"Easier, Not Easy:" AN UNFOLDING OF THE DYSLEXIA EXPERIENCE

Abstract

This study sought to explore the experiences and perspectives of children identified as having dyslexia. This research provides insights into the importance of early and targeted intervention, so school is not experienced negatively due to children experiencing failure learning classroom literacy practices. Through a phenomenological research design, the lived experiences of six children in grades four through eight were portrayed. This research process involved semistructured interviews and a collection of artifacts. Data analysis revealed prior to receiving intervention, the children were confused, and none of them believed they were good readers or writers. This study contributes to the existing literature by showing how early targeted intervention can help children’s understanding of dyslexia, reshape their literate identity, and experience school more positively. Thematic analysis offers richer and deeper insights into what it means to experience dyslexia from two distinct time frames, before and after receiving early targeted intervention. Findings from this study indicate that screening and progress monitoring should begin in Pre-kindergarten to ensure all struggling readers are identified that may need intervention. In addition, this study has implications for classrooms to expand literacy practices to include new ways of meaning-making with multimodal text and the use of digital literacies to support all struggling readers and writers.