teachers to know which methods of instruction allow students with dyslexia to achieve the most success in reading, because they are bound to have these students in their classrooms. Constructivism is a widely accepted theory in the education field which can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of teaching methods. The theory, most simply, states that prior knowledge is what allows students to achieve further cognitive growth. It is important for students to be constantly achieving further cognitive growth, and it is especially important to make sure of this for students with learning disabilities, such as dyslexia.

Further research will be done through this project in regards to constructivist theory and how to apply it when analyzing methods of instruction. The end goal is to come up with a list, of sorts, of methods of reading instruction that work in building the reading abilities of students who have dyslexia, while also furthering their cognitive growth. This will make it easier for educators to accomplish each task which they intend to accomplish when it comes to teaching their students to read. It will also ensure that students who have dyslexia, and other difficulties in reading, will not be left behind academically.