International Council for Education, Research and Training

Understanding Dyslexia through the Perspective of Phonological Awareness Deficit Theory

Okey-Kalu, Ozioma J.

English Unit, General Studies Department, Federal School of Statistics, Enugu

Abstract

Students, who find it difficult to read and spell, face stigmatization, discrimination and other forms of social problems from their peers, teachers, relatives and society at large. They are perceived as unintelligent, slow in learning, and, in some cases, mentally deranged. Many of such students have and are dropping out of school because they believe they are unsuitable for academic programmes. This study, however, argues that dyslexia is one of the major causes of reading and spelling challenges faced by such students. As a result, it anchors its theoretical perspective on the principles of Phonological Awareness Deficit Theory of Dyslexia to define the concept and identify its causes and effects on the victims. It finally proffers solutions to the problems, whereby it recommends that they should be adopted by teachers and guardians of such students in other to help them develop strategies they can use to read and spell correctly.

Keywords: Dyslexia, phonological awareness deficit theory, phonological awareness 

Impact Statement

Dyslexia is a language use disorder that adversely impacts the academic performance of affected students because it hinders their ability to read, spell and write effectively. Such students often face stigmatisation, discrimination and other forms of social problems from their peers, teachers, relatives and society at large. They are perceived as unintelligent, slow in learning, and, in some cases, mentally deranged. Many of them have and are dropping out of school because they believe they are unsuitable for academic programmes. However, this study has successfully identified the causes of dyslexia through the perspective of the Phonological Awareness Deficit Theory of Dyslexia. As a result, it was able to proffer solutions to the problems. If teachers and guardians of dyslexic students come across this article, they will discover the cause of their students/wards’ academic challenges as well as how to help them overcome the difficulty.

About The Author

Ozioma J. Okey-Kalu is a staff of the National Bureau of Statistics, Nigeria, but she serves the country as a lecturer of English at Federal School of Statistics, Enugu, Nigeria. She studied her first degree in English at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Nigeria, and went further to obtain her master’s degree in English at Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, also in Nigeria. She is currently studying her doctorate degree in English at University of Nigeria Nsukka. Ozioma’s current research interest spans across several fields of linguistics, which include Sociolinguistics, Pragmatics, and Semiotics, three of which address her doctoral research. Besides her doctoral research, Ozioma is currently working on how rhetoric can be used judiciously to solve several human problems, such as insecurity and climate change. She has also delved into language use disorders, such as dyslexia, dysgraphia, and aphasia.  

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