Learning new words

At high school, the scheme I learned French through was dyslexia-friendly. Here’s how.

1. It was multi-sensory
2. It presented the learning material in a context
3. It involved overlearning
4. It involved diagnostic tests
5. It was exciting and enjoyable

These dyslexia-friendly aspects of my school French scheme are just as useful to me now as they were back then. I use them along with some other ideas to learn new words in English. This is how I learn new words then.

1)    I hear new words and write them down

• I listen to audiobooks. (Books give language a context). Whenever I hear a word I don’t know, I write it down on a sheet of paper
• When I have filled up one sheet I start a new one. I number the sheets
• I use felt tip pens to write each word in a different colour. This helps me remember the words. I also enjoy the sensory aspects of writing with felt tips pens: the feel, the sound, and the colours

2)    I find the meanings, and record them in writing and audio  

• As soon as I can, I look up my words in a pocket dictionary
• I write down each word’s meaning on the sheet
• I find it exciting to discover a word’s meaning – it’s like unearthing treasure
• I also make an audio recording of each word sheet

3)    I find images and create flashcards

• I search online for images of each word
• I create a flashcard for each word, using a table in Word
• Each flashcard has on it a word and its corresponding image. I also add the number of whichever word sheet the word is on, for reference

4)    I learn the words

• I look at the flashcards on my computer
• I hide the words by selecting the words column then formatting the font as ‘hidden’. I look at each picture and say its word
• Then I unhide the words column, and hide the pictures column. I use WordTalk to listen to the words one at a time. When I hear each word, I envision the image that goes with it
• I read my current words of the day sheet at odd moments, silently and out loud. I also sing, clap, dance and act the words
• I listen to the audio recordings of my word sheets

 

5)   I test my learning

 

Once a fortnight, I record a test on my digital audio recorder. For each word, I say the word and ask for the meaning, or vice versa. I download the recording onto my computer. The next day, I play the test on my computer and speak my answers. I audio record it. Then I listen and check my answers with the word sheets. I tick off the words I’ve learned and carry forward any I haven’t into the next fortnight.

Other tools for learning new words

(This paragraph references software that I as a dyslexic individual find helpful, or that others have recommended to me. This does not equate to Dyslexia Scotland endorsing these resources).

• To look up words by speaking them, and hear them spelt out:

1. On a computer – Google Chrome’s ‘search by voice’ feature (Click on the microphone icon in the search bar. Then say ‘spell’ followed by the word you wish to find);
2. On an iPad or iPhone – Siri;
3. On an Android device – Easy Speak Pro (compatible with The Scottish Voice)

• To create audio-visual flashcards:

1. An e-book App – see https://alifelessordinaryds.wordpress.com/2015/06/01/dyslexia-stories-8

 

By an adult member of Dyslexia Scotland