He sat in the back of the room with his head down. I could see the tiny pieces of eraser he’d been nervously tearing apart as his turn to read approached. I knew he wasn’t listening, you could see it in every part of his body language.
He was calculating. Which paragraph would be his? He was pre-reading in hopes of making it easier.
And then his turn arrived and all eyes were on him.
If you guessed this was a story of my son in third grade, you are correct. He is dyslexic. No, he doesn’t see numbers and letters backwards. It’s more complex than that and current research is showing it is a brain wiring difference beyond just reading. Click here if you are curious about what he sees when he reads. It will give you the best clue into the effort he expends to read.
So how is my son’s third grade reading experience relevant to you and to the learners in your training rooms?
It is estimated that twenty percent of the American population has dyslexia. Yes, TWENTY PERCENT.
If you do a quick calculation that means about four people in a class of twenty are dyslexic. Many may have developed exceptional coping skills even without remediation in school.
When we ask that twenty percent (and many of their non dyslexic coworkers) to read out loud we create apprehension and discomfort. For many learners it will bring back memories of being made fun of in class.
I think we can simply skip reading out loud. Don’t ask for volunteers. Don’t find some slick way to do it. Just skip it for a different activity.
You might have learners:
- Read silently and then discuss
- Show a video of the reading segment
- Provide a mini-lecture, referencing the material
Teachers in elementary school had students read out lout to assess reading ability — a critical part of our education. Your learners aren’t being assessed on their reading skills (unless of course you are training reading skills, and then we need to have a completely different conversation).
The key to success with someone who might be dyslexic in your room is to give them time to read. Small passages read out loud in small groups for the purpose of an exercise won’t challenge most adults in the workplace if they are given pre-reading time.
Just a little adjustment and some thoughtful preparation can help you create a comfortable and safe environment for all your learners.
If you are interested in more information about dyslexia or know someone who can benefit from help, here are a few of my favorite resources:
