Breaking the code for all : a multisensory Maltese resource pack for developing literacy

Abstract

This dissertation intends to illustrate multisensory techniques as an effective method to teach children with dyslexia. The benefits of such techniques are outlined in the Literature Review. In this chapter, two particular multisensory English literacy programmes, Alpha to Omega and Wilson Reading System, are evaluated. Before designing the Maltese Resource Pack, class visits were also performed with the aim of observing children, aged between seven to nine years, during Maltese literacy lessons. Moreover, interviews were carried out in two different schools in order to find out the perception of teachers and parents on dyslexia and identify the profiles of participants. Throughout the interviews, the four students participating in the study shared their preferred ways of learning used in Maltese literacy lessons. An aspect which emerged from this study is the lack of students' familiarity with Maltese literature, which might be a factor influencing their performance in this area. Through the Resource Pack, all persons involved recognised the benefits of using a multisensory approach to teach Maltese literacy to children with dyslexia, since learning was presented in a way that children perceive as pleasant and fun.