DYSLEXIC STUDENTS LEARNING A SECOND LANGUAGE

By Nina R. Kledal�Reading Consultant, Teacher, Phd-student and designer

Content

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• Why, How and What of the project
• What do dyslexic students need when learning a second language?
• Who am I?
• Research on repetition and a playful approach
• Results of the project – scores, student and teacher experience

Project description and purpose

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• 4th grade – 20 students
• A class combined with regular students and 6 special ed. students
• Special ed. students have different issues such as: Cochlear implant, ADHD, ADD and emotionally disturbed
• The project ran for 6 weeks – 3 hours in total
• 2 hours per week – working with text, assignments and playing English games
• 1 hour per week – class works on text and assignment

Goal

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• To ensure greater participation
• Build students vocabulary
• Using a functional approach
• with digital support for all texts, assignments and games
• Repetition by play

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What do

dyslexic

students

need when�learning

a second language?

1. Structure in everything
2. Repetition by play
3. Independence
4. Develop a useful vocabulary
5. Functional approach�Work with words that come from the text you’re working with�Work with grammar in the text you’re working with
6. Assistive technology:
• All text as word or Pdf
• Google Translate
• OCR
• Word – autocorrect, dictate, etc.
• Aid programs

Structure for dyslexic students in language class

Structure in procedure – work with the text in specific time-slots

Structure in division of groups – same partners for fx 2 weeks

Structure in approaching a text – same approach each time, fx work with new words, etymology and grammar of words

Structure in communicative oral practice – let students know about 2-3 sentence starters and how to use question as part of the answer. Use same or similar sentence starters when playing games

Repetition by play

Repeat included vocabulary – Include all the chosen words in all the games. Return to the games now and again, to reinforce automaticity �

Repeat included sentence starters – Look at photo of included word and use specific sentence starters�

Repeat by spelling and phonics – Spell and read every word you encounter. Say phonic sounds of each letter, in word you encounter�

Repeat by recalling – Look at word card, go to your desk and write the letters you can remember, go back and reread the word. Continue until you are finished�

Repeat by recreating – pick up picture card and find the matching word or pick up the word card, read and remember, write on a piece of paper�

Repeat by pronunciation – Pronounce all words you encounter

Always support repetition

with digital aid programs on phone or computer

Who am I?

• Bachelor of Fashion design� * designing for fun�
• Bachelor in Teaching� * regular� * special Ed.� * dyslexia
• Masters in Professional Educational Development�
• Reading consultant for a community since 2015�
• PhD. student – researching learning preferences

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Who am I?...continued

• Mother of 5 children - 2 of whom are dyslexic
• Experiences as a mother and reading consultant – many teachers lack knowledge about dyslexia, how to work with parents, to dyslexic students, and how to help dyslexic students (some teachers are happy to learn more about dyslexic students)
• Changing the dyslexic students’ perception of learning - Creativity in play and materials, observation, having fun, consistency and perseverance, when doing homework, became a mantra
• Learning preferences are important – sometimes we misunderstand the student’s motives: ��Pedantic – learn well by structure, rules and detail�Oppositional – needs freedom of choice�Sensitive – May need breaks or time to digest curriculum�Dreamer – Needs time to ponder�Curious – May enjoy observing before trying �

Independence

The dyslexic student needs a feeling of independence.

When we exclude them, feel sorry for them, keep saying how difficult it is for them, give them easier materials, or pamper them, their self confidence fades and we see symptoms of:

Denial

Anger

Depression

Anxiety

• Digital programs can support independence on both computer and mobile phone/cell phone
• Introduce digital reading and writing techniques that can support the student’s reading and writing development
• Positive reinforcement is important

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Develop a useful vocabulary�

Subjects – choose subjects of interest for the students

Words – choose words to learn that students can interact with

Sentence starters – choose sentence that support students in communicating about these words

Repeat words and sentence starters – use play as a way of fun repetition, that ensure automaticity

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Sentence starters - 1

Sentence starters - 2

Functional approach

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• Choose words from a subject to work with
• Choose sentence starters that correspond to the words and the subject –

fx. � How many pencils do you have?

Do you ride your bicycle to school?

How many different subjects do you have in school?

Which subject is your favorite?

What do you have in your pencil case?

What do you have in your school bag?

Can I have all your…� (when playing fish – card game)

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• The functional approach gives the dyslexic student ‘something’ to connect the words to, which enhances automation and recognition.

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• The ‘something’ to connect to is recognition in subject, sentences, inner pictures and experiences relating to the subject

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• Fx. schools in England and America

*the student knows what it is like to go to school

*the student has a school schedule, a

school bag, pencil case, etc.

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Assistive technology for students with dyslexia

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Google Translate�Google Lens

Reading and Writing programs for dyslexic students with:

OCR�word prediction�grammar checker�speech to text�Text to speech

Mobile/cell phone apps for: dyslexic students with inbuilt OCR-functions�word prediction�grammar checker�speech to text�Text to speech

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Translating text, aids text comprehension and understanding difficult words

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Translating text ensures participation I class work for the dyslexic student

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Speech to text supports the dyslexic student, when producing words, sentences and/or written text

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OCR ensures readability of written text

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Word prediction makes writing easier

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Apps on mobile phone/cell phone ensures dyslexic students’ participation when paper versions of text is handed out or when doing outdoor activities or going to the museum

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Apps on phones or on computer, ensures easy work with translating a foreign language

�������Evaluation - The teacher and the students�

• Experienced more students participated in English class, than before

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• More students experienced success with this way of teaching and more students participate

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• Has become aware, that there are more ways to teach language and using games can be a good way to work with all students, young and older, and they can be used i different settings

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• More students participate and they experience it is easier to remember the words

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• Students who didn’t used to participate, could now be seen, raising their hand, playing with a smile and even daring to come to the blackboard

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• Really enjoyed this approach of digital support and working with repetition, while playing games

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Challenges with this approach

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• The teacher doesn’t have a lot of preparation time and will need templates to ease the workload
• It is a different way of working for many teachers and it needs time to develop and give meaning for their work

Recommendations

• Start out small, maybe just a couple of games
• Work together with other language teachers, developing these materials and ensuring digital texts and assignments

Results

• 30% of the class scored 100% correct
• 30% scored 93 - 96,4% correct 2 special ed. students, one of whom
• 5% scored 82% correct is dyslexic and in process of being
• 10% scored between 75 -79% correct diagnosed with ADHD
• 75% scored from 75% -100% correct

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• 5% scored 54% correct All four students are special ed. students
• 5% scored 43% correct 1 student has a Cochlear implant, 1 is
• 10% scored 36% correct dyslexic, and possibly has ADD, 1 is a

20% scored from 36 – 54% special ed. student

Effects of highly nuanced �literacy stimulation at home and in school

• The dyslexic child’s brain is better equipped for developing reading, if stimulated, before starting school, if the child’s home has a high factor of nuanced literacy-stimulation

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• Keller and Just found that 100 hours of intense lessons could stimulate the volume of the white substance in the networks between the different centers (myelination)

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• This difference also correlated with an improvement in phonics

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• Therefore, it is of utmost importance that all subjects must contain a high factor of nuanced literacy-stimulation

Repetition in the brain

• repeated fx 30 times and more, and in a concrete context, the words will be automatized in the long-lasting memory
• Repeating exercises strengthens the connection in the brain between hippocampus and the neocortical regions and strengthens thereby recalling the words
• When you pressuring the dyslexic student, Amygdala increases and the Hippocampus decreases in size, and will thereby inhibit learning

THANK YOU FOR LISTENING

Contact information: nina.kledal@gmail.com or nina.kledal@holstebro.dk

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You can also find me on LinkedIn

All the games

Cubes, board game, memory and ‘Go Fish’

Cubes and board game

Memory and play fish (4 of each)

Words for ‘Running English’, Flip Flops, visual dictionary, Snakes and Ladders and ‘Go Fish’

Words for ‘Running English’, flip flops and visual dictionary

Snakes and ladders boardgame, flip flop, visual dictionary and ‘Go Fish’

Literature

• Frost, Jørgen. Mærk sproget – skriv og læs! (Feel the language – write and read). Forlaget Pøhler, 2020
• Frost, Jørgen. Principper for god læseundervisning. (Principles of good reading instruction). Psykologisk Forlag, 2003.
• Frost, Jørgen & Lønnegaard, Annette. Sproglege: Til styrkelse af sproglig bevidsthed. (Speech games: For strengthening the linguistic awareness). Psykologisk Forlag, 1995.
• Oaklander, Mandy. The 5 Best Ways to Improve Your Memory. 29th of September 2015. TIME.
• Zhan, Lexia; Guo, Dingrong; Chen, Gang and Yang, Jiongijong. Published online 2018, july 11th. Effects of Repetition Learning on Associative Recognition Over Time: Role of the Hippocampus and Prefrontal Cortex. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. 10.3389/fnhum.2018.00277.

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