Hi,
I've started tutoring a dyslexic pensioner, 4 times a month, and I need ideas. I'm both an elementary and junior high teacher, with techniques for dyslexic children. I don't have the least experience as an adult instructor. This pupil mainly wants conversation, but in my opinion I should give him the oportunity to alphabetize and learn to read. Reading, in the future, can also lead him to speaking skills.
Does anyone have any experience in the field and could give me some tips?
Thank you!
Tutoring a dyslexic adult
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Sheila Collins
- Posts: 46
- Joined: Mon Oct 22, 2007 6:20 pm
In my experience, it would be almost impossible for his brain to learn to read in a new language at this age. However, if you were intent on doing so (and your student agreed), words with an accompanying image are the easiest with which to begin; stop signs, for example. One might also focus on words which are in his immediate environment, such as store signs and words on food containers.
Those are great ideas, Sheila, thank you!!!
I was also thinking of letting him follow very short and easy texts while listening to the recorded texts. Like for example, small descriptions - he has some basic English, and he can understand basic vocabulary. And much repetition in an attractive and pleasant way.
I was also thinking of letting him follow very short and easy texts while listening to the recorded texts. Like for example, small descriptions - he has some basic English, and he can understand basic vocabulary. And much repetition in an attractive and pleasant way.
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Sally Olsen
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Can't understand why a pensioner would have any more trouble than any other adult in learning a new language. I learned Mongolian at 58 and Greenlandic at 60 and I was diagnosed as dyslexic as a child.
I imagine by now you have found out about his interests and can pursue things that are meaningful for him.
There are a lot of books for adults in ESL. You can get them at your local library, along with tapes and sometimes videos.
There are even books with translations to his native language but depending on the language you will have to ask the librarians to order them.
Is he dyslexic in his own language then? Or has someone diagnosed it just in English?
You could look into getting him tested for Irlen Syndrome just in case that helps
Have you read this post in the Applied Linguistics thread?
http://forums.eslcafe.com/teacher/viewt ... highlight=
I imagine by now you have found out about his interests and can pursue things that are meaningful for him.
There are a lot of books for adults in ESL. You can get them at your local library, along with tapes and sometimes videos.
There are even books with translations to his native language but depending on the language you will have to ask the librarians to order them.
Is he dyslexic in his own language then? Or has someone diagnosed it just in English?
You could look into getting him tested for Irlen Syndrome just in case that helps
Have you read this post in the Applied Linguistics thread?
http://forums.eslcafe.com/teacher/viewt ... highlight=
Thanks for your answer, Sally.
I read that thread you mentioned.
Actually my pupil is Hebrew speaking, with the problem of the opposite direction in reading and writing (from right to left). He is dyslexic in Hebrew, too. On the other hand, he has a good vocabulary in English and his reading is not that bad, I had thought I would have to alphabetize him.
Anyway, he can learn foreign languages indeed, not only due to his motivation but also by the fact that he learned English in the past and what I am doing is reinforcing with the possibility to develop other skills.
Instead of one book, what I'm doing is choosing different subjects that interest him and the whole section deals with that issue in various ways. For example: His occupation in the past was clothing, so in one of our meetings I had prepared pictures of different fashions around the world, eliciting and teaching him words related to fashion and clothing. I had also a dialogue ready, which I had recorded on tape, with part of those words. He enjoyed a lot practicing the dialogue while following the text. A short story which I found in the net - easy reading - also about the same subject (I recorded the text and gave it to him so that he could practice the reading at home), and a very short joke to finish the lesson.
I feel that this method is very attractive and I only have to find suitable texts for his needs, even not dealing with clothing. I would really appreciate if someone has any idea where I can find them.
Thanks
I read that thread you mentioned.
Actually my pupil is Hebrew speaking, with the problem of the opposite direction in reading and writing (from right to left). He is dyslexic in Hebrew, too. On the other hand, he has a good vocabulary in English and his reading is not that bad, I had thought I would have to alphabetize him.
Anyway, he can learn foreign languages indeed, not only due to his motivation but also by the fact that he learned English in the past and what I am doing is reinforcing with the possibility to develop other skills.
Instead of one book, what I'm doing is choosing different subjects that interest him and the whole section deals with that issue in various ways. For example: His occupation in the past was clothing, so in one of our meetings I had prepared pictures of different fashions around the world, eliciting and teaching him words related to fashion and clothing. I had also a dialogue ready, which I had recorded on tape, with part of those words. He enjoyed a lot practicing the dialogue while following the text. A short story which I found in the net - easy reading - also about the same subject (I recorded the text and gave it to him so that he could practice the reading at home), and a very short joke to finish the lesson.
I feel that this method is very attractive and I only have to find suitable texts for his needs, even not dealing with clothing. I would really appreciate if someone has any idea where I can find them.
Thanks
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Sally Olsen
- Posts: 1322
- Joined: Thu Apr 08, 2004 2:24 pm
- Location: Canada,France, Brazil, Japan, Mongolia, Greenland, Canada, Mongolia, Ethiopia next
What an image you bring up - "I had thought I would to have to alphabetize him." Sounds like an operation or some weapon. All those poor children that are being alphabetized at the moment.
What you describe as a lesson is pretty much what a good ESL book does. Check out your local library or teacher's store.
If you continue to do your own, try to publish them because we need more materials.
Sounds like you are enjoying your lessons. Good luck in the future.
What you describe as a lesson is pretty much what a good ESL book does. Check out your local library or teacher's store.
If you continue to do your own, try to publish them because we need more materials.
Sounds like you are enjoying your lessons. Good luck in the future.
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melichan857
- Posts: 10
- Joined: Tue Nov 06, 2007 9:04 pm
Glasses and paper
I used to teach at a program where low-literacy native speakers and migrant ESL students were mixed in the same program and we had quite a few dislexic students.
Two things that seemed to help the dislexic students in their reading were green-coloured paper (it was easier to read than white) and special glasses prescribed by their doctors.
Perhaps these may help your student if he does want to read.
Melissa
Mel's ESL Megasearch- search 100's of ESL websites simultaneously
Two things that seemed to help the dislexic students in their reading were green-coloured paper (it was easier to read than white) and special glasses prescribed by their doctors.
Perhaps these may help your student if he does want to read.
Melissa
Mel's ESL Megasearch- search 100's of ESL websites simultaneously
Thank you, Melissa.
Sally, I'll be posting my ideas if they can help, of course!
Today's lesson was very dynamic, first I presented him some vocabulary needed, kind of preparation for the main activity (Nasreddin's story, "Nasreddin and The Smell of Soup") . The presentation of the vocabulary was through written words in cards, and looking for the images in Google images. For example, "steam", "coins", the 5 senses for words like "smell" and "noise". We drilled the words and he came up with his own examples!
Then he heard the recorded text once. Next, I had prepared the story text cut in strips with the sentences: he had to arrange them at the same time he heard the recording a second time. Finally he followed the text with a 3rd listening (the story is short).
He took home both the CD with the recording, and the written text to practice.
It was fun!
Sally, I'll be posting my ideas if they can help, of course!
Today's lesson was very dynamic, first I presented him some vocabulary needed, kind of preparation for the main activity (Nasreddin's story, "Nasreddin and The Smell of Soup") . The presentation of the vocabulary was through written words in cards, and looking for the images in Google images. For example, "steam", "coins", the 5 senses for words like "smell" and "noise". We drilled the words and he came up with his own examples!
Then he heard the recorded text once. Next, I had prepared the story text cut in strips with the sentences: he had to arrange them at the same time he heard the recording a second time. Finally he followed the text with a 3rd listening (the story is short).
He took home both the CD with the recording, and the written text to practice.
It was fun!
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Sally Olsen
- Posts: 1322
- Joined: Thu Apr 08, 2004 2:24 pm
- Location: Canada,France, Brazil, Japan, Mongolia, Greenland, Canada, Mongolia, Ethiopia next
Hey, Melissa. Good suggestions but not all students react to the same colour so you might want to give them a choice and see which one they find easier to read. Many Greenland students seemed to prefer blue. This is what Irlen Syndrome is - a problem with certain colours - often bright white which distorts the black letters or vice versa. Often students can read on the computer when they can't read a book because you can change the style and sizie of font, but more importantly, the colour of font and background.
So Syl, what did you notice in his reading the story back? What kinds of mistakes does he make?
So Syl, what did you notice in his reading the story back? What kinds of mistakes does he make?
I'm not sure where you got the Nasreddin story, but in case you didn't use this website, there are some online here: http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/elc/studyzone/ ... /index.htm
Thank you so much, Lorikeet! That's awesome, much simpler than the one I found ( http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/hodja.html#contents ) although it has a larger variety of Nasreddin's tales. I had to change most of the words to make it simpler with shorter sentences.
Sally, his mistakes were mainly with clusters (initial and end) like "sp", "st", "sk", "shr", including words ending with the letter "x"; reversing letters, for example the word "reception" he read "respetion"; difficulty differentiating between "h" and "n"; b, d, p and q; sh and s; not pronouncing all the syllables in long words. And mainly his guessing many words.
Sally, his mistakes were mainly with clusters (initial and end) like "sp", "st", "sk", "shr", including words ending with the letter "x"; reversing letters, for example the word "reception" he read "respetion"; difficulty differentiating between "h" and "n"; b, d, p and q; sh and s; not pronouncing all the syllables in long words. And mainly his guessing many words.
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Sally Olsen
- Posts: 1322
- Joined: Thu Apr 08, 2004 2:24 pm
- Location: Canada,France, Brazil, Japan, Mongolia, Greenland, Canada, Mongolia, Ethiopia next
This might be an interesting paper for you:
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi- ... 1&SRETRY=0
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi- ... 1&SRETRY=0
Two quick tips
One tip I would give you is to think about your choice of fonts when making materials for the student. One good font is: Lexia Readable, which differentiates between b and d. You can find quite a bit of info here:
http://www.dyslexic.com/fonts
Its also a good idea to think about multiple intelligences and try and teach using them. A good test of multiple intelligences:
http://www.mitest.com/o7inte~1.htm
This may help to narrow down strengths and weaknesses. I'd suggest trying to translate it into his native language.
James
http://www.jamesabela.co.uk/
http://www.dyslexic.com/fonts
Its also a good idea to think about multiple intelligences and try and teach using them. A good test of multiple intelligences:
http://www.mitest.com/o7inte~1.htm
This may help to narrow down strengths and weaknesses. I'd suggest trying to translate it into his native language.
James
http://www.jamesabela.co.uk/