Dyslexia is a condition that causes a person to face difficulties in reading and spelling. A very clever or intelligent child, performing well in all other areas, may be struggling with their studies or falling behind in reading and spelling due to this learning difficulty.
One out of 5 children are dyslexic.
It is more common than we can imagine. Parents, teachers and caregivers who have no knowledge of the subject may end up blaming the child for not trying hard enough!
The difficulty lies in the fact that dyslexic individuals struggle to connect the sounds of the alphabet with their written symbol - which in turn affects the ability to read and spell accurately. In the process, they lose their confidence and self esteem.
Dyslexia is a remedial condition, which means that given the right instruction,
in the right way, an individual can be taught to read and spell adequately.
At Turn The Page, we use the Orton Gillingham approach to teach the student all the sounds and rules of the English language. We start from the very beginning and fill in
all the gaps we find.
Each sound and spelling rule is taught step by step, then given plenty of repetition in a variety of different ways. Everything must be learned in a way that the student can see, hear, and touch,
making it completely multisensory, which is the key to the success of the
Orton Gillingham approach.
If you suspect that your child may be dyslexic or you find some of the symptoms listed above familiar,
please get in touch. We can do a few tests to confirm whether it is in fact dyslexia or the child just
requires some reinforcement of concepts.
To learn more, click on one of the books below:
The reading and spelling program is based on the Orton Gillingham approach, and is designed specifically for children who may need a little reinforcement and also for those who are reading adequately at grade level. The program begins with an initial assessment, to ascertain what level the child is reading and spelling at, and then proceeds to fill in the gaps.
It covers the rules of the English language, such as:
- when we hear a /k/ sound, should we use the letter c or k?
- when does a word end with '-dge' or '-tch'?
- when must the letters f, l, s or z be doubled?
Rather than just getting children to memorise spellings, they are given
the rules, so that they can figure out how to spell unknown words as well.
Even if your child is reading well at grade level, the strategies included in the program are priceless, such as how to break up a large word into parts for easier reading or knowing when the letter 'c' makes a hard sound, as in cat, and when it makes a soft sound, as in 'city.' Again, these strategies are based on knowing the rules and are not dependent on memorisation. The only section of the program that relies on memorisation are the tricky words or red words, which cannot phonetically be sounded out and therefore must be learned.
-This program is perfect for children who may be making spelling mistakes in class which are completely avoidable or struggling just a little with reading.
-It is extremely beneficial for those who need a little reinforcement after school hours to stay on track.
-For those who are reading and spelling well at grade level, the strategies and rules of the Orton Gillingham approach will ensure that they have an edge over their classmates and a head start for the next grade.
-The program helps build confidence as children have all the information they need to read and spell both known
and unknown words and do not have to rely on guess work any more!
-A combination of explicit instruction, worksheets, visuals and games makes it a winning combination that keeps
children interested and enhances their learning.
Age group: 5 onwards
Sessions: 2 - 3 times a week.
The reading for pleasure group is aimed at children aged 4 to 12. It is different from other reading groups in the sense that the children are required to focus more on listening than on active reading. The program is designed to improve oral vocabulary, listening and comprehension skills and more importantly to look at books in a whole new light. To this end, we begin by first introducing the authors and illustrators of the book. Children are made to connect the names and faces of the authors and illustrators with their works of art.
Attention to illustrations is just as important as the text itself.
In a typical session, the children listen to a story being read aloud.
They are introduced to some new vocabulary words that appear
in the book via flash cards. After the reading there is a short
discussion and craft activity or worksheets based on the book.
These activities may focus on the text itself, the writing style, the illustrations
or the main idea. Activities are prepared according to their skill levels.
Younger listeners may only be expected to participate in art / crafting activities while older listeners may be given additional writing tasks or worksheets. In a typical session, the children listen to a story being read aloud. They are introduced to some new vocabulary words that appear in the book via flash cards.
Children also participate in quiet reading time, which for the younger readers may be just looking at illustrations or turning the pages. This is acceptable as long as they get time alone with a book. We find that even the most reluctant of readers will want to have a look at the book that has just been read aloud in class with expression and appropriate explanation. There is plenty of encouragement but no pressure, making it a conducive environment for reluctant, struggling, emergent and fluent readers alike.
At the end of the month, we celebrate reading, play vocabulary games, create book folders and get
awarded stars and reading badges. We strive to make sure that the children associate reading with
fun. Another important aspect of the read aloud is to model fluent reading with expression.
This is critical, especially for emergent readers, as the habits they build in the early stages are going
to stay with them for a lifetime. Research shows numerous benefits of reading aloud to children.
The most important being that children who are read aloud to at a young age continue to reap the
academic benefits as far as ten years later. (Research by Institute of Education, University of London.)
For more information on the benefits of reading or being read aloud to, click on the books below.
Age group: 4 onwards
Sessions: 1 - 2 times a week
Reluctant Readers are those who are unwilling to pick up a book and read for themselves. All children are born with a love of learning. At their earliest stages, they start off loving books and stories, delighting in rhyme and illustration. Somewhere along the way, something happens to change this.
It may be that the child is not reading fluently enough, or he may be unable to read well due to a learning disability. If you are unable to read smoothly, then you will be unable to comprehend what is written and reading then becomes a task instead of fun.
Children at risk for becoming reluctant readers are those who:
- Have a learning disability such as dyslexia (Unable to connect letters to sounds and therefore not being able to read.)
- Speak English only in school, so they dont get enough practice for the language to become automatic for them. This leads to comprehension issues (being unable to understand the text.)
- Do not have reading role models. Do not see many adults modeling good reading behaviour and therefore grow out of the habit very quickly especially when reading in school is more of a task than pleasure.
- Are not being read aloud to at home, and therefore do not respond to the magic and pleasure that a good story brings!
If, for any of the above reasons or for reasons not listed above, you feel that your child is reluctant to read or
pick up a book for pleasure, it is essential to take action as soon as possible.
The benefits of being read aloud to cannot be underestimated. Being read aloud to at age 5 shows academic
benefits as far as 10 years down the road! (Institute of Education study, University of London).
Children should get the opportunity to enhance their oral vocabulary, be able to see someone model fluent
reading with expression, and at the same time, use and cultivate their imagination.
Personal experience tells us that when a book has been read aloud with expression and appropriate explanation,
even the most reluctant of readers almost always wants to look at the book again on their own.
Thats a small step towards a much larger cause.
How can Turn The Page help? Take a look at some of these programs.
Dyslexia | Reading and Spelling Strategies | The Reading Group
The Reading group and the Reading And Spelling Strategies programs are not only for children who are struggling to read but also for those who love to read.
An IOE study (University of London) reveals that children who are read aloud to at age 5 will do better in vocabulary, spelling and math tests at the age of 16! So the benefits of reading and being read aloud to are long term and far reaching. Additionally, children who read just for fun do better than their peers at school.
They also get to socialise with other children outside of school who all share a common interest: books!
Even if you read daily to your children at home, they can only benefit from the additional sessions at Turn The Page as we introduce a new book in each session, discover authors and illustrators and
participate in planned activities based on the books.
If your child has great reading habits, it would be a wonderful influence for others in the same group who are not so inclined. We would love to have
them in the group as role models.
Click here for an overview of The Reading Group.
Following the Orton Gillingham approach, the Reading and Spelling Strategies group:
- Learn how to use all the rules to read and spell accurately, including how to handle unknown words.
- Are taught how to break up and read larger, unfamiliar words.
- Learn which words of the English language cannot be sounded out phonetically and must be memorised
- Study strategies that will help them in higher grades and throughout life
- Get enough practise to eventually make all the strategies and rules automatic for them
- Practice in speed reading and fluency
So, yes, your child could definitely benefit from additional reading sessions as just being able to read well is not the only concern. We also address other areas such as comprehension, recognition of authors and illustrators, creativity and imagination.
Similarly, the Reading and Spelling Strategies program is designed to build upon your current knowledge and supply you with strategies that will help you further
down the line. These strategies are meant to strengthen your current skills just as much as teaching new ones. They will also ensure that you are properly equipped to handle and apply new rules of the English language as and when they are presented to you.
Clifton Block 3 
+92-320-2563329 
