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Method
From our special needs experience and our children’s
computer expertise, we have developed our extremely successful program called SureSpell which, together with
the techniques and procedures we use, DysCypher, has led to our remarkable results in helping adults and children
overcome their educational difficulties.
We have designed exercises that take
advantage of the SureSpell program. These vary from ones designed for the four
to five year reading ability age to those designed for teenagers and adults.
Those designed for the younger age group have very simple concepts, are in
capital letters (to avoid ‘b’‘d’ confusion and to match the keyboard) and are
quite short. Those for the intermediate age group are longer and more complex,
use stories, spelling rules, and discuss educational topics (biology, history).
Those exercises for adults are more difficult and cover adult subjects like
cars and science.
In each case, sentences are displayed
on the screen in a large but simple font, alternate lines being a different
colour to avoid missing or re-reading a line. Each student has their own
background colour which is chosen from a test to establish which colour
provides the most readable text. A real voice reads the displayed sentence(s)
(not a synthesised one) as well as the word to be typed. Words are initially
overtyped and then retyped when letters are replaced with blanks. The student is encouraged to touch-type using
the correct fingers, to say the letters as they are typed and to say the
completed word. This multi-sensory and repetitive technique is very effective
in helping the student to remember spellings.
In general we use computers to aid
learning. Most dyslexic people are put off by using pen and paper but enjoy
using computers. An individual tutor is assigned to a student, working on a
one-to-one basis, providing encouragement and immediate feedback. Extension
exercises, tailored to each student, pick up on words or concepts with which
the student is having difficulty, adds more spellings and/or spelling rules and
are completed on either the computer or a white board. This is often printed
out providing a reward for the student to take home.
In addition, we encourage each student
to carry out exercises to help develop the cerebellum and connect the neurons
in the brain. These vary from two handed exercises, juggling and balance
exercises. Other memory and brain improvement techniques are also encouraged
(NLP, correct food, correct sleep etc.).
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