Download - The Dyslexic Reader 2009 - Issue 52
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7/23/2019 The Dyslexic Reader 2009 - Issue 52
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Raewyn Matheson and Tina Guy have large signs out
by their roadside mailboxes featuring their business names:
Dyslexia Help and Dyslexia Correction Services.
IN THIS ISSUE
News & Feature Articles
2009 North American Lecture Tour:Discover the Answer to Dyslexia . . . . . . . . 116 Amazing Days in New Zealand . . . . . . . . . 1Waiting for Recess . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12A Dozen Frequently Asked Questions . . . . . 14Lazy Readers Book Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16Adult Dyslexia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20Down the Education Memory Hole . . . . . . . 22A Caring Teacher Speaks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24Malfunction or Adaptation . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25Remembering Tim . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26Hang on a Minute . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27Mejor Prender Una Vela . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27Whats in a Name? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Regular Features
In the Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2Q&A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Famous Dyslexics Remember . . . . . . . . . . . .10New Davis Licensees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Davis Workshops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Sixteen Amazing Days in New Zealand
ur 16-day visit to New Zealand in early March
was a wonderful experience and a big success!
We especially enjoyed the DDA-Pacific Symposium
held March 6-8 in Christchurch, and the opportunity
to renew connections and meet New Zealand and
Australian Facilitators we had not met before. Thirty-fiveDavis Facilitators attended this exciting event. Gail
Hallinan gave an engaging presentation on Davis
Learning Strategies and Raewyn Matheson and Glenys
Knopp teamed up to present some excellent tips for
improving writing skills. Lots of discussion was devoted
to sharing successful marketing strategies. Among the
most intriguing of these strategies (to name just a few,
for there were many!):
Heidi Rose occasionally walks around Adelaide with
a big piece of chalk and writes www.dyslexia.com in
conspicuous places.
O
Dys lex ic Read er ~
THE
onald D. Davis, internationally best-selling author and
originator of Davis Dyslexia Correction, and Davis Math
Mastery, has recently launched a tour of North America! He
will be presenting a series of town-hall-style lectures titled
Discover the Answer to Dyslexia,providing parents, dyslexics, educators, andprofessionals in communities across the United States and Canada an informati
in-depth look at the GIFT that is dyslexia. Davis began his US/Canadian tour in
May, 2009 in the Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic United States and will make 5
additional trips to different regions of the continent during the course of the yea
Agenda:
Ron Davis fascinating story of overcoming his own severe dyslex
The background and development of Davis Dyslexia Correction
The dyslexic thinking and learning style why it is a gift!
How dyslexia develops and how it can be corrected.
Audience Q & A.
Booksigning. (continued on pag
DAVIS DYSLEXIA ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL ISSUES 2 & 3 2009VOLUME 52
by Alice & Ron Davis
Alice and Ron Davis at the Dyslexia Discovery Exhibit in Christch
(continued on page
2009 North American Lecture Tour:Discover the Answer to Dyslexia
R
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PAGE 2 THE DYSLEXIC READER
The Dyslexic Reader is published quarterly by Davis Dyslexia Association International (DDAI), 1601 Bayshore Hwy.,Suite 260, Burlingame, CA 94010 USA. Tel. +1 (650) 692-7141.OUR GOALS are to increase worldwide awareness about the positive aspects of dyslexia and related learning styles; andto present methods for improving literacy, education and academic success. We believe that all peoples abilities andtalents should be recognized and valued, and that learning problems can be corrected. EDITORIAL BOARD: Laura Zinkde Daz, Alice Davis & Abigail Marshall. DESIGN: Michael Troller. SUBSCRIPTIONS: one year $25 in US,add $5 in Canada; add $10 elsewhere. BACK ISSUES: send $8.00 to DDAI. SUBMISSIONS & LETTERS:We welcome letters, comments and articles. Mail to DDAI at the above address. VIA FAX: +1 (650) 692-7075VIA E-MAIL: [email protected] INTERNET: www.dyslexia.com
The opinions and views expressed in articles and letters are not necessarily those of DDAI. Davis, Dyslexia Correction, Davis Symbol Mastery, Davis
Orientation Counseling, Davis Math Mastery, Davis Autism Approach, Seed of Genius, and Davis Learning Strategies are trademarks of Ronald D. Davis.
Copyright 2009 by DDAI, unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved.
In the Mail:
I also must say that of all the books I
have read I have never before written to
an author to say how much I enjoyed a
book. I just loved your book so much -
and it helped me in such a way - I had
to contact you and tell you.
I am making my boyfriend read the
book too. And I also plan to tell my
friends and family about your book.
Thank you very much,
Alison
Dear Ronald D. Davis,I have found that a lot of dyslexic
children that I have taught (right up to
high school level in all the cases), had a
parent who was left handed.
In New Zealand, in the 1930's, a
child I know of was slapped for using
the left hand and called names by class-
mates and school teachers names such
as kaky handed, for example. Thischild became my mother.
Even I thought she was uneducated.
Her writing was very untidy, with badly
formed lettering, making it very hard to
read. And she was fully responsible for
putting a pencil in my right hand (I am
ambidextrous) because of all the
problems she encountered during her
school life.
I thank you very much for your
lecture last night in Dunedin, New
Zealand and say Well done! in getting
this information out to the public,
concerned individuals, parents, and
teachers.
Yours with gratitude.
Francis Ramsay
Dear Ronald D. Davis,Hello, my name is Alison. I just
finished reading your book The Gift of
Dyslexia and I thought it was
wonderful.
I also just found out that I am
dyslexic. I was reading a sign out loud
to my boyfriend and I had misread it.
He said, joking, Alison, youre so
dyslexic! At first I thought nothing
much about it, only that I was a bit
shocked he'd say that. I started to look
for information on-line and was a little
put off by all the references to yourchild. So what did I do? I went to
Wikipedia to find out what it was and I
realized I had dyslexia :-). I called my
dad and told him about it. He knew I
had it, just never told me!
I decided to look for reading
material on dyslexia at Borders.com.
For some reason your book kept
drawing my attention. I finally bought
it. When I read your Author's Note it
made me smile. I found your book so
interesting. I have never before enjoyeda non-fiction book as much as I have
enjoyed yours. The more I read, the
more I felt like someone was opening
my eyes to something that for so long
hadnt made sense. Finally someone
was saying Youre not stupid - you just
understand things a different way.
Your book also made me realize
how my dad helped me while I was
growing up - letting me be creative,
helping me to understand things in away
that would help me.
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THE DYSLEXIC READER PAGE 3
2009 North American Lecture Tour:Discover the Answer to Dyslexia
Each venue establishes its own
ticket price, varying from state to
state, and ranging from $5 to $10 perperson. Many venues offer a very
reasonable family rate and in many
locations attendees can obtain the
best price by pre-registering on-line
at http://dyslexia.com/lectures-rd.
The dates and locations for
Ronald DavisNorth American
lecture tour have been posted at
www.dyslexia.com, along with on-
line registration forms. You can view
a complete list of lecture sites, dates
and times, and register to attend as
many lectures as you wish from the
link on the Davis home page -
or by visiting http://dyslexia.com/
lectures-rd. For biographical
information on Ronald Davis, as
well as more information about the
lecture tour you can also visit
http://www.rondavislectures.com.
To get you started, heres a list
of lectures scheduled from June 15
through October 20, with locationsand the name and phone number
of a person you can contact for
additional information.
Already, the North American
Lecture Tour has been a great
success, and is rapidly raising
awareness of dyslexia and the Davis
Dyslexia Correction Program.
In early May Davis appeared in a
televised interview in West Virginia
(WSAZ, Channel 3, an NBC
affiliate). He did a phone-in radiointerview with Bill Edwards of
WTKS 1290 in the Savannah area
which aired on May 13, and was
interviewed on the Good Day
Atlanta television news program on
that same day! There have also been
many on-line and newspaper articles
covering the lectures.
2009 Lecture TourFeaturing International Best-selling Author, Ronald D. Davis
Dates Location Sponsor/Contact Phone
Jun 15, 2009 Alma, AR Rebecca Landes 479-997-1996
Jun 18, 2009 Tampa, FL Random Lee Garretson 813-956-0502
Jul 18, 2009 Irvine, CA Cyndi Coleman 949-388-1578Janet Confer 949-589-6394
Aug 10, 2009 Portland, OR Nichole Cates 586-801-0772
Aug 12, 2009 Ontario, OR Kathy Pozzi 541-881-6497 orRhonda Erstrom 541-881-7817
Aug 13, 2009 Boise, ID Rhonda Erstrom 541-881-7817 orKathy Pozzi 541-881-6497 orCarma Sutherland 208-313-6907
Aug 15, 2009 Rexburg, ID Carma Sutherland 208-313-6907
Aug 16, 2009 Bozeman, MT Learning Options 800-276-3138
Aug 18, 2009 Edmonton, Alberta Dyslexia Gifted 780-489-6225
Aug 19, 2009 Calgary, Alberta Rocky Point Academy 866-685-0067
Aug 22, 2009 Vancouver BC Dyslexia Vancouver 604-732-1516
Sept 10, 2009 Oakville, Ontario Mind Over Dyslexia 905-464-4798
Sept 12, 2009 Huntsville, Ontario Cheryl Wood 705-783-2763
Sept 14, 2009 Montreal, Quebec Dyslexiability, Inc. 514-815-7827
Sept 16, 2009 Moncton, NB Bernice Taylor 506-871-5674
Sept 17, 2009 Halifax NS Bernice Taylor 506-871-5674
Sept 19, 2009 Amesbury, MA Karen LoGiudice 978-337-7753
Sept 21, 2009 Mason, NH Michele Siegmann 603-878-6006
Sept 24, 2009 Montclair, NJ Lynn M. Chigounis 973-746-5037
Oct 3, 2009 Gardnerville, NV Barbara L. Clark 775-265-1188
Oct 14, 2009 Chicago, IL Kim Ainis 312-360-0805
Oct 16, 2009 Springfield, IL Susan Smarjesse 217-789-7323
Oct 17 & 18, 2009 Columbia, MO Cathy Cook 573-886-8917
Oct 20, 2009 Kansas City, MO Gretchen FitzGerald 816-806-8611
Oct 2009 Wausau, WI Anne Mataczynski 715-551-7144
Oct 2009 Mt. Pleasant, MI Michelle Wellman 989-772-3084
(continued from page 1)
(continued on page 23)
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A huge tire cover on Tinas SUV
bears her business name.
Rochelle Booth has a huge sign
on the back of her car that reads
Dyslexia Unlocked and Margot
Young has personalized license plates.
The DDA-Pacific Symposium was
also an opportunity to honor and give
special thanks to retiring Directors,
Milt Barlow and Catherine Churton,
for the tremendous work they have
done representing Davis in NewZealand and Australia over the last
seven years. Catherine is continuing
her work as a Davis Specialist and is
very excited about returning to
providing Davis Programs after a
seven-year break.
PAGE 4 THE DYSLEXIC READER
16 Amazing Days (continued from page 1)
The Symposium also gave us
occasion to welcome Shelley
McMeeken as the new Director of
DDA-Pacific. Our thanks to Shelley
for taking on this challenging work
we know shell be a great director!
We give extra special thanks
and acknowledgements to those
Facilitators who organized,
collaborated and sponsored Rons
six lectures all over New Zealand.
Together, they exemplified the very
best attributes of teamwork, and
extended extraordinary and generous
hospitality at every step of our tour.
Shelley McMeeken did an
extraordinary job handling the
administration and organization of the
entire Symposium and lecture tour. She
also took us on a gorgeous driving trip
from Christchurch to Dunedin, with
stunning and clear views of Lake
Tekapo and Lake Pukaki/ Mt.Cook.
AND, she drove us from Dunedin to
Queenstown, allowing us to experience
the beauty and grandeur of Otago.
Shelley also arranged two
newspaper interviews for Ron.
You can read these at:
http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/46
617/dyslexia-educator-give-lectures
http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/46
911/dyslexic-learner-spreads-his-
method-education
If that werent enough, Shelley
also became our personal tour guide
for a day in and around Queenstown.
Shelley and Alma Holden took us on a
Shotover River jetboat ride and
managed to keep Ron from bungee
jumping! (For a vicarious thrill, visit
http://shotoverjet.com/ )
Lorna Timms and her family took
such good personal care of us during
our 10-day stay in Christchurch. From
home-cooked meals, to spa facilities,
to a personal tour for Alice of her
long-awaited, first-time visit to see and
step in Rons bronzed shoes at theDyslexia Discovery Exhibit, to the
best New Zealand wines in the Timms
cellar, to constant airport and local taxi
service, Lorna was a constant and
amazingly attentive host, cheerful,
warm and full of grace from start to
finish. Many, many thanks to you
Lorna!
Rochelle Booth, Davis Facilitator in
Wanganui, New Zealand, uses her
car to spread the word about DDAI.
New Zealand Facilitators, Konstanca
Friedrich-Palzer of Marahau, and
Kirsteen Britten of Christchurch.
Davis Facilitators,
Tina Guy and
Glenys Knopp of
New Zealand relax
with Bets Gregory,
Davis Facilitator
from Sydney,
Australia
Alma Holden, and Ron and Alice Davis
try to stay dry during a Shotover River
Jetboat Ride near Queenstown
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PAGE 5
Kirsteen Britten graciously hosted
the Symposium reception in her
spacious and unique home and garden.
Our sincerest thanks to you, Kirsteen!
Margot Young, her husbandMurray and her two sons Rogan and
Noah, and Ann Cook gave us a very
warm welcome to Auckland. The
full-house lecture turnout there of
280 people at Epsom Girls Grammar
Theatre was a great success!
Rochelle Booth and her familydrew close to 200 people to the lecture
in Wanganui and introduced us to
home-made Kiwi roast, which Alice,
at first, to Rochelle's immense
amusement, mistakenly took to be
roasted kiwi! (Its beef!) We were
especially touched to meet some Davis
Program clients and their families in
Wanganui, some of whom drove 4
hours to attend Rons lecture! Our
thanks to you, Rochelle!
Could this be Alice filling Rons shoes
at the Dyslexia Discovery exhibit in
Christchurch?
Another successful lecture at the
Epsom Girls Grammar Theater,
in Auckland
THE DYSLEXIC READER
Thank you also to the Facilitators
of Canterbury Dyslexia and their
families: Alison Syme, GlenysKnopp, Martine Falconer, Kirsteen
Britten, Lorna Timms, and Tania
McGrath, who organized the lecture
at Christchurch Boys High School.
Four hundred attended that talk!
Special thanks to Tania and her son,Jack, who escorted Ron to Wellington
for the TV3 Morning Show interview,
and brought Alice back a magic
scarf from Weta Cave.
Our thanks to Shelley McMeeken
Alma Holden, Wendy Haddon and
Colleen Morton who filled two
lectures in Dunedin (an audience
of over 300!) and Queenstown
(also nearly 300 attendees!).
Tina Guy, Konstanca Friederich-
Palzer and Sandra Hartnett and their
families also have our thanks for their
warm welcome to Nelson and the
successful lecture there attended byover 400 people. They also arranged
for Ron to be interviewed and his
lecture taped by Fresh FM Radio. The
radio website, freshfm.net, aired Rons
talk in Nelson in April and later
uploaded it to the website as a
download under the program name
Fresh Feature. Look for it!
We are looking forward to touring the
USA and Canada this year with equal
success and every bit as much fun!
Canterbury Dyslexia and Christchurch
Boys High School motto, Altiora
Peto, (I aim higher) greet attendees
at Ron Davis lecture.
Four hundred
filled the
auditorium
for Rons
talk at theChristchurch
Boys High School
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Dyslexia and Math
Q: How does dyslexia affect children inmath and algebra?
A: Children with dyslexia have difficultyusing and understanding symbols and words,
especially the small function words of
language. The meanings of such words
usually cannot be easily pictured, and they
often have multiple meanings depending on
concepts. Children with dyslexia can alsohave difficulty understanding concepts such
as time, sequence and order.
With mathematics, this leads to confusion
both in comprehension of the symbols
commonly used in problems and equations,
and in making sense of word problems. For
example, if you ask a dyslexic child, How
many times does 4 go into 12? its possible
that he will only have heard and made sense
of the words four and twelve. The other
words how, many, times, does, go and into can all potentially cause confusion and
may be meaningless to him.
If a child is expected to read that sentence
on his own, he might also be confused by the
numerals - especially 12, since among
dyslexics there is a tendency to transpose
numbers. That is, to a dyslexic child, 12
may look the same as 21.
In algebra, the student might be instructed
to solve for the value of X, and the sameproblem might be written like this:
4 x X = 12
This is an improvement, since the child
has fewer words to make sense of. But it is
still meaningless if he doesnt know the
meaning of the symbols x and =. In
addition, the similarity in appearance
between the letter X (representing the
unknown value) and the sign for
multiplication (x) can create confusion.
And of course, the possibility of transposing
the numerals in 12 also remains.
Most dyslexic children have strong visual
and spatial reasoning skills, so they tend to
understand better when math concepts are
taught through manipulative or visual
strategies. For most, it would be easier if you
gave them 12 beads, instructing them to
divide them into 4 equal groups, and then tellyou how many groups they had. Even so,
their difficulties understanding concepts of
time and sequence can still be a problem.
This could be reflected in difficulty counting
or arranging the beads; it often turns out that
barriers encountered in higher math are
caused by difficulty applying very simple or
elementary concepts.
Because the root cause of the problem is a
lack of understanding of particular words,
symbols or concepts, each child has a
particular and unique set of challenges. Each,over time, will have learned to recognize
some words and symbols, or mastered certain
concepts, but not others. So each will have
areas that are personally difficult.
Clearly, the solution is to resolve the
underlying confusion by mastering all
necessary words and concepts. With the
Davis Dyslexia Correction and Davis Math
Mastery Programs, a Davis Facilitator can
offer a systematic approach to mastering
letters, numerals, symbols, function words,and the basic concepts fundamental to
mathematics.
A tutor, classroom teacher, or parent,
working with a child on a particular area, can
help by keeping in mind that very simple
misunderstandings over words and symbols
are often the root of the problem. That is,
often children cannot solve a problem simply
because they dont understand what theyre
being asked.
by Abigail Marshall
Most dyslexic childrenhave strong visual and
spatial reasoning skills, sothey tend to understand
better when math conceptsare taught through
manipulative or visualstrategies.
THE DYSLEXIC READER
Argentina
Silvana Ines RossiBuenos Aires+54 (114) 865 3898
Australia
Brenda BairdBrisbane+61 (07) 3299 3994
Sally BeulkeMelbourne+61 (03) 572 51752
Anne CupittScarness, Queensland+61 (074) 128-2470
Mary DavieCaringbah NSW+61 (02) 9524 3837
Jan GormanEastwood/Sydney+61 (02) 9804 1184
Bets GregoryGordon NSW+61 (4) 1401 3490
Gail HallinanDLS WorkshopPresenter-Mentor
Naremburn/Sydney
+61 (02) 9405 2800Barbara HoiMosman/Sydney+61 (02) 9968 1093
Eileen McCarthyManly/Sydney+61 (02) 9977 2061
Marianne MullallyCrows Nest, Sydney+61 (02) 9436 3766
Jayne PivacMordialloc/Melbourne+61 (342) 030 54 05
Jocelyn PrintKalgoorlie-Boulder WA+62 (04) 5868 3830
John ReillyBerala/Sydney+61 (02) 9649 4299
Heidi RosePennington/Adelaide+61 (08) 8240 1834
Austria
Annette DietrichWien+43 (01) 888 90 25
Jacinta FennessyWien +43 (01) 774 98 22
Ina Barbara HallermannRiezlern +43 5517 20012
InternationalDavis Dyslexia
Correction
Providers
The Davis DyslexiaCorrection program is
now available from morethan 450 Facilitatorsaround the world.For updates, call:
(888) 805-7216 [Toll free] or(650) 692-7141 or visitwww.dyslexia.com/
providers.htm
PAGE 6
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PAGE 7THE DYSLEXIC READER
Austria (contd)
Marika KaufmannLochau +43 (05574) 446 98
Belgium
Ann Devloo-DelvaVeurne +32 (058) 31 63 52
Hilde DuchesneBrasschaat+32 (0)3 653 1371
Inge Lanneau
Beernem+32 (050) 33 29 92
Peggy PoppeAntwerpen+32 (474) 50 23 32
Viki VandevenneBonheiden+32 (0473) 30 41 51
Chantal WyseurWaterloo+32 (486) 11 65 82
Brazil
Ana LimaRio De Janeiro+55 (021) 2295-1505
BulgariaDaniela BonevaRuse +35 (988) 531 95 06
Canada
Wayne Aadelstone-HasselHalfmoon Bay, BC+1 (604) 741-0605
Raylene BarnhillFredericton, New Brunswick+1 (506) 458-0494
Darlene BrownSmithers/Prince Rupert+1 (250) 847-3463
Paddy CarsonEdmonton/Alberta
+1 (780) 489-6225Kimberly DoyleDundalk, Ontario+1 (519) 923-5420
Dyslexia Resources CanadaShelley CottonSharon RobertsWaterloo, Ontario+1 (519) 746-8422+1 (800) 981-6433 (Toll-Free)
Sandy FarrellHudson, Quebec+1 (450) 458-4777
Rene FiglarzMontreal, Quebec+1 (514) 815-7827
Sher GoerzenMaple Ridge/Vancouver+1 (604) 290-5063
Gerry GrantWorkshop PresenterWaterloo/Toronto+1 (519) 498-2424
Corinne GraumansMedicine Hat, Alberta+1 (403) 528-9848
Sue HallWest Vancouver+1 (604) 921-1084
I Forgot
Q: First, I want to thank Mr. Davis for writing
The Gift of Dyslexia. I have finally been ableto get a glimpse of how my 10-year-old
thinks! We have been trying for 3 years to
understand how his mind works, and this
book opened all kinds of doors. My son was
diagnosed with mild dyslexia. Is forgetfulness
a sign of dyslexia? He will ask us questions
several times yet not remember the answer we
gave him 2 days or 5 minutes before.
A: For many dyslexics it can be very hard toremember information conveyed in words,
but they tend to have a strong memory for
visual images. So, for example, if you tell
your son to pick up his socks, three minutes
later he might forget that you asked him to do
that simple task. At the same time he might
have a very strong visual memory for real
world objects. For example, he might notice
right away if an item has been removed from
a shelf in his bedroom.
You can help your son with his memory
by trying to use words that have strong visual
connotations or encouraging him to visualize
things and give you feedback showing that he
has a picture in mind. For example, include
references to the color and size of objects
when giving instructions. Or, after you have
answered a question for your son, ask him
questions that will help him develop a mental
picture of the information.
A child might ask, Where do penguins
live? The answer, Antarctica, is simply a
word with no meaning, quickly forgotten.
But our answer could also be, Penguins live
in a vast land, covered with snow, called
Antarctica. Antarctica is at the South Pole of
the planet. Hearing this, the child creates a
mental picture of what Antarctica looks like
and where it is. If we encourage the child to
look at pictures in a book or on the internet,or ask questions like, What do you think a
penguin sees when it looks around? the
picture and word will become more firmly
established in the childs mind.
We use Davis Symbol Mastery (clay
modeling) to help dyslexic individuals
develop a clear mental picture for all the
small words of language. This process can
help with verbal memory. When a child has
difficulty remembering oral instructions, it
often is caused by small trigger words. If thechild doesnt have a picture for words like to
or on, hell quickly forget a set of
instructions that contained them.
The same procedure can be also applied
to learning new, more complex words and
vocabulary. For instance, in the above
example, if the child was having difficulty
remembering the name Antarctica, making
a clay model would be an easy and enjoyable
solution.
You can help your sonwith his memory by
trying to use words thathave strong visual
connotations.
?
Quotable Quotes
We all have different gifts, so we all have different
ways of saying to the world who we are.
Fred Rogers, educator and childrens TV host,
Mr. Rogers (1928-2003)
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PAGE 8 THE DYSLEXIC READER
Canada (contd)
Dvorah HoffmanToronto+1 (416) 398-6779
Sue JutsonVancouver, B.C.+1 (604) 732-1516
Mary Ann KettlewellLondon, Ontario+1 (519) 652-0252
Carol Livermore
Ottawa, Ontario+1 (800) 394-1535 [Toll Free]Helen McGilivrayOakville/Toronto+1 (905) 464-4798Susan Nikolic-VicenticNewmarket/Toronto+1 (905) 953-1716
Maureen OSullivanNewmarket, Ontario+1 (905) 853-3363
Tina PanaritisMontreal, Quebec+ 1 (514) 690-9164
Sharon PermackThornhill, Ontario
+1 (905) 882-9292Ingrid PoupartCote St Luc, Quebec+1 (514) 543-1580
Rocky Point AcademyStacey Borger-SmithLawrence Smith, Jr.Calgary+1 (403) 685-0067+1 (866) 685-0067 (Toll-Free)
Kendra RodychSaskatoon/Saskatchewan+1 (306) 227-7484
Catherine SmithOakville/Toronto+1 (905) 844-41441-888-569-1113 toll-free
Edwina StoneKitchener Ontario+1 (519) 584-0873
Bernice TaylorRiverview, NB+1 (506) 871-5674
Tracy TrudellWallacetown, Ontario+1 (519) 762-2001
Kim J. Willson-RymerMississauga, Ontario+1 (905) 825-3153
Cheryl WoodHuntsville, Ontario+1 (705) 783-2763
ChinaYvonne Wong Ho Hing
Hong Kong+852-7323-7702
Livia WongHong Kong+852-6398-3734
Colombia
Laura Zink de DazBogot+57 (1) 704-4399
Costa Rica
Maria Elena Guth BlancoSan Jose+506 296-4078
So Messy!
Q: My 9-year-old grandsontook the Davis training last
August and it has been
very helpful. When he and
his siblings visit me, the
children always comment
on how neat and tidy my house is, and howgood they feel here. This strongly contrasts
with the messiness they live with at home.
Their mother leaves clothes strewn on the
floor, and closets and desks are overflowing
with clutter. My guess is that the children
have learned that this is how they should be,
too, so their rooms are a total mess. Would
tidiness be helpful to a dyslexic?
A: When we work with dyslexic clients tohelp understand and establish order, a key
concept is that they need to establish their
own order. It is very important to the Davis
Program that we help our clients establish
internal control over their own lives and
learning. Understanding key concepts helps
them achieve this. With understanding, they
gain the ability to develop their own sense
of order, and to take responsibility for
establishing order in their own lives.
Among the concepts we believe are
important to learn are sequence, order, and
disorder. These concepts can be modeled in
clay. In Ron Davis second book, The Gift of
Learning, you can find more information
about the Davis approach called ConceptMastery and its use in establishing order. It is
a set of techniques we use when Davis clients
specifically ask for help in establishing order
or addressing ADHD, or sometimes when
they come back for a follow up program.
It is not something that would typically be
covered if your grandsons Davis Program
focused primarily on helping him with
reading skills, so it is likely that he has not
yet been introduced to these concepts
Its wonderful that your home provides a
good model for your grandchildren. It will
help provide them with a good mental picture
of what a very tidy home looks like. As your
grandchildren grow older, they may take
more initiative in their own home, keeping
their own rooms neater, and helping keep
common areas straightened up. But keep in
mind that in the end they will need to createtheir own standards.
You can help them when they visit you by
letting them take a role in helping you around
the house. When they are helping you put
things away, you might ask questions like,
Where should this jacket go? or Lets set
the table - where should we put the spoons?
This will help them think about the process
of creating order. That is often the piece that
is missing in the lives of people who seem
disorderly.
A More Comprehensive Choice
Q: How does Davis Dyslexia Correctioncompare to the Learning Breakthrough
program?
A: Learning Breakthrough, sometimes calledBalametrics, is a system of balance training
exercises geared to improving small and large
motor coordination and cross-lateral
movements. The child practices catching
tasks such as tossing beanbags while standing
on a special Belgaubalance board set on
rockers. The web site describing the program
explains, Balance therapy hinges on the
relationship between the vestibular system
(balance), the cerebellum and several other
key functional areas in the brain refining
the relationship (integration) between these
brain centers (via neuropathways).
The Davis Program also has a component
that addresses similar skills, but the Davis
approach is far more comprehensive than
Learning Breakthrough. We agree that
vestibular and cerebellar function is
important to learning and should be
addressed in any effective program for
dyslexia or ADHD. With a program that is
solely focused on these skills, it would be
reasonable to expect some improvement over
With understanding, theygain the ability to developtheir own sense of order,and to take responsibilityfor establishing order in
their own lives.
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Costa Rica (contd)
Marcela RodriguezAlajuela+506 442-8090
CyprusAlexis MouzourisLimassol+357 25 382 090
Denmark
Moniek GevenBryrup+45 7575 7105
Ecuador
Ana Magdalena EspinVargasAmbato+593 (2) 854 281
Nora Cristina Garza DazAmbato+593 (3) 282 5998
Cristina Mariela LaraSalazarAmbato+ 593 (2) 854 281
Ins Gimena Paredes RosAmbato
+593 (2) 854 281 Estonia
Olga KnutTallinn+372-56-509-840
FinlandElisabeth HelenelundBorga +358 400 79 54 97
France
Christine BleusSaint Jean de Gonville/Genve+33 450 56 40 48
Corinne CouelleLyon+33 (628) 38 84 41
Jennifer DelrieuVoisins le Bretonneux/Paris+33 (01) 30 44 19 91
Franoise MagarianLegny/Lyon+33 (0474) 72 43 13
Carol NelsonBoulogne-Billancourt/Paris+33 (0) 1 49 09 12 33
Odile PugetSegny/Geneve+33 (0) 450 418 267
Germany/Deutschland
Theresia AdlerBannewitz
+49 (0351) 40 34 224Ellen EbertAmmern+49 (03601) 813-660
Gabriele DoetschBad Windsheim+49 (098 41) 688 18 18
Cornelia GarbeBerlin +49 (030) 61 65 91 25
Monika GrafStuttgart+ 49 (711) 538 0033
Astrid Grosse-MnchBuxtehude+49 (04161) 702 90 70
time. The Learning Breakthrough web site
seems to be consistent with this view. Their
web site states, Many people experience
improvements right away. However, lasting
improvements may take from 6 to 12 months
of daily use.
The Davis program exercises do not
require the use of any special or expensive
equipment. Rather we use commonly
available toys such as Koosh balls; theindividual might practice catching tossed
balls with alternate hands while standing on
one foot. Davis clients do the Koosh Ball
Exercise during the 5-day Davis Program,
and after the program continue to practice
daily at home for short periods. We do see
tremendous improvement over time with
these exercises, and have no doubt that any
program that helps a student with balance
and cross-lateral coordination would tend to
help mental function, with the best
improvement being seen if the exercises are
practiced regularly over time.
However, the Koosh ball exercises are
only a small part of the Davis Program and
can be taught in a matter of minutes. The
Davis Program also offers an array of
additional tools to improve attention focus
and to address perceptual awareness.
Likewise, our clients learn to use specific
tools to address reading deficits or other
learning challenges. Davis includes severalspecific mental focusing techniques that are
easily learned and result in immediate and
rapid improvement in balance and
perception.
Thus, the Davis program addresses
multiple aspects of learning within one
comprehensive program, including:
attention focus & orienting
balance & coordination
visual perceptual issues
auditory perceptual issues
sequencing and visual tracking issuesin reading
techniques for improving word
recognition skills in reading
techniques for building
reading fluency
strategies for improved reading
comprehension
If a client came to a Davis provider with a
problem other than reading, such as ADHD or
math, the program would include tools geared
specifically to address those issues.
Additionally, Davis Facilitators work closely
with the client to tailor the program to the
student's individual needs. That is one reason
for the very rapid and dramatic progress often
seen in the one-week program. The Facilitator
is able to devote time to areas where the
individual's need is greatest, and guide the
person toward specifically meeting their
learning goals.
Learning Breakthrough advertisesa home kit on their web site at
www.learningbreakthrough.com and there
does not seem to be anything inconsistent
with using their kit in conjunction with a
Davis Program. For most students this
probably would be unnecessary duplication,
given the similarity of the coordination
exercises. However, a child with particular
difficulty with physical coordination, bodily
awareness, or sensory integration might
benefit from the extra, complementary
activity. A homeschooler might elect to
incorporate both programs into a childs day,
especially if also working with siblings who
do not seem to need the other elements of a
Davis Program. Kits and materials purchased
from the Davis web site (www.dyslexia.com)
could still be used as the primary way to
introduce reading skills or overcome reading
barriers. We would still recommend
continuing the Koosh ball practice with any
Davis client, simply because that is the
approach we are most familiar with.
Davis includes severalspecific mental focusing
techniques that are easilylearned and result inimmediate and rapid
improvement in balanceand perception.
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Germany/Deutschland(contd)
Das Legasthenie InstitutIoannis TzivanakisSpecialist TrainerWorkshop PresenterDDA-DACH DirectorBerlin+49 (030) 66 30 63 17
Christine HeinrichSchwb Gmnd
+49 (0717) 118 29 74Sonja HeinrichSupervisor-SpecialistDDA-DACH DirectorGarbsen/Hannover+49 (040) 25 17 86 23
Kirsten HohageNrnberg+49 (0911) 54 85 234Ingrid HuthBerlin +49 (030) 28 38 78 71
Mechtild HyllaKassel +49 (0561) 602 78 20
Rita JarrarMnchen+49 (089) 821 20 30
Inge Koch-GassmannBuggingen+49 (07631) 23 29
Angelika KohnSteinheim-Kleinbottwar+49 (07148) 66 08
Marianne KranzerKnigsfeld+49 (07725) 72 26
Anneliese Kunz-DanhauserRosenheim+49 (08031) 632 29
Sabine La DueStuttgart+49 711 47 91 000
Jutta MeissnerStuttgart+49 (711) 882 2106
Gundula PatzlaffStuttgart+49 (0711) 23 64 86 0
Margit PlegerWetter/Dortmund+49 (02335) 84 87 60
Angela PrzemusShnebeck+49 (3928) 845 159
Colette ReimannLandshut+49 (0871) 770 994
Ursula Rittler
Stuttgart+49 (0711) 47 18 50
Phoebe SchafschetzyHamburg+49 (040) 392 589
Margarethe Schlauch-AgostiniVolklingen+49 (0689) 844 10 40
Gabriela ScholterSupervisor-SpecialistAutism Facilitator-CoachStuttgart+49 (0711) 578 28 33
Harrison Ford
Google Harrison Ford and the word dyslexia and youll discover that thishighly sought-after actors dyslexia is well known. Born and schooled inChicago and Park Ridge, Illinois, he was picked on by bullies all through his
school years. Ford describes himself as a late bloomer and didnt beginstudying drama until college. He began his career working for Columbia
pictures and later moved to Universal Studios. He wasnt happy with the jobs they offered, soto support his family he became a professional carpenter. His first break-through role was inAmerican Graffiti, in 1973. In 1975 he won the role of Han Solo in Star Wars. From 1977 to1983 Ford appeared in the top ten highest grossing movies up to that time. He is well knownfor his performances in the Star Wars films, and as Indiana Jones in theRaiders of the Lost Arkseries of movies. Ford also starred in two Tom Clancy films, Witness, The Fugitive, and the culclassic,Blade Runner. Ford is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the richest actor alivetoday. Although he has been one of the most successful actors of his generation, he has so farreceived only one Oscar nomination (Best Actor, Witness). However, in 2000 he received a LifAchievement Award from the American Film Institute.
Alyssa Milano
Actress and singer, Alyssa Jayne Milano was born in New York City and grewup on Staten Island. She began her career at age eight when she won a part fora national tour ofAnnie. By eleven, shed won her first major role on the TVshow Whos the Boss? More recently, she starred as Phoebe Halliwell in thesupernatural series Charmed. In 2004, Milano commented on her learning
difficulties due to dyslexia: I stumbled over words while reading from teleprompters. Sir JohnGielgud, whom I worked with on The Canterville Ghost years ago, gave me great advice.When I asked how he memorized his monologues, he said, I write them down. I use thatmethod to this day. It not only familiarizes me with the words, it makes them my own. Today,in addition to her work on television, Milano also has a line of fashions, called Touch.
John Lennon
John Lennon was born in 1940 in Liverpool, England, in the middle of aGerman air raid during World War II. During much of his childhood andadolescence he lived with his aunt and uncle, Mimi and George Smith. Theyencouraged him to read, solve crossword puzzles, write and draw. In highschool, Lennon was known euphemistically as a happy-go-lucky student, an
he liked to mimick his teachers. He failed all his high school exit exams but with help from hishigh school principal enrolled in the Liverpool College of Art. Since he was often disruptive,
making fun of his teachers, many rejected him as a student. When he failed one of his annualexams Lennon dropped out of college. Much later in life he understood that his poor spelling,and tendency to change words into others that sounded similar, was an indication that he wasdyslexic. Still, when he was fifteen he wrote a comic strip book called The Daily Howl. Hebecame interested in music in his late teens, and its the rare person who doesnt know Lennonmostly as one of the original founders of The Beatles. In 1964 he published In His Own Write,and the following yearA Spaniard in the Works. Lennon was a controversial and difficultfigure, but no one denies he was a prolific artist, writing nearly 100 songs on his own andcollaborating on hundreds more with fellow Beatle, Paul McCartney, and later with his wife,Yoko Ono. He died in 1980, when Mark David Chapman shot him outside an apartmentbuilding in New York City.
Famous Dyslexics Remember
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Germany/Deutschland(contd)
Sylvia SchurakGarlipp+49 (0) 39 32 44 82
Carmen StappenbacherGundelsheim+49 (0951) 917 19 10
Beate TiletzekWaldkraiburg+49 (08638) 88 17 89
Andrea ToloczykiHavixbeck/Mnster+49 (02507) 57 04 84Ulrike von Kutzleben-HausenDeisslingen+49 (07420) 33 46Dr. Angelika WeidemannUlm +49 (0731) 931 46 46Gabriele WirtzStuttgart+49 (0711) 55 17 18
Greece
Evagelia Apostolopoulou-Armaos
Patras +30 (261) 062 21 22Zoe Deliakidou
Thessaloniki+30 2310 434510or +30 6934 662438Theano PanagiotopoulouAthens+30 (21) 111 953 50
Irma Vierstra-VourvachakisRethymnon/Crete+30 283105 8201or 69766 40292
Iceland
slaug sgeirsdttirMosfellsbaer+354 861-2537Gigja BaldursdottirReykjavik+354 562 2840
Sigrn Jnina BaldursdttirSnaefellsbae+354 586 8180
Gudrn BenediktsdttirHafnarfirdi+354 545 0103 or+354 822 0910
Gudbjrg EmilsdttirDLS MentorKpavogur+354 554 3452
Hlmfridur GudmundsdttirGardabae +354 895-0252
Sigurborg SvalaGudmundsdttirMosfellsbaer+354 867 1928Ingibjrg IngolfsdttirMosfellsbaer+354 899-2747
Sigrn JensdttirMosfellsbaer+354 897 4437
Valgerdur JnsdttirDLS MentorKpavogur+354 863 2005
Sturla KristjanssonDLS MentorHafnarfjordur+354 862 0872
The Gift of DyslexiaAvailable In Yet Another Language!
The Korean edition of The Gift of Dyslexia is now on sale.This groundbreaking book is now available in 19 languages!
American and Greek Brazilian PortugueseBritish English Hebrew Russian
Croatian Icelandic SerbianDanish Japanese SwedishGerman Italian Slovenian, and nowSpanish Dutch Korean!French Polish
Korea is a civilization (formerly a single nation), and geographic area composed of twosovereign states, North Korea and South Korea. The two Koreas are located on the KoreanPeninsula in East Asia. To the northwest lies China, and to the northeast, Russia. The Koreasare separated from Japan to the east by the Korea Strait.
North and South Korea have been separate countries since 1948. South Korea is a capitalisticdemocracy, member of the United Nations and a major world economy. You may have heardof some South Korean brand names Samsung (my cell phone!), LG Electronics, andHyundai. The capital city is Seoul and the current President is Lee Myung-Bak.
North Korea is a communist country which follows a particular form of communism Juche based on an ideology of self reliance. The capital city is Pyongyang. The current leader isKim-Jong-Il, who became Eternal President of theRepublic in April of 1993. Starting in 2002, NorthKorea began experimenting with capitalism in limitedareas of the country. Currently, China and South Koreaare North Koreas main trading partners.
At this time there are no Licensed Davis Facilitators inKorea. But now that The Gift of Dyslexia is availablein Korean, perhaps one day soon there will be!
Breaking News:The Gift of Dyslexia in Chinese Coming in June 2009!
Stop the presses!
The Gift of Dyslexia is coming out indifferent languages so fast, its hard for aneditor to keep up! Now this amazing book is
also available in Chinese, bringing to 20 thenumber of languages in which it is available!
Livia Wong, Davis Facilitator in Hong Kong, China says:
It has always been a myth that there are no dyslexics among the Chinese populationbecause the characters of Chinese writing are diagrammatic. Realizing that dyslexics arepicture thinkers who have problems with two-dimensional symbols, it is not difficult tounderstand that dyslexia would also exist among the Chinese, since the characters areclearly two-dimensional symbols. The Davis Dyslexia Correction Program wasintroduced for Chinese language in 2002. The success of that implementation wasimmediately evident. We hope that this newest version of The Gift of Dyslexia willshine new lights on over 1 billion Chinese dyslexics.
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Germany/Deutschland(contd)
Jon Einar HaraldssonLambi
Akureyri +354 867 1875
sta OlafsdttirVopnafjordur+354 473-1164Thorbjrg SigurdardttirReykjavk+354 698 7213
Kolbeinn SigurjonssonMosfellsbaer+354 566 6664Hugrn SvavarsdttirMosfellsbr+354 698-6465
Margret ThorarinsdottirSelfoss +354 486 1188
India
Kalpita PatelRajkot, Gujarat+91 (281) 244 2071
Carol Ann RodriguesMumbai+91 (22) 2667 3649 or
+91 (22) 2665 0174 Ireland
Veronica BaylyDublin+353 (86) 226 354
Anne Marie BeggsOld Portmarnock/Dublin+353 (86) 239-1545Paula HoranMullingar+353 44 934 1613Sister Antoinette KeelanDublin+353 (01) 884 4996
Israel
Luba Alibash
Ramat Hasharon/Tel Aviv+972 (052) 272 9532
Goldie GiladKfar Saba/Tel Aviv+972 (09) 765 1185
Judith SchwarczDDA-Israel DirectorSupervisor-SpecialistRaanana/Tel Aviv+972 (09) 772 9888
Italy
Stefania BrunoNuoro, Sardinia+39 (388) 933 2486
Antonella DeriuNuoro, Sardinia
+32 059 32 96Elisa De FeliceRoma+39 (06) 507 3570Piera Angiola MaglioliOcchieppo Inferiore/Biella+39 (015) 259 3080
Sabina MansuttiTricesimo Udine+39 (349) 272 0307
Alessandro TaiocchiSettimo Milanese+39 (333) 443 7368
Silvia WalterBagno a Ripoli Florence+39 (055) 621 0541
By an anonymous parent and teacher
Last issue, we celebrated our newest
Davis Learning Strategies School in Elbert,
Colorado. This week we share the contrast of
a sad kindergarten described by an
anonymous mom and teacher. What a pitythat teachers and parents dont feel safe to
put their names to their observations...
Now that my son is in kindergarten, I
understand how bad reading instruction can
be. It isnt just the scripted, phonics-based
reading program, but the attitudes toward
teaching children to read and write that
developed at my sons school after a few
years using that kind of program.
ALL my son has done in kindergarten this
year is sit at his desk and fill out worksheets.
Language Arts is taught to the whole class
all students do the same work regardless of
what individual needs the children might
have. Even when they rotate groups, students
literally to go from one worksheet group to
another. By now, they are also expected to
have memorized about 32 high frequency
words and read decodables. Although this
is just kindergarten, there is no understanding
or acceptance of the fact that some children
in the class might not be ready for those
academic activities. Parent volunteers tell me
that students who are struggling just cry or
withdraw.
My son happens to be ahead in reading.
When he comes home from school he loves
to read dinosaur books. He uses reading
strategies and monitors for meaning. He
draws pictures of cars, dinosaurs or pirates
and writes about his pictures. At the
beginning of kindergarten I was thrilled to
see him start to use vowels consistently when
he wrote. What a big developmental leap! I
told his teacher, thinking wed discuss how
exciting it was. But she looked at me like I
was crazy. After a while I understood that
she didnt know or care, because the children
in my sons class never write anything. There
is no celebration of childrens writing and norecognition of the great variation in literacy
readiness at that age.
My sons homework is always worksheets
(some are test practice with bubbles to fill
in!). He also brings home decodable reading
program books and promptly hands them to
his three-year-old brother, saying, Heres a
book for you, Eric. And he tells me, Mom,
look at this book. It says Matt sat. He sat
here. Isnt that ridiculous mom? Then he
pulls outFox on the Job, re-reads the chapterwhere Fox gets a job at a haunted house, and
laughs with Eric about the story.
What are all these worksheets and boring
decodable books teaching my son about
school? When I ask him how he likes school
he says, I just get through it until recess.
Sometimes it takes a really long time to get
to recess, but its the best part of school. He
sits at his desk, colors pictures that start with
/w/ (even though thats really inappropriate
for him) and waits for the recess bell to ring.
It seems kindergarten is no longer a place
to learn about yourself and others, listen to
stories, do shared reading, sing, draw, write
at your own level, make art, do hands-on
learning, or learn about things in your world
with a teacher who has passion, and
understands that the children in her class
work at different levels. Now its only about
following a scripted program and meeting
standards.
Kindergarteners love to
draw a picture and writesomething about it, or
dictate something for anadult to write. Theyrenaturally curious about
everything and passionateabout learning.
W A I T I N G F O R R E C E S S
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Italy (contd)
Rafaella ZingerleCorvara In Badia+39 (0471) 836 959
Kenya
Josephine NaikuniNairobi+254 (20) 604 347
Manisha ShahNairobi
+254 (0) 721 492 217Kimberly SwallowNairobi+ 254 (20) 712 0472
Lebanon
Samar Riad SaabBeirut +961 3 700 206
Malaysia
Hilary CraigKuala Lumpur+60 (36) 201 55 95
Mexico
Silvia B. Arana GarcaMexico, D.F.+52 (55) 5540-7205
Cathy Caldern de la BarcaDavis Workshop PresenterMxico D.F.+52 (55) 5540-7205
Hilda Fabiola Herrera CantuCuliacan, Sinaloa+52 81 6677 15 01 19
Bertha Figueroa YllanaJurez+52 (656) 325-0285
Mara Silvia Flores SalinasDDA DirectorSupervisorSpecialistGarza Garca Monterrey NL+52 (81) 8378 61 75
Laura Lammoglia
Tampico, Tamaulipas+52 (833) 213 4126
Alejandra Garcia MedinaHuixquilucan+52 (55) 1085 5608l
Maria Lourdes GutirrezMexico D.F.+52 (555) 593 18 22
Lucero Palafox de MartinVeracruz+52 (229) 935 1302
Lydia Gloria VargasGarza Garca Monterrey NL+52 (81) 8242 0666
Lourdes Zepeda SolorzanoCancn
+52 (998) 577 30 90 Netherlands
Liesbeth Berg-SchagenVleuten+31 (030) 604-9601
Manja BloemendalDen Haag+31 (70) 345 5252
Ineke BlomDorpstraat+31 (020) 436-1484
Lot BlomUtrecht +31 (030) 271 0005
Lieneke CharpentierNieuwegein+31 (030) 60 41 539
At parent/teacher conferences last fall, I
met parents who left their meeting in shock,
as I did. Apparently, assessment is no longer
about understanding the instructional level of
a child so you can provide what he needs in
order to learn. Now assessment is just a list
of the standards your child is supposed to
meet. My sons teacher went over his report
card telling me how he did on all the
assessments. He can supply rhyming words
(2 out of 3), he was able to identify the
letters, he could only count up to 20 - Ill holdhim accountable to count to 30 by spring...
I wanted to tell her, Ill be holding YOU
accountable to TEACH him by spring!
After talking with parents who have
children in other grades, I realized that at my
sons school the purpose of assessment is not
to inform instruction. I expected to hear the
teacher say something like, This is what Ive
observed and seen on assessments, and this is
how I will change my teaching to meet your
childs needs. Instead, I got a meaninglesslaundry list of things my child is supposed to
know or do. And hed better learn them from
whole-class instruction, or hell be in trouble.
I wanted to ask the teacher, Do you know
why you want him to supply rhyming words?
Why thats important? My impression is that
the teacher never asks herself, Whats the
purpose of this? What does this really tell me
about this child? How should this affect the
way Im teaching? I know teachers used to
think about such things, but today, all of thatprofessionalism seems to have been lost.
Apparently today its enough to just agree
that students must meet the standards,
regardless of whether we understand their
purpose.
The day I observed my sons class, I
came home depressed. How do the students
deal with the boredom? That day, if they
finished their worksheet early they were just
expected to sit with nothing to do. No one
had favorite books to read. Ive worked as a
literacy coach in kindergarten. Each student
had a book bag. Some had books with a
picture and one word, mom, friend, or
teacher. Others had books with one sentence
on a page. Others were reading books at the
early first grade level. Regardless of their
level, all of them could come to me and
proudly show what they were reading or
writing. Kindergarteners love to draw a
picture and write something about it, or
dictate something for an adult to write.
Theyre naturally curious about everything
and passionate about learning. My sons
kindergarten doesnt have an ounce of
passion in it. There is nothing in that room
that comes from the children nothing
showing whats important to them, what
they want to learn about, what theyrecurious about, what they love.
Last week I walked the halls of the
school, looking for evidence that something
interesting was going on somewhere inside
its walls. Every hallway bulletin board in the
school had commercially produced
worksheets stapled to it. I guess thats what
you can get when your school buys a
scripted, phonics-based reading program.
Editors note: Its not hard to contrastthe above with aDavis Learning Strategies
kindergarten. There, children make alphabet
letters and basic words with clay. They
practice self-regulation of their learning
state, tossing and catching Koosh Balls
balanced on one foot. They close their eyes
for a couple seconds to focusso they can
pay attention in a relaxed mental state and
best of all, THEY LEARN!
What are all theworksheets and boring
decodable books teachingmy son about school?
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THE DYSLEXIC READERPAGE 14
Netherlands (contd)
Hester CnossenVeghel+31 (495) 641 920Dorothea de GierDen Haag+31 (6) 22 33 98 40Anja Derksen-MerkenHeel+31 (06) 17 38 34 45Mine de RanitzDriebergen
+31 (0343) 521 348Christien De SmitDLS MentorSluis +31 (0117) 461 963
Marijke Eelkman Rooda-BosGouda +31 (0182) 517-316
Jolien FokkensBeilen+31 (0593) 540 141
Ina GausSantpoort-Zuid+31 (023) 538-3927
Jola GeldermansBeverwijk+31 (0251) 210 607
Perola GoncalvesMara Hoop+31 (06) 33 79 63 44Jan GubbelsMaastricht+31 (043) 36 39 999
Maril HeijenLandgraaf+31 6 34 928 983
Judith HolzapfelDeventer+31 (0570) 619 553
Mia JenniskensEindhoven+31 (040) 245 9458
Trudy JolingLaren+31 (035) 531 00 66Marie KoopmanBilthoven+31 (030) 228 4014
Carry KulingHeemstede+31 (0235) 287 782
Edith Kweekel-GldiSoest +31 (035) 601 0611
Imelda LamakerHilversum+31 (035) 621 7309
Irma LammersBoxtel +31 (411) 68 56 83
Yvie Leenaars-de Roo
Bavel +31 (0161) 433 449Sjan MelsenArnhem+31 (026) 442 69 98
Cinda MustersAmsterdam+31 (20) 330-78 08
Bert NeeleMelick+31 (61) 259 8802
Marianne OosterbaanZeist +31 (030) 691 7309
Fleur van de Polder-PatonSchiedam+31 (010) 471 58 67
1. Do you do dyslexia testing?Davis Dyslexia Association International
does not provide testing services directly todyslexic individuals. Rather, we provide
training to professionals in our methods, and
provide families with referrals to licensed
Davis Program Facilitators. They focus on
providing meaningful help to dyslexic
individuals. That includes screening
techniques that are specific to our program. In
other words, all our providers can provide
consultation and screening that will help
individuals better understand their own
learning needs, and to determine whether they
are likely to benefit from the Davis Program.This is not the same as full diagnostic testing
and will not result in an official diagnosis.
One reason that Davis Facilitators do not
focus on diagnostic testing is that it simply is
not necessary to our work. We can help many
with our program, whether or not they are
formally diagnosed with dyslexia or any other
impediment to learning. And a Davis
Facilitator can very quickly and efficiently
evaluate prospective clients to determinewhether they will do well with our program.
The full cost of a Davis Program is less than
what some people pay out of pocket for
comprehensive testing, so it is often more
effective for individuals with limited financial
resources to focus on working on the solution
to their problem, rather than expending time
and resources looking for an outside
definition of the problem.
2. How and where was the DavisProgram developed?
The program was developed by Ronald D.Davis in 1981 in Burlingame, California. The
screening we use was developed over time,
based on experience. DDAI has trained and
licensed Davis Facilitators to provide the
program since 1996.
3. What does the term dyslexiamean to the Davis DyslexiaAssociation?
There is no generally accepted definition
of dyslexia nor commonly accepted battery ofassessments for it. To us, the word dyslexia is
a generalized term referring to individuals
with a wide variety of symptoms. Dyslexic
individuals tend to think in pictures, rather
than words, and they use different mental
pathways in reading and writing. Their
different thinking and learning style typically
leads to early frustration in school and
difficulty learning to read with traditional
phonics instruction. This, in turn, can lead to
a cycle of frustration and confusion that leadsto compulsive solutions and adds to their
difficulties.
4. What kinds of tests do you usein assessment?
The initial screening tool we use is called
the Davis Perceptual Ability Assessment,
which we now use primarily as a guide to
understanding how best to structure a
program for our clients. We can help potential
clients no matter what the result of thisassessment, but depending on that result, we
would choose somewhat differing techniques
to work with them. Our assessment also
focuses on having a consultation and
interview to ascertain the individuals own
self-perception of strengths and weaknesses,
as well as motivation to improve academic
performance and conquer any learning
difficulties.
A Dozen Frequently Asked Questionsabout AssessmentAbigail Marshall, DDAI Director of Internet Information Services
Dyslexic individualstend to think in
pictures, rather thanwords, and they use
different mentalpathways in reading
and writing.
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PAGE 15THE DYSLEXIC READER
Netherlands (contd)
Petra Pouw-LegneDLS Nederlands DirectorDLS Mentor-PresenterBeek +31 (046) 437 4907
Karin RietbergHolten +31 (548) 364 286
Lydia Rogowski WijnbergHelmond+31 (0492) 513 169
Hanneke Schoemaker
Wageningen+31 (0317) 412 437
Ilse SchreuderAalzum/Dokkum+31 (051) 922-0315
Silvia Jolanda SikkemaDrachten+31 (0512) 538 815
Suzan SintemaartensdijkAkersloot+31 (25) 131-26 62
Marja SteijgerAmstel+31 (020) 496 52 53
Robin TempleSpecialist Trainer
Workshop PresenterMaria Hoop+31 (0475) 302 203
Romina TorozUtrecht+31 (61) 280-1821
Karima P.A. TurkatteAmsterdam+31 (020) 696 4379
Marieke UiterwijkLeiden+31 (06) 45 911 913
Mieke van DeldenLeek+31 (059) 4514985
Carly van den Akker
Schijndel/Einhoven+31 (06) 15 20 81 73
Agnes van denHomberg-Jacobs
America Limburg+31 (077) 464 23 22
Annette van der BaanAmsterdam+31 (020) 420-5501
Annemarie van HofUtrecht +31 (030) 65 86 700
Jacqueline van RijswijckVenray +31 (0478) 58 73 98
Lia VermeulenHuizen +31 (062) 3671530
Mary Verspaget
Almere+31 6 53 797 197
Christien VosTolbert +31 (0594) 511 607Lucie Wauben-CrutsDLS MentorElsloo+31 (046) 437 0329
Gerda Witte-KuijsHeerhugowaard+31 (072) 571 3163-
Elisabeth Weterings-GaaikemaAl Harkstede+ 31 (623) 045 369
5. What do you charge for testing?Davis Facilitators set their own fees, and
generally the charge for screening and
consultation is very modest. This typically
may range from a free evaluation to a charge
of about $150 in the US. Some Davis
Facilitators will apply the evaluation to their
program fee, if the individual decides to
continue with a Davis Program. Some Davis
Facilitators are qualified to provide additional
evaluation services and may set their feesaccordingly. But these additional services
would not be directly related to our program
and would be clearly specified.
6. How long does assessment take?This varies. Normally, an initial evaluation
and consultation takes 1-2 hours.
7. Do you meet with the clientswhen the testing is done to explainthe results?
Yes, but again, Davis Facilitators do little
or no testing. When the potential client is a
child, parents are involved in part of the
screening process. As part of that parental
session the Davis Facilitator explains the
results of the screening, provides information
about the Davis Program, and answers
questions about how the program will address
the clients needs.
8. Will you be able to refer us to anappropriate and qualified tutor?And how do you know the tutor isqualified?
Because our screening is specific to the
Davis Program, a client would typically
receive services from the same Davis
Facilitator who provided the assessment.
Davis Facilitators have all completed a
rigorous training program leading to licensing.
A searchable directory of licensed Davis
Facilitators world wide is available on our
web site, at www.dyslexia.com.
9. Is a written report provided?And what might it include?
Davis Facilitators follow their own practices
about providing written reports. If a writtenreport is provided, it is most likely to be
focused on outlining factors related to Davis
Program services and their benefit to the
potential client.
10. If my child has dyslexia, willyour recommendations section bewritten with legal terminologythat will make it easy to get a
504 Plan?An evaluation by a Davis Facilitator wouldnot generally qualify a child for a 504 Plan. If
a formal plan is important to a family, we
would recommend getting an independent
evaluation BEFORE a Davis Program,
because once a child has completed the Davis
Program, their level of improvement may
make it more difficult to document areas of
difficulty, even though they might still benefit
from various accommodations. In other
words, the child may not test as poorly as
they would have prior to the program.
11. Will you talk with my childsteacher(s) and explain the results?
Davis Facilitators are happy to talk or meet
with teachers of children who have completed
the Davis Program to offer suggestions for
post-program support, or to provide support
training to a resource teacher who may be
working with the child on program follow-up.
Usually there would be no charge for such
services it would be considered part of the
process of helping the family put post-
program support in place.
12. Can you provide me with a listof references from the parents ofchildren you have worked with?
Individual Davis Facilitators are happy to
provide references. Many post testimonials
from satisfied clients on their websites.
Davis Facilitators haveall completed a rigorous
training programleading to licensing.
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PAGE 16 THE DYSLEXIC READER
New Zealand
Rochelle BoothWanganui+64 (027) 306-6743
Kirsteen BrittenChristchurch+64 (3) 348 1665
Vivienne CarsonAuckland+64 (09) 520-3270
Catherine ChurtonSupervisor-Specialist
Auckland+64 (09) 815 8626
Jennifer ChurtonAuckland+64 (09) 360 494
Ann CookWarkworth/Auckland+64 (0) 9 422 0042
Melanie CurryChristchurch+64 (03) 322-1726
Martine FalconerChristchurch+64 (03) 383-1988
Konstanca Friedrich-PalzerMotueka/Nelson
+64 (03) 527 8060Tina GuyNelson+64 (03) 547 4958
Wendy HaddonMosgiel+64 (03) 489-8572
Sandra HartnettAppleby+64 (03) 544 2362
Alma HoldenAlexandra+64 (027) 485-6798
Glenys KnoppDarfield+64 (03) 317-9072
Raewyn MathesonDLS MentorInglewood+64 (027) 411-8350
Tania McGrathChristchurch+64 (03) 322 41 73
Shelley McMeekenDDA DirectorDunedin+64 0274 399 020
Colleen MortonGore +64 (03) 208 6308
Alison SymeDarfield +64 (03) 318-8480Lorna TimmsDavis Autism Trainer
Christchurch+64 (03) 363 9358Margot YoungAuckland+64 (0) 9 638 3627
Panama
Amy HomsanyPanama City+507 (6) 671-1244
Philippines
Imelda CasugaBaguio City+63 (744) 42 29 01
Time to share more recommendations from Danny Brassell of The LazyReaders Book Club. These are great reads for reluctant readers or those
who dont have much time for reading.
Danny knows were not lazy, just busy or in need of information andencouragement. At his website, www.lazyreaders.com, you can findDannys picks, updated monthly, as well as archives of past selections
by month, reading level, and page count. If you purchase books atAmazon.com through links at the Lazy Readerswebsite, Bookends(www.bookends.org) will receive a donation. Bookendsis a nonprofitorganization devoted to increasing childrens access to books.
Danny comments on each book he recommends, and I include those
comments below. He always organizes the books into categories: AD,for adults; YA, for young adults; and CH, for childrens books, and usuallyposts about 10 recommendations per month, three or four per category.
At the website, you can subscribe (its free!) and receive his monthlybook list by email, just as I do!
Good stuff from The LazyReaders Book Club
A Field Guide to Monstersby Johan OlanderPublisher: Marshall Cavendish Corp/Ccb(August 2007)Young Adult, 64 pages
ISBN-10: 0761453598ISBN-13: 978-0761453598Olander, a world-famous monstrologist,shares his insights with readers on a varietyof googly-eyed wart floppers, shadow-casters, toe-eaters and other creatures. Abook to be enjoyed by all ages, it isparticularly popular with fifth-grade boys.
Imaginary Enemyby Julie GonzalezPublisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers(March 2008)Young Adult, 256 pages
ISBN-10: 0385735529ISBN-13: 978-0385735520Many children grow up with an imaginaryfriend. Slacker teen, Jane White, on the otherhand, creates an imaginary enemy that she canblame all of her problems on. Nothing is everJanes fault (sounds like a typical Americanteen, yes?), so when Janes imaginary friendwrites her back, silliness - sure to bring asmile to your face - ensues.
By Laura Zink de Daz, Davis Facilitator, Bogot, Colombia
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PAGE 17THE DYSLEXIC READER
Poland
Agnieszka ubkowskaWarsaw+48 (22) 658-2237
Portugal
Catarina do PassoLisboa+35 (121) 781-6090
Cristina Rocha VieiraCoimbra+35 (123) 943 7732
Sofia Vassalo SantosLisboa+35 (191) 911-2565
Cristina Maria VieiraLisboa+35 (191) 921 4808
Republic of Singapore
Phaik Sue ChinSingapore +65 6773 4070
Constance ChuaSingapore +65 6873 3873
South Africa
Sharon GerkenDurban+27 (82) 82 85 180
Spain
Silvia Mara SabatsRodrigo
Madrid +34 (091) 636 31 44
Switzerland/CH
Tinka Altwegg-Scheffmacher
St. Gallen+41 (071) 222 07 79
Monika AmreinZurich +41 (01) 341 8264
Regula Bacchetta-Bischofberger
Horw/Luzern+41 (041) 340 2136
Priska BaumgartnerWettingen+41 (056) 426 28 88Renate Blum-MullerFull-Reuenthal+41 (56) 246-18 66
Michelle BonardiCastel S. Pietro, Ticino+41 (091) 630 23 41
Vicki BrignoliLumino+41 (091) 829 05 36
Carole DubossonVeyras/Sierre+41 (027) 452 62 02
Brigitta DnkiRafz+ 41 (079) 318-8300
Susi FasslerSt. Gallen+41 (071) 244 5754
Ursula FischbacherOrpund+41 (032) 355 23 26
Mieke FriederichsReinach+41 (061) 712 42 06
Heidi Gander-BelzDLS Presenter-MentorFehraltorf/Zurich+41 (44) 948 14 10
The Truth About Horses, Friends &My Life as a Cowardby Sarah P. GibsonPublisher: Marshall Cavendish Corp/Ccb(October 2008)Young Adult, 146 pagesISBN-10: 0761454594ISBN-13: 978-0761454595What a wonderful book with quirkycharacters. Your youngsters will breezethrough this set of tales from a small island
town in Maine. A great read aloud for allages, and the book reminds me a lot of TomBodetts End of the Road. Glin Dibleysillustrations are an added treat, the wayQuentin Blakes drawings add to RoaldDahls books.
The Ten Most Phenomenal Athletesby David SuchanekPublisher: Children's Press (CT)(December 2007)Children, 48 pagesISBN-10: 1554484758ISBN-13: 978-1554484751
Let me just say that I LOVE this book, and Iknow that most boys who have any interestin sports (which includes most boys), as wellas many girls, will love it too. Great facts,great pictures and best of all the bookdoes not just judge athletes solely for theirmerits on the field but looks at their exploitsoff the field, as well (translation: you wontfind any jerks in these pages). Part of a greatseries from Scholastic.
The Outfoxed Foxby Tim MyersPublisher: Marshall Cavendish Children'sBooksChildren, 28 pagesISBN-10: 0761453563ISBN-13: 978-0761453567When a young fox offers an idea to stop ahunter from trapping foxes, an elder brushesthe idea aside as being too simple. But laterthe elder fox learns that there is something to
be said for simplicity. A simple tale thatyounger students appreciate for its messagethat all ideas should be considered,regardless of who they come from.
Bad to the Boneby Lucy NolanPublisher: Marshall Cavendish Corp/Ccb;(November 2008)Children, 53 pagesISBN-10: 076145439XISBN-13: 978-0761454397
Another in the delightful series about twodogs, Down Girl and Sit. Down Girl narratesher adventures with Sit as they deal withobedience school and proffer importantadvice like cats and squirrels aredangerous and dogs need attention.Kids get a giggle, and they especiallyenjoy Mike Reeds illustrations.
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More selections fromThe Lazy Readers Book Club
PAGE 18 THE DYSLEXIC READER
The Quiz Lifeby Marina KhidekelPublisher: Delacorte Books forYoung Readers (January 8, 2008)Young Adult, 224 pagesISBN-10: 0375842632ISBN-13: 978-0375842634I confess that I love taking teenie-bopperquizzes, as they provide me with some of myfavorite interactive exercises to attractstudents attention. This book is filled withquizzes geared for teenage girls looking forwhat guys want. In reality a good teacher canadapt these quizzes for use as icebreakerswith students.
Alvin Ho: Allergic to Girls, School,and Other Scary Thingsby Lenore LookPublisher: YearlingYoung Adult, 192 pages
ISBN-10: 0375849300ISBN-13: 978-0375849305Really meant for fourth and fifth graders,Alvin Ho is entertaining to all ages, as hefreaks out about everything. He is a shysecond grader who becomes the loudsuperhero Firecracker Man at home. Aquick, enjoyable read with fun illustrationsfrom LeUyen Pham and one of the mostentertaining glossaries I have everencountered.
Emako Blueby Brenda WoodsPublisher: PutnamYoung Adult, 128 pagesISBN-10: 0142404187ISBN-13: 978-0142404188I very rarely use the word poignant,but Ithink that is the best description of thisimportant inner-city tale. True, I used toteach in inner-city Los Angeles, so I foundthe book particularly powerful for mypeeps (translation: my people). Woods issuch a wonderful storyteller, though, that Ithink it would be pretty difficult for anyoneto finish this book with dry eyes.
Ladybug Girl andBumblebee Boyby David Soman & Jackie DavisPublisher: Dial (March 5, 2009)Children, 40 pages
ISBN-10: 0803733399ISBN-13: 978-0803733398The sequel to the popularLadybug Girl, thisfun book follows Lulu as she encountersSam on the playground. Both seem to likethe opposite of one another until Lulusuggests her Ladybug Girl game, whichallows them to save the playground fromhairy monsters and mean robots. Lots of funto read aloud with little ones.
Switzerland/CH (contd)
Katharina GrenacherBern+41(31) 382 00 29
Elisabeth GutGrut +41 (044) 932 3242
Ursula Hirzel EglerStfa +41 (01) 926 2895
Christa JaegerRiehen
+41 (061) 641 4667Consuelo LangLumino+41 (091) 829 05 36
Claudia LendiSt. Gallen+41 (071) 288 41 85
Beatrice LeutertStein am Rhein+41 (052) 232 03 83
Erika Meier-SchmidBonstetten+41 (01) 700 10 38
Verena Luisa MoserRiken +41 (076) 346 93 34
Maya MuraroStfa +41 (079) 704 03 07
Vronique PfeifferZrich +41 (01) 342 22 61
Elisabeth RabergerEffretikon+41 (052) 343 62 34
Therese Rice-SchumacherUster/Zurich+41 (052) 267 5154
Hilary RhodesChesieres-Villars+41 (024) 495 38 20
Regine Roth-GloorMohlin/Basel+41 (061) 851 2685
Doris Rubli-HuberSt. Gallen+41 (071) 245 56 90Benita RuckliSigigen +41 (041) 495 04 09or (079) 719 31 18Lotti SalivisbergBasel+41 (061) 263 33 44Sonja SartorWinterthur+41 (052) 242 41 70
Marianne SchutzZofinger+41 (62) 752 8281
Andreas Villain
Zrich +41 (076) 371 84 32Catherine WarnerGeneva+41 (022) 321 70 42
Margit ZahndGerolfingen+41 (079) 256 86 65 or(032) 396 19 20
United Arab Emirates
Linda RademanDubai+9714 348 1687
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To readwithout reflecting
is like eating
without
digesting.
Edmund Burke,
British politician
and writer
PAGE 19THE DYSLEXIC READER
A Fuzzy-Fast Blur:Poems About Petsby Laura Purdie SalasPublisher: Capstone Press(September 1, 2008)Children, 24 pagesISBN-10: 1429617047
ISBN-13: 978-1429617048I want to encourage parents and teachersto utilize poetry as a way of enhancingstudents reading abilities. Combinepoetry and pets and you get two greatmotivators that are sure to intereststudents in reading. Besides having avariety of great poems about differentkinds of pets, this book uses severaldifferent styles of poetry, from acrosticsto cinquains.
Hieroglyphsby Kremena Spengler
Publisher: Capstone Press(September 1, 2008)Children, 24 pagesISBN-10: 1429619171ISBN-13: 978-1429619172Great introduction to the history ofpicture writing and how to crackdifferent writing codes. Also providessome fun writing activities for kids.
United Kingdom
Joy Allan-BakerLondon+44 (0798) 413 1436
Kim BalaskasWestcliff on Sea, Essex+ 44 (0) 8000 272657
Nicky Bennett-BaggsGt. Gaddesden, Herts+44 (01442) 252 517
Sarah Dixon
East Horsley, Surrey+44 (01483) 283 088
Susan DuguidLondon+44 (020) 8878 9652
Dyslexia Correction CentreGeorgina DunlopJane E.M. HeywoodDLS Mentor & PresenterAscot, Berkshire+44 (01344) 622 115
Christine EastKingsbridge, Devon+44 (01548) 856 045
Hilary FarmerOxford, Oxon
+44 (0118) 9464 892Nichola Farnum MALondon+44 (020) 8977 6699
Jacqueline Ann FlisherHungerford Berks+44 (0) 8000 272657
Maureen FloridoHarleston, Norfolk+44 (01379) 853 810
Carol ForsterGloucester+44 (1452) 331 573
Achsa GriffithsSandwich, Kent+44 (01304) 611 650
Axel GudmundssonLondon+44 (020) 8341-7703
Tessa HalliwellBarrow upon Soar, Leics+44 (01509) 412 695
Karen HautzLondon+44 (0207) 228-2947
Annemette Hoegh-BanksBerkhamsted, Herts+44 1442 872185
Phyllida HowlettHaverfordwest,Pembrokeshire+44 (01437) 766 806
Angela JamesReading, Berkshire+44 (0118) 947 6545
Liz JollyFareham, Hants+44 (01329) 235 420
Lisa KloossLondon+44 (0208) 960 9406
Sara KramerWimbledon/London+44 (0208) 946 4308
Marilyn LaneRedhill +44 (0173) 776-9049
The Importance ofReading for Pleasure
Studies tell us that those who read more
for pleasure read better, write better,
have larger vocabularies, spell better, and
have better control of complex grammar.
In addition, those who read more have
more subject matter knowledge in a wide
variety of subjects as well as more
knowledge of the world. Those students
who are well-prepared for the demanding
reading assignments of middle and high
school are those who have done wide
pleasure reading, not those who have
studied more vocabulary, grammar,
and reading strategies.
Dr. Stephen Krashen, Professor Emeritus,
University of Southern California,in a comment posted at:
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2009/05/
01/31literacy.h28.html?tkn=XVUFxbue%2B
h9gYeNnkT2cODlnvvViJNX5i65j&print=1
Dr. Krashen is an award-
winning linguist and
education researcher, who
has published more than
350 papers and books
contributing to the fields
of second language
acquisition, bilingual
education and reading.
Quotable Quotes
More selections fromThe Lazy Readers Book Club
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PAGE 20 THE DYSLEXIC READER
ccording to US government statistics,
about 25,000,000 Americans (or one in ten)are functionally illiterate. Much of this
illiteracy is credited to dyslexia or one of its
many variations, such as ADD, dysgraphia
(difficulty in the ability to write) or
dyscalculia (difficulty in learning or
comprehending mathematics).
In her book, Upside-Down Brilliance,
Dr. Linda Silverman states that about two
thirds of our entire US population use a
visual-spatial learning style or picturethinking, at least some of the time. About a
quarter of us use picture thinking most of the
time. Does that make you wonder how many
of the adults you work with may actually
possess a dyslexic learning style? Here are
some basic abilities all dyslexics share:
They can utilize the brainsability to alter and createperceptions.
They are highly aware ofthe environment.
They are more curious thanthe average person.
They think more often inpictures than in words.
They are highly intuitiveand insightful.
They think and perceivemulti-dimensionally, using
all the senses.
They can experience thoughtas reality.
They have vivid imaginations.
After reading this list you may wonder
just what this looks like in the everyday
environment.
Some dyslexics make small
compensations for their learning and thinkingstyle. For instance, they may prefer to wear
slip-on shoes, because they find tying
shoelaces tedious and ineffective. Others
make accommodations by avoiding
altogether activities they find challenging,
such as reading or writing.
Some dyslexics may seem rude when you
discuss certain subjects with them. In fact,
the subject may simply be too emotionally
charged, making it difficult for them to talk
about it.
Although you may usually communicate
verbally with your customers, you may find
that some feel the need to see what youdiscussed with them in writing. This allows
them further and more accurate processing of
the matters discussed. When speaking over
the phone, consider writing down exactly
what your clients request and reading it back
to them. This may help put them at ease,
assuring them that their requests have been
clearly understood.
Some picture thinkers prefer multi-
tasking. They might doodle on paper and
check the messages on their phone, all while
still listening to you. Take time to notice how
they work, and dont assume a multi-tasker
isnt paying attention to you!
When speaking over the phone,consider writing down exactly
what your clients request andreading it back to them.
Adult Dyslexia: Working Betterwith Customers and Co-WorkersBy Cathy Cook, Davis Facilitator in Columbia, Missouri
United Kingdom (contd)
Isabel MartinCrowborough East Sussex+44 (0) 8000 272657
Stuart ParsonsLowton/Warrington,Cheshire+44 (07754) 534 740
Shilpa PatelEaling, London+44 (0) 8000 272657
Fionna PilgrimKeighley, West Yorkshire+44 (1535) 661 801
Maxine PiperCarterton, Oxon+44 (01993) 840 291
Elenica Nina PitoskaLondon+44 (020) 8451 4025
Ian RichardsonBlaisdon Longhope, Glos+44 (0145) 283 0056
Pauline RoylePoulton-le-Fylde, Lancs+44 (0125) 389 987
Rosemary SavinsonLondon +44 (0208) 316-1973
Janice ScholesLiversedge, West Yorkshire+44 (0) 8000 272657
Nigel SharpIsle of Wight+44 (01227) 731 756
Judith ShawSupervisor-SpecialistSt. Leonards onSea/Hastings, East Sussex+44 (01424) 447 077
Elizabeth ShepherdCrowborough, East Sussex+44 (0189) 266-1052
Drs. Rene van der VloodtSupervisor-SpecialistReigate, Surrey+44 (01737) 240 116
Frank WalkerGreasby Wirral/Liverpool+44 (0151) 678 14 99
Evelyn WhiteWalton-on-Thames, Surrey+44 (01932) 230 624
The Learning PeopleMargarita WhiteheadDDA DirectorRichard WhiteheadDDA DirectorDLS Presenter-Mentor
Fundamentals PresenterCanterbury, Kent+44 (01227) 738 972
Rachel WilliamsonHassocks, West Sussex+44 (0) 8000 272657
United States
AlabamaLisa SprattHuntsville+1 (256) 426-4066
ArizonaDr. Edith FritzPhoenix+1 (602) 274-7738
A
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Unlocking the Power of DyslexiaA brief look at the life of Ronald Davis and the impact of his remarkable discoveries. DVD: $8.00 (Run time: 15 minutes)The Davis Dyslexia Correction ProgramThis documentary film provides an excellent overview of Facilitators at work with Davis clients,explains how dyslexics thinkand perceive, what causes dyslexia, and what occurs during and after a Davis Program. DVD: $8.00 (Run time: 18 minutesDavis Dyslexia Correction Orientation ProceduresThis detailed instructional DVD provides demonstrations of each of the Davis procedures for assessment and orientationdescribed in The Gift of Dyslexiaand The Gift of Learning. These methods help focus attention, eliminate perceptual confu-sion, improve physical coordination, and control energy levels. DVD: $85.00
Davis Symbol Mastery and Reading ExercisesFeatures 27 examples of Facilitators and clients using theDavis Symbol Mastery Kit and practicing the Davis Reading Exercises. Included are mastering the alphabet, punctuationmarks, pronunciation, and words; and reading exercises to build visual tracking and whole word recognition skills, and toimprove reading fluency and comprehension. (This DVD is included with Davis Symbol Mastery Kit) DVD: $85.00
Dyslexia - The Gift
This documentary introduces the concepts and methodin The Gift of Dyslexia. Viewers of all ages will find t
interviews and animated sequences highly informative
and entertaining.
Gift of DyslexiaAudio CD SetThis 4 CD set contains fullnarration of The Gift of Dyslexia,read by author Ron Davis.
Video or DVD $39.95
4-CD Set $39.95
ReadOn Interactive SoftwareA comprehensive learning tool, designed to assist people of allages learn to read or overcome reading problems associated withdyslexia.