Discover Literacy FAQs
Many parents notice their child is struggling with reading, writing and spelling at school, but don’t know how they can help, or what they can do at home to improve these skills. The new Learnersaurus Discover Literacy book is designed to help all learners (ages 7 to adults) to read, write and spell using a structured, easy to follow and multisensory approach.
Looking for more information? Here are a few questions we’ve been asked, that might help you too.
1. My daughter is awaiting the results of her assessment but we think it is dyslexia. Should we start a program now and which program should I start with?
You can begin an MSL (Multisensory Structured Language) program without an assessment. If your child is struggling to learn to read at school, don't wait another second. Discover Literacy is the perfect to start. Ensuring that you fill in all the gaps that have been missed is essential, then you can move on. A Learnersaurus Coach can assist you to get started, if you would like some guidance.
2. Where can I learn more about dyslexia so that I can understand how the dyslexic students in school learn?
Is there a program I can use to support the students who are not diagnosed? The more information you learn about dyslexia, the easier it is to teach dyslexic learners. Our Introduction to Literacy Learning & Dyslexia online course is perfect for this. Discover Literacy is ideal to work with all learners who are struggling, but must be delivered with regular repetition. It is suitable for all students aged 7+.
3. My 11 year old son has been recently diagnosed with dyslexia and dysgraphia. We’ve been advised to use a program based on Orton Gillingham tutoring but we are looking for something that we can use at home that isn't too boring.
Discover Literacy is based on the methodologies of Orton and Gillingham. It is self paced and ideal for parents to use one-on-one with their child at home. It gives the child the ownership and direction for a self paced, successful experience.
4. I am a tutor and would like to use the Discover Literacy program with my students. Can I do this?
Yes, we would love to see some tutors using this with their students, you'll just need to get in touch to get a licence to use it for commercial gain.
5. I have an IEP meeting coming up for my child in year 3, newly diagnosed dyslexia with ADHD and I would like to suggest some additional literacy support for him at school. Is there a recommended best practise that I can refer to?
YES! Go to the International Dyslexia Association Website where you will find clear evidence of the methodologies used in the Learnersaurus Programs. Online training courses are available for school staff at both IDA and Learnersaurus.
6. My 8.5 year old girl has been seeing a literacy tutor this year. It seems like she’s making a little bit of progress, but I know it’s not going to get any easier. I am so sad that she is not improving. Is there something else I can do?
Yes! Ensure that the tutor is trained in using a MSL program, such as the Discover Literacy program. To support a dyslexic learner or anyone who struggles with literacy learning, a structured and explicit program must be used. Don't waste precious time on generic tutoring, it will delay the opportunities to give your child success.
7. My daughter is 15 and very creative and intelligent, however she really struggles with reading. She can’t grasp what she has read after she has read it. She has completed lots of intervention programs at school like MultiLit but it hasn't really helped. Which Learnersaurus program would be able to help?
Your daughter requires one-on-one coaching in a structured program, with regular repetition. This is what has been missing and many of the essential elements of literacy and reading need to be established before programs like MultiLit and MiniLit will be successful. Ideally, she would be working with a trained Learnersaurus Coach on the Intensive Literacy Program or using Discover Literacy at home with daily repetition.
8. My daughter goes to a public school but has been told by the speech therapist and teacher that she will get nothing other than MiniLit at school. What else can we do?!
Use Discover Literacy at home or sign up with one of our trained Learnersaurus Coaches. The school could also get some training in the program or in dyslexia from our online training courses and deliver the Discover Literacy program at school.
9. Returning to school is scary for my child. How can we continue to work with our kids outside the system?
Using a structured explicit program like Discover Literacy is ideal. Work through the guided approach in Discover Literacy each day and ensure your child's literacy learning continues, regardless of what is happening in the school system. The goal is to continue success and build self esteem, even though the progress at school is not moving as quickly as we want.
10. Can individuals who have dyslexia learn to read?
(A quote from the International Dyslexia Association website):
Yes. If children who have dyslexia receive effective phonological awareness and phonics training in Kindergarten and 1st grade, they will have significantly fewer problems in learning to read at grade level than do children who are not identified or helped until 3rd grade. 74% of the children who are poor readers in 3rd grade remain poor readers in the 9th grade, many because they do not receive appropriate Structured Literacy instruction with the needed intensity or duration. Often they can’t read well as adults either. It is never too late for individuals with dyslexia to learn to read, process, and express information more efficiently. Research shows that programs utilising Structured Literacy instructional techniques can help children and adults learn to read.
Discover Literacy and the Learnersaurus programs use structured literacy instructional techniques!