Multi-Senses Explication Activities Module for Dyslexic Children in Malaysia

Dyslexic children are having abnormal difficulties in reading, spelling and writing. The awareness on these problems leads researcher to conduct a case study in the psycholinguistic field about the multi-senses explication activities in the words mastery among the dyslexic children in Sekolah Kebangsaan Padang Temu Melaka. Starting from the Information Processing Theory by Robert M. Gagne (1975) as the theoretical framework, this research aims to produce a module on the multi-senses explication activities for the dyslexic children in Malaysia. The subjects are five dyslexic children from Sekolah Kebangsaan Padang Temu Melaka. They are in the middle of following through the Dyslexia Specific Learning Problem Integration Programme in that particular school. Data were gathered from Test 1 and Test 2, questionnaire, interview sessions and observations conducted. The findings showed that the multi-senses explication activities could provide the language learning mode, especially on the mastery of the suitable words based on the dyslexic children’s mind. Besides that, researcher also emphasized on the language game element in the students’ learning of the Malay language. The interview sessions and the observations showed the improvised language learning game managed to pull the attention of the students and trigger the fun feelings of the dyslexic children in learning the Malay language which they felt difficult to master previously.

factors for these students to have problems in mastering basic skills like reading, writing and calculating at the primary school level is possessing a heavy cognitive memory development.
According to the International Dyslexia Association (2010), 10% -15% of the world population is suffering from dyslexia.In Malaysia, the Department of Special Education Statistics, Ministry of Education Malaysia (Nor Afzan Mohammad Nor, 2006) estimated that 314,000 children in Malaysia are suffering from dyslexia.Komala Devi (2004), as the parliamentary secretary, Ministry of Education Malaysia reported that there were 5% of dyslexia cases detected in any community or one in every 20 students.This high population was also reported by the President of the Malaysia Harmonic Social Association (PSHM), Nordin Ahmad (2005) through the association research found that 10%-15% of the primary school children all over the country (majority are Malays) suffer from dyslexia.From the research done by the Federal Territory Association of Dyslexia (Sin Chew Daily, 2003), it was estimated that more or less there were 10% of the school children in Malaysia are dyslexia.
The blast of the 21st century globalisation era has brought a new challenge in the language and communication literacy to a developing country like Malaysia (Koo, He & Azman, 2010).It clearly shows that the syndrome is capable to stop the individual's ability to read and write and it can even go far from their real ability.Realizing this fact, Ministry of Education Malaysia has outlined a new programme known as the Dyslexia Specific Learning Problem Pioneer Programme to overcome the difficulties faced by these students.This programme exists because dyslexia occurs so oftenly here in Malaysia.

Statement of the Problem
There are many teaching and learning module in the market, but the materials are not suitable in terms of the ability, strength and interest of the dyslexic children in overcoming the problems of mastering the skills; reading, spelling and writing.Without the existence of the suitable learning module with the dyslexic children has open up a gap to the researcher to produce a learning module based on the use of multi-senses explication activities which incorporates the elements of visual, auditory, kinetic and tactic.This is in tandem with the researcher's objective to produce the use of multi-senses explication activities focusing on the dyslexic children.

Objective of the Study
To produce the multi-senses explication activities focusing on the dyslexia children.

Significance of the Study
1) Act as a learning source to enhance the language mastery of the dyslexia children especially in words that have the combination of dipthongs, vowels and consonants.It is hoped that all parties could accept and make use of the multi-senses explication activities to help teachers to attract attention of the dyslexia children towards Malay language subject which has been difficult to them.Therefore, teacher has to be proactive in taking up opportunity in making their teaching methods variable to create a meaningful learning environment (Mahamod & Noor, 2011).
2) Is hoped to be able to help teachers to understand the relationaship between language when they use the multi-senses explication activities.The understanding is hoped to help them to improve their teaching methods especially in overcoming the language problem among the dyslexia children.
3) The activities are also for the parents to enhance and improve the usage of Malay language effectively.The rationale of this study can also be shared and practised by all organization for the betterment of the learning process of these dyslexia children.
4) The rationale in sharing this research can also be practised by other organization involved in the process of teaching the dyslexia children.For example the effectiveness and initiative of the researcher to produce the module of multi-senses explication activities can be implemented in the Intelligent Program had by the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM).

Research on Charateristics of Dyslexia Children in Malaysia
Nor hasbiah Abdullah (2010) has done a research on the multimedia course software in the mathematics literacy (D-Mathematics) for the dyslexia children.This research aims to develop the D-Mathematics software to motivate the mathematics literacy among the dyslexia children.The findings showed that the use of the D-Mathematics contains modules of learning numbers, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, modules on times and some additional modules can motivate the dyslexia children in obtaining the mathematics literacy compared to the conventional method.This is also a software multimedia that uses Malay language to absorb the Scaffolding and Mnemonics V-A models.
Ronaldi Saleh et. al (2011) in his research on 'Usage of Animation in the Special Instruction for Dyslexia Children' has given the approach to create animation in the development of a learning object instruction which is based on interactive multimedia.The importance of the research involved the assessment on the learning objectives (LO) for the dyslexia children that have problems with numbers.The findings of the research showed that 90% of the students agreed to say that the LO has made them easier in understanding the multiplication concept through the story-telling activities.Whereas the other 90% of the respondents agreed to say that the content of the LO is suitable to their needs.He also suggested that before a module can be developed, researcher must refer to the characteristics of the dyslexia children, understand the statement of the problem carefully and identify the teaching methods.

Research on Language Learning Problems among Dyslexia Children
Nor Hasnizam Parman (1997) found that dyslexia children cannot pronounce the whole words and always face confusion among letters that are of the same shape.The findings of the study showed that the dyslexia children studied were retarded in their skills of making sounds of the letter, making errors in the arrangment of the letters and having confusion in identifying letters that look alike.Other than that, the children also were having visual problems when they failed to copy the words showed to them properly and auditory problems when they were making errors by writing wrong letters.These difficulties give high impact on the students' ability to read.Mercer (1997) in his research explained that the dyslexia children are having difficulties in learning components of letters, words and sentences.In his study he has proven that the dyslexia children had problems in discriminating the letters 'b' from 'd' and 'm' from 'w', numbers '39 to 93' and '15 to 51' and words 'was' became 'saw' that look alike to sound alike.These children did not only have problems in differentiating letters that look alike but also in reading up words from sentences and sentences from paragraphs.This scenario can cause a low level of reading skills.Shaywitz et al (1998), has conducted a study on the literacy inability of dyslexia children clinically by using the 105 image of Telsa Sigma MR onto 61 participants.They found that the dyslexia problem was closely related to the neurology since they were born.This also gave effect to the phonology arbitrarily.A set of 5-level ask was developed in the aspect of phonology like focus orientation test, letter focus, similarities of sound and letter, complex structure and semantics.This study used two experimental groups; dyslexia reader and non-dyslexia reader.Dyslexia reader failed to show systematic modulation while performing the task.The findings also found that the dyslexia reader faced mental and behaviour disorder that contribute to the reading problem.They were seriously having the neuro system problem that is related to the sense of sight and the effect was dyslexia did not able to connect letters and sounds.The dyslexia readers were not only failed to give meaning to symbol that they saw, but also to link the symbol with the utterances.These restraints caused them a failure to give meanings to any letters and words.
Noor Hayati Che Mat (2007) in her study found that the reading problems affect the dyslexia kids fluency in mastering the reading of the Malay language.From the 100 subjects taken from the Hulu Langat district , reading problem was the most serious and highest problem with the average percentage of 78.6.Only 21.4% students could read.The findings also showed 99% of the subjects had some kind of intonation problems in their reading.This percentage is high and it was followed by 96% of children who could not read.There were 93% of the children who could not spell while reading and 62% of them skipped sentences when they read and 83% did not comprehend when they had been reading.

Methodology
The theory used by the researcher in this research was the Information Processing Theory by Robert M. Gagne (1975).The scope of the research was limited to the words that have dipthongs, vowels and consonants that are in combination.The subjects were 5 dyslexia children selected among the 8 to 9 years of age.The location was in Malacca, the state that runs the Dyslexia Specific Learning Problem Integration Programme.The research design was survey by using data collections like interview sessions and observations.The instruments used were questionnaire, Test 1 and 2, camera, video camera, multi-senses teaching aids and language games that use informal language/ creative.The data analysis was through frequency and percentages.

Findings of the Study
The learning based on the multi-senses explication activities is produced to help the researcher to come up with suitable activities for the dyslexia children.The learning process activities provided cover all senses; visual, auditory, kinetic and tactic that follow the level of thinking and ability of the respective dyslexia children.This module is also to give information to improve the understanding of teachers towards the needs of the dyslexia children.Thus, researcher thinks that teachers and parents hold the responsibilities to instill their dyslexic children with reading and writing skills.The coorperation and commitment from both parties are important to ensure the dyslexia children could master the skills that are needed by them in possessing the knowledge.To gain the knowledge and the 3M skills, they have to undergo the suitable learning process in order to fulfill different proficiency levels in moving towards a more complete life.
Besides that, this module also aims to make the Dyslexia Specific Learning Problem Pioneer Programme happen by planning activities, methods, techniques and learning process that are more systematic in focusing more to children who have problems in Specific Dyslexia.Researcher has manipulated materials based on the multi-senses explication activities like VAKT, Gillingham and Fernald methods, methods that are suitable to be adopted onto the abilities of the dyslexia children in Malaysia.
Based on the interviews done, researcher found that teachers who teach the dyslexia children are facing challenges in teaching the Malay language.This module is hoped to help the teachers in making the language teaching effective.
From the pre-test, 100% of the dyslexia children tested were confused in differentiating the letter 'b' with 'd', 'n' with 'u', 'm' with 'w', and 'p' with 'q'.This matter matters to the dyslexia children because they cannot differentiate the letters that look similar to them.This module could help the children in overcoming this problem.For example, to reduce the confusing problem and difficulties in differentiating the letters 'b' and 'd', teacher was asked to write 'b' in a big font by using the visual card.After that the teacher will ask the children to say the letter 'b' over and over again (drilling process).Next the teacher will ask the children to taste the letter 'b' with the rough-letter sponge card by using their index finger to shape the letter 'b'.The children will then ask to shape the letter 'b' by using the clay provided until they can memorise them.The children then will be asked to connect the letters by using the connecting card provided.Last but not least the children are asked to sketch the letter by using the index finger on a paper.To get the touch effect while doing the sketch, the letters can be made from a sand paper, sponge, beads, 10 cent coin, rope, straw, or stretchable wire and write the letters by using sandy mould, flour, rice and others.
To learn the letter by using this method multi senses VAKT, a method that holds to the sensory principle in learning and standing on the premises of sensory towards sensitive multisensory to strengthen the learning.For example, dyslexia children see (V) and then they are asked to listen to the teacher saying the letter (A).They children are then asked to say the letter (A).The children will also get to feel the muscles movement when they sketch (K).They then are asked to touch the surface of the letter (T) with their index finger.They need to see their hands movement when they sketch (V) and lastly they are asked to listen by themselves the sound of the sketched letter (A).After the lesson of the letter 'b' is over, the teacher could proceed with the letter 'd' and others.For a better understanding, researcher has provided varieties of the multi-senses explication activities module for the letter 'b', 'd', 'm', 'w', 'n', 'u', 'p', and 'q' as

Value:
Listening for instructions, patience Teaching Aids:

Mystery box and ball
Step 1

Learning Outcome
: At the end of the lesson, students will be able to:-1.Know and name letter 'm'correctly.
2. Identify and classify letter by using a table tennis ball labeled with the letter 'm'.
3. Form letter 'm' with the red stretchable wire.Teacher is wearing the fake moustache and while facing her back to the children.

2.
Students must watch the teacher as she turns herself facing the students.

3.
Students say the weird thing that they see.

4.
Teacher connects to the title to be learnt today-letter 'm'.

Therapy:
Colour Value:

Self confidence, healthy lifestyle
Teaching Aids:

Window card
Step 3 (8 minutes) Shape the letter 'm' by using the stretchable wire red in colour 1.
Each person is given a piece of a red stretchable wire.

2.
Students are to shape the letter 'm' with the red wire.

Therapy:
Soft and hard motor.

Value:
Hardworking Teaching Aids: Stretchable wire, hard paper and glue Step 4 (10 minutes) Choose and identify letter 'm'

Box that has the table tennis balls
Bowl 'm' Bowl 'w' 1.
Students are given a box that has tennis table balls.

2.
The balls are marked 'm' and w'.

3.
Students send the box to their friends and the music begins.(K)

4.
When the music stops, the person who has the box picks up one table tennis ball.(K)

5.
The student is asked to say the letter.(A)

6.
The student is asked to put the ball in the box marked 'm' or 'w'.(K).

Focus
Value:

Patience
Teaching Aids:

Language game
Catch the little duck marked 'm' fromm the pool.

1.
Students are introduced the rules on how to catch the little ducks.

2.
Students are given a net as the catching tool.

3.
Students are asked to recognise and choose duck that has 'm' mark only.

4.
After that, student must say the letter.

5.
Winners are determined by collecting the little plastic ducks that are marked 'm' in two minutes time.

Fun and creative language game
Therapy: Speech and rough 1.11 Moving of hands, wrists and fingers.

Learning Outcome
: At the end of the lesson, students will be able to:-1.
Pronounce the letter 'w' with correct pitch and intonation in front of the mirror.

2.
Name the letter 'w' by using visual card.

3.
Shape the letter 'w' with a straw.

4.
Write and sketch 'w' by using sand.

5.
Copy the letter 'w' and form a 'w' formation.Teaching Aids : Video, letter card, straw, fishing set, colour paper, glue and drawing block.

Work template
Instruction: Trace the letter 'm' on the column provided by using the hard paper 'm' 1.
Students are given work template by the teacher.

2.
Students complete the work template given.(K)

3.
Weak students will be guided by the teacher.

Psycho motor
Value:

Hardworking
Teaching Aids:

Conclusion (5 minutes
Singing of the song 'Kalau Rasa

Speech
Value: Cooperation, self confidence Teaching Aids:
Students are asked to find green envelope.(V-K) 2.
Students must take the envelope.Each student is given four pieces of straws.

3.
Then students must form the letter 'w' by using the straws.(K) 4.
After that, students are asked to surf the letter 'w' by using the index finger. (K-T)

Soft motor
Value:

Cooperation
Teaching Aids:

Straw
Step

Speech and focus
Value:

Listen to instructions
Teaching Aids:
Students are showed visual card with the letter 'u'.(V).

Soft motor
Value: Hardworking, Listen to instructions Teaching Aids:
Two students hold a rope in a 'u' shape.

2.
Other students jump while saying the letter 'u' repeatedly.

3.
Students take turn in holding the rope and jumping.

Method:
Exercise jumping in 'u' shape 1. Students are given work template of a 'q' shape letter and pieces of papers.
2. Students are asked to settle the task by pasting the pieces of papers onto the surface of the letter 'q'.(K) 3. After the pasting process, students are asked to feel the pasted pieces of papers by using their index finger.(K-T)

Method:
Multi-senses (T, Lyrics of song

Conclusion
The children can learn effectively if they experience the learning process directly by themselves.A Chines idiom (in Feldman 1991) used to say "I listen and I forget, I see and I do and I understand".The learning process can be more meaningful and effective when the dyslexia children can apply all their senses.Each and every sense is a path or bridge in their brain.The more paths or bridges in the brain, the better the learning that happens.Learning through senses emphasizes on the needs of the multi-senses and materials that can trigger the dyslexia children senses.Based on the interview between researcher and the coordinator of the programme and dyslexia children, we could see that the learning module produced was based on the multi-senses explication activities.They are auditory, visual, tactic and kinetic that give guidance to the teachers in providing the learning mode in the Malay language that is suitable with the dyslexia children needs.In addition, the playing element absorbed in the fun and creative language game could attract the children's attention and highlighting active learning environemnt for the children to have fun in learning.Therefore, researcher thinks that in improving the performance and behavior of the dyslexia children in mastering the words reading, determing the similar letter concept to avoid confusing should be strengthen.After this stage, then only teachers could teach words syllable and followed by sentence once the children have mastered the previous stage.
hands without having pen or pencils.3.3.1 Consonants Form and Sound6.2.1 Letter, syllable and wordLearning Outcome: At the end of the lesson, students will be able to:-1.Know and name letter 'b' based on 'b' visual card.2.Pronounce letter 'b' with correct pitch and intonation.3.Shape letter 'b' with the clay.4.Choose and identify letter 'b' only.Method: Multi-senses Across Curriculum : Science, Arts, Mathematics Value Absorbed : Cooperation, Self confidence, Listen to instructions, Patience.Therapy Elements : Speaking, Touching, Work Ethics, Focus.Teaching Aids : Work template, letter 'b' puzzle, ball, small ball, congkak, balloon, letter visual card, clay and mystery box. is an object.It is round.Normally, we kick it by using our leg.Guess what am I? Answer:-1.Student is given the mystery box.(V) 2. Teacher gives students the ckues.(A) 3. Students must touch the object by using their hands inside the mystery box.(T) 4. Teacher relates 'ball' with the title to the lesson-learning of the letter 'b'.
are given a balloon that has a letter 'b' inside it.(V) 2. Students are asked to burst the balloon to get the letter.(K -A) 3. Students must collect the letter 'b'(K) 4.Then, students are asked to write the letter 'b' in the air by using their index finger.(K) distributes the letter 'b' card made of 10 cent coins.(V) 2. After that, students must feel the letter 'b' by using their index fingers onto the surface of the coins while tracing the letter.(T-K) 3. Students are asked to repeat the activity while mentioning the letter 'b'.(A) gives clay to the students.(V) 2. Teacher demonstrates how to form the letter 'b' with the clay.(V) 3. Students must form the letter 'b' individually by using the clay.(K-T) 4. Students must pronounce the letter 'b' one by one.(A).Language game-words puzzle 1.Each student is given a puzzle with a shape of 'b'. 2. Students are asked to see and connect the puzzle to form the letter 'b'.(V-K) 3.After it's done, students must repeat the letter 'b' over and over again.(A) 4. Weak students will be facilitated by the teacher.5. Teacher shows the outcome of the puzzle and gives star due to students achievement.are given a congkak and a small ball marked 'b' and 'd and 'p' mixed in the big hole of the congkak.2.students are asked to identify and put aside only the letter 'b'from the Murid dikehendaki mengecam dan mengasingkan huruf 'b' big hole of the congkak.(V-K) 3.After that, students must put the small ball marked with the letter 'b' into the Selepas itu, murid dikehendaki memasukkan bola bersaiz kecil yang bertanda huruf 'big hole of the congkak (K) 4. Teacher will guide the weak students and compliment those who are successful in separating the letter correctly.it's done, students must say the letter 'b' over and over again..(A) 5. Students who are successful in settling the task, will be given a smile sticker.end of the lesson, students will be able to:-1.Know and name letter 'd' based on 'b' visual card.2. Pronounce letter 'd' with correct pitch and intonation.3. Write letter 'd' on the surface of the yellow rice.. 4. Differentiate letter 'd' with 'b' by using hand symbol.Self confidence, Listen to instructions, Patience.Therapy Elements : Speaking, Touching, Work Ethics, Focus.Teaching Aids : Dice, rice, bowling pin, ball, letter card, mirror, sticker, work template and fingers.showed word 'dice' to the students and students are asked to count how many letters 'd' are there in the word?(A, K) 3. Teacher is asking and answering questions with students.(A) 4. Teacher connects the letter 'd' with the dice.(A) 5. Students say the word 'd' = dice repeatedly.(A) 6. Teacher connects the title learnt with the letter 'd'.must say the letter 'd' with the pitch and intonation repeatedly in front of the mirror.(A) 4. Students must be given the visual card letter 'd' and are asked to trace the letter follow the shape of the letter 'd'.(K) gives the letter 'd' to the students.3. Students are to see the feel the letter 'd' with their index fingers while surfing the letter.(V-T) 4. Students are to pronounce the letter 'd' while clapping their hands.(A-K) provides yellow rice on a plate.2. Students are to come forward to see what teacher writes -letter 'd'.(V). 3.Each student is given a plate of yellow rice.4. Students are asked to write the letter 'd' by using the index fingers onto the surface of the yellow rice.(K) .1 Moving of hands, wrists and fingers 3.3.2Label, symbol and easy printed materials 6.1.1Vowel and consonants forms and sounds are given work template.2. Students must match the same letter.(K) 3.Students who can answer correctly will be getting 'excellent' sticker.
Self confidence, Listen to instructions, Patience, Hardworking, Clean and Healthy lifestyle Therapy Elements : Soft and hard motor and colours.Teaching Aids : Photo card, letter card, fake moustache, window card, colour paper, work template.
say the name of the body parts contain the card.(A) 4. Teacher connects the body parts with eye, mouth, face and moustache with the letter 'm'.
, trace, copy forms of letter, syllable and words.5.3.1 Exercising on eyes and hands coordination while writing.

Gembira
the title for today's lesson has got to do with the letter 'w'(A).
are asked to say the letter 'w' individually and together as a whole class.(A) and consonant forms and sounds.5.3.1 Exercising on eyes and hands coordination while writing.5.1.1Moving of hands, wrists and fingers. of today's lesson-letter 'u'.
are given a piece of wire.2. Teacher shows students on the process to shape the wire to the letter 'u'.(V) 3. Students must shape the wire to the letter 'u'.(K) 4. Students must say the letter 'u.(A) must name the animals (prawn, snake, camel, and worm).(A) 3. Teacher connects the picture with the animals that begin with the letter 'u'. to the set of snake and ladder game and are given instructions on how to play it.(A) 2. Students are required to throw the dice.The dice has two surfaces that show 2 letters of 'u' and 2 letters of 'n'.(K) 3. Students are given opportunity to throw thrice the dice in every turn.(K) 4. To the successful students wo mange to get the 'u' letter, they can move forward.But if they fail they can only move a step forward.(K) plays the a song with a title 'Allah's Words'.(A) 2. Students are to listen to the song carefully.(A) 3. Teacher sings the song with the students while utilising the soft motor skills of the students.(A-K)