Fingal Reading Workshop
The Fingal Reading Workshop was founded in 1992 by a group of parents and teachers, in association with the Dyslexia Association of Ireland. We cater for up to sixty students with specific difficulty in the areas of reading and spelling. The students range in age from eight to fifteen and come from all over the northern city and county. We are based at St. Oliver Plunkett School. Our aim is to provide expert tuition and support to dyslexic children and their parents in a happy, caring environment.
What is Dyslexia?
"Dyslexia is a neurologically-based, often familial disorder which interferes with the acquisition and processing of language. Varying in degrees of severity, it is manifested by difficulties in receptive and expressive language, including phonological processing, in writing, spelling, handwriting and sometimes in arithmetic.
Although dyslexia is a lifelong condition, individuals with dyslexia frequently respond successfully to timely and appropriate intervention." (International Dyslexia Association)
What the workshop offers
Students attend the reading workshop for two hours every Tuesday night. In small groups, they are given tuition from specially trained teachers in reading, spelling and comprehension. They are also trained in study and organisational skills. We have classes in oral language development and computers. Every child who attends the workshop has been assessed by an educational psychologist. The psychologist’s report is used to help us draw up an individual learning programme.
Secondary school students are offered modules in study skills based on the subjects of history and geography as well as preparation for the junior cert English exam.
Self-Esteem
Pupils and their parents report that the workshop has an enormous impact on self-esteem. While these kids may be
the only student with dyslexia in their class in school, they are one of many in the workshop. They soon realise that dyslexia doesn’t mean dumb! They see many other dyslexic children who are bright and talented and begin to see themselves in a more positive light. Class teachers report that our students perform better once they have joined the workshop.
Support for Parents
The workshop holds many information evenings for parents which run during class time. We have a variety of guest speakers such as psychologists, speech and language therapists, and representatives from the Dyslexia Association of Ireland. Parents can become more informed about their children’s challenges, and are in a better position to help their children make decisions about career and subject choices. We also have informal coffee evenings where parents share their experiences and wisdom with each other.
Finance
The workshop receives absolutely no funding. The families of the dyslexic children provide all the funding for the workshop. Expenses include rent, insurance, computers, software, educational resources and training, the expertise of teachers, psychologists etc. This places quite a financial burden on families, particularly in cases where there are more than one dyslexic child, which is often the case.