THE DYSLEXIC READER

Dys lex ic Read er

The
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VOLUME 57

DAVIS DYSLEXIA ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL

ISSUE 1 2011

Edward Vickerman My dyslexia is a gift it is the reason that I teach the way that I teach.

The Sleeping Dragon of Portable Four

By Dr. Mara A. Serrano-Lpez

Yesterday only the children with autism came to school. Sandra and Benjamin were not there. They are normally the ones who initiate play time, invent games and keep the class on the high-speed socialization broadband that my portable is subscribed to. Lotus didnt come either. David is going through identity development. I thought he would become the exception that proved the rule, but it appeared I was wrong. After a long road built on small, developmentally
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By Fionna Pilgrim, Davis Facilitator in Keighley West Yorkshire, UK

IN THIS ISSUE

News & Feature Articles The Sleeping Dragon of Portable Four .......1, 4 Edward Vickerman....................................1, 3 Disney Pattern for Writing Improvement....... 5 More on Mastering Time-Telling................6, 7 Tricky Words................................................ 7 Why Tyrannosaurus, But Not If? Part 3 ....8-11 Por qu Tyranosauro Pero No Cual? Tercera Parte ................19-22 Regular Features In the Mail .................................................. 2 Q&A .....................................................12-14 Lazy Reader Book Club..........................15-18 Quotable Quotes ....................................... 22 New Davis Licensees ............................23, 24 Davis Workshops ..................................26, 27

On 27th October 2009, Edward Vickerman was named the United Kingdoms Outstanding New Teacher of the Year at the Annual Teaching Awards. In his third year of teaching and his second school, he is currently head of business and Enterprise Specialism at Freeston Business and Enterprise College near Normanton in West Yorkshire. Dyslexic himself, to the extent that he was not expected to get any qualifications and was heavily discouraged several times from fulfilling his ambition to become a teacher, Vickerman understands that all children learn differently, and has particular insight into the needs of dyslexic children in the classroom. He has revolutionised both the curriculum and the teaching space in the 3 classrooms in his charge. There are comfy sofas, bright coloured paint on the walls, a U-shaped desk and a traditional desk to support the computers necessary for the courses, but no classic school desks or tables and chairs. One

room has a coffee machine. There are no textbooks in his classroom there are some in a cupboard, for emergencies! he says. But Vickerman believes that in this computer age they are obsolete everything his students need can be found on the internet.

He has revolutionised both the curriculum and the teaching space in the 3 classrooms in his charge.

Some of his students use their own mobile phones to record information, project it on a screen or communicate with each other in class. For those who dont have their own technology, the cupboards contain flick video cameras, which students can check out to film things that can be projected later on a screen for discussion by a group. There

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THE DYSLEXIC READER

In The Mail

Dear DDAI My son, Esteban, finished his Davis Program with Laura Zink de Diaz in November of last year at age 8, and after seven months of steady work on his clay models of trigger words, hes finished 220 in Spanish. He has progressed a great deal in reading, as hes been faithfully doing his Davis reading exercises, the Koosh ball exercise, and he checks his alignment every single day. Esteban is still being home schooled and I try to adapt everything we do to his learning style. Were moving a little slower than Id like, but we are building strong foundations. We both want him to have very solid skills before he returns to regular school. We do a great deal orally, as Estebans handwriting is still very slow, and we play a lot of games, visit the library, do a lot of practical projects. He also is attending classes in English, chorus, swimming, skating and violin. Estebans Dad enrolled him in some science classes via internet, which focus on experiments, and Esteban finds those lessons fascinating. We make use of everyday experiences to learn many things and our whole family is involved

in continual exploration to figure out how [Esteban came back for a review in October. Hes a very different little boy we can turn these things into part of our from the one I worked with almost a year education at home. ago! Hes much more confident and selfpossessed. And so motivated that hes open We are so grateful we found you and to doing programs for handwriting and the Davis Method, that has changed math soon! His mom has done a wonderful our lives in such an extraordinary way. job both with home schooling (which is Esteban is proud of being dyslexic now and his four-year-old brother wants to be not common in Colombia) and supporting Esteban in his follow-up. Our main worry just like him! is that when and if he returns to regular school, he may be bored out of his gourd! Diana and Esteban D. LZD] Cha, Colombia

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; and to present methods for improving literacy, education and academic success. We believe that all peoples abilities and talents should be recognized and valued, and that learning problems can be corrected. EDITORIAL BOARD: Laura Zink de 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) 692-7075 VIA E-MAIL: editor@dyslexia.com INTERNET: www.dyslexia.com The opinions and views expressed in articles and letters are not necessarily those of DDAI. Davis, 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 2011 by DDAI, unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved.

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My Dyslexia is a gift (continued from page 1)

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is no need to write if students dont wish to. Their input can be recorded on video and saved to computer. Even for homework they can take a video camera home and then email their work to Vickerman. In terms of curriculum Vickerman has introduced a variety of different courses, from academic, exam-based classes, such as GCSE* Economics, which suits some students, to Business Tech and courses that rely largely on coursework and presentations, to courses that rely on controlled assessment and have NO exam component whatsoever. In this way he caters to all his students learning styles, Vickermans classes are fully engaged without ever lowering expectations. in learning. Students work independently All are able to achieve according to much of the time, individually or in their ability without being hampered by groups, with guidance and direction academic challenges. from him. But more than that, the Many students inventiveness do no writing at all. he brings to his Exercise books are lessons is practical 94% of Vickermans provided with one and hands on. For students complete page lined and the example, he may other blank so that turn the classroom their courses with A* to those who like to into an airliner, C grade qualifications. take written notes with himself as Vickerman is dissatisfied, can do so while an incompetent because he is failing those who prefer steward to that other 6%! to draw their way demonstrate how through note-taking not to handle have that choice as customer service. well. And for those who dont like either, Vickerman has organised a trip to there are Dictaphones or flick videos New York (for which each student must something for everyone. raise 600) to investigate marketing The results tell their own story and practices in US stores. He wants to show keep Vickermans supervisor happy that these youngsters from an area regarded she took a risk and backed the vision as disadvantaged, that there is a whole of this amazing young man. 94% of world out there, much of which is Vickermans students complete their different from their experience and full courses with A* (equivalent to A+ in of opportunities. US schools) to C grade qualifications. The clocks in Vickermans classroom Vickerman is dissatisfied, because he is are set to different time zones in other failing that other 6%! cities of the world, so that students are He says Why should they have to sit constantly reminded that the world is and be taught at when they want to be wide, that they need not be confined active and on the move? Theyre 15 and 16-year-olds. They dont want to be sitting down listening. He is working on ways to meet his students needs even better.

by their dyslexia, or by anyones low expectations for kids from Normanton. Vickerman is inspiring the entrepreneurial spirit present in so many dyslexics. Many establish and run their own businesses before they leave school, and he has set up a Young Enterprise Award program with a group of gifted and talented students in year eleven. But its not all about profit: the students are already organizing projects to raise funds so they can give back to the community. This is real, hands-on stuff, not dry theory from a textbook, and it suits dyslexics and non-dyslexics alike. Vickerman says he gets many of his ideas from his mother, a primary school principal. He is adamant that his methods, with only a little modification for different spaces and circumstances, will work to engage the majority of children in any school situation. And in fact, Vickermans methods and the ethos he creates, are spilling over into the rest of the school and farther afield, as teachers from schools all over Yorkshire come to observe and learn from his phenomenal success. v
* General Certificate of Secondary Education

I'm reading a book about anti-gravity. It's impossible to put down. I quit my job as a food taster because I had too much on my plate. I used to have a fear of hurdles, but I got over it. Ive always found that writing with a broken pencil is pointless. I used to work with a cross-eyed teacher who couldn't control his pupils.

Humor Corner

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In a way, it turns the play area into a self-contained space in my already selfappropriate steps, he is so very present contained Portable 4. at times in a sea of tears and discomfort, I directed John to play with Rose, and that the emergent identity is making David to play with Andres. I told David him a winner and a looser, a happy and that since Benjamin was not in the room, frustrated boy in splits of a second. he was to be the leader and that he should Yesterday he felt lost because Benjamin try to act like one. and Sandra were absent. John, who is I am a leader! I am King David! growing very fast as well, noticed it, and he yelled at the top of his lungs, and he let me know the class was sort of disabled began to entice Andres into playing. I sat without those two kids in it. nearby and observed. I accepted a slice of Play time came and I watched as they totally delicious plastic cake from John. arranged their bodies and energies in the Id not had cake in a very long time, so designated area. Rose found her favorite the mere thought of having cake toy and sat on the carpet, totally oblivious in my hands was to the rest of the world. David found his like honey in plastic animals and faced the window, my mouth. turning his back to the rest of the kids. And Andres, the boy who simply doesnot-play-with-others, even when directed to, sat on the carpet with his blocks. John was more interested in me and my hair than in them, so he walked back and forth from the play area to me. It had been a long time since I hadnt had regular kids involved in every Suddenly they were all playing! interaction with the solid autistic group Despite her speech impairment, Rose was in the room and I experienced a certain talking to John like the most convincing poignancy seeing how that day they did salesperson in the market; and John was not play with each other. responding. David and Andres decided to Its not possible, I thought to myself. play on their own. I was convinced that learning had taken Suddenly I caught sight of the dragon place, that the pretend play and interaction that guards Andres home. It was sleeping initiated by the socially wired kids was next to him. Andres is heavily medicated there to stay. I decided to suspend action and this dragons specialty is preventing and judgment and sat down to observe the fun of play from entering his space. them. The class was immersed in a quiet Or perhaps he is the permanent guard of space conducive to the kids finding their the playroom Andres keeps inside himself: own way of satisfying their innate need a room full of toys, imaginary heroes and to connect with others. So I just waited heroines, songs and TV scripts, hes often patiently and did nothing. shared with us in delightfully unexpected The state of no outbursts of spontaneity. play continued Through the year or more Andres until John took the and I have worked together, he has shopping board welcomed me into his personal from the shelf and spaces with VIP invitations. But the set it on the floor. door to playtime has always been He wanted to play securely guarded with the other kids. by the dragon. Ive But in view of the tried to sneak in Sharing our numbers absence of audience through the many and letters, together participation, he put windows Andres they built the alphabet the board away. has, but its to no I realized that the and a number line. avail. The play shopping board is area in Andres one toy that unites home is protected them all. The kids love to play at grocery by the dragon of medication. That area is shopping and buying things, but the board inaccessible to everybody, including me. also serves as a divider, separating the However, yesterday, the dragon was play area from the rest of the classroom. asleep, clearly dreaming that he was
Sleeping Dragon (continued from page 1)

THE DYSLEXIC READER

performing his usual function while Andres played! I saw it. Everybody saw it except the dragon. I could scarcely believe my eyes. Not only was Andres playing with David, but together they invented a game. Sharing our numbers and letters, together they built the alphabet and a number line. David stood in front of Andres shouting out numbers while Andres looked through the box for them, very concentrated on his search, yet also supervising Davids moves. He even scolded Rose when, by mistake, she moved some numbers with her body. Rose watch out! Look what you are doing! was Andres' sturdy command. I thought this might awaken the dragon, but it did not. David also became King of the Garden, the second game he invented to keep everyone engaged. After finishing the academically oriented game with letters and numbers, he checked to see how our garden was growing. Guys, the plants are growing! he roared. Then he called over each of the kids to show them how wonderful this growing thing was. They all gathered around a simple plastic box full of lima bean and garbanzo sprouts smiling at them. They smiled back and my heart, too, became a smile that knew no boundaries. Later, in the cafeteria, where Andres mom works, I approached to say, Andres played today for the first time! She looked at me and replied, I havent given him his medication for the last three days. No wonder the dragon slept so soundly: he had taken every dose instead of giving them to his charge! The play continued outside on the playground, this time with regular kids. All of the children engaged with boys and girls who find my kids fascinating, sharing toys and imaginary games with them. Andres played as well. To my surprise, he played beach racket ball with a tall blond kid, while the medication dragon slept alone in my portable, dreaming he was still keeping my Andres safe from play land and the world.
Dr. Serrano-Lpez has been the ESEAutism teacher at Biscayne Elementary School in Miami, Florida since 2007. She holds a Doctorate in Second Language Acquisition and Teaching from the University of Arizona. Her dissertation examined 3-D clay modeling as a pathway to spatial concept formation in second language learners. Her work on this topic was highlighted in Issue 35 of The Dyslexic Reader in 2004. v

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The Disney Pattern for Writing Improvement

by Raewyn Matheson, Davis Facilitator in Inglewood, New Zealand

The Disney Pattern is similar to mind mapping. Mind mapping is great for word thinkers but instead of starting with the main idea and working outwards, we brainstorm the outer layers first, letting our imagination run wild and getting ideas in any order. By putting our ideas down on post-it notes, none are lost. We can also use the Disney Pattern for research projects. One of the features of this method is the use of post-it notes. We use them for headings, placing the notes on a board, window, or smooth wall surface. As we find information we add it on post-it notes as well. By making note of where we got each bit of information, we can create a bibliography as we go. This removes the need for sequence, and frees us from searching through reams of notes at the end of the project. Walt Disney planned all his creations this way. Disney Pattern Steps 1. Choose your topic or decide what it is you want to plan. Do you want to write a story? Plan a holiday? Write an essay or do an assignment? Plan a playground or fun park? 2. Be a dreamer: Get your post-it notes. Choose nice bright colours. Write down all the wild and fun ideas that come into your mind. Write them down quickly, just one or two words at a time, each idea on a separate note. When that is finished, check your spelling. 3. Be a realist: While oriented, look at all your ideas and put them in groups by shifting the post-it notes around. Next look at each group and put its elements in the best order. Work out which ideas fit, and which ideas should be thrown out. Look and see if you need more ideas and information. Fill in the gaps in your project with more information on post-it notes. 4. Be a critic: Once you have all your ideas in groups, put the groups in an order that makes sense to you. Ask

Master the question words: who, what, where, when, why, how and which. Older students may find it useful to master these terms as well: discuss, theory, hypothesis, explain and opinion.

it useful to master these terms as well: discuss, theory, hypothesis, explain, opinion and other terms contained in the project instructions. 2. Make sure you read all the project requirements, or have them read to you. Picture the requirements. If you cant picture them, that means there's something about them thats confusing you. It might be that you dont have a clear understanding of the meanings of some of the words. Eliminate confusion by consulting a dictionary, your support person, or your teacher. You may need to do Symbol Mastery on some words. 3. Collect sources of information about your assigned topic. These might be books, information from the internet, videos or other resources. Sort the books into two groups: those you can read on your own, and those youll need read to you. 4. Make a different coloured post-it note for each of the question words. Post them on the board, window or wall as headings. As you read, or are read to, write relevant details on additional Post-it Notes. (Dont forget to make note of the sources for your bibliography too.) Put these post-it notes under the question heading they correspond to.

yourself what comes next, and what comes after that, until all your ideas are in order. After this step, its often a good idea to write your introduction, and then write your ending. 5. Now write your rough draft. Its a good idea to do this in different coloured pens or pencils. Use a different colour for each sentence. That way you can see them easily. 6. Use your orientation (or alignment) to check your spelling, reading your project aloud to yourself if you need to. 7. If necessary, re-write. 8. Now write your final copy.

5. When youve finished your research, If youre putting together a project about sort the Post-it Notes as described in steps a specific topic, with specific instructions, 3 and 4 of the Disney Method. follow these steps as well: 6. Carry on to the finish, following steps 1. First of all, master the question words. 5 through 8 of the Disney Method! v These are: who, what, where, when, why, how and which. Older students may find

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THE DYSLEXIC READER

More on Mastering Time-Telling

by Margot Young, Davis Facilitator in Auckland, New Zealand

Recently I worked with 2 clients whose Davis Program goals included learning to tell time. Using Symbol Mastery as a starting point, they each worked through a series of steps that allowed them to master this important skill. First, my clients mastered in clay the basic concepts, from self through order and disorder. Then, in the following sequence, they mastered the following concepts necessary for telling time:
1. hour hand the shorter one indicating the hour

5. to when the minute hand is between 6 and 12

6. half past when the minute hand is pointing to 6

2. minute hand the longer one indicating the minutes

7. quarter past when the minute hand is pointing to 3

3. oclock when the minute hand is pointing to 12

8. quarter to when the minute hand is pointing to 9

4. past when the minute hand is between 12 and 6

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As I teach it, the sequence for telling the time is as follows:

1. Identify the minute hand 2. Is it past the hour, or approaching the hour? 3. By how many minutes? If its past the hour, count

Tricky Words!
English is full of words that look or sound enough alike to confuse even the most articulate readers and writers! Check out below a few of the trickiest. Its and Its its: the possessive form of it Example: The dragon flapped its great wings once or twice and disappeared among the clouds. its: Contraction of it is Example: Its a beautiful day in the neighborhood. Principle and Principal principle: (noun) basic truth, standard, or rule Example: Its often difficult for politicians to remain true to their principles once theyre elected. Principal: (adjective) highest in rank or importance (noun) highest ranking person in an group or organization; the sum of money, on which interest is calculated Examples: Our principal goal is to educate our students. Most students dont want to be sent to the principals office for disciplining. How much of my monthly payment will be applied to the principal, and how much to the interest charges? There, Their and They're there: (adverb) specifying place (pronoun) introduces a sentence or phrase in which the verb comes before the subject and has no complement. Examples: Hes just sitting there at his desk, doing nothing. There are two plums left in the bowl. their: (possessive pronoun) belonging to them Example: My two cousins are both doctors, and their wives are too. they're: contraction of they are. Example: My puppies are so cute! Theyre sleeping on top of one another. To, Too and Two to: (preposition) motion toward or in a particular direction Example: Im going to work now. too: (adverb) also; to an excessive degree Examples: Wait for me! I want to go too! I cant drink this tea yet its too hot! Two: a cardinal number or set consisting of 1 plus 1 more. Example: I have two sisters but no brothers.

from the 12 to the minute hand. If its coming up towards the hour, count from the location of the minute hand, up to the 12.
4. Locate the hour hand. 5. Which hour is it past or approaching?

I use a cardboard clock from a toy store to practice with my clients. Then, at intervals during the day, we look at a large kitchen clock with a clear face and numerals to check on the actual time. I also use a small alarm clock with a second hand and alarm hand, and I find my clients like to master this type of clock as well. Although its more complex to look at, after mastering the other simpler clocks, they enjoy mastering this one too! v

Cardboard clock for practicing time-telling

Regular kitchen clock

Alarm clock with extra hand

PAGE 8 International Davis Dyslexia Correction Providers

The Davis Dyslexia Correction program is now available from more than 450 Facilitators around the world. For updates, call: (888) 805-7216 [Toll free] or (650) 692-7141 or visit www.dyslexia.com/ providers.htm v Argentina Silvana Ines Rossi Buenos Aires +54 (114) 865 3898 v Australia Brenda Baird Brisbane +61 (07) 3299 3994 Sally Beulke Melbourne +61 (03) 572 51752 Anne Cupitt Scarness, Queensland +61 (074) 128-2470 Mary Davie Sydney NSW +61 (02) 9522 3691 Jan Gorman Eastwood/Sydney +61 (02) 9804 1184 Bets Gregory Gordon NSW +61 (4) 1401 3490 Gail Hallinan DLS Workshop Presenter-Mentor Naremburn/Sydney +61 (02) 9405 2800 Barbara Hoi Mosman/Sydney +61 (02) 9968 1093 Linda Houben Seaforth Sydney-N.S.W. +61 (0401) 358 110 Annette Johnston Rockingham WA +61 (8) 9591 3482 Eileen McCarthy Manly/Sydney +61 (02) 9977 2061 Marianne Mullally Crows Nest, Sydney +61 (02) 9436 3766 Jayne Pivac Parkdale Victoria/Melbourne +61 (0) 420 305 405 Jocelyn Print Kalgoorlie-Boulder WA +62 (04) 5868 3830 John Reilly Berala/Sydney +61 (02) 9649 4299 Heidi Rose Pennington S.A. +61 (8) 8240 1834 v Austria Annette Dietrich Wien +43 (01) 888 90 25 Jacinta Fennessy Wien +43 (01) 774 98 22 Ina Barbara Hallermann Riezlern +43 5517 20012 Marika Kaufmann Lochau +43 (05574) 446 98

THE DYSLEXIC READER

Why Tyrannosaurus, But Not If? Part Three

By Richard Whitehead, DDA Director, Great Malvern, Worcestershire, UK Richard Whitehead offers a free on-line course designed to help teachers understand why some smart students struggle so much to master basic academic skills. Richard has kindly given us permission to publish his course in The Dyslexic Reader in several installments. The first and second parts appeared in previous issues, and here, for your reading pleasure, is the third and last part of this valuable course.

Example: Instead of, What a clever boy!

try saying, You wrote the whole sentence without a single mistake! It can also be helpful to give praise that describes your feelings. For example, I really enjoyed working with you today you got on with your work and were really helpful to me. Criticism. Avoid you-based criticism. It is confrontational and attacks the character or integrity of the child. If you need to get angry, do so using I statements that express your feelings and expectations. Example: Instead of Look what youve done again! or Havent you learned any manners? try saying, I dont like what Im seeing. I expect you to

Punishment. Avoid punishments that are not logical consequences of the childs negative action. This minimises the chance that the child will become resentful, and maximises the probability that the child will learn something about the law of cause and effect, and grow as a result of the experience. Example: A child is being noisy and disobedient in class. His behavior causes him to miss out on the content of the lesson and distract others. Making him sweep the floor or write a hundred sentences after the lesson would be illogical punishments. Removing him from the lesson because I need your classmates to be able to focus on what I am saying, then requiring him to come back during his free time to catch up on the material missed, would be logical steps aimed at protecting everyones best interests. However, before taking these steps give the child a choice. For example: I dont expect others to talk when Im talking. Its distracting to the rest of the class. Either sit quietly, or leave the classroom. You decide! And in general Keep your responses to negative behaviour firm and calm. And provide enthusiastic reactions to positive behaviour. Children are fascinated by excited reactions of any kind whether agitated annoyance or excited praise. Therefore, big reactions of any kind maximise the chance that the child will repeat the behaviour that provoked the reaction, in order to see that reaction again. So limit your big reactions to occasions when the child displays positive behaviour. These suggestions were inspired by the Praise. Give praise that describes the action or seminal book, How To Talk So Kids Will Listen, And Listen So Kids Will Talk by Adele Faber accomplishment. Avoid praise that evaluates the childs character. Evaluative praise puts you in the and Elaine Mazlish. This book is thoroughly recommended as a further source of effective position of a judge who decides who is good and who is bad. Descriptive praise gives a child child communication strategies. the chance to evaluate him or herself. How To Build Self-Esteem While Giving Important Feedback Children are future adults, and every adult was once a child. Nature has so ordained that each generation is entrusted with the enormously responsible task of raising the next. In the early years of life, children are deeply trusting of the key adults around them and believe instantly what they say. As educators, one of our responsibilities towards the children in our care is to help them master behaviour patterns that will set them up for success in adulthood and while respecting the rights of others. As with any process of mastery, mistakes are a key part of the learning process. Our reactions to these mistakes can determine whether they serve a productive purpose as a learning opportunity, or become embedded as long-term inappropriate behaviours. Still more importantly, our reactions can determine whether a child grows up thinking he is a good or bad person. History is full of tyrants, criminals and war makers who at some point in their lives made the decision to be bad people. The art of constructive, loving feedback is the biggest gift we can give to the next generation it helps create loving and effective individuals who are willing to trust their own judgment and value both themselves and others. The following are some successful techniques for giving students feedback that builds their confidence and self-esteem. You may already be familiar with them, but they are valuable enough to be worth revisiting from time to time.

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Emotion in the Alphabet A Step-By-Step Guide to Creating a Learning Difficulty Everyone knows that dyslexic thinkers experience confusion when reading, writing or doing other tasks that they find challenging. Conventionally, people have thought the dyslexia comes first and the confusion comes second. Of course hes confused hes dyslexic! Yet heres an idea: what if its the other way round? What if a person is not confused because hes dyslexicbut dyslexic because hes confused? What if, in a given moment, it is the feeling, the emotion of confusion that is literally switching on the childs dyslexic symptoms? A few months ago, one of our specialists was giving a telephone consultation to a woman in her forties. She was dyslexic and a strong visualspatial thinker. One of the things she mentioned was that she was good at maths but poor at reading. She then went on to observe that she was excellent at remembering telephone numbers. Its like I see them in my mind, she said, then all I have to do is dial the number Im seeing. And yet she was poor at spelling. Many a book, and many a speaker, claim that dyslexia is about poor left-to-right tracking ability, poor auditory processing skills, poor short-term working memory, genetic dysfunction or a physical impairment in the brain. But maybe we need to dig deeper than this and ask, What is going on if a woman can visualize numbers but not letters? What possible skill can she be missing if she can visualise 7 1 3 4 6 2 but not f r i e n d? Of course, these phenomena may be observed alongside a dyslexic problem. But are they the root cause? Or is dyslexia actually, fundamentally, about how we react to something a kind of reflex response to a confusing stimulus that momentarily blanks us out or blurs our thinking? Put another way, do letters do something to this woman that numbers dont, regardless of any skill or lack of skill that she may possess? Lets look more closely at this phenomenon, by examining what can set a dyslexic learning difficulty in motion. Imagine, for example, an imaginative, curious child the sort of child who enjoys exploring the environment: engaging in role-play games with dolls or soldiers, climbing trees, taking things apart or daydreaming for protracted periods. At age 4 or 5, that child comes into school. And has to learn letters. A letter is a 2-dimensional symbol that has no meaning. Its sole purpose is as a building block to create written words. It has no depth, no other side, nothing that can be explored. It just is. Picture what happens when the power of a curious, explorative imagination is directed at a mere mark on the page, and youll get a sense of how the talented thinking of a young dyslexic child can cause him to see distortions, blurring and apparent motion in printed words. Until such childrens confusion around their perception of letters is resolved, word recognition will never be an easy or enjoyable process. Now, what of the lady who could see numbers but not letters? Well, you may recall she had also commented that she was good at maths. So heres a likely explanation: numbers didnt cause her confusion, because using her mathematical imagination she could relate to their meaning. With letters, she couldnt. Therefore, letters blur her thinking, while numbers dont. And when our thinking is blurred, we cant visualize clearly, or retain information clearly. A simple explanation that works. But unfortunately, thats not the end of the story. Imagine youre back at school and have to do complex quadratic equations each day you know, the kind that are based on this formula: x = -b b2-4ac 2a Now imagine that the equations keep coming, and coming, and coming and that everyone else in the class seems to find them really easy, while you find them really difficult. Imagine this

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v Belgium Ann Devloo-Delva Veurne +32 (058) 31 63 52 Inge Lanneau Beernem +32 (050) 33 29 92 Peggy Poppe Antwerpen +32 (474) 50 23 32 Chantal Wyseur Waterloo +32 (486) 11 65 82 v Brazil Luciana Borelli Noronha Batalha Brasilia, D.F. +55 (61) 8185-6442 Ana Lima Rio De Janeiro +55 (021) 2295-1505 Viviane Resende da Costa Melo Brasilia, DF +55 (61) 3349 9998 v Bulgaria Daniela Boneva Ruse +35 (988) 531 95 06 v Canada Wayne Aadelstone-Hassel Halfmoon Bay +1 (604) 741-0605 Rocky Point Academy Stacey Borger-Smith Autism Training Supervisor Lawrence Smith, Jr. Autism Training Supervisor Calgary +1 (403) 685-0067 +1 (866) 685-0067 (Toll-Free) Paddy Carson Edmonton/Alberta +1 (780) 489-6225 Marcia Code Kanata, Ontario +1 (613) 284-6315 Dyslexia Resources Canada Shelley Cotton Sharon Roberts Waterloo, Ontario +1 (519) 746-8422 +1 (800) 981-6433 (Toll-Free) Janet Currie Richards Boutiliers Point Nova Scotia +1 (902) 826-1512 Elizabeth Currie Shier Oakville (Near Toronto) +1 (905) 829-4084 Cathy Dodge Smith Autism Facilitator/Coach Oakville/Toronto +1 (905) 844-4144 +1 (888) 569-1113 toll-free Kimberly Doyle Dundalk, Ontario +1 (519) 923-5420 Sandy Farrell Hudson, Quebec +1 (450) 458-4777 Rene Figlarz Montreal, Quebec +1 (514) 815-7827 Sher Goerzen Maple Ridge/Vancouver +1 (604) 290-5063 Corinne Graumans Medicine Hat, Alberta +1 (403) 528-9848 Sue Hall West Vancouver +1 (604) 921-1084 Dvorah Hoffman Toronto +1 (416) 398-6779 Sue Jutson Vancouver, B.C. +1 (604) 732-1516

THINGS TO TRY OUT Think about the five or six most important things that, in your opinion, your students need to have mastered in order to relate to a particular subject with ease. If your students have mastered them, think about how you helped them to do that and congratulate yourself heartily. If some of your students havent mastered them, notice whether they show signs of confusion (frowning, hesitation etc.) when they have to work with these areas of your subject. Also notice if they are employing coping strategies such as: intense effort, memory tricks, repetitions, muttered recitations, or fooling around.

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v Canada (continued) Mary Ann Kettlewell London, Ontario +1 (519) 652-0252 Helen McGilivray Oakville/Toronto +1 (905) 464-4798 Carl Nigi Kanata, Ontario +1 (613) 558-7797 Maureen OSullivan Newmarket, Ontario +1 (905) 853-3363 Tina Panaritis Montreal, Quebec +1 (514) 690-9164 Joanna Pellegrino Thunder Bay Ontario +1 (807) 708-4754 Sharon Permack Thornhill, Ontario +1 (905) 882-9292 Bernice Taylor Riverview, NB +1 (506) 871-5674 Tracy Trudell Wallacetown, Ontario +1 (519) 762-2001 Kim J. Willson-Rymer Mississauga, Ontario +1 (905) 825-3153 Cheryl Wood Huntsville, Ontario +1 (705) 783-2763 v China Yvonne Wong Ho Hing Autism Facilitator-Coach Hong Kong +852-6302-5630 Livia Wong Hong Kong +852-2756-6603 v Colombia Laura Zink de Daz Bogot +57 (1) 704-4399 v Costa Rica Maria Elena Guth Blanco San Jose +506 296-4078 Marcela Rodriguez Alajuela +506 442-8090 v Cyprus Alexis Mouzouris Limassol +357 25 382 090 v Denmark Moniek Geven Bryrup +45 7575 7105 v Ecuador Gina Liliana Alvarez Altamirano Ambato +593 (3) 242 4723 Ana Magdalena Espin Vargas Ambato +593 (2) 854 281 Santiago Fernandez Ambato +593 (3) 242 4723 Nora Cristina Garza Daz Ambato +593 (3) 282 5998 Cristina Mariela Lara Salazar Ambato + 593 (2) 854 281 Germania Jissela Ramos Ramos Ambato +593 (3) 242 4723 Ins Gimena Paredes Ros Ambato +593 (2) 854 281

THE DYSLEXIC READER

FINAL THINGS TO TRY OUT Next time you are faced with an area of your subject where you have one or more students who are struggling, see if your students can master that area with the aid of the following: Have your students use a relaxation technique before commencing. Have an agreement that they will tell you straight away if they are confused. If they do report confusion, have them use the relaxation technique again before continuing. Have your students use an energy management technique, so they can slow their pace if they hit something difficult. If necessary, break the skill down into its component skills. If necessary, teach each of the component skills. If they experience confusion over any of these skills, see if you can find out why, and find a solution. Once all component skills are mastered, teach the skill that combines these components. Whenever feasible, prioritise experiential teaching over tricks and memorisation. Have fun!

carrying on, day in, day out, for several years. That is the nearest you can get to how it can feel to be a dyslexic thinker in the first years of schooling. Sooner or later, youll get so frustrated with the situation that youll be desperately seeking out a coping strategy at the very least to keep your self-esteem intact. For instance, you may learn to concentrate, to apply huge mental effort to just getting it right. Or you may teach yourself some memory tricks, or simply learn things by heart by repeating them again and again. Or you may learn to fool around, so you get to be the funny one instead of the stupid one. Whatever you do, there is a problem with these tricks. The world starts to praise you for getting it right. But by learning through tricks, repetition or concentration youve taught yourself not to trust your own mind. This distrust in your innate ability to master something will cause damage. Damage to self-esteem, to the enjoyment of a subject, and to the ease with which it is approached. Whats more, it looks like the solution, because the outside world is now seeing apparent improvement in the person. The Gift of Dyslexia And a Final Key to Bringing All Our Learners Together The gift of dyslexia is the gift of mastery. It is the gift of learning through experience to the point where recall becomes effortless. The gift of so completely grasping something that no further explanation or memorisation is needed. Dyslexic thinkers are imaginative thinkers who excel at explorative learning through seeing and doing. Have you mastered getting dressed? Do you need to think about how to put on your clothes in the morning? Have you mastered driving a car to the point that you can hold leisurely conversations while doing so? How did you get to that stage of mastery? By reading books about how to get dressed, or to drive a car? Or by doing?

THE DYSLEXIC READER

The more explorative we can make our places of learning, the more our dyslexic learners can thrive while we also stimulate the rest of our learners. It is sometimes commented that dyslexic thinkers have good long-term but poor short-term memory. To my mind, its more about whether a dyslexic thinker has experienced something as true or not. In a dyslexic thinker, information that engages with the imagination in this way gets mastered and becomes permanent; while information that doesnt can be gone a minute later (because actually, it wasnt ever really there in the first place). So how do we pull together everything weve learned so that our classrooms become truly friendly to all our learners the at-risk ones, the scholarly ones, the practical ones, the artistic ones, the sporty ones. How do we accommodate all their diverse needs in the single curriculum that we have to teach? Weve found that a classroom geared to nondyslexic learners will not be friendly to dyslexic learners. But a classroom designed to be dyslexiafriendly is not unfriendly to non-dyslexic learners. Such classrooms do not become more slowerpaced, repetitive or less intellectually rigorous. They simply become more experiential, which is the key feature of a dyslexia-friendly learning environment. In dyslexia-friendly classrooms, whenever possible, information gets tested so it can be experienced as true. Teachers are on the lookout for signs of confusion in their learners, and react appropriately. Learners can take responsibility for managing their internal state, using a range of self-management tools. Curricular material is sequentially ordered to maximize certainty and minimize confusion. Whenever possible, material is explored rather than memorized. To illustrate these principles in action, let me paint pictures of two different learning scenarios. Two different classes are studying the word because. In one class, the teacher teaches the children an acrostic: Big Elephants Cannot Always Use Small Entrances. In the other classroom, the teacher places a banana skin on the floor, walks over it and pretends to slip. Why did I slip? he asks the class. Because there was a banana skin there, they reply. The scene is now set to explore the law of cause and effect. If desired, the class can also explore the relationship between this law and the flow of time: Which came first: the person dropping the banana skin or me walking across the floor? If it had been the other way round, would I have slipped? The teacher then asks the children to think up their own sentences with because. Time permitting, the students can then draw, paint or model a cause-and-effect scenario illustrating the word because. Finally, they can add the written word itself to their creation, spell it perhaps forwards and backwards (a good technique for visual-spatial anchoring) and then see how many instances of the word they can find in other written materials. The first teachers lesson was quicker. Yet how many of his students will have fully mastered the word because? The second teachers lesson took more time but also taught the meaning of because. How likely is it that she will have to come back to the word to reinforce it? Not every teaching situation affords us the time to go into such experiential depth around a single word. All teachers have to set priorities for the limited teaching time that they have. But if we have clear insight into the value that experiential mastery brings to a learning process, this insight alone will make us a more precious resource for our learners than we would otherwise be.

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v Estonia Olga Knut Tallinn +372-56-509-840 v Finland Elisabeth Helenelund Borga +358 400 79 54 97 v France Christine Bleus Saint Jean de Gonville/Genve +33 450 56 40 48 Jayne Cooke Barr +33 (0) 3 88 74 06 01 Corinne Couelle Lyon +33 (628) 38 84 41 Jennifer Delrieu Auffargis +33 (01) 34 84 88 30 Franoise Magarian Legny/Lyon +33 (0474) 72 43 13 Carol Nelson Boulogne-Billancourt/Paris +33 (0) 1 49 09 12 33 Odile Puget Segny/Geneve +33 (0) 450 418 267 v Germany/Deutschland Theresia Adler Bannewitz +49 (0351) 40 34 224 Ellen Ebert Ammern +49 (03601) 813-660 Gabriele Doetsch Bad Windsheim +49 (098 41) 688 18 18 Cornelia Garbe Berlin +49 (030) 61 65 91 25 Monika Graf Stuttgart + 49 (711) 538 0033 Astrid Grosse-Mnch Buxtehude +49 (04161) 702 90 70 Christine Heinrich Remseck +49 (0)7146 284 65 60 Sonja Heinrich Supervisor-Specialist DDA-DACH Director Garbsen/Hannover +49 (040) 25 17 86 23 Kirsten Hohage Nrnberg +49 (0911) 54 85 234 Ingrid Huth Berlin +49 (030) 28 38 78 71 Mechtild Hylla Kassel +49 (0561) 602 78 20 Rita Jarrar Mnchen +49 (089) 821 20 30 Randolph Keitel Bhlertal +49 (0) 7556-928845 Inge Koch-Gassmann Buggingen +49 (07631) 23 29 Angelika Kohn Steinheim-Kleinbottwar +49 (07148) 66 08 Marianne Kranzer Knigsfeld +49 (07725) 72 26 Anneliese Kunz-Danhauser Rosenheim +49 (08031) 632 29 Jutta Meissner Stuttgart +49 (711) 882 2106 Margit Pleger Wetter/Dortmund +49 (02335) 84 87 60 Angela Przemus Shnebeck +49 (3928) 845 159 Markus Rauch Freiburg +49 (761) 290 8146

When someone masters something, it becomes a part of that person. It becomes part of the individuals thought and creative process. It adds the quality of its essence to all subsequent thought and creativity of the individual.

Ronald Davis Author, The Gift of Dyslexia and The Gift of Learning.
v

Richard Whitehead offers Davis Learning Strategies Workshops for Primary Teachers throughout the UK. Please visit: www. davislearningfoundation.org. uk/dls.html

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v Germany (continued) Colette Reimann Landshut +49 (0871) 770 994 Brigitte Reinhardt Offenberg +49 (78109) 919 268 Ursula Rittler Stuttgart +49 (0711) 47 18 50 Christiane Rosendahl Dortmund +49 0(231) 75 81 53 02 Phoebe Schafschetzy Hamburg +49 (040) 392 589 Margarethe Schlauch-Agostini Volklingen +49 (0689) 844 10 40 Gabriela Scholter Supervisor-Specialist Autism Facilitator-Coach Autism Training Supervisor Stuttgart +49 (0711) 578 28 33 Sylvia Schurak Garlipp +49 (0) 39 32 44 82 Carmen Stappenbacher Gundelsheim +49 (0951) 917 19 10 Beate Tiletzek Waldkraiburg +49 (08638) 88 17 89 Andrea Toloczyki Havixbeck/Mnster +49 (02507) 57 04 84 Ioannis Tzivanakis Specialist Trainer Workshop Presenter DDA-DACH Director Berlin +49 (030) 66 30 63 17 Ulrike von Kutzleben-Hausen Deisslingen +49 (07420) 33 46 Dr. Angelika Weidemann Ulm +49 (0731) 931 46 46 Gabriele Wirtz Stuttgart +49 (711) 55 17 18 v Greece Evagelia ApostolopoulouArmaos Patras +30 (261) 062 21 22 Zoe Deliakidou Thessaloniki +30 (231) 054 0008 or +30 6934 662438 Theano Panagiotopoulou Athens +30 (21) 111 953 50 Irma Vierstra-Vourvachakis Rethymnon/Crete +30 283105 8201 or 69766 40292 v Iceland slaug sgeirsdttir Mosfellsbaer +354 861-2537 Gigja Baldursdottir Reykjavik +354 562 2840 Sigrn Jnina Baldursdttir Snaefellsbae +354 586 8180 Gudrn Benediktsdttir Hafnarfirdi +354 545 0103 or +354 822 0910 Gudbjrg Emilsdttir DLS Mentor Kpavogur +354 554 3452

THE DYSLEXIC READER

not part of the Davis Program or how we look at things. We do not try to change handedness, or anything else that would alter the natural learning style of the individual. Rather than to attempt to change the way a persons brain works, our approach focuses on recognizing the learning strengths that accompany dyslexia, and providing learning tools and strategies that make use of those strengths.

by Abigail Marshall

Mixed Dominance?
Q: My son has symptoms of dyslexia and weve been home schooling him for a few years. At first we tried a program that recommended occluding his left ear and eye for 2 hours a day, and using his right hand. Later, the therapist had us switch my sons dominance to the left side and use a sight word approach to reading. Recently I did the Davis Perceptual Ability Assessment with my son. I like the idea of working with clay, and Id like to use the Davis method with him. Although his handwriting is poor with either hand, my son would like to go back being right handed. What do you think? And, by the way, why do you use clay rather than play dough? A: We use plasticene clay because of the texture. Play dough is not durable enough for the modeling we do. We want a firm clay that can be used to build models of people, animals and objects like tables that can stand up. Play dough generally is too soft for that. We also want a clay that can be reused and remolded without drying

The only time we deal with handedness is when we determine whether the individual is right or left handed during the Perceptual Ability Assessment. We need that information in order to establish which hand should hold the cake, and which should be used for moving the mind's eye with the finger tip. I would suggest that you go with your sons preference for that. If he prefers his right hand, then the cake should be in his left hand.

Phonics?
Q: I was using a sight word approach to reading with my son, but he was bored by the materials we used. We switched to a phonics program thats more fun. My son reads at a second grade level but in the last year his level has only improved by one month. He can spell words correctly on a test. He can also write a story on his own, but his spelling in that context is terrible. Id like to try Davis, but am not sure about whether we should continue with the phonics. A: The Davis approach is not really a "sight word" approach to reading, even though at first glance it might seem that way. Traditional approaches for sight words often emphasize rote memory, using word lists, flash cards, or written worksheet. The repetition involved can seem boring, and such techniques can be frustrating for dyslexics, who typically have a difficult time recalling words when they see them in a different context. With Davis Symbol Mastery, the child focuses simultaneously on the three parts of a word: what it means, what it looks like, and how the whole word sounds. The clay modeling adds a tactile and kinesthetic component to the visual aspects of letter recognition. Although the Davis trigger word list is very similar to many common sight word lists, the approach is geared to building multiple mental connections that will lead to

Rather than to attempt to change the way a persons brain works, our approach focuses on recognizing the learning strengths that accompany dyslexia, and providing learning tools and strategies that make use of those strengths.

out or losing its plasticity, so parents dont have to buy new clay over the months as their student models all of the letters and words. I suspect the advice you have been getting is based on the idea that your son's problems are the result of "mixed" dominance. That theory is

THE DYSLEXIC READER

instant and effortless recognition of words that have been mastered. Because of the creativity involved with clay modeling, your son should find it fun and engaging. Our work does not involve phonetic soundingout strategies, but if your son enjoys the game-based program you are using, it should not present a problem. Our advice would be different if your son was frustrated or reluctant. Anything that causes frustration can also increase disorientation, and undermine a child's motivation if he feels he is struggling, working hard and getting nowhere. But if he's having fun and enjoying himself, chances are good that hes benefiting in some way, even if it isn't clearly improving his skill level. If nothing else, it will increase his confidence and enjoyment of reading again, as long as it is fun and he feels that he is succeeding with the games.

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Dont feel that you have to get everything done in a week. It is seldom realistic to try to fit in a full day of Davis when working at home.

or seems to have difficulty with the Perceptual Ability Assessment, you should instead follow the instructions for Alignment. If you are following instructions for Orientation, you will notice that you should not move on to Fine Tuning until 2 or 3 days later. In the meantime, you can begin any of the other Davis exercises, as long as you do them in the proper order. That is, you and your child should model the upper case alphabet before doing anything else in clay. Then move on to modeling the lower case letters. Begin modeling words only after the alphabet is mastered. You can also introduce the Koosh ball exercise before Fine Tuning, tossing the balls back and forth to get the hang of tossing and catching. (Sometimes parents need practice with that part of the exercise too, to improve their aim.) But you should not have your child attempt the part of the exercise that requires him to stand on one foot until after you have completed the Fine Tuning However, do not try to combine the phonics work with Davis at the same time. In other words, procedure. Dont feel that you have to get everything don't practice sounding-out strategies while done in a week. It is seldom realistic to try to fit doing the Davis reading exercises, or during Symbol Mastery, because the combination would in a full day of Davis when working at home. And keep in mind that until children are able be confusing for your son. The Davis reading to reliably orient themselves, their perceptions exercises should only be practiced for 10-20 may not be accurate, so they need the tool of minutes a day at most, so for a home schooling Orientation or Alignment to do the other Davis family there is plenty of time to fit in different activities. If you read the instructions carefully, reading activities during the course of a day. you will see that the Orientation or Alignment step is built into every other activity. This means that you will be using Orientation or Alignment First Things First and the Davis tool of Release while detriggering Q: I just bought a Davis Symbol Mastery Deluxe the alphabet, during word mastery, and as part Kit and have a question. Do I do the Orientation/ of the process for the reading and Koosh ball exercises. Alignment Procedure first, or do I start with the symbols? A: You will need to do Orientation or Alignment first. You should follow the instructions in the book, The Gift of Dyslexia, and proceed in the order described in the book. First do the Perceptual Ability Assessment, to find out whether your child is comfortable moving his mind's eye. If he is comfortable moving his minds eye, follow the instructions for Orientation Counseling. If your child is confused

v Iceland (continued) Hlmfridur Gudmundsdttir Gardabae +354 895-0252 Ingibjrg Ingolfsdttir Mosfellsbaer +354 899-2747 Sigrn Jensdttir Mosfellsbaer +354 897 4437 Valgerdur Jnsdttir Kpavogur +354 863 2005 Sturla Kristjansson Hafnarfjordur +354 862 0872 Jon Einar Haraldsson Lambi Akureyri +354 867 1875 sta Olafsdttir Vopnafjordur +354 473-1164 Thorbjrg Sigurdardttir Reykjavk +354 698 7213 Kolbeinn Sigurjonsson Mosfellsbaer +354 566 6664 Hugrn Svavarsdttir Mosfellsbr +354 698-6465 v India Kalpita Patel Rajkot, Gujarat +91 (281) 244 2071 Carol Ann Rodrigues Mumbai +91 (22) 2667 3649 or +91 (22) 2665 0174 v Ireland Veronica Bayly Dublin +353 (86) 226 354 Anne Marie Beggs Old Portmarnock +353 (86) 239-1545 Paula Horan Mullingar +353 44 934 1613 Sister Antoinette Keelan Dublin +353 (01) 884 4996 v Israel Luba Alibash Ramat Hasharon/Tel Aviv +972 (052) 272 9532 Goldie Gilad Kfar Saba/Tel Aviv +972 (09) 765 1185 Judith Schwarcz Supervisor-Specialist Raanana/Tel Aviv +972 (09) 772 9888 v Italy Stefania Bruno Nuoro, Sardinia +39 (388) 933 2486 Elisa De Felice Roma +39 (06) 507 3570 Antonella Deriu Nuoro, Sardinia +32 059 32 96 Piera Angiola Maglioli Occhieppo Inferiore/Biella +39 (015) 259 3080 Sabina Mansutti Tricesimo Udine +39 (349) 272 0307

(continued on the next page)

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v Italy (continued) Alessandro Taiocchi Settimo Milanese +39 (333) 443 7368 Silvia Walter Firenze +39 (055) 22 86 481 Rafaella Zingerle Corvara In Badia +39 (0471) 836 959 v Kenya Alia Qamar Abbas Nairobi Manisha Shah Nairobi +254 (0) 721 492 217 v Luxembourg Nadine Roeder Luxembourg +352 691 30 0296 v Lebanon Samar Riad Saab Beirut +961 3 700 206 v Malaysia Hilary Craig Kuala Lumpur +60 (36) 201 55 95 v Mexico Silvia B. Arana Garca Mexico, D.F. +52 (55) 5540-7205 Cathy Caldern de la Barca Davis Workshop Presenter Mxico D.F. +52 (55) 5540-7205 Mara Silvia Flores Salinas DDA Director Supervisor Specialist Garza Garca Monterrey NL +52 (81) 8378 61 75 Alejandra Garcia Medina Huixquilucan +52 (55) 1085 5608l Maria Lourdes Gutirrez Mexico D.F. +52 (555) 593 18 22 Hilda Fabiola Herrera Cantu Culiacan, Sinaloa +52 81 6677 15 01 19 Laura Lammoglia Tampico, Tamaulipas +52 (833) 213 4126 Maria Cristina Lopez-Araiza Gonzalez Mxico, D.F. +52 (55) 5536 5889 Ana Elena Payro Ogarrio Corregidora, Queretaro +55 442 228 1264 Ana Menndez Porrero Puebla +52 (222) 750 76 42 Lucero Palafox de Martin Autism Facilitator/Coach Veracruz +52 (229) 935 1302 Magarita Saucedo Alvarez Icaza Mxico, DF +52 (55) 3538 5240 Lydia Gloria Vargas Garza Garca Monterrey NL +52 (81) 8242 0666 Mauro Salvador Villagomez Santana Celaya Guanajuato +52 (461) 614 9892

THE DYSLEXIC READER

gaining experience with using the point to get oriented. Right now she has spent most of her 15 years being disoriented frequently, so thats what feels normal for her. When it becomes more Q: My fifteen-year-old daughter and I just habitual for her to stay on point, she will become completed Orientation Counseling, following more sensitive to the feeling of being off point. the instructions in The Gift of Dyslexia. I read It will help if your daughter gets in the habit of straight from the book, and made sure that she checking her point whenever she feels confused demonstrated an understanding of the minds or is making errors at home or in school. The eye and the orientation point. Everything was daily Koosh ball practice will also help. going just as described in the book until we got You will find examples of models of many to Step 5: Practicing Using Orientation. Since she trigger words at www.symbolmastery.com. Keep is reading a novel for school, I asked her to read in mind that the models at that website are only aloud from it. She noticed when she misread a ideas. The goal is to involve your daughters word, but had no awareness that her minds eye creativity in the Symbol Mastery process, not moved off the orientation point. What have we to copy someone elses example. Personal done incorrectly? Also, how does one go about thinking up 3D ways of defining the trigger words creativity is integral to achieving mastery. There really is no difference between what in clay? Do you have pictures of suggestions for a teenager may model as opposed to a younger how to illustrate these words in clay? child or older adult. She might come up with more sophisticated ideas than a young child A: First of all, you've done a great job so far! would, but the simplest idea is often the best. It's wonderful that you are able to work The degree to which she enjoys or has talent for effectively to help your teenage daughter. clay modeling will also influence the complexity You are doing things right. It will just take time and practice before your daughter is able to of her models. Some people like to produce a detailed work of art with every model, but its recognize the feeling of her mind's eye moving, entirely appropriate to make simple models, as opposed to simply recognizing the mistake. How long this takes varies from person to person consisting of objects or animals that are easy to sculpt. v there is no set time. It's simply a matter of

Practice Makes Closer to Perfect

Famous Dyslexics
Cliff Snell, III
From early childhood Cliff was a gifted artist, winning notable awards as early as the age of six. This early display of skill earned him admission to schools for the artistically gifted, and ultimately gained him exposure to a wide variety of mediums, techniques and instructors throughout his childhood and school years. As an adult, Cliff's business art became popular and is very extensive. His work spans 16 years and is featured on millions of custom labels and brochures, as well as on exclusive signs, logos and packaging designs, web development, art carpentry and specialty marketing materials. Cliff also works as a fine artist. His romantic surrealism has developed quite a following. He maintains an internationally visited Facebook page and currently has over 38,000 followers (speaking over 30 languages!). Cliff is dyslexic. Our readers may recall reading an article by his wife, Elisabeth Snell, published in the first issue of The Dyslexic Reader in 2010. The title was I Know, Lets Put All Our Great Thinkers in a Box Stamped Learning Disabled, and it decried the way dyslexic students are treated in schools. Cliff has posted a video on YouTube about his work, and how the gift of dyslexia has contributed to his success. If youd like to watch his video, youll find it at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3opw746FSw. You can also see Cliffs artwork at his website, http://www.cliffsnell.com/ and at his Facebook page, where he displays his most recent work: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cliff-Snell-III-fairytale-surrealistartist/245993552077 v

Davis Dyslexia Association Bookstore

Books & Tools for Doing it on Your Own
Davis Symbol Mastery Kit
Contains everything needed to do Davis Symbol Mastery: A manual in checklist format, 117-minute instructional DVD, laminated alphabet strip, letter recognition cards, dictionary, grammar book, punctuation booklet, pronunciation key cards, and clay all in a sturdy nylon shoulder bag. Suitable for working with students of any age.

Davis Young Learner Kit for Home-Use

Provides parents with the instructions and materials needed to provide 5-7 year olds with effective and fun learning strategies for improving prereading and language arts skills.

Symbol Mastery Kit $139.95

Young Learner Kit for Home-Use $129.95

DVD/Audio CD/Software
I Can Do It The Confidence to Learn
Teachers, parents, school administrators, and students speak about the many benefits of using Davis Learning Strategies at Vale Elementary School in Oregon. DVD: $9.00 (running time: 12 min.)

Dyslexia The Gift

This documentary introduces the concepts and methods in The Gift of Dyslexia. Viewers of all ages will find the interviews and animated sequences highly informative and entertaining.

Video or DVD $39.95

ReadOn Interactive Software

A comprehensive learning tool, designed to assist people of all ages learn to read or overcome reading problems associated with dyslexia. Operating Systems: Windows 98, ME, NT4 (SP 6), Win2000, XP Languages: English only

Gift of Dyslexia Audio CD Set

This 4 CD set contains full narration of The Gift of Dyslexia, read by author Ron Davis.

4-CD Set $29.95 $39.95

Software $195.00
Unlocking the Power of Dyslexia A 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 Program This documentary film provides an excellent overview of Facilitators at work with Davis clients,explains how dyslexics think and perceive, what causes dyslexia, and what occurs during and after a Davis Program. DVD: $8.00 (Run time: 18 minutes) Davis Dyslexia Correction Orientation Procedures This detailed instructional DVD provides demonstrations of each of the Davis procedures for assessment and orientation described in The Gift of Dyslexia and The Gift of Learning. These methods help focus attention, eliminate perceptual confusion, improve physical coordination, and control energy levels. DVD: $85.00 Davis Symbol Mastery and Reading Exercises Features 27 examples of Facilitators and clients using the Davis Symbol Mastery Kit and practicing the Davis Reading Exercises. Included are mastering the alphabet, punctuation marks, pronunciation, and words; and reading exercises to build visual tracking and whole word recognition skills, and to improve reading fluency and comprehension. (This DVD is included with Davis Symbol Mastery Kit) DVD: $85.00

NEW!
The Gift of Dyslexia: Why Some of the Smartest People Cant Read and How They Can Learn
(Revised and Updated 2010 edition) $15.95 Softcover Features a new Foreword by Dr. Linda Silverman and two new chapters on Davis methods for correcting Dyslexia.

Davis Symbol Mastery Deluxe Kit

Provides additional materials for implementing the Davis methods that address disorientation, build attention focus, and improve balance and coordination. Includes everything in the regular Symbol Mastery Kit plus: The Gift of Dyslexia-Classic Edition Deluxe Kit Manual Davis Orientation Procedures DVD Two Koosh Balls

Deluxe Kit $219.95

SUPPLEMENT PAGE A2

THE DYSLEXIC READER

BOOKS FOR CREATIVE LEARNING

The Gift of Learning
by Ronald D. Davis, Eldon M. Braun Expands the Davis Methods with theories and correction procedures that address the three basic areas of learning disability other than reading, which children and adults experience.
The Gift of Dyslexia Classic Edition by Ronald Davis, Eldon Braun Explains the theories behind Davis Dyslexia Correction methods, and details basic procedures in an easy-to-follow, scripted format. Large type, illustrations and photos make this book dyslexic-friendly.
The Right Mind: Making Sense of the Hemispheres Explores how our brain hemispheres work together to make sense of language and accomplish other tasks. Softcover $8.40 $12.00

Softcover $13.95 $15.95

Attention Deficit Disorder: A Different Perception by Thom Hartmann Explores the benefits of an A.D.D. mind, and provides good reasons for distractable people to celebrate their creative thinking style. REVISEDEDITION Softcover $8.50 $12.00 Beyond ADD: Hunting for Reasons in the Past & Present by Thom Hartmann Explore a variety of theories as to why ADD has become so prevalent in modern society, and solutions related to many of the theories. Softcover $9.10 $12.95 In the Minds Eye by Thomas West An in-depth look at the connections between creative ability, visual thinking, and academic learning difficulties. Explores the minds of famous dyslexics from Einstein to Churchill. Hardcover $20.00 $29.00

Softcover $9.50 $15.95

You Dont Have to be Dyslexic El Don de la Dislexia The Gift of Dyslexia in Spanish. Newly revised with additional chapters, illustrations and photographs. Published in Spain by Editex Softcover $28.95 Smart But Stuck: What Every Therapist Needs to Know About Learning Disabilities and Imprisoned Intelligence by Myrna Orenstein, Ph.D. Deals largely with ndiagnosed learning disabilities in adults. Softcover $13.95 $19.95 Strong-Willed Child or Dreamer? by Dana Spears & Ron Braund A must for parents of children who are imaginative,sensitive, moody, stubborn, and compassionate. Softcover $9.25 $12.99 Teaching Kids with Learning Difficulties in the Regular Classroom Find proven and powerful strategies and techniques to help any student become a successful learner. Softcover $29.50 $36.95 The Myth of the ADD Child by Thomas Armstrong, Ph.D. Essential for any parent of an active child. Detailed profiles of behavior patterns are keyed to suggested strategies for getting each child on track, without drugs or coercion. Softcover $11.00 $15.00 Everything Parents Guide To Children With Dyslexia: All You Need To Ensure Your Childs Success by Abigail Marshall A must read for every parent who knows or suspects their child has dyslexia. Softcover $13.45 $14.95 by Dr. Joan Smith Case histories illustrate a useful and easy-to-use collection of assessment methods, skill-building exercises, and learning strategies geared to the dyslexic learning style. Softcover $15.95

Getting The Horse To Drink: How To Motivate Unmotivated Students by Suzanne H. Stevens Practical teaching strategies for motivating students who have lost all interest in academic achievement. Softcover $9.95

The Secret Life of the Dyslexic Child: How She Thinks, How He Feels, How They Can Succeed by Robert Frank, Ph.D. with Kathryn Livingston Full of gentle advice and practical suggestions for parents to help build self-esteem and confidence. Softcover $10.50 $14.95

Learning Outside the Lines: Two Ivy League Students with Learning Disabilities and ADHD Give You the Tools for Academic Success and Educational Revolution by Jonathan Mooney & David Cole Softcover $9.80 $14.00 Learning How to Learn: Getting Into and Surviving College When You Have a Learning Disability by Joyanne Cobb Softcover $13.25 $18.95

The Everything Sign Language Book by Irene Duke The Language that lets you talk with your hands and listen with your eyes. More than 300 easy-to -follow illustrations, including expressions, songs, emotions, ASL alphabet, money, and time. Softcover $10.50 $14.95

THE DYSLEXIC READER

SUPPLEMENT PAGE A3

AUTISM BOOKS
Understanding Controversial Therapies For Children with Autism, ADD and Other Learning Disabilities
by Lisa Kurtz

The Everything Parents Guide to Children with Autism: Know What to Expect, Find the Help You Need, and Get Through the Day
by Adelle Jameson Tilton

A Parents Guide to Asperger Syndrome & High Functioning Autism

by Sally Ozonoff, Geraldine Dawson and James McPartland

Softcover: 17.95 $19.95 A comprehensive guide to just about every outside-the-box therapy you might run across, and then some. An absolutely essential reference for anyone who wants to know and explore available options

Softcover: $13.45 $14.95 From finding support groups to planning for their child's future, this book provides parents with all the information they need to ensure that their child's and their families needs are met. Ten Things Every Child With Autism Wishes You Knew
by Ellen Notbohm

Softcover: $13.25 $14.95 An indispensable guide packed with real-life success stories, practical problem-solving ideas, and matterof-fact advice.

All Cats have Asperger Syndrome

By Kathy Hoopman

Born on a Blue Day

by Daniel Tammet First-person account of living with synesthesia and savantism, a rare form of Aspergers syndrome

Insightful and humorous look at the Asperger Syndrome, especially endearing for cat lovers. $10.50 $14.95 Hardcover

A must have for parents to read and share. Provides the insight needed to better understand, love and support an autistic family member Softcover $10.50 $14.95

Softcover $9.80 $14.00

REFERENCE BOOKS
Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools You Should Know About Even If Youre Not a Straight-A Student
by Loren Pope Softcover $10.50 $14.00

MATH BOOKS
Yes You Can! Help Your Kid Succeed in Math Even if You Think You Cant
by Jean Bullard & Louise Oborne Advice for parents and strategies for overcoming math anxiety and other barriers to learning. Softcover $18.00

The Hate to Write But Have To Writers Guide

by Jim Evers Practical tips and guidelines help visual thinkers improve their writing skills. Softcover $5.00 $9.95

Barrons Mathematics Study Dictionary

by Frank Tapson Comprehensive definitions and explanations of mathematical terms, organized by concept. Geared to ages 10 to adult. Softcover $14.99

Homework Without Tears: A Parents Guide for Motivating Children to do Homework and to Succeed in School?
by Lee Canter &Lee Hausner, Ph.D. Detailed, step-by-step approach to turning the responsibility of homework over to your children. Hardcover $9.95 $13.95 Gabby's Wordspeller $25.95 Softcover
How do you find a word in the dictionary if you have no idea how to spell it? With this book! Lets you look up words by their phonetic spelling to find its correct spelling. by Diane Frank

Math-a-pedia: A visual
mathematical reference for intermediate students
Math-a-pedia: Intermediate Hardcover $34.95 each

Math-a-pedia: Primary Hardcover $24.95 each

Ultimate Visual Dictionary

by Dorling Kindersley Publishing

Math on Call
by Andrew Kaplan, Math at Hand et al by Great Source Softcover Education Group Staff $17.00 $23.00 Softcover $17.00 $23.00

(672 pages) Hardcover $32.00 $39.95

KIDS CORNER
Bumperly Bumper Bee
$12.75 Hardcover A beautifully illustrated story of a bee with challenges, whose talents help him prevail. A great tale of tolerance, understanding, friendship and achievement for ages 4 - 8. by Michael D. Davis

How to Read Music by Roger Evans Fundamentals of Musical Notation Made Easy Softcover $7.95 $11.95

Charlies Challenge
by Ann Root & Linda Gladden This richly illustrated story offers a positive view and encouraging news for youngsters struggling in school. Geared to ages 5-9. Softcover $13.45 $14.95

SUPPLEMENT PAGE A4

THE DYSLEXIC READER

How To Order
Mail: DDAI 1601 Old Bayshore Hwy. #260 Burlingame, CA 94010 Fax: 1-650-692-7075 Phone: Toll free 1-888-999-3324 Local 1-650-692-7141 Online: www.dyslexia.com/bookstore

ORDER FORM
ITEM DESCRIPTION UNIT PRICE QTY TOTAL DAVIS DYSLEXIA MATERIALS Unlocking the Power of Dyslexia DVD . . . . . . . . . . $8.00 Davis Dyslexia Correction Program DVD . . . . . . . . .$8.00 Davis Orientation Procedures DVD. . . . . . . . . . . . . $85.00 Symbol Mastery & Reading Exercises DVD . . . . . . $85.00 I Can Do ItThe Confidence to Learn DVD . . . . . . .$9.00 The Gift of Dyslexia 2010 Edition . . .. . . . . .NEW!. $15.95 .... The Gift of Dyslexia Classic Edition .LOWER . . . . . . .$9.50 . .. . . . PRICE! The Gift of Learning . . . . . . . . . . . .LOWER .PRICE!. $13.95 ..... .... Dyslexia-the Gift Video (Specify: VHS or DVD . ). . . . $39.95 Gift of Dyslexia Audio CD Set . . . . .LOWER. PRICE! $29.95 ..... ..... Symbol Mastery Kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$139.95 Symbol Mastery Deluxe Kit . . . . . . . . . . . .NEW!.$219.95 .... Gift of Dyslexia - Spanish Edition . . . . . . . . . . . . .$28.95 OTHER BOOKS FOR REFERENCE & LEARNING All Cats have Asperger Syndrome . . . . . . $10.50 .$14.95 ...... ADD: A Different Perception . . . . . . . . . . . $8.50 . .$9.95 ..... Barrons Math Dictionary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$14.99 Beyond ADD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $9.10 .$12.95 ..... Born on a Blue Day . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $9.80 .$14.00 ..... Bumperly Bumper Bee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $12.75 .$15.95 ...... Charlies Challenge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $13.45 .$14.95 ...... Checking Your Grammar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$8.99 Colleges That Change Lives . . . . . . . . . . $10.50 .$14.00 ...... Everything Parents Guide To Autism . . . . $13.45 .$14.95 ...... Everything Parents Guide To Dyslexia . . . $13.45 .$14.95 ...... The Everything Sign Language Book . . . . . . $10.50 .$14.95 ...... Gabby's Wordspeller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$25.95 Getting The Horse To Drink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$9.95 Hate to Write But Have To Writers Guide . . . $5.00. .$9.95 ..... Homework Without Tears . . . . . . . . . . . . . $9.95 .$13.95 ..... How to Read Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $7.95 .$11.95 ..... In the Minds Eye . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $20.00 .$29.00 ...... Learning How to Learn-Revised . . . . . . . $13.25 .$18.95 ...... Learning Outside the Lines . . . . . . . . . . . . $9.80 .$14.00 ..... Math-a-pedia: Intermediate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$34.95 Math-a-pedia: Primary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$24.95 Math On Call . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $17.00 .$23.00 ...... Math On Hand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $17.00 .$23.00 ...... Myth of the ADD Child . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $11.00 .$15.00 ...... Parents Guide to Asperger Autism . . . . . $13.25 .$18.95 ...... Ten Things Every Child With Autism Wishes . . . . . . .$14.95 $10.50 The Right Mind . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $8.40 .$12.00 ..... The Secret Life of The Dyslexic Child . . . . . . $10.50 .$14.95 ...... Smart But Stuck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $13.95 .$19.95 ...... Strong-Willed Child or Dreamer? . . . . . . . $9.25 .$12.99 ..... Teaching Kids with Learning Difficulties . . . . . $29.50 .$36.95 ...... Ultimate Visual Dictionary . . . . . . . . . . . . $32.00 .$39.95 ...... Understanding Controversial Therapies . . . .$17.95 .$19.95 ...... Websters New World Childrens Dictionary . . . . . .$17.95 Yes You Can! Help Your Kid Succeed in Math . . . .$18.00 You Dont Have to Be Dyslexic . . . . . . . . $15.95 .$19.95 ...... OTHER ITEMS ReadOn Interactive Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$195.00 Young Learner Kit for Home Use . . . . . . . . . . . . .$129.95 Subtotal $ _________.____ Less 10% for DDAI Members $ _________.____ Subtotal $ _________.____ CA Sales Tax (CA residents only) Subtotal x 0.0925 $ _________.____ *Shipping $ _________.____ Total for books/materials $ _________.____ DDAI Membership (includes newsletter subscription) 1 year - $50 2 year - $80 $ _______.____ (Canada/Mexico add $5/yr Newsletter Subscription Only Other countries 1 year - $25 2 year - $40 $ _______.____ add $10/yr) GRAND TOTAL $ _______.____ US Shipping Costs *Kits & videos ship UPS to street addresses only; Book Total First Class NO Post Office Box delivery
Up to $20.00 $20.01 - $40.00 $40.01 - $60.00 $60.01 & above $9.50 $11.50 $22.00 $26.00

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THE DYSLEXIC READER

PAGE 15
v Netherlands Liesbeth Berg-Schagen Vleuten +31 (030) 604-9601 Manja Bloemendal Den Haag +31 (70) 345 5252 Ineke Blom Dorpstraat +31 (020) 436-1484 Lot Blom Utrecht +31 (030) 271 0005 Trudy Borst Best (Near Eindhoven) +31 (0499) 471 198 Doreth Broenink Nieuw-Vennep +31 (252) 680 667 Lieneke Charpentier Nieuwegein +31 (030) 60 41 539 Hester Cnossen Veghel +31 (495) 641 920 Anja Derksen-Merken Heel +31 (06) 17 38 34 45 Aline de Bruijn Sliedrecht +31 (18) 441 5341 Judith de Haan Heiloo (Near Alkmaar) +31 (63) 078 6483 Mine de Ranitz Driebergen +31 (0343) 521 348 Christien De Smit DLS Mentor Sluis +31 (0117) 461 963 Marijke Eelkman Rooda-Bos Gouda +31 (0182) 517-316 Jolien Fokkens Beilen +31 (0593) 540 141 Ina Gaus Santpoort-Zuid +31 (023) 538-3927 Jola Geldermans Beverwijk +31 (0251) 210 607 Perola Goncalves Mara Hoop +31 (06) 33 79 63 44 Jan Gubbels Maastricht +31 (043) 36 39 999 Maril Heijen Landgraaf +31 (6) 4965 1754 Judith Holzapfel Deventer +31 (0570) 619 553 Mia Jenniskens Eindhoven +31 (040) 245 9458 Trudy Joling Laren +31 (035) 531 00 66 Marie Koopman Bilthoven +31 (030) 228 4014 Carry Kuling Heemstede +31 (0235) 287 782 Edith Kweekel-Gldi Soest +31 (035) 601 0611 Imelda Lamaker Hilversum +31 (035) 621 7309 Irma Lammers Boxtel +31 (411) 68 56 83 Sjan Melsen Arnhem +31 (026) 442 69 98

Recent Recommendations from The Lazy Reader Book Club

By Danny Brassell and Laura Zink de Diaz, Davis Facilitator in Bogot Colombia Each month I receive an email from Danny Brassell, founder of The Lazy Readers Book Club. It contains with a list of books he recommends for reluctant readers or for those who just dont have time for much reading. (He knows were not lazy, just busy or in need of encouragement!) Dannys recommendations are always organized into categories: AD, for adults; YA, for young adults; CH, for childrens books. He always lists a page count and some brief comments, as below. Danny usually posts about 10 recommendations per month, three or four per category. Heres a sampling of Dannys recent recommendations in the Childrens category. You can read lots more recommendations at the Lazy Readers website, www.lazyreaders. com. There youll find Dannys picks, updated monthly, and archives of past selections by month, reading level, and page count enough recommendations for a lifetime of reading! You can also sign up for monthly book alerts, while youre browsing. If you purchase books at Amazon.com through links at the Lazy Readers website, Bookends (www.bookends. org) will receive a donation. (Bookends is a nonprofit organization devoted to increasing childrens access to books, as well as community service awareness.)

Bedtime for Mommy by Amy Krouse Rosenthal CH - 32 pages Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's Books ISBN-10: 1599903415 ISBN-13: 978-1599903415 In this delightful role reversal, a little girl tries to get her Mommy to go to bed, despite Mommys protests to stay up later. Any parent will be tickled, and kids get a kick out of the story and LeUyen Phams illustrations.
(continued on the next page)

PAGE 16
v Netherlands (continued) Cinda Musters Amsterdam +31 (20) 330-78 08 Bert Neele Melick +31 (61) 259 8802 Marianne Oosterbaan Zeist +31 (030) 691 7309 Fleur van de Polder-Paton Schiedam +31 (010) 471 58 67 Guido Peerboom Eijsden / Maastricht +31 (62) 155 2959 Petra Pouw-Legne DLS Nederlands Director DLS Mentor-Trainer Mentor-Presenter Beek +31 (046) 437 4907 Karin Rietberg Holten +31 (548) 364 286 Lydia Rogowski Wijnberg Helmond +31 (0492) 513 169 Hanneke Schoemaker Wageningen +31 (0317) 412 437 Ilse Schreuder Aalzum/Dokkum +31 (051) 922-0315 Silvia Jolanda Sikkema DLS Mentor Drachten +31 (0512) 538 815 Suzan Sintemaartensdijk Akersloot +31 (25) 131-26 62 Marja Steijger Amstel +31 (020) 496 52 53 Robin Temple Specialist Trainer Workshop Presenter DDA Director Maria Hoop +31 (0475) 302 203 Romina Toroz Utrecht +31 (61) 280-1821 Marieke Uiterwijk Leiden +31 (06) 45 911 913 Mieke van Delden Leek +31 (059) 4514985 Agnes van den Homberg-Jacobs America Limburg +31 (077) 464 23 22 Annette van der Baan Amsterdam +31 (020) 420-5501 Annemarie van Hof Utrecht +31 (030) 65 86 700 Mieke Verhallen Mierlo +31 (492) 43 05 04 Lia Vermeulen Huizen +31 (062) 3671530 Mary Verspaget Almere +31 6 53 797 197 Christien Vos Autism Facilitator/Coach Tolbert +31 (0594) 511 607 Lucie Wauben-Cruts Elsloo +31 (046) 437 0329 Gerda Witte-Kuijs Heerhugowaard +31 (072) 571 3163 Elisabeth Weterings-Gaaikema Al Harkstede + 31 (623) 045 369

THE DYSLEXIC READER

One by Kathryn Otoshi CH -32 pages Publisher: KO Kids Books ISBN-10: 0972394648 ISBN-13: 978-0972394642 A good friend recommended this simple yet moving book about how all it takes is one brave soul to stand up to bullying. I use this book with business executives interested in team-building. Great for teaching preschoolers colors and numbers, as well.

Library Lion By Michelle Knudsen CH - 48 pages Publisher: Candlewick ISBN-10: 0763622621 ISBN-13: 978-0763622626 This is a MUST purchase. I love books that promote libraries, and I cherish touching books about friendship. This book delivers both, as a librarys patrons come to love a lion who treasures the library. My favorite part is when the resentful Mr. McBee seeks out the lion to cheer up Miss Merriweather, head librarian and rule aficionado. Beautiful illustrations, courtesy of Kevin Hawkes.

Joha Makes a Wish By Eric A. Kimmel CH - 40 pages Publisher: Marshall Cavendish Children's Books ISBN-10: 076145599X ISBN-13: 978-0761455998 Kimmels adaptation of a classic Middle Eastern tale of a man who finds a magic stick, only to deal with one curse after another, is sure to entertain young readers. Omar Rayyans illustrations are magnificent, and my own children giggle at his beautiful illustration of the donkey that poor Joha winds up carrying on his back to Baghdad. Wonderful come-uppance for the greedy Sultan makes this a favorite.

Animal Fair By Ponder Goembel CH - 24 pages Publisher: Marshall Cavendish Children's Books ISBN-10: 0761456422 ISBN-13: 978-0761456421 This book has touched my heart, as my son Sean sings the song lyrics that accompany Goembels magnificent illustrations. This is the first book Sean has mastered on his own, and I love watching him and my daughter Kate compete to see who can read the song first.

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PAGE 17

Turning Children Into Data by Alfie Kohn

Reviewed by Laura Zink de Diaz

Pick a Pumpkin, Mrs. Millie By Judy Cox CH 32 pages Publisher: Marshall Cavendish Corp/Ccb ISBN-10: 0761455736 ISBN-13: 978-0761455738 Judy Cox has created a wonderful series of wordplay books featuring the silly Mrs. Millie, whose students always have to correct her gaffes, from looking for orange pumas (instead of pumpkins) to carving geckolanterns (instead of jack-o-lanterns). A great book for involving kids in the story.

Frankie Stein By Lois M. Schaefer CH 32 pages Publisher: Marshall Cavendish Children's Books ISBN-10: 0761456082 ISBN-13: 978-0761456087 My own kids love this story about Mr. and Mrs. Frankensteins new son, Frankie, who just happens to becute! Their repeated efforts to make him scary fail until Frankie appears as his own cute self, making him the scariest Stein of all to the Steins. Great illustrations by Kevan Atteberry, and a read aloud that scores laughs on almost every page.

Ill start by stating right up front that Alfie Kohn is one of my educational heroes. Time describes him as "perhaps the country's most outspoken critic of education's fixation on grades [and] test scores." Id say it in fewer words: hes a major voice of reason in education. And theres so much irrationality in education today, his voice is very much needed. His latest article is Turning Children Into Data, A Skeptic's Guide to Assessment Programs. I recommend that every parent read it and pass out copies at the next school board meeting! He starts with that wonderful Einstein quote, Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts. Those words ought to be carved over the entry of every school and school district office building in the world. But the meat of the article is a list of questions Kohn suggests be asked before any school or district purchases one of the myriad programs offering techniques for measuring and raising student achievement. What follows is a quick summary of his points (and a few comments of my own). First, educators need to be clear about what their basic notion of assessment is. Kohn holds that educators should focus on the actual learning that students do over a period of time ideally, deep learning that consists of more than practicing skills and memorizing facts. If thats our focus (its certainly mine!), programs that rely on discrete, contrived, testlike assessments, standardized rubrics that supplant teachers professional judgments, and computerized monitoring tools arent up to the task. (Check how assessment is handled in your childs school. The school Im most often in contact with uses all three of these types of assessments, each of them at least three times each year!) Kohn also draws a distinction between programs that talk about student achievement as opposed to those that focus on students achievements. Educators also should ask themselves what the goal of the assessment is, and why it exists. Do we want children to understand ideas and become thoughtful questioners or do we simply want to raise test scores?

v New Zealand Rochelle Booth Wanganui +64 (027) 306-6743 Kirsteen Britten Christchurch +64 (3) 348 1665 Vivienne Carson Auckland +64 (09) 520-3270 Catherine Churton Supervisor-Specialist Auckland +64 (09) 360 7377 Maria Copson Dunedin +64 (03) 479 0510 Ann Cook Warkworth/Auckland +64 (0) 9 422 0042 Melanie Curry Christchurch +64 (03) 322-1726 Angi Edwards Whakatane +64 (7) 308 6682 Martine Falconer Christchurch +64 (03) 383-1988 Konstanca Friedrich-Palzer Motueka/Nelson +64 (03) 527 8060 Tina Guy Nelson +64 (03) 547 4958 Wendy Haddon Mosgiel +64 (03) 489-8572 Sandra Hartnett Nelson +64 (3) 548 8087 Alma Holden Alexandra +64 (027) 485-6798 Glenys Knopp Darfield +64 (03) 317-9072 Leila Martin Hawera Taranaki +64 (027) 721-3273 Raewyn Matheson DLS Mentor Inglewood +64 (027) 411-8350 Tania McGrath Christchurch +64 (03) 322 41 73 Shelley McMeeken DDA Director Autism Facilitator-Coach Autism Training Supervisor Dunedin +64 0274 399 020 Linda McNaughten Dannevirke +66 (6) 376-1575 Colleen Morton Gore +64 (03) 208 6308 Wendy Person Hastings +64 (06) 870 4243 Alison Syme Darfield +64 (03) 318-8480 Lorna Timms Davis Autism Trainer Supervisor-Specialist Christchurch +64 (03) 363 9358 Alicia Trent Upper Moutere Margot Young Auckland +64 (0) 9 638 3627 v Norway Heida Karen Vidarsdottir Stavanger +47 958 03 822 Ragnhild Slettevold Skjaerhalden

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v Philippines Imelda Casuga Baguio City +63 (744) 42 29 01 Freddie Tan San Juan, Metro Manila +63 (2) 725 7137 v Poland Agnieszka ubkowska Warsaw +48 (46) 855 77 02 v Portugal Cristina Rocha Vieira Coimbra +35 (123) 943 7732 Sofia Vassalo Santos Lisboa +35 (191) 911-2565 Cristina Maria Rubianes Vieira Lisboa +35 (191) 921 48 07 v Republic of Singapore Phaik Sue Chin Singapore +65 6773 4070 Constance Chua Singapore +65 6873 3873 v Russia Mira Ashush Moscow 972-3-6350973 v Scotland Paul Francis Wright Forres, Scotland +44 (077) 9684 0762 v Serbia Jelena Radosavljevic Kraljevo +381 (063) 76-28-792 v Spain Silvia Mara Sabats Rodrigo Madrid +34 (091) 636 31 44 v Switzerland/CH Tinka Altwegg-Scheffmacher St. Gallen +41 (071) 222 07 79 Monika Amrein Zurich +41 (01) 341 8264 Regula Bacchetta-Bischofberger Horw/Luzern +41 (041) 340 2136 Priska Baumgartner Wettingen +41 (056) 426 28 88 Renate Blum-Muller Full-Reuenthal +41 (56) 246-18 66 Michelle Bonardi Castel S. Pietro, Ticino +41 (091) 630 23 41 Vicki Brignoli Lumino +41 (091) 829 05 36 Brigitta Dnki Rafz + 41 (079) 318-8300 Susi Fassler St. Gallen +41 (071) 244 5754 Ursula Fischbacher Orpund +41 (032) 355 23 26 Antoinette Fluckiger Mohlin + 41 (61) 854 4760 Heidi Gander-Belz Fehraltorf/Zurich +41 (44) 948 14 10

THE DYSLEXIC READER

Likewise Kohn asks if the testing program reduces everything to numbers. This one is a particular pet peeve of mine. When I was still a public school teacher in the late 1990s, my district sent many of us to seminars on Total Quality Learning. TQL is an adaptation of the ideas of William Edwards Deming for use in the classroom. (Deming was an American statistician and consultant, revered in Japan even today as the father of the Japanese post World War II industrial revival. Much later, many US companies began to adopt some of Demings ideas.) I used TQL strategies in my foreign language classrooms for several years before I decided to become a Davis Facilitator. Some major features of these strategies were: spending a considerable amount of time on team-building early in the school year so as to create a positive, productive learning environment in my classes empowering my students to participate in decisions about what we would learn and how empowering my students to participate in decisions about the scheduling of testing and major projects assuring that all our decisions were based on facts, rather than preconceived assumptions The last item was a particularly important one, springing from Demings belief that decisions in business should be based on real data. But If you think about it, the other three features were far more important, in that they allowed us to create a democratically run classroom. More than that, those features empowered my students and raised both their motivation and academic performance by leaps and bounds. Meanwhile, I noticed that a great many administrators were taking Total Quality Learning seminars along with me. But it seemed that the only piece of Demings philosophy they were drawn to was the notion that decisions should be data driven. They were relatively uninterested in Demings belief that those who do the actual work should be empowered to make decisions how it should be done, or about how to improve quality. And lo, what we have today, is the data piece, taken to bizarre extremes. Rather than to create more democratically run classrooms that motivate children to take responsibility for their learning, the administrative focus on data, on the assumption that numbers are the only reliable way to assess a childs progress in school, has led to an obsessive focus on standardized testing. This is a shocking distortion of Demings work! Kohn suggests that If all the earnest talk about data (in the context of educating children) doesnt make you at least a little bit uneasy, its time to recharge your crap detector. Most assessment systems are based on an outdated behaviorist model that assumes nearly everything canand shouldbe quantified. But the more educators allow themselves to be turned into accountants, the more trivial their teaching becomes and the more their assessments miss. Thank you Alfie! Another of Kohns recommendations is that we avoid programs that are so prescriptive and prefabricated that they strip teachers and students of autonomy. If students feel controlled, even a cleverly designed program is unlikely to have a constructive effect. He also objects to programs that dont support the interests of children, particularly if they stunt a student's motivation to learn. Once a school adopts the program, are kids more excited about what theyre doingor has learning been made to feel like drudgery? Kohn also points out that there is considerable research to suggest that an overemphasis on assessment can actually undermine the pursuit of excellence. Learning should be about discovery and understanding, but the more students are led to focus on how well theyre doing, the less engaged they tend to become with what theyre doing. Ultimately, Kohn would like educators to be a lot less credulous and far more skeptical about the real value for children of the materials pushed by consultants and publishers in slick PowerPoint presentations. Unfortunately, the testing frenzy and accompanying test prep obsession has overrun our land. Even our leaders see education as a competition, rather than an essential component of our democracy, else why would we have replaced the odious No Child Left Behind, with a Race To The Top? Kohn seems to recognize that in the current environment its pretty difficult for educators to fight our seemingly inexorable march towards those discrete, contrived, testlike assessments, and computerized monitoring tools. Perhaps, if we parents stand with them, together we can return to counting what really counts in our childrens education.
You can read the full article at http://www. alfiekohn.org/teaching/edweek/data.htm. And you will find more information on Alfie Kohns ideas and publications at his website, www.alfiekohn.org.

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PARA PROBAR
Recuerda los cinco o seis temas que en tu opinin son los ms importantes que tus estudiantes deben dominar para poder entender fcilmente la materia. Si tus estudiantes los han dominado, recuerda lo que hiciste para ayudarles y reconoce que debes sentirte orgulloso. Si algunos de tus estudiantes no hayan dominado estos temas, observa. Muestran indicios de confusin (frunciendo las cejas, hesitacin etc.) cuando tienen que trabajar con esos temas? Se sirven de estrategias poco tiles con motivo de sobrellevar (esfuerzo intensivo, trucos de memoria, repeticiones, recitacin en voz baja, recochar en clase)?
v Switzerland (continued) Katharina Grenacher Bern +41(31) 382 00 29 Elisabeth Gut Grut +41 (044) 932 3242 Ursula Hirzel Egler Stfa +41 (01) 926 2895 Christa Jaeger Riehen +41 (061) 641 4667 Consuelo Lang Lumino +41 (091) 829 05 36 Claudia Lendi St. Gallen +41 (071) 288 41 85 Beatrice Leutert Stein am Rhein +41 (052) 232 03 83 Erika Meier-Schmid Bonstetten +41 (01) 700 10 38 Yvonne Meili Reinach +41 (61) 422 16 06 Verena Luisa Moser Riken +41 (076) 346 93 34 Maya Muraro Stfa +41 (079) 704 03 07 Christine Noiset Chavannes +41 (21) 634 3510 Vronique Pfeiffer Zrich +41 (01) 342 22 61 Hilary Rhodes Chesieres-Villars +41 (024) 495 38 20 Regine Roth-Gloor Mohlin/Basel +41 (061) 851 2685 Benita Ruckli Ruswil +41 (041) 495 04 09 or (079) 719 31 18 Lotti Salivisberg Basel +41 (061) 263 33 44 Sonja Sartor Winterthur +41 (052) 242 41 70 Beatrix Vetterli Frauenfeld +41 (52) 720 1017 Andreas Villain Zrich +41 (076) 371 84 32 Margit Zahnd Gerolfingen +41 (079) 256 86 65 or (032) 396 19 20 Judith Zapata Prange Basel +41 (061) 721 7501 Claudia Ziegler-Fessler Hamikon (Near Zurich) +41 (041) 917 1315 v United Arab Emirates Linda Rademan Dubai +9714 348 1687 v United Kingdom Joy Allan-Baker London +44 (0757) 821 8959 Nicky Bennett-Baggs Gt. Gaddesden, Herts +44 (01442) 252 517 Lisa Cartwright London +44 (0773) 840-6500 Sarah Dixon Ranmore Common, Surrey +44 (01483) 283 088 Susan Duguid London +44 (020) 8878 9652

Por qu Tyranosauro Pero No Cual? Tercera Parte

Por Richard Whitehead, Director de DDA en Great Malvern, Worcestershire, Reino Unido Richard Whitehead ofrece un curso gratis en lnea con el fin de ayudar a profesores a comprender por qu algunos estudiantes inteligentes luchan tanto por dominar destrezas acadmicas bsicas. Con mucha amabilidad, Richard nos ha concedido permiso de traducir y publicar su curso en The Dyslexic Reader en una serie de captulos. Presentamos las primeras dos partes en ediciones anteriores. A continuacin sigue la tercera y ltima parte de este valioso curso.

Cmo Mejorar la Autoestima y Dar Retroalimentacin Importante al Mismo Tiempo Los nios son los adultos del futuro, y cada adulto antes fue nio. La naturaleza requiere que cada generacin tenga la enorme responsabilidad de ensear a la prxima. Durante los primeros aos de la vida los nios confan mucho de los adultos claves en su vida, y creen todo lo que dicen sin cuestionar. Como educadores, una de nuestras responsabilidades respecto a los nios, es la de ayudarles a desarrollar comportamientos que, de adultos, les ayudarn a tener xito personal, mientras respetan los derechos de los dems. Los errores forman una parte clave del desarrollo y del aprendizaje. Nuestra reaccin a los errores puede determinar si son productivos - errores que proporcionan la oportunidad de aprender - o si establecen comportamientos que a largo plazo no son apropiados. Nuestras reacciones tambin pueden determinar si el nio se considera buena persona o mala. La historia est repleta de dictadores, criminales, y guerreros que en algn momento de la vida tomaron la decisin de ser malvados. La habilidad de dar retroalimentacin constructiva y afectuosa es el mejor regalo que podemos entregar a la prxima generacin. La retroalimentacin positiva contribuye a la formacin de personas cariosas y efectivas, personas seguras de la calidad de su juicio, que se respetan y respetan a otros. A continuacin, unos ejemplos de retroalimentacin eficaz, capaz de fomentar la confianza y autoestima en los estudiantes. Es posible que ya tengas conocimiento de estas estrategias, pero son tan valiosas que vale la pena repasarlas de vez en cuando.

Elogios. Cuando elogias al estudiante debes describir la accin o el logro que ha hecho. Evita elogios que te colocan en la posicin de juez que decide quines son los buenos y malos. Los elogios descriptivos le ofrecen al nio la oportunidad de autoevaluarse. Ejemplo: En vez de decir Qu inteligente! di, Escribiste toda la oracin sin un solo error! Tambin puede ser til elogiar describiendo tus sentimientos, por ejemplo, Me gust mucho trabajar contigo hoy te enfocaste en tu trabajo y as me ayudaste mucho. Crticas. Evita crticas personales porque son desafiantes y atacan el carcter o la integridad del nio. Si crees que sera til demostrar enojo, expresa tu enojo con declaraciones enfocadas en tus sentimientos y expectativas. Ejemplo: En vez de decir Mira lo que hiciste, otra vez! o Qu mal educado eres! di, No me gusta lo que veo. Quiero que hagas. Castigos. Evita castigos que no representan consecuencias lgicas del comportamiento negativo del nio. As disminuimos la posibilidad de que el nio se sienta resentido y aumentamos la probabilidad de que se de cuenta de la relacin entre causas y efectos, aprendiendo as algo importante de la experiencia. Ejemplo: El nio es desaplicado y desobediente en clase. Debido a su comportamiento, no aprendi la leccin y distrajo a otros. Un castigo ilgico sera obligarle a barrer el piso o escribir cien oraciones despus de la salida. Una consecuencia
(continued on the next page)

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v United Kingdom (continued) Dyslexia Correction Centre Georgina Dunlop Autism Facilitator/Coach Jane E.M. Heywood Autism Facilitator/Coach DLS Mentor & Presenter Ascot, Berkshire +44 (01344) 622 115 Christine East Kingsbridge, Devon +44 (01548) 856 045 Nichola Farnum MA London +44 (020) 8977 6699 Jacqueline Ann Flisher Hungerford Berks +44 (0) 8000 272657 Maureen Florido Harleston, Norfolk +44 (01379) 853 810 Carol Forster Gloucester +44 (1452) 331 573 Achsa Griffiths Sandwich, Kent +44 (01304) 611 650 Axel Gudmundsson London +44 (020) 8341-7703 Tessa Halliwell Autism Facilitator/Coach Tugby Leicestershire +44 (0116) 259 8068 Karen Hautz London +44 (0207) 228-2947 Annemette Hoegh-Banks Berkhamsted, Herts +44 1442 872185 Phyllida Howlett Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire +44 (01437) 766 806 Angela James Reading, Berkshire +44 (0118) 947 6545 Liz Jolly Fareham, Hants +44 (01329) 235 420 Sara Kramer Wimbledon/London +44 (0208) 946 4308 Marilyn Lane Redhill +44 (0173) 776-9049 Isabel Martin Crowborough, East Sussex +44 (01892) 667 323 Stuart Parsons Lowton/Warrington, Cheshire +44 (07754) 534 740 Shilpa Patel Ealing, London +44 (0778) 631 4375 Fionna Pilgrim Keighley, West Yorkshire +44 (1535) 661 801 Maxine Piper Carterton, Oxon +44 (01993) 840 291 Elenica Nina Pitoska London +44 (020) 8451 4025 Ian Richardson London +44 (07846) 734-320 Pauline Royle Poulton-le-Fylde, Lancs +44 (0125) 389 987 Rosemary Savinson London +44 (0208) 316-1973 Janice Scholes Liversedge, West Yorkshire +44 (0) 8000 272657 Judith Shaw Supervisor-Specialist St. Leonards on Sea/Hastings, East Sussex +44 (01424) 447 077

THE DYSLEXIC READER

lgica que tambin servira los intereses de todos, sera sacarlo del saln porque necesito que tus compaeros tengan la oportunidad de enfocarse en la leccin, y despus obligarlo a volver durante su tiempo libre para aprender la informacin que no aprendi. Pero antes de tomar estas medidas, debes ofrecerle al nio la oportunidad de escoger. Di, por ejemplo, No permito que las personas hablen cuando estoy dictando clase porque distrae a los otros estudiantes. Sintate quieto, o sal del saln. Decide t. Y en general Mantnte calmado y firme ante el comportamiento negativo. Y responde al comportamiento positivo con entusiasmo. A los nios les encantan las reacciones emocionantes de cualquier tipo. Por lo tanto, las reacciones fuertes de todo tipo tienden a aumentar las posibilidades de que, con motivo de ver la reaccin de nuevo, el nio repita el comportamiento que la provoc. As que lo mejor es limitar tus reacciones fuertes a las ocasiones cuando el nio se comporta de manera positiva.

PARA PROBAR
La prxima vez que observas que uno o dos estudiantes luchan con cierto aspecto de la materia, prueba a ver si puedes ayudarles con lo siguiente: Que el grupo utilice una tcnica para relajacin antes de comenzar a trabajar el tema. Pnganse de acuerdo que los estudiantes te dirn en seguida si se confunden. Si te informan que estn confundidos, que utilicen la tcnica de relajacin de nuevo, antes de continuar. Que tus estudiantes utilicen una tcnica para manejo de la energa para poder alentar el paso de su trabajo si encuentran difcil el tema. De ser necesario, reduce las destrezas a sus componentes. De ser necesario, ensea las destrezas componentes primero. Si demuestran confusin respecto a alguna de estas destrezas componentes, busca el por qu para poder solucionar el problema. Una vez dominadas las destrezas componentes, ensea la destreza compuesta de ellas. Cuando posible, prioriza la enseanza experiencial en vez de trucos y la memorizacin. Divirtanse!

Estas sugerencias fueron inspiradas por el excelente libro, How To Talk So Kids Will Listen, And Listen So Kids Will Talk (Cmo Expresarse de Manera que los Nios Presten Atencin, y Escuchar de Manera que los Nios Se Expresen) escrito por Adele Faber y Elaine Mazlish. Recomiendo este libro como recurso que ofrece estrategias para la comunicacin efectiva con los nios.

Las Emociones, el Alfabeto y el Desarrollo de Dificultades con el Aprendizaje Todos sabemos que los dislxicos experimentan confusiones cuando leen, escriben o hacen otras tareas que encuentran retosas. Por lo general, se ha considerado que primero aparece la dislexia y despus la confusin. Cmo no va a estar confundido es dislxico! Pero, esta interpretacin estara equivocada? Consideremos la posibilidad de que la persona NO se confunde porque es dislxica sino que es dislxica porque algo la confunde. Consideremos la posibilidad de que la sensacin la emocin provocada por la confusin, es lo que dispara los sntomas de dislexia. Hace unos meses, una seora de unos cuarenta aos consultaba por telfono con uno de nuestros especialistas. Esta seora era dislxica y tena fuertes talentos visoespaciales. Entre otras cosas mencion que era buena para matemticas, pero mala en lectura. Tambin observ que recordaba muy bien los nmeros de telfono. Es que los veo mentalmente, dijo, y entonces, simplemente marco el nmero que veo. Sin embargo deletreaba muy mal. Muchos expertos han sostenido, y en muchos libros vemos la idea de que los dislxicos tienen poca habilidad para seguir smbolos de izquierda a

derecha, que les faltan destrezas de procesamiento auditivo, que les faltan destrezas de memoria a corto plazo, y que tienen una disfuncin gentica o una discapacidad cerebral. Debemos investigar ms profundamente y preguntarnos, Qu ser lo que pasa con una seora que puede visualizar los nmeros, pero no las letras? Cules destrezas le faltaran si fcilmente puede visualizar 713462 pero no es capaz de visualizar a m i g o s? Por supuesto, podemos observar estos fenmenos juntos con un problema de dislxia. Pero seran la causa de la dislexia? O sera que la dislexia, fundamentalmente, tiene que ver con la manera en que reaccionamos a ciertos estmulos? Sera posible que los sntomas de la dislexia se disparan cuando nuestra respuesta reflexiva ante un estmulo confuso momentneamente bloquea o aturde nuestro pensamiento? Para decirlo de otra manera, sera que las letras y nmeros afectan a esta seora de diferente manera, no obstante las destrezas que posea o que le falten?

THE DYSLEXIC READER

Vamos a examinar ms detenidamente este fenmeno, observando lo que puede provocar una dificultad dislxica con el aprendizaje. Imagina, por ejemplo, a un nio imaginativo y curioso de los que les encanta explorar su entorno, hacer juegos imaginativos con muecos o soldaditos, trepar rboles, desarmar las cosas para ver cmo funcionan, o que suean despierto durante largos perodos. A la edad de 4 o 5 aos este nio comienza sus estudios formales en colegio. Y tiene que aprenderse las letras. Las letras son smbolos bidimensionales que no tienen significado propio. Son como los ladrillos, pero las usamos para construir palabras escritas en vez de edificios. Las letras no tienen profundidad, ni dorso, nada que podemos explorar en tres dimesiones. Simplemente existen como huellas en la hoja. Imagina lo que pasa cuando la imaginacin poderosa, curiosa, exploradora, se dirige a esas marcas en la hoja, y comprenders cmo el pensamiento talentoso del nio dislxico puede provocar distorciones en lo que ve, movimiento aparente en las letras, o palabras borrosas. Hasta que se resuelva la confusin que existe en su percepcin de las letras, el reconocimiento de palabras no va a ser fcil ni agradable para este nio. Ahora, volvamos a la situacin de la seora capaz de visualizar mentalmente los nmeros, pero no las letras. Recuerda que haba comentado que era buena para matemticas. He aqu la explicacin ms probable: los nmeros no la confundan, porque su imaginacin matemtica le permita comprender su significado. Pero las letras no le comunicaban un significado. Por lo tanto, las letras le volvan borroso el pensamiento, pero los nmeros no. Y cuando nuestro pensamiento es borroso, no podemos visualizar ni recordar la informacin con claridad. Es una explicacin sencilla y aplicable al caso. Pero desafortunadamente, no nos proporciona la historia completa. Imagina que ests en clase y tienes que hacer ecuaciones cuadrticas complejas todos los das, como las que se basan en esta frmula: x = -b b2-4ac 2a Ahora imagina que las ecuaciones no acaban, y que todos los dems estudiantes las encuentran muy fciles, mientras que t las encuentras muy difciles. Imagina que esta es la situacin da tras da, durante varios aos. Imaginar esta situacin te aproximar a la sensacin que experimentan los dislxicos durante los primeros aos de su educacin formal. Tarde o temprano, te vas a frustrar tanto con la situacin que terminars buscando desesperado una estrategia, algo que al menos te permita rescatar la autoestima. Por ejemplo, quizs aprendes a concentrarte a aplicar un inmenso esfuerzo por encontrar la respuesta correcta. O quizs te aprendes trucos para mejorar la memoria, o aprendes todo de memoria, repitindo la informacin constantemente. O quizs ms bien, aprendes chistes para poder convertirte en el payaso del saln, en vez de ser siempre el bruto. Pero con todas estas estrategias hay un problema. El mundo comienza a celebrar tus respuestas correctas. Pero al aprender en base de trucos, repeticin o concentracin, te has enseado a no confiar de tu propio intelecto. Esta desconfianza de tu habilidad innata de aprender, te har dao: dao a tu autoestima, al placer del estudio, y la facilidad con que aprendes. Es ms, a pesar de estos daos, el mundo considera que ve mejoras en ti. El Don de la Dislexia y la Clave Final que Une a Todos los Estudiantes El don de la dislexia es el don del dominio. Es el don de aprender de forma experiencial, recordando sin esfuerzo. Es el don de comprender un concepto tan completamente que no nos hacen falta ms explicaciones ni memorizacin. Los dislxicos son personas imaginativas que se destacan en el aprendizaje explorador en ver y hacer. Has dominado el proceso de vestirte? Por la maana necesitas concentrarte en el proceso de vestirte? Has dominado tan bien el manejo del carro que puedes conversar mientras manejas? Cmo llegaste a tal nivel de dominio? Leyendo libros sobre estos dos procesos? O simplemente aprendiste estas actividades hacindolas? Entre ms involucramos la exploracin en el proceso de aprendizaje en nuestros colegios, ms aprendern los nios dislxicos, y ms vamos a motivar a los dems estudiantes tambin. A veces omos el comentario de que los dislxicos tienen buena memoria de largo plazo pero mala memoria a corto plazo. Pero en realidad es ms bien cuestin de si el dislxico haya o no experimentado la verdad del tema. Los dislxicos dominan los datos que despiertan su imaginacin. Internalizan permanentemente ese tipo de informacin. Pero la informacin que no despierta su imaginacin puede desaparecer de su memoria en un minuto (porque, desde un principio no la internalizaron). Entonces, cmo reunimos todo lo que hemos aprendido de manera que nuestros cursos se vuelvan acogedores para todos los estudiantes para los posibles dislxicos, los ms acadmicamente talentosos, los prcticos, los artsticos, los deportistas? Cmo respondemos a sus diversas necesidades acadmicas en un solo plan de estudio que abarca todo lo que nos toca dictar?

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v United Kingdom (continued) Elizabeth Shepherd Crowborough, East Sussex +44 (0189) 266-1052 Jacqui Stewart Eastbourne, East Sussex +44 (01323) 748 933 Drs. Rene van der Vloodt Supervisor-Specialist Reigate, Surrey +44 (01737) 240 116 Frank Walker West Kirby Wirral +44 (0151) 625 6705 Evelyn White Walton-on-Thames, Surrey +44 (01932) 230 624 The Blueberry Center Margarita Viktorovna Whitehead DDA Director +44 (0)1684 574072 Richard Whitehead DDA Director DLS Presenter-Mentor Fundamentals Presenter +44 (0)1684 574072 Great Malvern, Worcestershire +44 (8000) 27 26 57 (Toll Free) v United States Alabama Lisa Spratt Huntsville +1 (256) 426-4066 Arizona Dr. Edith Fritz Phoenix +1 (602) 274-7738 Nancy Kress Glendale +1 (480) 544-5031 John Mertz Tucson +1 (520) 797-0201 Arkansas Rebecca Landes Mulberry/Fort Smith +1 (479) 997-1996 California Cyndi Cantillon-Coleman Ladera Ranch/Irvine +1 (949) 364-5606 Janet Confer Irvine +1 (949) 589-6394 Reading Research Council Dyslexia Correction Center Ray Davis Davis Autism Trainer Ronald D. Davis, Founder Burlingame/San Francisco +1 (800) 729-8990 (Toll-Free) +1 (650) 692-8990 Anette Fuller Walnut Creek +1 (925) 639-7846 Angela Gonzales Riverside +1 (951) 710-9616 Richard A. Harmel Marina Del Rey/Los Angeles +1 (310) 823-8900 David Hirst Riverside +1 (909) 241-6079 Suzanne Kisly-Coburn Manhattan Beach +1 (310) 947-2662 Nicole Melton Newport Beach +1 (949) 873-2008 Karen Pongs Newport Beach +1 (949) 873-2008 Cheryl Rodrigues San Jose +1 (408) 966-7813 David Carlos Rosen San Rafael +1 (415) 479-1700

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California (continued) Dee Weldon White Lexie White Strain Sunnyvale +1 (650) 388-6808 Colorado Annie Garcia Wheat Ridge / Denver +1 (303) 423-3397 Crystal Punch DLS Mentor Centennial/Denver +1 (303) 850-0581 Kristi Thompson DLS Presenter-Mentor Walsh +1 (719) 324-9256 Florida Random (Randee) Garretson Lutz/Tampa/St. Petersburg +1 (813) 956-0502 Tina Kirby Navarre +1 (850) 218-5956 Rita Von Bon Navarre +1 (850) 934-1389 Georgia Lesa Hall Pooler/Savannah +1 (912) 330-8577 Martha Payne Suwanee +1 (404) 886-2720 Scott Timm Woodstock/Atlanta +1 (866) 255-9028 (Toll-Free) Hawaii Vickie Kozuki-Ah You Ewa Beach/Honolulu +1 (808) 664-9608 Idaho Carma Sutherland Rexburg +1 (208) 356-3944 Illinois Kim Ainis Chicago +1 (312) 360-0805 Susan Smarjesse Springfield +1 (217) 789-7323 Indiana Myrna Burkholder Goshen/South Bend +1 (574) 533-7455 Iowa Mary Kay Frasier Des Moines +1 (515) 270-0280 Massachussetts Karen LoGiudice Amesbury +1 (978) 337-7753 Carolyn Tyler Fairhaven +1 (508) 997-4642 Michigan Molly Scoby Greenville +1 (231) 250-7260 Kathleen McNally Jackson +1 (304) 382-5612 Sandra McPhall Grandville/Grand Rapids +1 (616) 534-1385 Cinda Osterman, M. Ed. Charlotte +1 (517) 652-5156 Dean Schalow Manistee +1 (800) 794-3060 (Toll-Free) +1 (231) 250-7260 Minnesota Cyndi Deneson Supervisor-Specialist Edina/Minneapolis +1 (888) 890-5380 (Toll-Free) +1 (952) 820-4673

THE DYSLEXIC READER

Hemos descubierto que los cursos diseados para estudiantes no dislxicos no responden a las necesidades de los estudiantes dislxicos. Pero los cursos que tienen en cuenta las necesidades de los dislxicos, s ofrecen beneficios a estudiantes no dislxicos. Esos cursos no avanzan menos rpido, no sn ms repetitivos, ni son intelectualmente menos rigorosos. Simplemente son ms experienciales aspecto clave de los entornos adecuados para dislxicos. En los cursos que responden al estilo dislxico de aprendizaje, cuando posible, la informacin se transmite de forma que pueda ser experimentada como verdadera. Los profesores observan a sus estudiantes, atentos a posible confusin, y reaccionan de manera adecuada. Los estudiantes se responsabilizan por el manejo de su estado interior, utilizando varias herramientas para autoregulacin. La materia se ordena de manera secuenciada para asegurar la certeza y minimizar la confusin de los estudiantes. Cuando posible se explora la materia, en vez de aprenderla de memoria. Para ilustrar estos principios, permteme pintarte cuadros de dos escenarios diferentes. En dos cursos diferentes los estudiantes estudian la palabra porque. En un curso la profesora pide a los estudiantes que practiquen la escritura de la palabra en casa como tarea, y la palabra aparece varias veces en dictados y lecturas. En el otro curso, la profesora coloca una cscara de banana en el piso, se acerca y finge deslizarse en ella. Pregunta al grupo, Por qu me deslic? Responden, Porque all haba una cscara de banana. Ahora pueden explorar la ley de causa y efecto. Si desean, los estudiantes pueden explicar la relacin entre esta ley y el flujo del tiempo. Qu sucedi primero que alguien dej la cscara en el piso o que yo me acerqu caminando? Si hubiera pasado al contrario, me habria deslizado? Entonces el profesor pide que cada persona imagine su propia oracin con la palabra porque. Si el tiempo lo permite, los estudiantes pueden dibujar, pintar o modelar en plastilina un escenario causa/efecto, ilustrando la palabra porque. Finalmente, pueden agregar la palabra escrita a su creacin, deletrendola al derecho y al contrario (buena tcnica para cimentarla en lo viso-espacial), y finalmente pueden buscar su uso en textos a ver cuntas veces la encuentran. La leccion del primer profesor fue ms rpida. Pero cuntos de sus estudiantes habran dominado completamente la palabra porque? La leccin del segundo profesor tom ms tiempo, pero tambin ense a los estudiantes el significado de porque. Qu tan probable sera que el segundo profesor tenga que repasar y reforzar la palabra en algn futuro? No siempre tenemos tiempo de profundizar de manera experiencial en las palabras. Todos los profesores tienen que establecer prioridades para el tiempo limitado del que disponen. Pero si tenemos una comprensin clara del valor que el dominio experiencial trae al proceso de aprendizaje, serviremos como recurso muy valioso para nuestros estudiantes. Cuando se domina algo, se vuelve parte de la persona. Se vuelve parte del pensamiento y proceso creativo de la persona. Agrega la calidad de su esencia a todo el pensamiento y creatividad subsiguiente de esa persona. Ronald Davis, autor de El don de la dislexia y El don del aprendizaje.
v

Quotable Quotes
The difference between school and life? In school, youre taught a lesson and then given a test. In life, you're given a test that teaches you a lesson. Tom Bodett, American author and humorist There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle. Albert Einstein, Nobel Laureate, theoretical physicist and philosopher The difference between a smart person and a wise person is that a smart person knows what to say and a wise person knows whether or not to say it. Anonymous Todays mighty oak is just yesterdays nut, that held its ground. David Icke, British author

THE DYSLEXIC READER

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Missouri Clark Brown Roach +1 (573) 552-5772 Cathy Cook Columbia +1 (573) 819-6010 or 886-8917 Gretchen FitzGerald Kansas City +1 (816) 806-8611 Montana Elsie Johnson Manhatten +1 (406) 282-7416 Nebraska Elaine Thoendel Chambers +1 (402) 482-5709 Nevada Barbara Clark Reno +1 (775) 265-1188 New Hampshire Glenna Giveans Davis Facilitator Autism Facilitator/Coach Lebanon + 1 (603) 863-7877 Michele Siegmann Mason/Manchester/Boston +1 (603) 878-6006 New Jersey Lynn Chigounis Montclair +1 (973) 746-5037 Charlotte Foster Supervisor-Specialist Bernardsville/Newark New York Lisa Anderson Seneca Falls +1 (315) 576-3812 Wendy Ritchie Holly/Rochester +1 (585) 233-4364 North Carolina Gerri W. Cox DLS Presenter-Mentor Shallotte/Wilmington +1 (910) 754-9559 Ruth Mills Pineville/Charlotte +1 (704) 541-1733 Jean Moser Winston-Salem +1 (336) 830-2390 Ohio Lorraine Charbonneau Mason/Cincinnati/Dayton +1 (513) 850-1895 Oklahoma Ashley Grice Tulsa +1 (918) 779-7351 Rhonda Lacy Clinton +1 (580) 323-7323 Linda Wright Duncan +1 (580) 641-1056 Oregon Nicki Cates Portland +1 (586) 801-0772 Rhonda Erstrom Vale +1 (541) 881-7817

Newly Licensed Davis Facilitators

A Special Welcome Back to reinstated Facilitators Linda Hauben of Seaforth Sydney, NSW, Australia, Wayne Aadelstone-Hassel of Halfmoon Bay, Canada, and Anne Marie Beggs, of Old Portmarnock, Ireland.

Angi Edwards As the mum of a dyslexic child I saw the talent but also the struggle in my son. When I found the Davis approach I knew it was the answer. Seeing the positive results in my son encouraged me to become a facilitator and help many children and adults overcome their hurdles and discover their gifts. Dyslexia BOP. 5 Oak Place, Whakatane, New Zealand 3120. +64 (7) 308 6882 angi.edwards@xtra.6.nz Antoinette Flckiger Im an elementary school teacher. I also have three years of training in psychological mentoring and advanced training in Brain Gymn, meditation techniques and EFT. And now Im delighted to begin working as a Davis Facilitator! Praxis fur Davis und Lernberatung. Bahnhofstrasse. 93b, 4913 Mhlin Netherlands. +41 (61) 851 4760 antoinette-f@bluewin.ch

Linda McNaughten I sat up all one night reading Ron Davis book The Gift of Dyslexia from cover to cover. Finally, after seven years of searching, I had the answer as to why my daughter was struggling so much with life! A few weeks later she had completed the Davis Dyslexia Correcton Program, and her life turned around so completely, it was almost unbelievable. That awful sense of not being able to help your own child when life is so difficult for her had been devastating. My strong desire to help other parents and children in this situation gave me the impetus to become a Davis Facilitator. The wonderful sense of achievement, of being able to influence anothers life in such a positive way, is not something that happens very often. I count myself very lucky to have a career now that is rewarding on so many different levels. 66 Rakaiatai Rd RD7, Dannevirke 4977, New Zealand. +64-6-374-1575 or +64-27-636-2943 lindafarm@xtra.co.nz

Joanna Pellegrino I am the proud mother of two Janet Richards children. I discovered the Davis My introduction to Davis began Program when we learned that our three years ago when my 8 year old son was dyslexic. I feel blessed granddaughter, Julia, was diagnosed that as a facilitator I will be a part with dyslexia and completed a Davis of the amazing journey that the Davis Dyslexia Dyslexia Correction Program. During Correction Program provides clients. I am proud to a two week visit to my home soon be associated with an organization that celebrates after her program, Julia brought her clay and Koosh different learning styles and emphasizes the balls. Every day as she did Symbol Mastery on positive traits and talents that accompany this style trigger words and we played Koosh, I saw first-hand of thinking. Freedom to Focus Learning Center. the positive changes her program brought to her life Thunder Bay, Ontario Canada. and that of her family. A year later she completed joannapellegrino@hotmail.com the Math Mastery Program, again with positive results. In 2009 Beth Shier, Julias mom and my Ragnhild Anita Slettevold daughter, decided to pursue her Davis Facilitator I have worked as a teacher License. As her training progressed my interest was for children with special needs for piqued even more. I was fortunate to hear Ron Davis many years. As a Davis Facilitator speak at Arcadia University in Wolfville, Nova I will work at my home. Scotia in September, 2009. Being no stranger to Stopp1, 1680 Skjrhalen Norway. lifelong learning, I decided then and there to pursue +47 (4) 131-2509 hildani@yahoo.com licensing. With a background in pediatric nursing, it seemed a natural fit to want to help people like Julia. Beatrix Vetterli There were times during the training process that In addition to being a new Davis I questioned if I was doing the right thing, but the Facilitator, I teach English and French answer was always its to help people like Julia. at primary and secondary schools. My intention is to provide programs to people of all Lern-und Wahrnehmungsforderung. ages in Nova Scotia and the other three Maritime Elsternweg 6, 8500 Frauenfeld, Provinces. Julia delights in saying to her mother and Switzerland. +41 (52) 720 1017, me, and its all because of me! Dyslexia and +47 (78) 847 0307 l ADD Alternatives of Nova Scotia. 63 Toni Avenue, egasthenie-dyskalkulie@bluewin.ch Boutiliers Point, Nova Scotia, Canada B3Z 1X4. +1 (902) 826-1512 nurjan@dyslexiaaddns.com

PAGE 24
Oregon (continued) Melissa Slominski Tigard / Portland +1 (503) 957-2998 Pennsylvania Marcia Maust Autism Facilitator/Coach Autism Training Supervisor Berlin/Pittsburgh +1 (814) 267-5765 Puerto Rico Ines Grajales Pagan Caguas +1 (787) 743-0605 South Carolina Angela Keifer Greenville +1 (864) 420-1627 South Dakota Kim Carson DLS Presenter-Mentor Brookings/Sioux Falls +1 (605) 692-1785 Texas Kellie Antrim-Brown Ft. Worth +1 (817) 989-0783 Success Learning Center Rhonda Brown DLS Presenter-Mentor Colleen Millslagle DLS Presenter-Mentor Tyler/Dallas +1 (866) 531-2446 (Toll Free) +1 (903) 531-2446 Shari Chu Helotes/San Antonio +1 (210) 414-0116 Jodie Harber Cedar Park +1 (512) 918-9247 Lori Johnson Boerne/San Antonio +1 (210) 843-8161 Leslie Ledoux Amarillo Autism Facilitator/Coach +1 (806) 331-4099 or +1 (877) 331-4099 (Toll Free) Casey Linwick-Rouzer Sugar Land/Houston +1 (832) 724-0492 Frances Adaleen Makin Greenville/DFW +1 (903) 268-1394 Paula Marshburn Tyler +1 (903) 570-3427 Donna Northcutt Irving +1 (214) 315-3698 Dorothy Owen Supervisor-Specialist Dallas/Ft. Worth +1 (888) 392-1134 (Toll Free) +1 (817) 919-6200 Edward Owen Dallas/Ft. Worth +1 (888) 392-1134 (Toll Free) +1 (817) 919-6200 Susan Stark Owen Dallas/Ft. Worth +1 (888) 392-1134 (Toll Free) +1 (817) 919-6200 Laura Warren Lubbock +1 (806) 790-7292

THE DYSLEXIC READER

Colleen Malone After working 20 years in the medical field I was looking for a career change. A friend introduced me to The Gift of Dyslexia and I knew I had come across something pretty special: it helped me understand my teenage daughter. I look forward to joining other facilitators across the world helping these great people find the gifts within themselves. ReadySetRead. 120 Pleasantview Avenue, Newmarket, Ontario, Canada. +1 (905) 252-7426 colleenmalone@hotmail.com
Alia Qamar Abbas Imagination is a gift. Being dyslexic means our imagination is larger, shinier, more detailed and packed with new features, and its more fun to use! Until I found Davis (through my aunt Salma Merali who is almost a Davis Facilitator too), I often asked myself why I was different Why couldnt I read as fast as the others even when I REALLY wanted to? Why when I thought I was absolutely correct did I have it all wrong? Why when I had spent aggravating hours writing a story in 4th grade, did my teachers called my mother to tell her I must have copied? I simply hadnt yet Jayne Cooke learned to use my imagination to my advantage. I am a fully qualified English Davis taught me this, and helped me understand my teacher teaching in the French past. It answered my questions as well as showing national education system at the me how I could fulfill my calling,, which is high school level. I have been particularly interested in researching to help others help themselves. Having a little dyslexic brother (Imran, who reminds me so much teaching methods that allow all pupils, whatever of myself) and working with children with autism their particular difficulty, to learn a foreign language. This work led me to the Davis Dyslexia and ADD in the past has prepared me for my future with Davis. So thanks to all this, to my parents, Association, as I regularly come across students husband, brothers, sisters and children, here I am! who need more than the innovative approaches I use. Now, with my part-time work as a facilitator, I Nairobi Kenya. dyslexicalia@gmail.com can help dyslexic or hyperactive students by giving Marla Verdone them the tools and confidence necessary to succeed I could not understand why my in the school system. bright child was having difficulty 12 A Rue des Jardins, 67140 Barr France. with reading and math. I began +33 (0) 0 88 74 06 01 Jayne.cooke@orange.fr to research and found The Gift of Dyslexia. It is the only book Yvonne Meili that accurately described my daughter and her Aufbruch. Talackerstrasse 18, frustrations. I work as a substitute teacher, and 4153 Reinach, Switzerland. I found it heartbreaking to see bright children +41 (61) 422 16 06 struggling as my daughter had, especially knowing yvmeili@gmx.ch how successful her own Davis Program had been. I realized I loved sharing information about Davis Randolph Keitel Dyslexia Correction with others, so I decided to Bilderdenker, become a Davis Facilitator. I have enjoyed working Rathausgasse 4, 88690, with creative visual thinkers during my training Uhldingen/Muhlhofen, Germany and look forward to helping change lives with the Davis Programs. Just Imagine. Janesville, Wisconsin. +1 (888) 753-8147 I n M e M o r I u M dyslexiawis@charter.net Carol K. Williams became a Davis Facilitator
in 2006 after 38 years as a public school teacher, 26 of them in Special Education. Carol felt that the Davis Dyslexia Correction Program was the missing piece of the education puzzle, especially when working with children diagnosed with learning disabilities. We are saddened to hear that she has passed away. She lives on in the hearts of her DDAI colleagues, her family, and many dear friends.

Davis Training Programs

Davis Facilitator Training Program Davis Specialist Training Program Davis Autism Approach Facilitator/ Coach Training Program Davis Learning Strategies Mentors and Workshop Presenters
For more information about training and a full directory of Davis providers, visit: www.dyslexia.com/licensing.htm or www.dyslexia.com/providers.htm or call +1 (650) 692-7141 or +1 (888) 805-7216 toll-free in the USA.

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Virginia Donna Kouri Rockville +1 (804) 240-0470 Angela Odom DLS Presenter-Mentor Midlothian/Richmond +1 (804) 833-8858 Jamie Worley Blackburg +1 (504) 552-0603 Washington Aleta Clark Auburn/Tacoma +1 (253) 854-9377 Renie Royce Smith Spokane & Everett +1-800-371-6028 (Toll-Free) +1 (509) 443-1737 Ruth Ann Youngberg Bellingham +1 (360) 752-5723 West Virginia Allison Boggess Culloden +1 (888) 517-7830 Gale Long Autism Facilitator-Coach Autism Training Supervisor Elkview/Charleston +1 (888) 517-7830 (Toll Free) +1 (304) 965-7400 Wisconsin New Hope Learning Centers, Inc. Darlene Bishop Margaret Hayes Milwaukee +1 (888) 890-5380 (Toll Free) +1 (262) 255-3900 Anne Mataczynski Autism Facilitator/Coach Wausau +1 (715) 551-7144 Marla Verdone Janesville + 1 (888)753-8147

Young Learner Kit for Home-Use

Based on the Davis Dyslexia Correction methods, this Kit enables parents of children, ages 5-7, to home-teach and help young learners to:
focus attention control energy levels improve eye-hand coordination learn the alphabet learn basic punctuation develop and strengthen pre-reading and basic reading skills prevent the potential of a learning problem improve sight word recognition The Kit includes: and comprehension Instruction Manual establish life-long how-to-learn Sturdy nylon briefcase skills. Reusable modeling clay (2 pounds) Clay cutter The Davis Methods Websters Childrens Dictionary for Young Learners (hardcover) Davis Focusing Strategies provide Punctuation Marks & Styles Booklet children with the self-directed ability to be physically and mentally focused Two Koosh Balls Letter Recognition Cards on the learning task at hand. Laminated Alphabet Strip Davis Symbol Mastery enables Stop Signs for Reading Chart children to master the alphabet letters, punctuation marks and basic sight words with a simple, easy and fun alternative to pencil-paper activities and drill. Davis Reading Exercises improve accuracy with word recognition and comprehension.

The Kit is priced at $129.95

(Shipping and Handling will be added) To purchase a kit, use our secure on-line ordering at: www.dyslexia.com/bookstore or call our toll-free number: 1 (888) 999-3324
Note: For older children (ages 8 and up), we recommend the Davis Symbol Mastery Kit.

This Directory is current as of December 31st, 2010. It is subject to change. Between newsletter issues, new Facilitators are added, and occasionally, some become inactive. However, the Davis Providers list at www.dyslexia.com is always up to date.

PAGE 26

THE DYSLEXIC READER

Basic Workshop for Primary Teachers

Teachers, would you like to Improve the reading skills of all the children in your class regardless of their learning style? Manage your classroom more effectively? Prevent the onset of learning disabilities? Use research-based methods that are flexible and easily fit into and enhance any existing curriculum? This two-day workshop provides Primary Teachers (K-3) with unique and innovative strategies for improving reading instruction and classroom management, and equips young learners with proven life long skills in how to learn. Instruction includes: Theory and Reasoning for each Strategy. Video demonstrations of each Strategy and classroom implementation suggestions. Supervised experiential practice on each Strategy. Q&A and discussion about each Strategy. Materials include: Detailed Manual with suggested year-long guides, black-line masters, and numerous tips for each implementing each Strategy in various curriculum activities. DVD demonstrating each classroom Strategy. Teacher Kit: alphabet strip, letter recognition cards, clay, cutter, dictionary and two Koosh balls. (Classroom materials sold separately)

In the forefront of what I liked most was how easily the Davis strategies fit into many areas of Kindergarten curriculum. It relieved me of a paper-pencil approach and gave me a hands-on, kinesthetic approach. It helped develop the little finger muscles to move on to coordinate paperpencil activities. Creating the alphabet over time also accomplished the development of ownership, responsibility, and a sense a pride in all the children. I believe all Kindergarten children would benefit from Davis Learning Strategies. LB, Kindergarten Teacher, Mission San Jose Elementary School, Fremont, California

2011 DATES & LOCATIONS

Date Jan 14-15 Location Oslo, Norway Beek, Netherlands Sioux Falls, SD, USA Telephone +31(046)437-4907 +31(046)437-4907 +1 (605) 692-1785 +1 (888) 805-7216 +1 (719) 324-5825

Workshop hours: 9am-4pm with one hour lunch break. Cost: $595 per person (US only) Academic Units or CEUs (US and Canada only) Two Quarter Units are available through California State University. Cost is $65 per unit, plus $35 administrative fee. A written assignment, which can be completed before and during the workshop, is required. Would you like to bring a DLS workshop to your school/area? Call 1 (888) 805-7216, and ask for Paula McCarthy.

Jan 21-22 Mar 17-18

June 20 - 21 Richmond, VA, USA June 21 - 22 Denver, CO, USA

For more details, visit www.davislearn.com

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Materials included with workshop

The Gift of Dyslexia Workshop

Fundamentals of Davis Dyslexia Correction based on the best-selling book The Gift of Dyslexia by Ronald D. Davis

WORKSHOP OUTLINE DAY ONE

Background and Development of the Davis Dyslexia Correction Procedures Research and discovery. The gifts of dyslexia. Anatomy and developmental stages of a learning disability. Overview of the steps for dyslexia correction. Davis Perceptual Ability Assessment (a screening for dyslexic learning styles) Demonstration and Practice Session Symptoms Profile Interview (used to assess symptoms, strengths and weaknesses; set goals; establish motivation) Demonstration and Practice Session

DAY THREE
Orientation Review Procedure (a method for checking orientation skills) Demonstration & Practice Session Davis Symbol Mastery (the key to correcting dyslexia) What is Symbol Mastery? Why clay? Mastering Basic Language Symbols Demonstrations and Group Exercises Reading Improvement Exercises Spell-Reading. Sweep-Sweep-Spell. Picture-at-Punctuation

DAY TWO
Davis Orientation Counseling Procedures (methods to control, monitor and turn off perceptual distortions) What is Orientation? Demonstration & Practice Session Release Procedure (method to alleviate stress, headaches) Alignment (an alternative to Orientation Counseling) What is Alignment? How is it used? Group Demonstration Dial-Setting Procedure (a method for controlling energy levels)

DAY FOUR
Fine-Tuning Procedure (checking and adjusting orientation using balance) Symbol Mastery Exercises for Words Demonstrations Group Exercises Practice Sessions Implementing the Davis Procedures

To register for US workshops call toll free 1 (888) 805-7216

2011 INTERNATIONAL SCHEDULE

Mexico United States

January 25 28, 2011 Guadalajara, Jalisco Presenter: Cathy Caldern Language: Spanish Email: davis@davislatam.com Tel: +52 (81) 8335 9435

January 22 25, 2011 Burlingame, CA Presenter: Loma Timms Language: English Email: answers@training.org Tel: +1 (888) 805-7216 March 9 12, 2011 Orlando, FL Presenter: TBA Language: English Email: answers@training.org Tel: +1 (888) 392-1134

New Zealand

January 31 February 3, 2011 Christchurch Canterbury Presenter: Lorna Timms Language: English Email: shelley@dyslexia.net.nz Tel: +64 (3) 477 0056

For updated workshop schedules visit: www.dyslexia.com/train.htm

Dyslex Read er ic PAGE 28 1601 Old Bayshore Highway, Suite 260 Burlingame, CA 94010
The

THE DYSLEXIC READER STANDARD

U.S. POSTAGE

PRESORTED

PAID
BURLINGAME, CA PERMIT NO.14

CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED

U.S.A. Workshop Information: Questions?

Call Dorothy Owen Davis Training Consultant: Toll Free: 1 (888) 392-1134 Email: answers@davistraining.org

The Gift of Dyslexia Workshop

Based on the best-selling book The Gift of Dyslexia by Ronald D. Davis This 4-day workshop is an introduction to the basic theories, principles and application of all the procedures described in The Gift of Dyslexia. Training is done with a combination of lectures, demonstrations, group practice, and question and answer sessions. Attendance is limited to ensure the highest quality of training. Who should attend: Reading Specialists & Tutors Parents & Homeschoolers Resource Specialists Educational Therapists Occupational Therapists Speech/Language Therapists Participants will learn: How the Davis procedures were developed How to assess for the gift of dyslexia. How to help dyslexics eliminate mistakes and focus attention. The Davis Symbol Mastery tools for mastering reading. How to incorporate and use proven methods for improving reading, spelling, and motor coordination into a teaching, home school, tutoring, or therapeutic setting.

2011 INTERNATIONAL SCHEDULE

Jan 22 25, 2011 Jan 25 28, 2011 Burlingame, CA Guadalajara, Jalisco USA Mexico New Zealand USA

Jan 31 Feb 3, 2011 Christchurch Canterbury Mar 9 12, 2011 Orlando, FL

U.S. Course Schedule 8:30 - 9:00 Registration (first day) 9:00 - 5:00 Daily (lunch break 12:00-1:30) U.S. Fees & Discounts Special Rates for 2010 - 2011 $925 per person, normally $1175 ($200 deposit required) $875 early bird discount with full payment, normally $1075 Advance registration required Includes manual, one-year DDAI membership, verification of attendance, and Workshop Kit Academic units and CEUs available

See page 27 for more workshop details.

For a detailed brochure on enrollment, prices, group rates, discounts, location, and further information, contact the DDA in your country. DDAI-Intl, Canada & USA 1601 Bayshore Highway, Ste 260 Burlingame, CA 94010 Tel: 1-888-805-7216 Fax: 1 (650) 692-7075 E-mail: ddai@dyslexia.com DDA-DACH Deutschland-Austria-Switzerland Wandsbecker Chausee 132 D-22089 Hamburg GERMANY Tel: 49 (040) 25 17 86 22 Fax: 49 (040) 25 17 86 24 E-mail: germany@dyslexia.com SWITZERLAND Tel: 41 (061) 273 81 85 E-MAIL: ch@dyslexia.com DDA-Latin America Calzada del Valle #400 Local 8 Colonia del Valle Garza Garca, Monterrey Nuevo Len Mxico, CP 66220 Tel: 52 (81) 8335-9435 Email: spanish@dyslexia.com DDA-Nederland Kerkweg 38a 6105 CG Maria Hoop, NEDERLAND Tel: 31 (475) 520 433 Fax: 31 (0475) 301 381 E-mail: info@davisdyslexie.nl DDA-UK Davis Learning Foundation 47-49 Church Street Great Malvern Worcestershire WR14 2AA Tel: +44 (0)1684 566300 E-mail: uk@dyslexia.com DDA-Pacific 295 Rattray Street Dunedin, New Zealand 9016 Tel: 64 (0274) 399 020 Fax: 0064 3 456 2028 Email: pacific@dyslexia.com

Enrollment limited v Classes fill Early v Call 1 (888) 805-7216 or 1 (650) 692-7141 For updated workshop schedules visit http://www.dyslexia.com/train.htm For a full description of the Davis Facilitator Certification Program, ask for our booklet.