Discovering "a" is a Word

A visual learner processes information through pictures. In reading there are 219 words called sight words or high frequency words that a visual learner’s mind may not process because these words have no picture. Think about it. If I ask you to conceptualize the word elephant you could do that easily. Now do the same with the words: the, is, of. There is no picture, right? These abstract words are causing blanks in the visual thinker’s mind. So even if a person is a good reader, they still may not have comprehension of what they read. When reading they may miscall these words or leave them out completely. In our program we have a client make their own picture for a word that has no picture. We do this through the use of clay and a dictionary. This is called Symbol Mastery. The word “a” is always a word we master with a client. I put the word “a” on a card and place it in front of a client and ask them to look it up in the dictionary. Many times a client will say, “That’s in the dictionary?” They are amazed to learn that “a “is a word and it has a meaning. Even word thinkers are sometimes surprised to learn that the word "a" actually has a definition. I've had them tell me that "a" is an article when I ask them if they know what "a" means.

I once worked with an adult client who was overjoyed with her own personal discovery of the word “a”. She was reading fairly well, but she had very little comprehension of what she read. During Symbol Mastery the client makes the word they are mastering with clay. We then have the client point to the word and say, “This says [word].” My client would point to the word “a” and say, “This is the letter “a”.” Each time I would stop her and ask her if she realized she was saying, “This is the letter a”. We were finally able to get to the root of her not seeing that “a” is a word because she was only associating a with the sound symbol. When she looked at the a she had made in clay, she associated it with the alphabet chart that shows a picture beside each letter to help us learn the sound that each letter makes (A is for apple…). Her visual memory of that association was the roadblock. The key here was to recognize letters as sound symbols and that a word could be spelled using just one letter of the alphabet. Once she could discern the difference in the word and the letter, she was able to breakthrough her barrier to recognize “a” is a word. As soon as “a” was mastered, we took a break. She went straight to my lobby to find a book which she opened and shouted out, “There’s a! A is a word and it means one, one kind of.” We laughed and celebrated this precious moment of discovery together.

Later that evening she called me at home still filled with emotion, “Lesa, I’ve been looking in books and in the Bible finding the word “a”. I’m so excited, I never knew “a” was a word before and it’s everywhere!"

Another client who broke through this barrier of recognizing "a" is a word asked her mother if she knew "a" was a word. The mother happened to be dyslexic too and answered, “No”. This client then told her mom, "You don't know how to read. A is a word and it's in the dictionary. I'm going to prove it to you."

Now what about the word "of"? Do you know what it means? You may be surprised to find that that little preposition we use over and over has twelve definitions! Want to learn more about those 219 sight words and their meanings? Check out http://www.symbolmastery.com/ and click on Trigger Word Dictionary.

37 Symptoms and counting...

There are currently 37 symptoms that people with dyslexia exhibit. A few weeks ago I worked with an 11 year old and discovered yet one more to add to the list.
In a reading program, clients are, of course, required to read. Many times they resist when it comes time to do the reading exercises due to negative symptoms they have experienced when attempting to read. These symptoms can be dizziness, headaches or stomach aches, as well as confusion over letters and words; causing the person to experience moving or blurry letters. In a Reading Program we give the client a method that will lessen the symptoms and give them clear perception of the text. Eventually the negative symptoms will cease to exist once all the confusing triggers have been dealt with.
Near the end of the second day of his program, my client, Mike, was still avoiding reading at every turn. I was finally able to persuade him of the importance of reading for me using his tool to focus. Upon completion of a paragraph, he rubbed his eyes. I asked Mike what was wrong. He said his eyes hurt. At that moment his dad walked in and I explained what had just occurred. His dad asked him, “How do your eyes hurt?” To which Mike replied, “They sting, like when you are swimming in a chlorine pool.”
Mike was describing a new symptom not on the list of 37 characteristics. Mike's eyes were trying to adjust to the brain's confusion over the unrecognized letters and/or words. In his attempt to adjust to the blurry or moving letters he squinted his eyes; thus, giving them a stinging sensation.

It was suggested by a fellow facilitator that this symptom could also be from sensitivity to florescent lighting and I should try having him wear sunglasses. The following morning Mike's dad bought a pair of sunglasses and Mike read an entire page with no complaint of stinging eyes! The next day I was tending to a minor emergency in the office and asked Mike to find a game or puzzle to keep him busy while I tended to the situation. When the emergency was over, I was surprised to find Mike lying in the floor of my lobby reading (and reading without sunglasses)! When I asked about his eyes he said they felt fine.
At lunchtime, Mike ran to the door to greet his dad and exclaimed, “I like reading now, reading is fun!” His father couldn’t believe his ears and had to wipe tears from his eyes. His son, whom he had described to me as a “survival reader”, was reading for pleasure and liking it!
Mike was able to overcome his barrier to reading because he was able to tell someone, for the first time, why he was avoiding reading. Once the stinging symptom could be dealt with, he felt free to trust his focusing tool; therefore, giving him his breakthrough in reading.

Incidentally, another of those 37 characteristics is avoidance. Who wouldn’t avoid reading if they were experiencing stinging eyes!
To learn more about the 37 characteristics go to: www.dyslexia.com/library/symptoms.htm