Dealing with Dyslexia

To understand how dyslexia affects learning, one needs to have an understanding of what dyslexia is. Webster's defines dyslexia as "a variable often familial learning disability involving difficulties in acquiring and processing language that is typically manifested by a lack of proficiency in reading, spelling, and writing". This means that subjects with dyslexia have notable difficulties in reading, spelling and writing. Like many learning disabilities, dyslexia does not fit into a nice box; the range to which the individual is affected varies person to person. Children with dyslexia may have problems with following instructions without in-depth explanations; they may act out, to distract from the fact, they simply do not understand why they are not learning as fast as their classmates are.

The onset of dyslexia is unknown; some believe that it is a genetic disorder, and therefore present at birth. It is also believed that dyslexia occurs with neurons do not migrate to the part of the brain where they are meant to be. This goes hand in hand with another theory that a child with dyslexia processes language on the right side of the brain while language is processed on the left side of the brain. There is also an environmental cause linked to hearing problems at an early age that confuses the brain when it comes to processing letter sounds and placement, causing a deficit in letter recognition, which can lead to problems with reading comprehension. It is likely that a combination of all of the theories of the cause of dyslexia have some merit. (What Causes Dyslexia)

We will briefly look at the problems associated with dyslexia in early education. Subjects with dyslexia have difficulties with comprehending what they read; which in turn limits the amount of information that they can process. Subjects tend to skip over words or anticipate what the next word may be in a sentence, which will slow down the reading process. In spelling, common words can be misspelled and letters can appear jumbled. Dyslexic subjects can demonstrate difficulties with expressive writing and actual handwriting. (Peer 2003, p 9-10) In early education these subjects are the most focused on. Meaning, that if a child has dyslexia that is not caught early on in their learning career they are building all further knowledge on a faulty foundation from the beginning of their education. The observation of these common signs will aide in the early diagnosis of the disability.

There are outward signs of dyslexia, that can aide with diagnosis long before a child is in school and has the chance to learn how to read or write. "The earliest differences between groups were found at the ages of a few days and at 6 months in brain event-related potential responses to speech sounds and in head-turn responses (at 6 months),conditioned to reflect categorical perception of speech stimuli." (Lyytinen, October 2001) By the age of two children who may have dyslexia can be identified as slow talkers because they do not speak at all yet, or merely show a deficiency in their vocabulary. Children up to age 5 (school age) show low scores in spelling, and oral reading, average to above average in comprehension and math, and average to poor in motor skills and handwriting. (Pickering, 2002)

Currently there is no magic cure for dyslexia, there are studies looking into alternatives for teaching children with dyslexia. Studies have shown that combining audio with video has helped to improve the reading score of these children. (Bower, 2001) The reasoning behind combining audio and visual stimuli you are forcing the children to use both sides of their brain which aides in the comprehension of the material that is the focus of the teaching. In an academic setting, if possible, students with dyslexia should be offered a different curriculum from non-dyslexic students. "Asking the 'why', 'purpose' and 'how' of oneself in relation to task fulfillment is key to an analytical mind. It is of particular value when learners have weak memories and often need to find alternative ways of retrieving information for academic success" (Peer, 2001 p 40) There are also alternative remedies and practices that are being utilized in the treatment of dyslexia. One of the problems with alternative remedies is that any group or person does not regulate them; also, they are not required to go through the rigorous testing measures like primary medical practices and medications are. Chiropractic medicine, which is considered alternative even though Chiropractors have to be state licensed and most governments require medical degrees, has been used in therapy for Dyslexia, the theory being that chiropractic focuses on putting the central nervous system back to where it is meant to be. Using the same guidelines as Chiropractic there has also been use of Physiotherapy, Yoga, and Pilates. All of these using the concept that getting the body back in balance that the mind will follow in suite and the neurons that are not communicating as they should will be given the correct neuropath ways to send and receive messages. (Chivers, 2006 p 43-46) Herbal remedies have been put into use to help children deal with dyslexia. "The basic principles of Ayurvedic treatment can be put to judicious use in treating dyslexia. Brain dysfunction, which is the root cause of this condition, can be treated using medicines, which improve the metabolism of the "Majja" dhatu in the body. Medicines useful in this condition are: Pancha-Tikta-Ghruta Guggulu, Guduchi (Tinospora cordifolia), Amalaki (Emblica officinalis) and Musta (Cyperus rotundus). In addition, Ayurveda mentions a category of medicines known as "Medhya", which improve the working capacity of the brain. This category includes medicines like Mandukparni (Centella asiatica), Yashtimadhuk (Glycerrhiza glabra), Guduchi, Padma (Nelumbo nucifera), Brahmi (Bacopa monnieri), Vacha (Acorus calamus) and Shankhpushpi (Convolvulus pluricaulis). (Mundewadi)

For most children who have dyslexia it is something that they will have to deal with for the entirety of their lives. Dyslexia is not something that can be outgrown; but the symptoms can become less obvious over time. When the cause of dyslexia is discovered, there will still not be one way to cope with the disability. The development of remedies will continue to grow as long as dyslexia is diagnosed disability.

References

Bower, B. (2001, September 8). Audiovisual aids may lessen dyslexia. Science News, 160(10), 155. Retrieved April 24, 2009, from Academic Search Premier database

Chivers, M. (2006). Dyslexia And Alternative Therapies. Philadelphia: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

Dyslexia - Definition from the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. (n.d.). Retrieved April 24, 2009, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Dyslexia

Lyytinen, H. A. (October 2001). Developmental Pathways of Children With and Without

Familial Risk for Dyslexia During the First Years of Life. Developmental Neuropsychology , 535-554.

Mundewadi, A. (n.d.). Dyslexia - Ayurvedic Herbal Treatment. Retrieved April 24, 2009, from http://ezinearticles.com/?Dyslexia---Ayurvedic-Herbal-Treatment&id=1579039

Peer, L. (2003). Introduction to Dyslexia. London: David Fulton Publish.

Pickering, J. (2002, Summer2002). Signals of Learning Disabilities at Various Developmental Stages.

Montessori Life, 14(3), 46-48. Retrieved April 24, 2009, from Education Research Complete database

What Causes Dyslexia? Adult Dyslexia. (n.d.). Retrieved April 24, 2009, from http://www.the-dyslexia-center.com/what-causes-dyslexia.htm

Creationism with Evolution

Creationism vs. Evolution has been an ongoing argument for a long time. The goal of this paper is not to debate the validity of either argument; rather it is to explain why both sides of the argument should be taught together. To properly discuss this subject a basic knowledge of what Creationism and what Evolution is needed. Webster's defines the terms as follows: Creationism is the belief that God created everything, while Evolution is "a process in which the whole universe is a progression of interrelated phenomena" (Webster's)

Depending on the home life a student, he or she is taught about Creationism or Evolution from birth. Therefore, by the time a student reaches school age he or she is indoctrinated by their parents' belief system. When the subject is broached in a school setting as only one or the other being the only one that is right, it can be confusing and put a strain on a student's comprehension of the subject. By giving students an unbiased view of both sides of the argument, you are allowing them to explore their own beliefs and open the door for further scientific exploration into Creationism and Evolution.

On the surface Creationism seems to be purely faith based, while Evolution is scientifically based, this is not necessarily the case. Creation Science looks into both, debunking the science behind evolution, and building the scientific proof of creation. One major point that is made is that the earth is only about 10,000 years old, based upon the fact that no one was around 4.5 million years ago to observe the development of the strata. This argument can also be turned around and used for Evolution since there were no creationists around 10,000 years ago to observe creation, as they believe it occurred. (Moore 169-170) Charles Darwin is commonly known as the "Father of Evolution" he wrote "The Origins of the Species"; Darwin speaks of natural selection, which is a form of microevolution. Darwin provides no proof for macroevolution in his book, although many people associate Darwin with macroevolution. There is scientific proof of microevolution/natural selection. If it were not for microevolution, we would not have different breeds of dogs, butterflies with different patterns on their wings, or fish with different characteristics. All of these differences and too many to list; have to do with the unfavorable traits of creatures getting them killed prior to them being able to mate and pass on their genetics. Commonly the better-disguised animal or better equipped for the task they were needed to do, had the opportunity to pass on their genetics.

With both Creationism and Evolution having at least some basis in science and observation, partnered with the faith basis of both it should be understandable how teaching only one or the other could be considered teaching Religion. This could not only cause emotional distress for the child at school but also cause distress for the parents at home trying to explain to their child why they were being taught something outrageously different from what they were taught at home. With the origin of life is the basis to which all science is based, confusing a child early in the process could be detrimental to their understanding of science as a subject.

Taking all of this evidence into consideration, it seems that teaching both creationism and evolution in an unbiased classroom setting, could not only save students undo confusion, but could also encourage them to look further into the science behind both. Exploration in one subject can lead to exploration into other subjects, which can help students develop their own ideas and theories on an uncountable number of things not just science.

Works Cited

"Creationism - Definition from the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary." Dictionary and Thesaurus - Merriam-Webster Online. 21 Apr. 2009 <http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Creationism>.
Darwin, Charles. On the Origin of Species: By Means of Natural Selection (Thrift Edition). New York: Dover Publications, 2006.
Moore, John A.. From Genesis to Genetics: The Case of Evolution and Creationism. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2003.
"Evolution - Definition from the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary." Dictionary and Thesaurus - Merriam-Webster Online. 21 Apr. 2009 <http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/evolution>.

To Choose or Not to Choose

Choosing sides in the Creationism v. Evolution argument is essential in the classroom setting. Creationism is a faith-based belief that God created everything, while Evolution is a Science based belief of how life started. Evolution can be separated into several subtypes, two of which being, microevolution and macroevolution. Microevolution is explained in "The Origin of the Species", as natural selection. Macroevolution is defined as large-scale evolution outside the normal realm of microevolution.

Teaching Creationism and Evolution in a classroom setting has the ability to lead to confusion in young students, who are not completely certain as to where they stand in the Creationism v. Evolution argument. By integrating the two theories, in the classroom, it is forcing the blatant contradictions of the two arguments into the light. This has the ability to lead into classroom debates, which could interfere with normal classroom activities. The following discourse, depending on the age of the students, has the chance to stunt a students' understanding of biology on the basic level. By choosing to teach either Creationism or Evolution, the risk of confusion is greatly diminished.

Occam's razor is a scientific and philosophical rule that states if all things are equal, the answer requiring the fewest jumps in logic is normally correct. When dealing with teaching Evolution and Creationism together the theories are so opposite of each other and both require several leaps in logic, in order to get to the beginning. If, it is accepted that Evolution and Creationism are both theories about the beginning of life, then it is reasonable to accept one of them to be correct. The question needs to be asked, "What should be considered a jump in logic?" For some individuals the simple answer to the beginning of life is "God created all of this" is logical and requires no jump, for others, the belief that life came from the primordial soup is logical. These are vastly different examples and one of them would have to require a jump in logic, both theories simply cannot be correct.

As previously stated; Creationism is a faith based theory, largely upheld by the Judeo-Christian Church. By solely teaching Creationism in the classroom, the State is placing itself in a precarious situation that has the propensity to breach the Separation of Church and State. This argument could also be placed on Evolution, seeing, as there are individuals who practice Science as their religion. Teaching any religious theory as fact, especially to impressionable students, is irresponsible. Learning Institutions, publicly funded or privately funded, should openly choose a side of the Creationism v. Evolution argument in order to aide parents in make an educated decision on what they should tell their children or which learning venue their children should attend. In order to protect themselves from breaching the Wall of Separation, teachers and Learning Institutions should be given an option to teach neither Evolution nor Creationism, since both are merely theories.

When it comes to discussing Creationism and Evolution there is a gray area, in general, individuals consider their beliefs on the beginning of life to be fact, while the reality is their beliefs are theories inside theories. It is possible, that since Creationism and Evolution are both theories that it should not be required to be taught in the classroom at all, much less together. Having a working knowledge of Evolution as the basis of life has nothing to do with understanding biology as a whole, if biology was based entirely on Evolution and its theories then biology would therefore be a theory. If this argument were based on Creationism as the basis of life and so forth, biology would still be merely a theory. Since it has been established that there is life, therefore the study of life then it can be deduced that biology is not a theory. In order to bypass all of the turmoil associated with only teaching one, the other or both, it is suggested to teach neither, establish biology from the cellular level, not the beginning of life.

Works Cited

Darwin, Charles. The Origin Of Species. New York: Signet Classics, 2003.

HUTSON, JAMES. "'A Wall of Separation' (June 1998) - Library of Congress Information Bulletin." Library of Congress Home. 29 Apr. 2009 <http://www.loc.gov/loc/lcib/9806/danbury.html>.

"Occam's Razor - Definition from the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary." Dictionary and Thesaurus - Merriam-Webster Online. 29 Apr. 2009 <http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Occam%27s%20Razor>.

"Primordial soup - Definition from the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary." Dictionary and Thesaurus - Merriam-Webster Online. 29 Apr. 2009 <http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Primordial%20soup>.