Journal Entry 7 November 7 and November 9

After being sick for a week I finally got to go back to my service learning. I observed how the teacher had her students play a game called "Poisoned Apple." It involves using vocabulary words and if the player still has the "poisoned apple," then that player loses the game. I then when over some vocabulary words with the students before having them read aloud to me from a book. After class was over, I asked the teacher about the students' disabilities. She suggested that I observe a Special Education therapist. Upon her advice I went and saw the therapist. The therapist was teaching a student who happened to have dyslexia. I observed how the student uses colored marble blocks to help him with his reading. The therapist explained to me that the marble blocks represent different syllables as well as vowels and consonant sounds. Most students with dyslexia can only see words in picture formats rather than in individual letters. It is similar to the way most Asian languages use characters in their writing. I was thinking that perhaps if these students were in a different culture maybe they would have less difficulties in their grammar.