Interference
Neuroplasticity Rule #10 Interference.
Here we are in the final week of looking at the ten rules of Neuroplasticity, through the lens of a dyslexic or neurodiverse learner. The final rule is interference. Unfortunately, changes in the brain that result in bad habits, may interfere with learning good habits (https://www.cfimove.org/).
As Kleim & Jones (2008) note, people may develop “compensatory strategies that are easier to perform (“bad habits”) than more difficult but ultimately more effective strategies (“good habits”).”
Relating this back to Dyslexic learners, it’s important to remember that Dyslexic learners have trouble working with language and it cannot be outgrown, however effective teaching strategies can be used to support improvement in reading, writing, and spelling skills (understood.org).
As Learning Matters writes “Many research studies have shown that when we intervene with the dyslexic brain with a multisensory structured literacy intervention we build the necessary neural pathways to strengthen and develop the reading brain.”
If Dyslexia is caught early, and learners are taught with explicit instruction then we may be able to eliminate the interference or bad habits that may form with reading, writing, and spelling. A phonics-based system that matches phonemes to graphemes and follows a systematic, explicit, and diagnostic approach works best. To coin a phrase, crucial for some, and necessary for all, to ensure no bad habits with literacy are formed.
Kleim, JA, Jones, TA. (2008). Principles of experience-dependent neural plasticity: Implications for rehabilitation after brain damage. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 51, S225-S239.
https://www.understood.org/en/search-results…
https://www.understood.org/…/how-do-you-teach-a-child…
https://www.learningmatters.co.nz/…/the-teaching…/
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