The Problematic “S”

One of the elements that dyslexia tutors focus on with their dyslexic students is the plural form. Dyslexia can make it difficult to distinguish between a singular word and a plural word. As a result, when you listen to a dyslexic individual read, you will often hear them leaving an “s” off of plural words when they say them. Occasionally, you may also hear them adding an “s” when there isn’t one present. However, in my experience as a dyslexia tutor, it is much more common for students to leave an “s” off  of a word than to accidentally add one.

Dyslexia tutors help their students deal with this issue in several ways, and you can do this with a dyslexic child at home as well. First of all, make sure you point out the error when they make a mistake, and ask them to try reading it again. Typically, it is much more beneficial if you can help them correct their errors themselves, rather than simply giving them the answer. If they read the word incorrectly again, remind them of the “s” on the end of the word, and that they need to make sure that they pronounce that. You can also have them read the sentence again, emphasizing that the sentence does not necessarily make sense if they put a singular word there instead of a plural. By practicing these methods, you can help a child with dyslexia become more comfortable with plurals.

Peter

4 thoughts on “The Problematic “S””

  1. My 63 y.o. Sister-in-law has difficulty in school, as I understand. As far as I know, there was never a “diagnosed “ learning disability, e. g. Dyslexia. Her writing as an adult she very frequently leaves the s off of a pleural word. As far as you know, is dyslexia the only form of learning disability that has difficulty with pleurals like this.

    1. Dyslexia Connect

      Hi, Julie. Thanks for your question.

      Leaving the “s” off of plural words is very common for individuals with dyslexia. As far as I know, dyslexia is the most common cause of this difficulty with plurals. You might find our videos on symptoms of dyslexia helpful.

    1. Thanks for your question! Students with dyslexia sometimes struggle with putting extra letters on the beginning of words. It is an issue of reading accuracy. This could be what is going on with your son. If you are interested, our online dyslexia tutoring could help him make progress with his reading and spelling. We offer a free trial with no obligation. Have a great day!

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