What if you were asked to read and write a language that made no sense to you? The frustration would probably be overwhelming, if you even attempted to begin. Well, that is what many students with a reading or writing disability face each day. The oddities of the language can drive anyone crazy, but those with a learning disability have an even more difficult time.
What makes English so difficult? Answer these simple questions.
If you have a moose and a goose and add one of each, do you then have meese and geese or mooses and gooses?
If you have a mouse in a house and the same next door, do you have mouses in houses or mice in hice?
Why do you park on a driveway and drive on a parkway? What would happen if you tried it the other way?
If teachers taught, did preachers praught?
Should you always use the rule “i” before “e” except after “c” to spell long “I.” Well, what about leisure, neither, seize, weird, science, conscience…not mention “ei” pronounced long “A” (weigh, sleigh, freight, etc.) Should we use it at all?
A fun essay to read is English is a Crazy Language by Richar Lederer.
Two general populations find the English language especially challenging – English language learners (those learning English after learning another language) and people with a reading disability.
What is a reading disability?
A reading disability occurs when an individual does not read as well as they should be. Of course, there is a formula and specific criteria that a psychologist would use to make such a diagnosis; but, the key is that the person is not reading as well as he/she could be.
While there are many factors which have the potential to contribute to the disability, identifying the difficulty early is critical. If you have any concerns about the possibility of a reading disability being present, ask!
Some helpful resources:
National Center for Learning Disabilities
National Research Center on Learning Disabilities
International Dyslexia Association
LD Online
Reading Rockets
Schwab Learning
By the way, our children will be the heir of the air, so don’t err and harm the environment.
