{HoW cOmE nObOdY tAuGhT mE tHaT?}

Over the last year I've learned some {gReAt} spelling tricks to try and help my students learn how to spell. Well I was thinking the other day that a lot of us got cheated to not have these spelling rules explained to us {AT ALL} when we were in elementary school. Now we don't need to learn things this way, but it would have really helped a lot of parents and teachers I'm sure to know some of these little tricks of the trade when teaching their kids why the C can make the {S} sound sometimes. And that's just one example.

Here are a few of my favorite rules!

*{KiSs ThE cAT} C is the most common way to spell the {K} sound, however; if C is followed by and E, I or Y {WaTcH oUt VoWeLs} the C will make the {S} sound so you would have to use the K in its place. Neat huh!

*{HaPpY rUlE} When spelling a multi-syllable word, you sometimes come across a word where the first syllable closed but you can't hear what is closing it off. SO you would double the next sound that you hear to create the closed syllable. {Ah-nex > An-nex}

Obviously I can't write them all down, but I just think that it is really neat that we have such simple ways to explain the quirks about the English language in way that helps people that have auditory and visual processing difficulties in their spelling!

What is Dyslexia?

I've been working with some of the most special kids in the Salt Lake area for a little over a year now, and it has been so wonderful! The kids I work with are Dyslexic.
Over the last year it has come to my attention that not many people really know anything about what dyslexia really is, or how it really affects people.

{SO}

I thought that I would start blogging about Dyslexia, hopefully to enlighten parents and individuals about dyslexia.

{wHaT iS 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. Secondary consequences may include problems in reading comprehension and reduced reading experience that can impede the growth of vocabulary and background knowledge.

Most people think that if you are dyslexic that you mix up the order of letters in words, and that's really all there is to it. That can be part of how it effects you, but it also deals with letter recognition, association with letters and the sounds that accompany them. Dyslexia can range from mild to severe, and it effects everybody so differently.

{mOsT iMpOrTaNtLy}

You are never "cured" from your dyslexia, but you can learn to cope with it so that you can lead a more normal life. It will always be a struggle, but one that with proper intervention you can learn to deal with.