Children with Down Syndrome vary in their learning and physical abilities as much as typically developing students do. These children do, in fact, have learning strengths you will want to capitalize on during lessons. However, children with Down Syndrome generally develop slower than their peers, and they may stay at a certain developmental stage longer. For instance, a deficiency in auditory short-term memory affects the child’s ability to process, understand and incorporate spoken language long enough to respond to it.
Down Syndrome is named after Dr John Langdon Down who first identified the syndrome in 1866. Down Syndrome is the most common cause of a learning disability. Down syndrome is caused by an extra copy of chromosome 21 inside each of the body's cells. Approximately 1 in every 800 babies are born with Down Syndrome (National Down Syndrome Society, 2003).
Enhancing Reading Ability in Children with Down Syndrome
As children learn to read, word recognition is complicated and each word has to be thought about. Effective strategies for enhancing reading ability include:
- Ensure that the child understands what s/he is reading and why
- Teach ‘sight words’ first, using the ‘look and say’ method
- Select words which are suitable for the child’s language comprehension level and interests, beginning with words the child already understands
- Use complete short, simple sentences
- Play matching and selecting games with vocabulary, not using pictures, to ensure the child can recognize visual vocabulary
- Read the words and sentences with the child
- Introduce new vocabulary into the reading once the child is comfortable with the reading activities and vocabulary
- Encourage the child to repeat words and sentences with you
- Practice writing alongside reading from the start, to draw attention to letters and help handwriting
- When the child has a sight vocabulary of 30-40 words, start teaching phonics
- Provide a choice of reading material
Phonics and Spelling
Many children with Down syndrome learn how to spell words by relying on their visual memory and sight vocabulary. It is vital that these children are taught phonics and spelling next to reading in order to encourage word attack skills and an alphabetic strategy for reading.
Readers who use an alphabetic strategy make faster progress. The alphabetic reader has to be able to say the word, break it into sounds and then work out the probable letters needed for spelling. It takes a typical child two years to progress from knowing letter sounds to being able to use phonics and to decode and spell. Due to problems with auditory processing and the working memory, children with Down will find this more difficult.
Activities which include the use of nursery rhymes are very effective in teaching phonics. Also, using photos relevant to letter sounds are quite useful.
Use of computer software can make learning phonics an enjoyable and fun process. Students developing their writing skills should be encouraged to write letters and/or words when participating in phonic teaching activities. Magnetic letters or sponge letters could be used alternatively.
Children with Down syndrome are visual learners and have more difficulty learning from listening alone. Consistently good teaching strategies throughout the school years are needed before the achievements of individuals with Down syndrome reflect their true potential for the development of reading skills. Learning to read has a profound effect on the child's self esteem, independence and quality of life. Children with Down syndrome are slower with learning, but they go on learning for the whole of their lives.
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