Many children enter into school without the necessary skills for being successful in school. Sometimes it is because they are an English Language Learner and have not had enough exposure to English to allow them to speak it fluently. Some children have had minimal to no exposure to books and/or stories and, as a result, enter into school with a minimal understanding of the alphabetical principle.
In her article on whole language and learning disabilities, Nancy Mather refers to research done by Chail that found that whole language methods place those who are immigrants, poor, and learning disabled at a disadvantage in the classroom. Middle and upper class families often provide their children with the support they need to learn to read ((Taylor, Harris, & Pearson 1999) Nancy Mather 1992).
Children who are at a disadvantage and do not receive phonics instruction often guess at what they are reading. In first grade they begin to rely on shape and distinct letter patterns (Mather 1992). While they watch their peers learn to “Crack the Code” they become more and more confused. After awhile, many give up or start showing behaviors problems in order to get out of doing work they find confusing. They wonder why is it so many of their friends can learn to read the mysterious shapes and they cannot. Other children begin to realize which students can’t read and often begin bullying them, leaving the student with disabilities with an even lower self-esteem and lower confidence in all facets of their life.
Caught early, the problems that go with dyslexia can be headed off. These students need Orton-Gillingham and Orton-Gillingham based methods, such as the Barton, to help them with letter sounds, word retrieval, organization, and generalization (Mather 1992). With enough repetition and instruction these students can learn the alphabetic principle, a crucial skill necessary for reading. Orton-Gillinham methods are still best with older children, but they should receive it more intensely in order to help them catch up with their peers. In the meantime, older children should be provided with accommodations to allow them to show how much they really know. Accommodations, the right kind, can make a night and day difference.