Challenges Of Learning Grammar While Having Dyslexia

REVIEWED BY NUMBERDYSLEXIA’S EXPERT PANEL ON FEBRUARY 16, 2022

Reading and writing skills form the base for grasping a language, as each line to be inferred from various sources needs this expertise to comprehend. These areas may need additional thrust for some pupils to excel in academics. As grammar is closely linked to and is probably a crucial part of writing, challenges in these notions are also evident in some individuals. 

Before you can comprehend tips and strategies to alleviate grammar skills, understanding the challenges that Dyslexics may face is obligatory. Consequently, we here look into how kids can face and come over grammar challenges if any.

Challenges in grammar may be evident normally, especially if Dyslexia has any effect on it. Accordingly, we will also look into strategies to improve grammar, ensuring that kids are competent. 

How dyslexia affects grammar?

Dyslexia, by definition, implies the inability to read and learn the language. Comprehending its neural structuring in the parietal lobe, we can infer the motor-speech shortcomings in them.  Linking to the same, Merel Van[1] has studied the word structure and recalling sentences abilities and found that Dyslexics may face errors in irregular morphologies i.e., plural and past tenses, apart from other grammatical difficulties. Students may face issues not only in learning various grammar notions but also in applying these in various sentences.

Dyslexia and grammar- Apprehending relevant complications

Grammar can be an audacious writing skill. Here, we evaluate probable complications that Dyslexics faces with respect to grammar.

1. Punctuation- Not really a Snag!

English learners can face challenges in grasping punctuation as a part of grammar. Be it placing of a comma, Dash or Bracket, inferring all the regulations can be clearly arduous. Selfsame may be the case for special needs children as well. 

Athanassios Protopapas[2] investigated grammar in children with and without dyslexia, and whether phonological memory and/or statistical learning ability contribute to individual differences in grammatical performance. The results showed that Dyslexic children differed from nondyslexic ones in making more errors in areas of spelling like punctuation, orthography, and phonology, incomparable relative proportions. 

2. Sentence Structures- May need thrust

Sentences can vary in size and complexity. Further, individuals may feel it arduous to infer complex sentences and their meaning. For a student who is thrusting to read out a sentence properly, amplified complexity can make it further arduous making them to practice more.

sentence structure

Rebecca Wiseheart[3]  investigated the effects of syntactic complexity on written sentence comprehension in compensated adults with dyslexia, as working memory plays a key role in processing complex sentences. His research showed that people with dyslexia could find it strenuous to infer complex sentences, as working memory plays a crucial role here. Further, it also outlines that Dyslexics are less accurate and slower on passive sentences. 

3. Tenses and Verbs- Focus on the past tense

Tenses are a grammar notion that preaches to depict the past, present, and future of a sentence or entity. While it can be an enticing lesson, students may often face challenges in shifting the tense to form a correct verb, especially past tenses. These encompass the implementation of affixes like ‘ed’ to words.

tenses and verbs

Erin K Robertson[4] and his team investigated past-tense morphology problems in children with dyslexia compared to those classically observed in children with oral language impairment (LI). While both the groups showed phonological difficulties, overlapping patterns of past-tense morphological in reading and language levels were evident. 

4. Passive Voice- Grasping wordy sentences 

The active voice often represents the views in a clear, direct way with lesser use of words. Consequently, students may face challenges in inferring passive sentences that need a cut above effort to read and assimilate the sense. Results for research by Marianna Stella[5] support the same. 

This research showed Dyslexia status interacted with sentence structure and plausibility, such that participants with dyslexia showed significantly more comprehension errors with passive and implausible sentences. With respect to verbal intelligence and working memory, it is found that individuals with lower verbal intelligence were overall more likely to make comprehension errors, and individuals with lower working memory showed particular difficulties with passive and implausible sentences. 

This implied that Dyslexia might lead to greater errors in inferring passive sentences.

Strategies to enhance grammar skills

strategies to enhance grammar skills

While Grammar skills seem to be compromised in certain individuals, relevant strategies and tips in teaching and learning can amplify their skills, making them a step closer to competing with peers. Here are a few picks worth noting:

1. Understand ‘Why’ of the Grammar

Grammar is a prominent part of the language. To speak or write professionally, one should need to confer all the regulations relevant for successful communication. When the student comes to know about how voices, tenses, speech, and punctuation are important, they may look towards ameliorating semantic skills. 

2. Multisensory teaching Pedagogies

Multisensory approaches have always been a great style of preaching especially for special needs children. The same goes with Grammar too.  Sarah Myroup suggested three recommendations to preach grammar to students:

  1. Make it personal so that the pupil can recognize the need of the notion.
  2. Adapt instructions to Multiple Abilities so that learners can use the suitable ability.
  3. Base instruction around the Query to ensure students can know when to apply grammar regulations.

3. Short Learning Periods

Preaching for shorter durations along with refreshing intervals can retain confidence in the students.  Further, this can mitigate unwanted stress, thus providing them freedom and enough time to grasp. Moreover, time to practice the learned concepts is sometimes needed, and these breaks can be utilized wisely. 

4. Sequential Approach

Preaching the basics and them shifting to complicated notions makes learning facile, and a sequential approach ensures the same. Most often, the lessons of grammar start with parts of speech to comprehend various words, later drastically build knowledge on these with notions like tenses, voices, and punctuation. This is the reason why Orton Gillingham is believed to be tailor-made for children. 

5. Timely Addressing the Doubts 

In the course of learning, pupils may get doubts about the implementation of rules in certain cases. It is often taxing to move forward with these ambiguities in mind.  Thus, instructors need to make time to address any doubts so that the pupils are clear without any challenges.  

Concluding thoughts

Mastering the grammar of a language can bring about many edges not only in reading and learning but also ineffective communication with others. Compromises like Dyslexia can be diagnosed at a tender age. Implementing relevant plans can give out a finer outcome. Check out the above strategies to see if any of them can be be-fitting for your little one in mastering grammar efficiently. 

References:

  1. Cambridge University Press, & Witteloostuijn, M. V. (2021, April). Grammatical performance in children with dyslexia: the contributions of individual differences in phonological memory and statistical learning.
  2. What do spelling errors tell us? Classification and analysis of errors made by Greek schoolchildren with and without dyslexia. (2012, April). Athanassios Protopapas.
  3. Sentence comprehension in young adults with developmental dyslexia. (2009). Rebecca Wiseheart.
  4. Past-Tense Morphology and Phonological Deficits in Children With Dyslexia and Children With Language Impairment. (2012, June). Erin K. Robertson. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022219412449430
  5. Use of Parsing Heuristics in the Comprehension of Passive Sentences: Evidence from Dyslexia and Individual Differences †. (2021). Marianna Stella.

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