Latest Dyslexia Research Update!

In research published in June 2022, Helen Taylor and Martin David Vestergaard raise the possibility that people with dyslexia are especially gifted in “explorative search”. That is an open-ended, experimental practice where the searcher finds things they were not instructed to look for and did not know they would find. The researchers suggest that rather than having a neurocognitive disorder, people with dyslexia play an essential role in human adaptation given their abilities to uniquely observe patterns and define and solve problems that neurotypical people may not see. Try asking your child to solve a real-world problem with many possible solutions, then help them pick one that works best. Real-life problems can range from something small (how to fix a broken toy) to something bigger (how they can be more eco-friendly in their daily life).

Bonus! This research also confirms what special education teachers and literacy specialists already know: letter-sound correspondence is crucial for reading achievement. Since this slow, laborious decoding often taxes memory and attention, strengthening executive function skills is also crucial to teaching students with dyslexia to read. In fact, research suggests that students attain these skills optimally when they are taught in tandem. Complimentary, my dear Watson!

Article: Carnegie Learning