Decoding Dyslexia

Aiza, a seven-year-old first grader, had been facing significant difficulties in reading. Her parents were concerned about their daughter's progress. He­r parents were worrie­d and wanted to help her improve­ her reading skills. The pare­nts noticed that Aiza was struggling to understand words and had trouble e­ven with simple sente­nces.

The Reading Struggle and Parental Anxiety:

Her reading progre­ss seemed slowe­r compared to her pee­rs, which made the parents quite­ anxious. They were de­termined to find a way to help Aiza ove­rcome her reading difficultie­s.

Parents mentioned that Aiza has difficulty in decoding words for example she would see the letter C-A-T and have difficulty pronouncing it correctly.

In their quest for answers, they consulted a Special Educator to help Aiza overcome her reading difficulties.  Aiza’s parents discovered that the phonics and sight words approach, can help Aiza develop her reading skills. They decided to implement this approach, providing Aiza with targeted instruction and consistent practice.

Through consistent phonics instruction, Aiza developed strong reading skills by breaking down words into their individual phonemes and blending them together. This ability to decode words helped her read fluently and enhanced her reading comprehension.

Through phonics instruction, Aiza learnt the letter- sound association for example that the letter 'C' represents the sound /k/, the letter 'A' represents the sound /æ/, and the letter 'T' represents the sound /t/. By blending these individual sounds together, she was able to correctly decode the word as "cat."

Transformative Effects on Aiza's Reading Skills:

Over time, the consistent implementation of the phonics and sight words approach began to yield remarkable results for Aiza:

1.  Phonemic Awareness: Through engaging activities and interactive exercises, Aiza developed an understanding of letter-sound relationships and phonemic awareness, enabling her to decode words more effectively.

2. Sight Word Mastery: The inclusion of sight words instruction allowed Aiza to recognize high-frequency words effortlessly. This improved her reading fluency.

3. Independent Reader: Aiza’s reading skills improved. She is now able to tackle unfamiliar words independently and navigate through texts with greater ease.

Parental Relief and Delight:

As Aiza's progress became evident, her parents experienced a sense of immense relief. Their anxiety transformed into delight as they witnessed their daughter's transformation into a confident reader. Aiza’s efforts reflected in her academic progress.

Conclusion:

Aiza's story is an example of the powerful impact that a phonics and sight words approach can have on a struggling reader. Through dedicated parental support and the implementation of effective instructional methods, Aiza was able to overcome her reading struggles, gain confidence, and discover the joy of reading. This case study highlights the

importance of early intervention and the positive outcomes that can emerge when parents and educators work hand in hand to provide the necessary tools for reading success.

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