A Tale of Two Children
by Regina Cicci, Ph.D.

This is a tale about two real children. They both read at a third grade level but are different with very different needs.

Adapted from The Communicator (newsletter of the Puget Sound Branch, IDA)

Eric is near the end of third grade. He reads single words at a second grade level. Oral comprehension is excellent with test scores at beginning fifth grade. He spells poorly. He can spell words on Friday spelling tests for which he practices all week with his mother, but he can never remember the words a week later. His writing is slow and he cannot recall how to form the cursive letters. He takes a long time to complete homework and there are often tears for both Eric and his mother during the homework sessions.

He did not learn letters in the way his sister did in kindergarten. He had an earlier speech problem, but now his speech is good, and he talks all the time. His IQ is in the high average range. He performs well in math and is a good athlete. His parents bought a program advertised on television to help him read, but reading is not getting much better and he still can't spell.

Mary is in fifth grade. Her reading of single words is at grade level, but comprehension is at second grade, so her average score for reading is at about the third grade. In first grade she was identified as having an oral language disorder, particularly in receptive language. She had trouble understanding vocabulary, oral directions, and explanations of new material. She had little trouble decoding; she could look at words and pronounce them. She had attentional problems. IQ was within the average range. Various kinds of reading tutoring have been provided since first grade. Computation for math is at grade level, but she cannot apply what she knows to solve problems. She reads assigned chapters and books for book reports, but has little idea of what she has read. Although she studies for tests, she does not understand the material well enough for it to stay in memory; so she fails. Attentional problems, anxiety, and discouragement are increasing. She is regarding special tutoring and speech-language therapy as punishment rather than as aids to help her.

Eric has some beginning phonics so he can slowly read short words. He struggles painfully to read longer words, even regular two-syllable words (such as napkin and magnet). He cannot remember words for spontaneous spelling because of problems sequencing sounds within words--a likely reflection of his earlier speech problem. In addition visual memory is poor so he cannot retain and recall visual patterns to assist in spelling. He fails to show his good ideas in writing because he cannot spell the words he wants to use, and the motor patterns for cursive writing are not automatic. Homework requires writing which explains the difficulty both he and his parents experience each night. If special services are not provided at his school, he will need help from a private teacher, or tutor, who can teach him decoding skills and spelling. Once he can decode, he will need work with words that are spelled the way they sound, those that rules of written English, and those that must be retained in visual memory. He should have written models of letters on a card on his desk until he can produce the visual-motor patterns automatically. Once he can decode comfortably and spell well enough to use a spell checker on a work processor, he is likely to have few further problems.

Mary's problem is more complex than Eric's. She has difficulty at the most basic level, in understanding the language. Although her parents and her teachers have expressed understanding that she has "language problems' they have not seen the relationship of the receptive language difficulty to her understanding words and concepts in social studies, science, and in stories she is required to read. Her poor reading comprehension reflects her poor understanding of the spoken language. Her teachers, her tutors, and her parents all need to fully understand her problems comprehending language. She needs special teaching to learn vocabulary and concepts and how to manipulate material to relate one bit of information learned to another. New ideas must be related to what she already knows. Assuring that she understands must be a focus of instruction in class and with tutors. Those teaching her must guide her learning of language and also teach her ways to acquire meaning when she is unsure. Some counseling to help her understand her learning problems and her need to invest herself in her learning is important. She needs free time to be with friends and to continue developing social skills which are area of strength. Ideally she should be in a special class.

Both children have reading scores at the third grade. Eric is dyslexic. Mary, however one wishes to classify her learning, has a receptive language disorder. They are different now, require different understanding and different teaching, and will look even more different as they grow older.

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