Reading teaching for children with dyslexia and at risk of dyslexia

Abstract

Reading is a necessary behavior for an individual to perform social, academic, and professional activities. Some specific learning disorders, such as dyslexia, are associated with difficulties in learning this repertoire. Strategies based on the formation of relational networks typical of reading have produced promising results in teaching reading to different populations, indicating that it is relevant for teaching children with dyslexia. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of the Constructed Response Matching to Sample (CRMTS) procedure with fluent and syllabified word oralization on the reading performance in children with dyslexia and at risk of dyslexia. Eight children aged 6 to 11 years participated in the study, five with a diagnosis of dyslexia, and four with a risk of dyslexia. The procedure consisted of five steps: Pre-intervention test; teaching how to name figures; construction of the syllables of words under the control of printed syllables and dictated syllables; construction of words under the control of printed words and dictated words; and post-intervention test. Participants needed three to five sessions to complete the teaching blocks. The participants demonstrated a repertoire of textual reading with an understanding of the words taught directly and presented an expanded repertoire of reading words with syllables and recombined letters. It was concluded that the stimulus control established in training was efficient for producing generalized reading.