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Academic Language Therapy (Dyslexia)Our Dyslexia Therapists work through a designated program, such as Take Flight, this instruction is an Academic Language Therapy that is explicit, structured, systematic and cumulative. These lessons contain the 5 components (Phonemic Awareness, Phonics, Vocabulary, Fluency, and Comprehension) of effective reading instruction supported by the National Reading Panel.
Take Flight is based on the pioneering research of Dr. Samuel T. Orton, neuropsychiatrist, and the educational and psychological insights of Anna Gillingham. The Orton-Gillingham techniques for children lacking a talent for language became the basis of a pilot from 1965-1975 at the Language Laboratory at Texas Scottish Rite Hospital in Dallas, TX. An interdisciplinary team worked to incorporate multisensory teaching techniques, current findings in learning theories, and discovery teaching into the Take Flight curriculum. |
WHAT CAUSES A CHILD TO STRUGGLE TO READ? |
Our brains are not hard wired to read, we are hard wired for oral language, which is why learning to read takes so much time and is critical in our learning processes. While in utero our brain cells begin to make their way to their proper locations 24 days after conception and will travel until the 3rd month of gestation, at that point, if they do not make it to their "final destination" the individual will struggle to read. There are very specific cells that we use to learn to read, by creating pathways, and when those cells are not in their exact location, the pathways struggle to form appropriately, causing the struggle of reading. A child may or may not be diagnosed as dyslexic, but that does not mean that they do not exhibit characteristics of a dyslexic child. Research shows that 20% of students in a class show signs of dyslexia.
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FINDINGS... |
"Only 50% of children are born with an aptitude for separating the sound from the syllable. Those that do not can be taught multisensorily: otherwise they are left guessing and are never at par with others." - Isabel Lieberman (University of Conneticut)
"50% of first graders have decided by the end of their first grade year that they are successes. The others have decided they are failuress, because learning to read and academic success are equated with self-esteem." - William Glasser Developmental dyslexia is an unexpected difficulty in reading. Unexpected refers to children and adults who appear to have all the factors necessary to become good readers: intelligence, motivation, and exposure to reasonable reading instruction - and yet struggle to read. We refer to "developmental dyslexia" as "dyslexia" but it is also referred to as a specific reading disability. - Sally Shaywitz, M.D. Overcoming Dyslexia |
Take Flight instruction is a two year (minimum) program that includes 132 lessons with a total of 230 direct instructional hours. We meet with students either three times a week for one hour each or two days a week for ninety minutes each. The majority of our sessions take place during the school day and are designed for those who are unable to receive services within the public school system because they are home schooled or did not qualify for school services.
If you would like more information regarding Take Flight for your child, please contact us!
If you would like more information regarding Take Flight for your child, please contact us!
