Dyslexia is a difficulty in the acquisition of reading and writing that affects estimatedly 5% to17% of the population. Research shows that through the use of compensation strategies, therapy and educational support, dyslexic individuals can learn to read and write. There are techniques and technical aids which help to manage or conceal symptoms of the disorder. As the difficulty shows itself mostly during early years of primary school when the pupil exhibits signs of difficulty in reading related issues, most of the support is provided for the dyslexic indiviual at this period. But the problems persist into following periods like lower secondary school age, adolescence and adulthood periods and may accompany difficulties with low success rates in achieving the expected skills. When compared to the support in learning at primary level, there is still little to support the transition from primary to lower secondary (middle) school. Support is needed due to the change in institutional set-up and the new and changing demands, at both the skill and task level, made on the child. The aim of this project is to provide support to parents, teachers and the dyslexic individuals themselves to ensure the transition between schools is smooth and they have the opportunity to reach their potential in the new learning environment. This project will develop a strategy designed to prepare a dyslexic child for transition from primary school to lower secondary (middle) school. This will be achieved through a comparison of alternative practices in partner countries, and development of a model of best practice that may be widely used. The core of the project will be development of a Transition Support KIT which will be a combination of a Checklist for Transition, IEP Template/s, Guide for Teachers and Guide for Parents that not only provides details of the history of the child and their needs, but also provides information to both the new school environment and to parents on how best to support the child during transition between the schools.
Dyslexia is a difficulty in the acquisition of reading and writing that affects estimatedly 5% to17% of the population. Research shows that through the use of compensation strategies, therapy and educational support, dyslexic individuals can learn to read and write. There are techniques and technical aids which help to manage or conceal symptoms of the disorder. As the difficulty shows itself mostly during early years of primary school when the pupil exhibits signs of difficulty in reading related issues, most of the support is provided for the dyslexic indiviual at this period. But the problems persist into following periods like lower secondary school age, adolescence and adulthood periods and may accompany difficulties with low success rates in achieving the expected skills. When compared to the support in learning at primary level, there is still little to support the transition from primary to lower secondary (middle) school. Support is needed due to the change in institutional set-up and the new and changing demands, at both the skill and task level, made on the child. The aimed at providing support to parents, teachers and the dyslexic individuals themselves to ensure the transition between schools is smooth and they have the opportunity to reach their potential in the new learning environment. Within the scope of the project, a series of support materials have been developed under the name Transition Support Kit, which is designed to minimize the problems experienced by a dyslexic child during the transition from primary to lower secondary (middle) school and to provide the necessary support. In the first stage, a Needs Analysis study which was the basis for the preparation of these materials was carried out. The need analysis formed the basis of the Transition Support Kit which was conducted by a series of questionnaires with teachers, dyslexic students, and their parents. The Transition Support Kit includes an Individual Support Plan (BDP) Model prepared with all partners, a Checklist for identifying the difficulties experienced by the individual during this period, and a Guide for Teachers and Guide for Parents that will form the basis of support provided when they begin new school environments. All these products have been created with the contribution of 7 partner institutions from 6 countries under the coordination of Istanbul Directorate of National Education. The content provided was prepared by the teams formed by each partner institution, and its accuracy and reliability were reviewed during the Expert evaluation phase of the Pilot Studies conducted in each country. The usefulness and the aspects that need to be improved were reviewed in the final evaluation, which is the second stage of the pilot studies, and revisions were made in the light of the feedback received, and their final form was established. All the materials were made avaliable for the target audience of the project in 6 partner languages (TR, BG, PT, PL, RO, IT) and in English and they can be reached free of charge by anyone wishing to use them. The materials were introduced to teachers and specialists during the Multiplier events held in each partner country and their printed and digital versions (in memory sticks) were distributed. They are also sent to different schools, research/resource/guidance centers, regional and district directorates of educations throughout each partner country. The usage of materials will be continued to be promoted by the partners in the long term. New editions and publications will be done according to the changing needs and demands and they will all be avaliable for the use of the educationists, families and dyslexic students.