Myth
1: There is no 'cure' for dyslexia.
The facts: Dyslexia
is not a disease. Given the right kind of teaching, dyslexics can learn to
read (and even to spell) just as well as anyone else. |
Myth
2: Dyslexics have 'special abilities'.
The facts: Other
than their problems with reading, dyslexics are pretty much the same as everyone
else. There is no specific dyslexic 'profile'. Some dyslexics have exceptional
abilities, but exactly the same thing can be said about non-dyslexics.
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Myth
3: Dyslexia is a 'gift'.
The facts: For dyslexics
who haven't learned to read properly, dyslexia is a condition which causes
nothing but unhappiness. We have taught over 1,000 pupils, and not one of
them has ever had a good thing to say about being dyslexic. One commented,
"If dyslexia is a gift, they can have it back". |
Myth
4: Dyslexics have high intelligence.
The facts:
Repeated studies have shown that there is very little relationship between
dyslexia and intelligence in young children. Our pupils are just as likely
to be low-ability as high-ability, and most of them fall in the middle. However,
if dyslexics don't learn to read, their IQs tend to fall behind as they get
older. |
Myth
5: You can't diagnose dyslexia in young children.
The facts: Teachers
who use intensive phonics can identify dyslexics in the first few days of
school. The notion that some children are just 'late developers' is pure moonshine.
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Myth
6: Dyslexics need specialist professional help.
The facts: You would
say this if you invested years in university becoming a specialist. However,
almost anyone can teach a dyslexic to read and spell if they have a good program.
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Myth
7: Dyslexics should be encouraged to used different strategies to
cope with their disability.
The facts: All good
readers can decode print to sound. You can't fudge this question, and attempts
to teach alternate strategies are completely misguided. |
Myth
8: Children 'learn to read by reading'.
The facts: If this
were so, every child in Britain and the US would be able to read. Giving children
books before they have the skills to read them is tantamount to child abuse.
You should never force children to make a public display of their incompetence.
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Myth
9: Boys are 3 or 4 times more likely to be dyslexic than girls.
The facts: In schools
that use intensive phonics, boys actually outperform girls by a very small
margin. Boys are far more likely to fail with 'modern' teaching methods, but
this is not because they are more prone to dyslexia. The methods used in the
first term of school are absolutely critical; any kind of whole-word teaching
puts boys at a serious disadvantage. |
Myth
10: Reversing letters is a good indication of dyslexia.
The facts: If children
are taught to form letters properly (something which almost never happens
in primary school) they never reverse letters, dyslexic or not. Children who
are encouraged to copy letters however they choose—lest
their 'enthusiasm' for writing be dampened—usually
go through a phase of reversing letters or numbers. Dyslexics may take longer
to recover from this, which has given rise to this myth. |
Myth
11: Left-handedness is a sign of
dyslexia
.
The facts: No studies
have ever found anything more than a very weak link. Most have found none
at all. |
Myth
12: Dyslexics are clumsy, and have difficulty learning (for instance)
to tie their shoes.
The facts: Some dyslexics
are indeed clumsy, but most aren't. Once again, no convincing link exists.
Most clumsy children learn to read without trouble.
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