Many children with dyslexia can read a word one day and forget it the next. Others improve with phonics but never become fluent. This is because dyslexia is not just a reading problem—it is a learning problem.
Dyslexia is a learning disability that affects reading and writing skills. According to a Yale study, 1 in 5 people have dyslexia, and 80 to 90 percent of children with learning disabilities are dyslexic.
This explains why some children improve with tutoring, while others continue to struggle despite effort and practice.
Our online dyslexia tutoring services integrate four components: (1) the Orton-Gillingham approach, (2) cognitive training, (3) the development of two crucial brain areas for reading, and (4) solid learning principles.
Aligned with the Orton-Gillingham approach
The Orton-Gillingham (OG) approach is a direct, explicit, multisensory, structured, sequential, diagnostic, and prescriptive way to teach literacy when reading, writing, and spelling don’t come easily to individuals, such as those with dyslexia. In the hands of a well-trained and experienced instructor, it is a powerful tool of exceptional breadth, depth, and flexibility.
While effective, many children plateau when instruction focuses solely on phonics.
Research also points to missing pieces in the OG puzzle (Ritchey & Goeke, 2006; Stevens et al., 2021)—pieces that Edublox addresses.
Develops cognitive skills
A core of Edublox intervention is to improve cognitive skills like focused and sustained attention; phonological and phonemic awareness; visuospatial abilities; processing speed and rapid naming; and visual, auditory, sequential, iconic, short-term, working memory, and long-term memory.
When these cognitive skills are weak, a process called orthographic mapping does not develop properly. Every word has three forms: its sounds, spelling, and meaning. The process of orthographic mapping involves the brain linking the three forms of the word and storing them together in long-term memory. It allows for instant word recognition, fluent reading, and accurate spelling.
Targets two crucial brain areas
Research shows that a network of brain regions is involved in learning to read, one specifically in sounding out words and another in recognizing words instantly and automatically. The left inferior parietal lobule is said to be involved in word analysis, grapheme-to-phoneme conversion, and general phonological and semantic processing. The picture area is located in the left occipitotemporal region and is known as the visual word form area (VWFA) or visual dictionary (Brem et al., 2020).
Both the sounding-out area and the VWFA must be trained in teaching reading. Our online dyslexia tutoring program is based on the Orton-Gillingham approach, which focuses on the sounding-out process, but it also targets the brain’s VWFA.
Based on fundamental learning principles
Given that teaching reading is ultimately an educational matter, we should recognize that specific learning principles are at work. It is not just the WHAT of teaching that matters. It is also the HOW.
Many programs focus on content, but neglect how learning is structured, repeated, and reinforced.
The application of certain educational learning principles is a core aspect that has so far been overlooked in dyslexia interventions. Thorndike (1874–1949) called the principles of learning the “laws of learning” and provided a conceptual foundation for how people learn. Edublox’s “laws of learning” in dyslexia intervention consist of fundamental learning principles.
When these elements are combined, children are better able to develop accurate reading, fluent word recognition, and lasting learning.
Online dyslexia tutoring – success stories
Below are stories of children who received specialized help from Edublox and overcame their dyslexia symptoms.
Our online dyslexia tutoring services are available to students in the United States, Canada, Australia, and beyond. Book a free consultation to discuss your child’s needs and how we can help.
References:
- Brem, S., Maurer, U., Kronbichler, M. et al. (2020). Visual word form processing deficits driven by severity of reading impairments in children with developmental dyslexia. Scientific Reports, 10.
- Ritchey, K. D., & Goeke, J. L. (2006). Orton-Gillingham and Orton-Gillingham-based reading instruction: A review of the literature. The Journal of Special Education, 40(3): 171–183.
- Shaywitz, S. E., Holahan, J. M., Kenney, B. et al. (2020). The Yale outcome study: Outcomes for graduates with and without dyslexia. Journal of Pediatric Neuropsychology, 6: 189–97.
- Stevens, E. A., Austin, C., Moore, C. et al. (2021). State of the evidence: Examining the effects of Orton-Gillingham reading interventions for students with or at risk for word-level reading disabilities. Exceptional Children, 87(4): 397-417.
Online Dyslexia Tutoring for Children was authored by Sue du Plessis (B.A. Hons Psychology; B.D.), a dyslexia specialist with 30+ years of experience in learning disabilities.
Edublox is proud to be a member of the International Dyslexia Association (IDA), a leading organization dedicated to evidence-based research and advocacy for individuals with dyslexia and related learning difficulties.
