Understanding Dyslexia through the Perspective of Phonological Awareness Deficit Theory

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Students, who find it difficult to read and spell, face stigmatization, discrimination and other forms of social problems from their peers, teachers, relatives and society at large. They are perceived as unintelligent, slow in learning, and, in some cases, mentally deranged. Many of such students have and are dropping out of school because they believe they are unsuitable for academic programmes. This study, however, argues that dyslexia is one of the major causes of reading and spelling challenges faced by such students. As a result, it anchors its theoretical perspective on the principles of Phonological Awareness Deficit Theory of Dyslexia to define the concept and identify its causes and effects on the victims. It finally proffers solutions to the problems, whereby it recommends that they should be adopted by teachers and guardians of such students in other to help them develop strategies they can use to read and spell correctly.