Essential Reading Drills

Our Process

Pattern Recognition

The pattern recognition drills reprogram how a dyslexic reader stores and retrieves the information they already know. It helps them recognize words in a fraction of a second by identifying key patterns in word structure. This works very much like reshelving library books after someone has replaced them on the wrong shelf or in the wrong order.  It is much easier to find something when it is the right place. Once practiced, the drills make access to the word patterns automatic and reading more effortless. 

Eye Movement Training

Another set of drills train eye movements to properly jump from word to word in the right order. Visual tracking errors cause words to be missed, transposed, or read out order causing confusion and poor reading comprehension. Tracking problems also lead to slow reading speed and re-reading content that was missed on the first pass.  Teaching the reader to track and coordinate their eye movements allows them to process words in the correct order, read at an increased rate, and comprehend more content.

Endurance Training for Reading

The inability to read comfortably for extended periods can be a factor contributing to poor reading skills. Eye muscles that control focusing and eye alignment need to have adequate strength, flexibility, stamina to keep words clear on the page. When eye muscles are too weak, a reader's eyes can tire quickly and cause reading errors, losing place, headaches, blurred vision, eyestrain, double vision, and reduced reading speed, all of which results in poor concentration and reading comprehension. Just like other muscles of the body can be improved by working out, so too can eye muscles. Testing and treatment of eye muscles for their capacity to handle the "load" of reading is included in the Reading Without Limits evaluation. Any measurements that fail to meet the expected norms for the reader's age and grade level will be enhanced using a personalized treatment plan.

Reading Comprehension Exercises

Many factors contribute to good reading comprehension. First and foremost, the reader must be able to quickly and accurately identify the right words in the right order. Second, the reader needs to know the meaning of the words. Third, the reader needs to remember most of the details in the reading material. Fourth, the reader needs to compare, contrast, and connect the ideas in the passage they read. Finally, the reader needs to correlate the content to information and ideas they know from past events and experiences. When the reader is proficient in all these steps, they have better reading comprehension. Surprisingly, students with Dyslexia typically have issues only with the first step. Fixing this step immediately allows them to jump to the level of their spoken vocabulary and in many cases exceeds their grade level. Students having difficulty with the other steps require more intensive training targeted to improve those skills. Additional drills supporting these areas are added if necessary.

Reinforce and Improve

Additional exercises and strategies are used to maximize reading comprehension if perfecting the intake process alone has not generated the desired level of reading proficiency.