In Dyslexic Logic, "broken words" refer to high-frequency words that don't follow standard phonetic rules, making them difficult to "sound out" or decode, like "the," "said," or "was," often needing visual memorization rather than phonetic blending; these words are sometimes called "red words" or "tricky words" but Dyslexic Logic prefers "broken" to highlight the word's issue, not the child's fault. Dyslexic logic addresses these by visually isolating the "broken" part (e.g., the 'o' in 'to'), teaching them as sight words to bypass the decoding struggle.
Broken words are also known as non-decodable, exception, tricky (high frequency tricky/ HFT) or red words. I prefer to call them broken words as this makes it clear that the problem is with the word, not the child. I then highlight that actually it isn't the whole word that is broken, just a letter or two.
Common mistakes when reading and spelling are mixing up b's and d's, or similar looking words such as 'was' and 'saw', 'how' and 'who'. Letters and numbers can be written back-to-front or upside down. The most common numbers for visual dyslexics to reverse are 9, 5 and 7.
The Nonsense Word Test
Analyze the mispronounced words, looking for patterns that might provide information about the student's decoding strengths and weaknesses. Nonsense words have an important place in learning to master reading.
Words such as "to, it, of, what, have, from," etc. (sight words) are trigger words which must be mastered to eliminate the trigger for disorientation.
Famous actors like Johnny Depp, Keira Knightly and Orlando Bloom all have dyslexia. Pablo Picasso's teachers described him as “having difficulty differentiating the orientation of letters”.
Understanding and supporting individuals with Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, Dysgraphia, and Dyspraxia is essential for fostering an inclusive and effective learning environment. These disorders can also coincide with other conditions such as ADHD and Autism, requiring a comprehensive approach.
Consistent with earlier work showing that RAN, letter name knowledge, and phonological awareness are core predictors of dyslexia (Catts, Fey, Zhang, & Tomblin, 2001; Pennington & Lefly, 2001), these studies highlight the slow development of language, phonological awareness, and decoding-related skills, including poor ...
Some languages may be more problematic for dyslexic learners. Languages such as French and English are less transparent than other languages. This means that the sounds of the language don't match clearly to letter combinations and there are more irregularities in pronunciation and spelling.
General signs to look for are:
Confusion between left and right. Struggling with tasks like tying shoes. Mixing up sounds and syllables in long words. Trouble memorizing important things like their address or phone number.
Bill Gates, one of the richest people in the world didn't let his dyslexia hold him back.
But its diagnosis currently follows a “failure model”: A child has to try and fail to read for several years before being diagnosed. Most children in the United States do not get diagnosed with dyslexia until the end of second grade or, more likely, the beginning of third. This is the dyslexia paradox.
Research shows that kids with dyslexia learn best when they engage many senses. You can activate kids' sense of touch by having them trace letters on lists of sight words with their finger. Or cut the letters out of sandpaper and have them trace the scratchy surface while saying the letter names and then the word.
(usually) A point in writing where a word is split so that part of it is relegated to the next line, typically at the end of a syllable and marked with a hyphen: an intersyllabic division.
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These creative processing skills allow dyslexics to see the bigger picture, and visualise new solutions. This skill is really valuable to employees, in fact, 50% of NASA employees are dyslexic. They are deliberately hired because of their excellent critical thinking skills and spatial awareness.
While there are various ways to classify dyslexia, four commonly discussed types focus on specific reading challenges: Phonological Dyslexia (sound-letter connection), Surface Dyslexia (whole-word recognition), Rapid Naming Dyslexia (speedy identification), and Double Deficit Dyslexia (a combination of phonological and rapid naming issues). These types highlight different core difficulties, from sounding out words to recognizing them quickly, and help guide tailored support strategies.
Challenges and strengths of dyslexia
Many people believe that dyslexia runs in families. If a mother or a father has dyslexia, either of them can pass it on to their child. Children have a higher chance of developing dyslexia if at least one of their close relatives also has it.
Actress Jennifer Aniston has publicly shared that she was diagnosed with dyslexia in her 20s, a diagnosis that explained lifelong struggles with reading, writing, and retaining information, leading her to believe she wasn't smart until discovering the learning disorder. She discovered this during an eye exam, where she realized her eyes jumped words when reading, and the diagnosis helped her understand past difficulties, transforming her self-perception.
The BDA Level 7 Diploma in Dyslexia Assessment and Intervention (AMBDA and AMBDA FE/HE) provides training for individuals who already hold ATS/APS (or equivalent) and have a professional interest in assessment for dyslexia.
Three dimensional thinking and making connections
Many people with dyslexia demonstrate better skills at manipulating 3D objects in their mind. Many of the world's top architects and fashion designers have dyslexia.
According to UMHS, the following conditions can present similar symptoms and difficulties to dyslexia: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Executive Dysfunction. Memory Impairments.
Famous dyslexics