Implementation of Multisensory Instruction for Dyslexic Students in an Inclusive Classroom Setting

Abstract

Dyslexia is a phonological problem, which causes problem in reading and writing. It affects throughout the life; however its effects can change at various stages. It exists from mild to severe. Hence, not every dyslexic student needs a special treatment from specialist. At-risk or mild student can depend on skilled teachers. A dyslexic’s brain is wired differently that affects processing of receiving and decoding of information. Due to different connectivity, conventional teaching practices are not enough to deliver the information in a way that would make it easy for at-risk dyslexic student to understand and make sense. Even stagnant graphics, pictures and diagrams cannot do justice to their learning. Multisensory instruction benefits at-risk dyslexic students to learn using five senses. It involves the use of visual, auditory and kinesthetic pathways, simultaneously, to enhance memory and learning of reading and written language (Richard & Rebecca, 2005). Creative teaching methods, using more than two senses, can affectedly improve academic outcomes and language skills of students at-risk of dyslexia (Birsh, 2005). At-risk dyslexic students learn more effectively in a regular inclusive classroom setting where they are not labeled but given an importance as everyone else. In an inclusive classroom teacher uses multiple approaches (i.e. multisensory instruction) to deal with at-risk dyslexic and with no-risk of dyslexia students; for support in their learning. In this study, a quasi-experimental research was conducted to check the impact of multisensory instructional approach in learning of grade 1 at-risk dyslexic Pakistani students. This study involves 51 at-risk dyslexic students. The pre-experimental: one group pretest-post-test design was employed. The resulting effect size was 0.88, therefore a strong effect was found and it was concluded that use of multisensory instruction in a Pakistani context considerably increases learning of ‘at-risk’ dyslexic students.