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This study began by investigating how five adolescent dyslexic students, three male, two female [ages between 11 and 14 years] perceived the experience of spelling instruction. It also examined individual's perception of being dyslexic and looked to their sociocultural environment to identify influences that contributed to such perceptions. Case study methods were framed within the phenomenological paradigm. Research methods within a `paradigm of choices' (Patton 2002) allowed for the generation of different data and from different sources. Each student was introduced to three different teaching strategies that aimed to improve spelling accuracy and the recognition of words by sight. The views and opinions of the students were accessed to evaluate the effectiveness of each teaching method for the individual. Learning outcomes from intervention teaching were measured using quantitative methods. Results are examined within the wider context of whole-family qualitative analysis. Three distinct findings emerged from this study. First, regardless of which strategy was taught, both spelling accuracy and sightword recognition improved when compared to baseline scores. Baselines were determined through pre-teaching spelling and sightword recognition tests. A quantifiable response to each teaching condition was observed in all five students. In spelling this improvement was not wholly sustained over time/test intervals but no student reverted back to baseline scores. Sightword scores were improved for all students and improvements remained consistent across post-test intervals. From the teaching experience, candid views were well articulated and gave insights into the perceived value of both the instruction and of being consulted. Conclusions drawn here are that young people with dyslexia should not be viewed as impervious to `more special spelling lessons' but as social actors who can play a part in the decision to participate, and actively engage, in short-term interventions that address spelling and sight-word reading skills. Second, through Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis [IPA] cross cutting themes that emerged from data and are presented. Within theme one-Self-esteem and the environment strong psychosocial influences identified through triangulated evidence, show a positive interplay between the five individuals and their social - developmental community. In theme two - Sub-types of dyslexia linkages between causal theories of dyslexia and pre-post teaching behaviours as presented by each of the five participants are made. Theme three - Specificity to dyslexia gives context to the findings of this study to identify features that are specific to dyslexia as opposed to general `weak school performance' and `strong home environment'. Third, in terms of dyslexia and self-perceptions, what this study found broadly went against the literature (Burden and Burdett, 2005; Riddick, 1996; Humphreys and Mullins, 2002). These individuals revealed positive and realistic perceptions about their attributes, their successes, capabilities and their dyslexia. Clear future goals were expressed and were perceived by them all as achievable. Strong perceptions about their own learning needs also emerged. They were well aware of how dyslexia affected them, but articulated clear positive self-perceptions and always with the emphasis on what they could do. Negative experiences identified in each of their histories did not appear to impede self-assuredness in adolescence. These findings are explained within the tradition of socio-cultural theories.

This thesis investigates the development of phonological awareness, rapid serial naming, speed of learning verbal/visual symbol associations, letter knowledge and verbal short-term memory in children aged 4.0 to 5.5 years and the relationship of these skills to reading ability at age 5.5 years. Data from a longitudinal study of 68 children are analysed and discussed. A review of the literature suggests uncertainties concerning the structure and development of phonological awareness. The current study measures phonological awareness at the linguistic levels of rhyme, syllable, onset-rime and phoneme and investigates whether the various skills comprise a unitary construct. Developmental pathways through the linguistic levels are also investigated. Most previous research investigating the relationship of phonological awareness, verbal short-term memory, letter knowledge and rapid naming with reading ability focuses on the skills of children who have already started learning to read. In such cases, the predictive direction of any relationships cannot be established. The current study therefore also investigates longitudinally predictive relationships between the skills of non-readers and subsequent reading ability. At initial testing, all children were non-readers. Progress in skills was assessed at three time points as children progressed through their first year at school. Reading ability was measured at the end of the study. The results suggest that phonological awareness is a unitary, developmental construct within which most children follow similar developmental patterns, although some children exhibit considerable developmental lag. The phonological awareness and letter knowledge of non-readers were found to be the major significant predictors of subsequent reading ability. In rapid serial naming, the component elements of interstimulus interval (ISI) time and articulation time were measured independently. The results suggest that the ISI component is significantly associated with concurrent reading ability in children aged 5.0 to 5.5 years. The educational implications of the research findings and suggestions for future research are discussed.