VOL. 43 Davis Dyslexia Association International ISSUE 4 • 2006
Dys lex ic Read er• •́ •́~The
IN THIS ISSUE
(Cont’d on p. 5)
Excerpted from The Gift of Learning byRonald D. Davis and Eldon Braun
In Part 1 we looked in depth at threepossible causes for handwriting problems: inadequate instruction– or none at all, disorientation, and thepresence of multiple mental images. In Part 2, we learn how dyspraxiaaffects handwriting.
Inadequate NaturalOrientation (dyspraxia)Finally, we have the handwritingproblem that accompanies the conditionknown as dyspraxia. Dyspraxia is most commonly associated with an
“auditory deficit disorder,” but we alsosee it as “clumsy child syndrome.” Itaffects between two to four percent ofthe population, and is generally considered a neurological deficit thatdelays or prevents the development ofmotor skills andcoordination. Poorhandwriting is onlyone of many possible symptoms:
• Overall poorcoordination. Theperson is clumsy,and may have ahard time walkingevenly, tying shoes,or performing anytask that requiresfine motor skills. • Lack of lateralization (right-left sense). The person has difficultydistinguishing right from left and withcrossing the midline of the body witheither hand or foot.• Perceptual and speech difficulties.The person may have problems understanding what was said, or mayhave a speech impairment.
News & Feature Articles
The Seven Causes of Handwriting . . . .Problems, Part 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
Musical Expectations . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
Unwrapping the Gift of Dyslexia . . . .4
Congratulations to Walsh Elementary:Second DLS Model School in USA . . .6
Lazy Readers Club: How to Keep Up
with Your Recreational Reading . . .10
Play Time: Fun Must be a Big Part of the School Day . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Famous Dyslexics Remember . . . . . . .18
OnPoint with Davis Dyslexia Correction Methods . . . . . . . . . . .20
Regular Features
In the Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
Q&A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16-17
New Davis Licensees . . . . . . . . . .23-25
Davis Workshops . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26-28
The Seven Causes of Handwriting Problems, Part 2
The clay alphabet below the alphabetstrip shows evidence of dyspraxia.
• Researchers have noted that this condition is often accompanied bydyslexia, ADD, dysgraphia or mathproblems. Simply put, it is the “clumsy
form of dyslexia.”Dyspraxia
occurs when a person’s naturalorientation is in avery unfavorableplace. Their habitualorientation issomewhere in frontof the body andbelow the line ofsight. This orientation willproduce the classicsymptoms ofmixed hemispheric
dominance of the brain, such as right-left confusion.
It can also create the effect of amidline barrier, where the individualcannot move a hand or foot across the midline of his body. The midline barrier also prevents the eyes from
(Photo courtesy of Cyndi Deneson)
PAGE 2 THE DYSLEXIC READER
The Dyslexic Reader is published quarterly by Davis Dyslexia Association International (DDAI), 1601 Bayshore Hwy.,Suite 245, 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 people’s abilitiesand talents should be recognized and valued, and that learning problems can be corrected. EDITORIAL BOARD:Laura Zink de Diaz, Alice Davis, Abigail Marshall & Maria Fagioli. DESIGN: Gideon Kramer. 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: [email protected] INTERNET: www.dyslexia.com
The opinions and views expressed in articles and letters are not necessarily those of DDAI. Davis™, Dyslexia Correction®, Davis Symbol Mastery®, DavisOrientation Counseling®, and Davis Learning Strategies® are trademarks of Ronald D. Davis. Copyright © 2006 by DDAI, unless otherwise noted.All rights reserved.
Dear DDAI:
I’d like to share something nice with you. One of my clients, GraceEracleous, gave a wonderful answerto a question in program resultsassessment. I call her “AmazingGrace” because she is really great and we had a beautiful week together.
The question was, “Why is itimportant to master symbols andwords?”
Her answer: “Because if you do not master words and symbols you can not go forward. It’s a blurredpicture. It’s like you cannot see in the
Copyright 2001 Randy Glasbergen. www.glasbergen.com
In the Mail:
fog. But when the fog rises from thesea and the town you can have a clearpicture of everything that surrounds you.”–Alexis MouzourisThe Speech & Learning Correction CentreEmail:[email protected] Internet:www.dyslexia-cyprus.com
Dear DDAI:
I just finished reading The Gift ofDyslexia and have started the procedures with my 12-year-old son. I cannot thank you enough for sharingthe information and your experiences.My son has struggled for years and Ihave always been told it was ADHDthat was causing his problems. He hadtoo many side effects from medication.
While reading one of HenryWinkler’s books about two years agomy son told me that sometimes whenhe tries to read it looks like a wordsearch puzzle. That was when I realized his problem was dyslexia.
I have fought with the school system since then to do more testing.His test scores fall in the average rangebut now I understand why his visualmotor integration is so high. I havetried to get as much information ondyslexia as I can. Your book is the only one I have read that completelyexplains dyslexia.
It is a blessing to have a betterunderstanding and really be able tohelp my son. For the first time hewants to be involved in ways to correctthe problem. He is very gifted. I havealways known that, but I love to seehim realizing it now. Thanks again forsharing your gift with others.
–Jane Hendricks
PAGE 3THE DYSLEXIC READER
Musical ExpectationsBy Geoffrey Keith
(Cont’d on p. 8)
Parents take their children to musiclessons placing a great deal of trust intheir children’s music teacher. Theywant the teacher to instruct their children in music, but often do notknow what that really means. We willtalk about the different areas of musicthat students study, and then realisticexpectations for students with dyslexiaand ADHD, touching on the strategiesthat are needed to help visual-spatialstudents to excel in music.
First let’s take a look at what isstudied in music lessons. As most ofyou probably already know, dyslexicstudents are picture thinkers. Visualthinking is the fount of both their giftedness and learning issues. Visual-spatial learners can include studentswho have dyslexia and/or ADD, ormay also include students who do nothave obvious dyslexic tendencies.
Most lesson materials teacherswill use are notation based, meaningthat the student learns to read musicfirst; then, he learns all of his musicpieces and music knowledge throughthe notation. The advantage to thisapproach is that music notation canhelp convey concepts of pitch andrhythm critical to learning moreadvanced material later on. The disadvantage is that if the studentstruggles with the notation, he isblocked from learning music at all.The good news is that there areways around this.
Many instructors teach by earand rote memorization. The advantageto this approach is that a student witha good ear can begin playing rightaway. The disadvantage is that a student with a good ear can often playa piece after only one listening andwill skip the entire process of reading.Here is an anecdote from the bookMusic and Dyslexia.
“It was decided that I shouldhave music. As I had a good ear, Imade progress and got through thewhole of Book One of the exercisesand simple tunes simply by copying
become frustrated when she doesbegin to learn to read and plays at alower level of difficulty.
Musical instrument lessons, bydefinition, teach instrumental technique.Music notation is often fairly general.The basic notation applies equallywell to most instruments. Technique,though, is usually instrument specific.In other words, notation tells you whento play a particular note, whereas technique shows you what finger(s) to use, how to hold the pick or bow,how to lip a note, or how to sing witha supported tone. It is connected toteaching music notation, but not synonymous with it.
Music theory is sometimestaught in instrumental lessons and
sometimes not. Music theory teachesthe underlying concepts of how musicis organized. In my experience, it isimportant to include elements ofmusic theory in instrumental lessons,because it gives the student the largerstructure, which helps him makesense of music (remember that visual-
spatial learners are big-picture people).The theory of intervals, scales, chords,and phrases can also be helpful forreading music by way of a psychologicalconcept called chunking. It is alsohelpful when visual-spatial studentsstart to learn to improvise and compose, which is an area wheredyslexic students can shine.
Interpretation and performanceare also important elements of the lessons. Interpretation is the pointwhere music stops being an exercise–notes strung together–and starts tohave emotional impact. These are alsoareas where the visual-spatial thinkercan shine.
the notes the teacher playedon the piano. She had notenquired whether I couldread music; she had justassumed I could, and I wasfar too inhibited to tell her Icould not. One lesson intoBook Two I played my firstwrong note. ‘What note isthat?’ She said. I made a wild guess–‘B.’ ‘No, of course not you stupidgirl.’ There ended my violin lessons”(Wood, p. 51).
It is an irony that some of ourmost gifted students can be the mostdifficult to get to read. The teacher has to be careful about how much and
when to play for the student. It is generally a good
idea to have the student make the firsttwo or three attempts on her own,because this forces her to read themusic. If she still struggles, theteacher can play for her, having herfocus on how it looks or sounds whenshe plays the phrase versus how itlooks or sounds when the teacherplays it. It is also important to teachreading in conjunction with “ear learning,” because if a student’s technique progresses too far beyondher reading ability, the student can
PAGE 4 THE DYSLEXIC READER
By Ruth Guckenberger
A mom traces her son’s pathback to the great person he waswhen he began school, andhow his work with the DavisDyslexia Correction Programand Learning Options changedhis perspective about himself.
I would not wish on any childthe path that led my son, Johnathon,to the Davis Dyslexia CorrectionProgram and Learning Options. He was an attentive and brightkindergartener whose schooling experiences landed him in specialeducation from first until the end ofseventh grade, when homeschoolingbrought him to a Davis DyslexiaCorrection Facilitator.
Johnathon began pre-schoolspelling his name and knowing hisnumbers. When he started kindergarten,things changed almost instantly. Hestarted having trouble spelling hisname. I found out that his teacher wasspelling it differently for his desk, hislabel where his coat belonged, on thebulletin board, on his papers… andshe kept trying to shorten it to Jon. Bythe end of first grade Johnathon wason an IEP and was being passed on tosecond grade because if he was heldback he would be too old to graduatedown the road. And because histeacher didn’t know how to help him.
We switched to a one-roomschool house in our rural state wherethe teacher looked forward to thechallenge of trying to help Johnathon.He began having nightmares in whichthere were so many papers in his newdesk that he couldn’t shut it! The SpecialEducation Director recommended thissensitive and kindhearted boy go to adoctor and get medication for ADDor ADHD. Thank God his teacher dida research paper on Ritalin and insistedthat was not what he needed!
By the seventh grade some ofhis teachers didn’t realize that he was
still not reading. In a meeting withJohnathon’s keyboarding teacher, Ilearned that the teacher was convincedhe was lazy, not using his time wisely,when in fact Johnathon was simplyunable to proofread his typing becausehe couldn’t read it. His geographyteacher nearly fell out of his chair whenhe finally attended an IEP meeting andfound out just how poor Johnathon’sreading skills were.
Finally, we left the school andbegan homeschooling. I attended ahomeschooling convention hoping tosee a wider variety of curriculum
ognizing positive as well as negativedisorientation, while doing the readingexercises and symbol mastery.
Johnathon got better over time.By the end of the school year, he wasready to go to a new high school. Hecouldn’t wait to enter his new schoolwhere he would be a regular student!Not only is he a ‘regular’ student, butbecause he knows how he learns he isnow his own best advocate.
Johnathon was sick for nine daysduring his first semester back atschool, but it didn’t matter. His lowestgrade was a C+! When Elsie andJohnathon first met, he shared with herhis dream of going to ground schoolto learn to fly. This young man, soweighted down by difficulties, createda model of himself now reaching forthe sky. And he’s now taking groundschool courses along with his highschool classes. No doubt about it,Johnathon will reach the stars!
Elsie’s comment on the model:Making a model of self brings anawareness of your knowledge, experience, and understanding represented at a point in time. WhenJohnathon made his “self” model, heput his feelings in three dimensionsknowing the model would only workif he made the boulder hollow; heused his gift of dyslexia from theinside out! He dreamed of becoming apilot, but how could he reach for thesky when that heavy weight held himdown? Eight months later, he was succeeding in school AND taking flying lessons!! v
–Elsie Johnson, Davis Facilitator inKalispell, Montana
Unwrapping the Gift of Dyslexia
Johnathon and Elsie. The smiles thatfollow unwrapping The Gift.
Carrying this weight kept Johnathonon the ground.
materials. While at the convention, Isaw a sign that read “Dyslexia…ACurse or Gift?” I stopped in atLearning Options, to find out howFacilitator, Elsie Johnson might beable to help. I could hardly believethat there was someone with a greatattitude, smart, and sane, and who wasnot trying to put one over on me!
Six months later Johnathon wentthrough a Davis Dyslexia Correctionprogram. The program and Elsie lifteda weight from Johnathon’s shouldersand his attitude about himselfchanged completely. We finished ourhomeschool year using the tools, rec-
PAGE 5THE DYSLEXIC READER
bigger problem. The child will haveextreme difficulty with letters that contain intersecting diagonal lines, likethe letters A, M, V, and W, because thelack of symmetry distorts the perceptionof the intersecting points. The A and Vare difficult enough with only oneintersection. The M and W, havingthree, are unbelievably difficult.
Identifying this category of problem is easy, because one will seemany of the obvious characteristicsdescribed above.
To narrow it down further, onecould simply ask the person to drawthe block print upper case letters A andW, following a model. Better yet, to
avoid confusion with the multiple mental image category, ask the personto fashion the letters A and W usingclay “ropes” by copying a model made on the table. If the problem isdyspraxia, there won’t be any symmetry in the letters. The lines willnot be straight, and the intersectingpoints will be incorrect.
It might look something like this:
Over the years, corrective strategies for the correctable causes of handwriting problems have beendeveloped, all of which relate directlyor indirectly to disorientation and picture thinking. v
scanning across the midline, so it canbe a barrier to perception. For such aperson, half of the world is cut off.For them, the half of the world on the other side of the midline barriersimply does not exist. This anomalydoesn’t affect only visual perception;it also severely distorts auditory perception so that the person may hear sounds as garbled, too loud orsoft, or coming from the wrong place.This explains why the problem isoften seen as an auditory deficit.
In students who have reached theage where motor skills would normallybe developed, the symptoms of themidline barrier are easy to see. Whenthey talk, they usually don’t lookdirectly at a person. If they do, one eye will often close or veer off in adifferent direction. They are almostalways heavy on their feet andextremely clumsy. When they read,they hold the book off to one side,sometimes at a 90-degree angle. Whenthey try to write, the paper is alsoplaced off to one side. Often they anglethe paper so their writing is verticalinstead of going from left to right.
The handwriting problem thataccompanies the midline barrieroccurs primarily when the personmust draw a letter that would crossthe midline, but the problem goes waybeyond that. When one looks straightat a block print capital letter A, onesees the symmetry of the letter. Thediagonal lines are straight and meet inthe center at the top. The horizontalline is straight, and links the two diagonal lines at their centers. A personwith a midline barrier can’t lookstraight at the letter; he would only beable to see half of it. To see the entire
character, he needs to shift the pointof focus so the entire letter is on oneside of the midline. In doing this, heloses the symmetry of the letter. Thediagonal lines appear to be curved,and don’t appear to meet at the centerof the character. The handwritingproblem is caused by the perceptionproblem. When attempting to drawthe letters, the very best that can bedone is to duplicate the perceptualdistortions.
Taking an overview of this situation, one can conclude that thebrain of this individual has never seenstraight vertical or diagonal lines. Theinability to look straight at them hascaused a perceptual distortion. If thebrain has never seen them, it cannotinstruct the hand to draw them.
Even with years of practice,someone with dyspraxia won’t be ableto draw a straight vertical or diagonalline until they learn orientation.Turning the paper 90 degrees to writeup and down helps a little, but stilldoesn’t eliminate the need to the drawvertical and diagonal lines.
A dyspraxic child who is beingtaught penmanship has a handicapthat the teacher doesn’t see or understand. Because the child cannotsee the symmetry of any of the letters,no amount of traditional instruction inwriting will ever make a difference. Itdoesn’t matter how many models ofwhat the writing should look like areshown. His brain cannot accuratelyperceive the model images, so he will never get it right.
This writing problem is not limited to the inability to drawstraight vertical or diagonal lines.Intersecting lines present an even
Handwriting . . . (cont’d from p. 1)
PAGE 6 THE DYSLEXIC READER
v Argentina
Silvana Ines RossiBuenos Aires+54 (114) 865 3898
v Australia
Brenda BairdBrisbane+61 (07) 3299 3994
Sally BeulkeMelbourne +61 (03) 5727 3517
Anne CupittScarness, Queensland+61 (074) 128-2470
Mary DavieSydney, NSW+61 (02) 9526 1505
Jan GormanEastwood/Sydney+61 (02) 9804 1184
Gail HallinanDLS Workshop PresenterNaremburn/Sydney+61 (02) 9405 2800
Barbara HoiMosman/Sydney +61 (02) 9968 1093
Eileen McCarthyManly/Sydney +61 (02) 9977 2061
Marianne MullallyCrows Nest, Sydney+61 (02) 9436 3766
John ReillyBerala/Sydney+61 (02) 9649 4299
Michelle RoachSydney +61 (02) 9680 1610
Heidi RosePennington/Adelaide +61 (08) 8240 1834
v Austria
Annette DietrichWien +43 (01) 888 90 25
Jacinta FennessyWien +43 (01) 774 98 22
Ina Barbara Hallermann Riezlern +43 5517 20012
Marika KaufmannLochau +43 (05574) 446 98
Christa SalcherWien +43 (01) 888 61 44
InternationalDavis Dyslexia
Correction®
ProvidersThe Davis Dyslexia
Correction program isnow available from more
than 440 Facilitatorsaround the world. For updates, call:
(888) 805-7216 [Toll Free]or (650) 692-7141 or visit
www.dyslexia.com/providers.htm
Walsh Elementary School in Walsh,Colorado, has been recognized to havemet the qualifications and standardsof a Davis Learning Strategies ModelSchool for the 2006-07 academic year.
Kristi Thompson, DLS Mentor andWorkshop Presenter and owner of TurningPoint Learning Center in Walsh, nominatedWalsh elementary for this award. The awardcriteria are:
• Administration should be knowledgeableand supportive of DLS.• All primary teachers must have attended aDLS Workshop.• Staff received two years of mentoringfrom a DLS Mentor.• The school communityis enthusiastic about DLS,clearly understandingthat Davis LearningStrategies are lifelongstrategies for ALLstudents.• The Staff is willing toallow other (outside)school personnel to visit.• The school can demonstrate positiveresults through testscores and/or teacher/principal observation ofincorporating DLS in thecurriculum and schoolenvironment.
Following is Kristi’s description ofWalsh Elementary, how the staff has implemented DLS over the last three years, met the above criteria and obtainedoutstanding results:
“We are so excited to be a DavisLearning Strategies Model School! WalshElementary is a small, rural school servingpreschool through 6th grades. Our staff isextremely proud of our school and our commitment to meeting the needs of allchildren. The average class size varies from10 to 15 students. We have one class and
Congratulations to WalshElementary School! TheSecond DLS Model School in the United States
teacher per grade level.Walsh is proud of itssupplemental programsas well, such as: Title I programfor reading and math; an ExceptionalEducation program; Power-Half-Hour afterschool tutoring program; Gifted and Talentedprogram; Kinder-music program; Parents asTeachers (PAT); and our Preschool Program,as well as the Preschool Advisory Council.We also offer art, music/band, and physicaleducation classes.
In March of 2003, our school wastrained in the Davis Learning Strategies.There were over 20 people who participatedincluding: Principal/ Superintendent, twoschool board members, Pre-K through 6th
grade staff and supportstaff, including aides. As a DLS School Mentor, Iwas encouraged by ourstaff to bring the trainingto Walsh as soon as Icould. Our staff wasextremely supportive andenthusiastic about mywork as a DLS SchoolMentor. They wanted tobe knowledgeable aboutDLS too, so they wouldhave the ability to meetthe needs of children intheir classrooms. I haveto commend our schoolboard, administration,
staff, and parents as they are always willingto go the extra distance in order to make adifference in children’s lives.
Davis Learning Strategies is usedthroughout our elementary school. Teachersintroduce the strategies PreK-3. Our supportstaff supplements with the strategies and our4th-6th grade teachers reinforce DLS at ahigher level. As a DLS school mentor, I amable to work with students who need extraone-on-one, utilizing the strategies to supportacademic and social performance. Our schooland community have been very supportive ofDavis Learning Strategies. Often, I have
“DLS helps me focus on my work!”
A Walsh School studentmodels how DLS hashelped him in school.
PAGE 7THE DYSLEXIC READER
v Bahrain
Sameera Sadiq Al BaharnaManama +973 555 201
v Belgium
Ann Devloo-DelvaVeurne +32 (058) 31 63 52
Inge LanneauBeernem+32 (050) 33 29 92
Peggy PoppeBorgerhout (Antwerpen)+32 (03) 236 54 24
Edith RotenbergHoutain-St. Siméon/Liège+ 32 (04) 374-27-87
Viki VandevenneBonheiden+32 (0473) 30 41 51
v Brazil
Ana LimaRio De Janeiro+55 (021) 2295-1505
Canada
Wayne Aadelstone-HasselNorth Vancouver+1 (604) 988-7680
Raylene BarnhillFredericton, New Brunswick+1 (506) 458-0494
Rocky Point AcademyStacey Borger-SmithLawrence Smith, Jr.Calgary+1 (866) 685-0067 (Toll-Free)+1 (403) 685-0067
Darlene BrownSmithers/Prince Rupert+1 (250) 847-3463
Paddy CarsonEdmonton/Alberta+1 (780) 489-6225
Debra D’AversaLeamington, Ontario+1 (519) 322-1297
Sandy FarrellHudson, Quebec+1 (450) 458-4777
Terri FedorchukDryden, Ontario+1 (807) 937-2253
Renée FiglarzMontreal, Quebec+1 (514) 815-7827
Sher GoerzenMaple Ridge/Vancouver+1 (604) 290-5063
Gerry GrantSupervisor-SpecialistWorkshop PresenterWaterloo/Toronto+1 (800) 981-6433 (Toll-Free)+1 (519) 221-8484
Sue HallWest Vancouver+1 (604) 921-1084
D’vorah HoffmanToronto+1 (416) 398-6779
parents approach me and express a deepgratitude that our school is providing DLS to their children, giving them an opportunityfor a lifetime of learning.
DLS has been very effective for ourstudents. I believe the knowledge gained byour teachers from the workshop has enabledus to better understand how children think
and learn. DLS works so well, it’s like asilent workhorse that is always there, makinga difference for students. Our school recentlywas awarded a national Title I award foroverall high achieving school in Colorado.Only 29 schools nationwide were recipientsof this award. Teachers have reported to methat classroom behavior is much easier toaddress. Through DLS, our children areencouraged to be responsible for managingtheir own behavior, so they can be life-longlearners. We have found that DLS can beincorporated into just about anything we doin school. We’re very proud to be accepted asa DLS model school and wish to thank theDavis Association for making this incrediblyvaluable program available to schools!” v
I once had a horse who could jump very high.He jumped so high that he thought he could fly.
He jumped so high that he bumped the moonAnd he thought he landed on Neptune.
He saw the man on the moon that day.Who gave my horse a Milky WayAnd now my horse has tooth decay.
Milky WayBy Amanda Yatckoske
Amanda completed the Davis DyslexiaCorrection® Program in March, 2005 atthe age of eight with Cyndi Denesonat New Hope Learning Centers, Inc. inBloomington, Minnesota. Her momreports: “Amanda’s attitude aboutlearning has improved 200%!”
PAGE 8 THE DYSLEXIC READER
v Canada (cont’d)
Sue JutsonVancouver, B.C.+1 (604) 732-1516
Mary Ann KettlewellLondon, Ontario+1 (519) 652-0252
Carol LivermoreOttawa, Ontario +1 (800) 394-1535 [Toll Free]
Julie LockeTruro, Nova Scotia +1 (902) 895-9015
Yuko Kimura McCulloch, Ph.D.Vancouver, B.C. +1 (604) 222-2258
Helen McGilivrayOakville/Toronto +1 (905) 464-4798
Susan Nikolic-VicenticNewmarket/Toronto+1 (905) 953-0033
Tina PanaritisMontreal, Quebec+ 1 (514) 690-9164
Judy ParleyTaber, Alberta+1 (403) 330-9873
Sharon RobertsWaterloo/Toronto +1 (519) 746-8422
Kendra RodychSaskatoon/Saskatchewan +1 (306) 955-2972 or (306) 230-8961
Sharon SchachterThornhill, Ontario+1 (905) 764-6774
Catherine SmithOakville/Toronto+1 (905) 844-41441-888-569-1113 toll-free
Edwina StoneWhitehorse, Yukon+1 (867) 393-4489
Kim J. Willson-RymerOakville/Toronto+1 (905) 825-3153
v ChinaLivia WongHong Kong+852-2810-0282
v ColombiaLaura Zink de DíazBogotá +57 (1) 638-6342
v Costa RicaMaria Elena Guth BlancoSan Jose+506 296-4078
Marcela RodriguezAlajuela +506 442-8090
v CyprusAlexis MouzourisLimassol +357 25 382 090
v FinlandElisabeth HelenelundBorga +358 400 79 54 97
Musical Expectations . . . (cont’d from p. 3)
Having said this, does this mean thatvisual-spatial students will be better at theemotional/intuitive aspects of music than atthe detail oriented elements such as we findin music notation? Though this can be true, it would be simplistic to give a blanket yes.
Just as there are many different aspectsof music that can be studied, there are manydifferent “talents” that students can excel in.Some are great sight-readers, and othersimprovise well, or havea flair for composition,or theory. Others willdevelop a beautiful toneand light touch, or areally fast ear. Visual-spatial students may dowell in any of theseareas.
The task that yourchild struggles with, ifany, will depend on whatdisorients him. RonaldDavis, in The Gift ofDyslexia, describes disorientation: “Itoccurs when we areoverwhelmed by stimulior thought. It also occurswhen the brain receivesconflicting information fromthe different senses andattempts to correlate the information” (p. 15).Disorientation is the result of problems inperception. Dennis Coon defines perceptionas, “... the process of assembling sensations(‘data’ from the senses) into usable mentalrepresentations of the world... Perceptualorganization may be thought of as a hypothesisheld until evidence contradicts it. Perceptualorganization shifts for ambiguous stimuli.Impossible figures resist stable organizationaltogether” (p. 129). All minds seek out shapesand patterns; the visually oriented mind evenmore so. The pattern recognition abilities ofthe picture thinker can make him prone tomake errors in perception, i.e. disorientation,but can also allow him to see subtle patternsin data, in his surroundings, or in art–whethervisual or aural–that a traditional learnermight miss. Disorientation is similar to our experience of an optical illusion, in that themind misperceives the data flowing in fromthe senses.
So here we have the two sides of theissue. The visual-spatial thinker can learnthings incredibly quickly if she accuratelyperceives the subject she is learning, but ifshe does not perceive accurately, if she disorients when looking at music symbols or at the instrument itself, confusion can setin. It is not general intelligence that is theissue with dyslexics, but rather perception,particularly disorientation. You never knowwhat the student will have a problem with
until the lessons actuallystart, but there are definitesigns to watch for.
Betty W. Atterbury,in her bookMainstreamingExceptional Learners In Music, had this to say about some musicteacher’s expectationsconcerning their studentswith dyslexia, “Oneresearcher (Ansuini,1979) surveyed teacherswho had taught theseexceptional students andreported that the mostcommon competencies
were patience, knowledgeof the individual and thelearning disorder, ability toaccept little or no student
progress, willingness to provide additional time, and the
ability to form personal relationships withstudents” (p. 46).
I read this statement and immediatelyagreed with the need for patience, knowledgeof the student, and building relationships, butlittle or no student progress is not acceptable.It is one thing to proceed at the student’s paceand be patient. It is another entirely to expectthe student will not progress. That is almostlike saying that the music teacher shouldexpect the student to fail. If that is the case,then we music teachers are failing ourstudents. So the question is: how can yourmusic teacher lead your dyslexic child toward success in music?
The first step is to eliminate disorientation. As most of you are probablyaware, Davis has two simple visualizationprocedures, called Orientation Counselingand Alignment, which allow the visualthinker with dyslexic tendencies to quicklyand easily stop disorientation. When oriented
PAGE 9THE DYSLEXIC READER
v France
Christine BleusSaint Jean de Gonville/Genève +33 450 56 40 48
Corinne CouelleMarsannay-le-bois/Dijon +33 (0380) 357 953
Jennifer DelrieuVoisins le Bretonneux/Paris+33 (01) 30 44 19 91
Françoise MagarianLegny/Lyon+33 (0474) 72 43 13
Carol Ann NelsonBoulogne-Billancourt+33 (0) 1 49 09 12 33
Odile PugetSegny/Geneve +33 (0) 450 418 267
Guilaine Batoz Saint-MartinLa Bastidonne/Marseille+33 (0490) 08 98 56
v Germany/Deutschland
Theresia AdlerBannewitz +49 (0351) 40 34 224
Ute BreithauptLangenselbold+49 (06184) 93 84 88
Gabriele Doetsch Bad Windsheim / Würzburg+49 (09841) 1637 or 1644
Ellen EbertAmmern +49 (03601) 813-660
Cornelia GarbeBerlin +49 (030) 61 65 91 25
Astrid Grosse-MönchBuxtehude+49 (04161) 702 90 70
Das Legasthenie InstitutIoannis TzivanakisSpecialist TrainerWorkshop PresenterDDA-Deutschland DirectorWilfried BährHamburg+49 (040) 25 17 86 23
Christine HeinrichHeubach/Ulm+49 (07173) 716 793
Sonja HeinrichSupervisor-SpecialistDLS Workshop PresenterDDA-Deutschland DirectorGarbsen/Hannover+49 (040) 25 17 86 23
Kirsten HohageNürnberg+49 (0911) 54 85 234
Ingrid HuthBerlin +49 (0179) 896 8007
Christine JacobLörrach +49 (07621) 134 60
Rainer KnoblochRöthenbach/Nürnberg +49 (09120) 18 14 84
Inge Koch-GassmannBuggingen+49 (07631) 23 29
(or aligned), the visual thinker is able to perceive his surroundings accurately–possiblyfor the first time in his life. My experiencewith Alignment has been extremely positive.It can bring about a dramatic reduction in thestudent’s confusion. It can also cut in half thetime required to gain proficiency in readingmusic. You or your music teacher can leadthe student through Orientation Counseling or the Alignment Procedure by following thescripts in chapters 8–12 of The Gift ofLearning by Ronald Davis.
The second step is to use multisensorytechniques to help make the notation and themusic concrete. Multisensory is just what itsounds like – teaching the material throughthe various senses:
• color to create visual symbols for the notes• clay to give it texture and depth• kinesthetic body movement to teach rhythm
and the steady beat • touch to convey note distance and pitch
direction on the page or instrument or inpointing to rhythms while counting or tracing the form of a piece
• drawing pictures to convey the meaning ofsymbols or tempo and expression marks
• playing for the student so he can hear andsee the different touches and dynamic shadings, and
• using visual imagination to enhance interpretation
It is critical to always name a symbol,define what it does (as concretely and visuallyas possible), and describe how it looks.Multisensory strategies can help.
I have been working with these conceptsfor nine years, and I have had consistentsuccess with them. One guitar student, whohas dyslexic tendencies and ADD, startedwith me in October 2002. He is creative andhas grown in his ability to improvise. It hasnot always been easy; he has struggled withnote accuracy and steady rhythm, but has stuckwith it and has been gaining mastery. Usingmultisensory strategies and the AlignmentProcedure has been pivotal in helping himget to where he is. He plans to major in musicin college next year in either music businessor sound recording technology. Expect thebest from your visual-spatial students, givethem the tools to succeed, and they can amazeyou in what they will accomplish. v
ReferencesAtterbury, Betty W. Mainstreaming ExceptionalLearners in Music. Old Tappen: Prentice Hall-Allyn & Bacon, 1990.
Coon, Dennis. Introduction to Psychology:Exploration and Application. 4th ed. St. Paul:West, 1986.
Davis, Ronald D., and Eldon M. Braun. The Giftof Dyslexia. New York: Perigee, 1997.
Davis, Ronald D., and Eldon M. Braun. The Giftof Learning. New York: Perigee, 2003.
Wood, Siw. “My Experience with the Problem ofReading Music.” Music and Dyslexia: OpeningNew Doors. Ed. T.R. Miles and John Westcombe.London: Whurr, 2004. P. 51 and 52.
© 2006 Geoffrey Keith
Geoffrey Keith received his music degreefrom U-Mass Lowell in 1993and has recently started his ownmusic lesson studio, SuccessMusic Studio, specializing inmultisensory strategies forteaching music to young students, students with dyslexia,
AD/HD, and visual-spatial learning styles (successmusicstudio.com). He has taught musicfor the last eighteen years, nine of which he hasbeen working with multisensory strategies, andhe is also a visual thinker. This is the first in aseries of articles on teaching music to studentswho are visual/spatial learners.
PAGE 10 THE DYSLEXIC READER
v Germany/Deutschland (cont’d)
Angelika KohnSteinheim-Kleinbottwar+49 (07148) 66 08
Marianne KranzerKönigsfeld+49 (07725) 72 26
Anneliese Kunz-DanhauserRosenheim+49 (08031) 632 29
Sabine La DueStuttgart+49 (0711) 479 1000
Gundula PatzlaffStuttgart+49 (0711) 23 64 86 0
Margit PlegerWetter/Dortmund +49 (02335) 84 87 60
Ursula Rackur-BastianIdstein/Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis/Wiesbaden+49 (06126) 565 01
Colette ReimannLandshut+49 (0871) 770 994
Ursula RittlerStuttgart+49 (0711) 47 18 50
Phoebe SchafschetzyHamburg+49 (040) 392 589
Gabriela ScholterSupervisor-SpecialistStuttgart+49 (0711) 578 28 33
Inge StarckBattenberg/Eder+49 (06452) 93 28 88
Beate Tiletzek Waldkraiburg+49 (08638) 88 17 89
Andrea ToloczykiHavixbeck/Münster+49 (02507) 57 04 84
Ulrike von Kutzleben-HausenDeisslingen+49 (07420) 33 46
Dr. Angelika WeidemannUlm +49 (0731) 931 46 46
Susanne WildPaar +49 (08205) 959 08 28
Gabriele WirtzStuttgart +49 (0711) 55 17 18
v GreeceZoe DeliakidouThessaloniki +30 2310 434510 or +30 6934 662438
Irma Vierstra-VourvachakisRethymnon/Crete+30 283105 8201 or 69766 40292
v Iceland
Áslaug ÁsgeirsdóttirMosfellsbaer+354 861-2537Sigrún Jónina BaldursdóttirSnaefellsbae+354 586 8180
The Lazy Readers Club: How to KeepUp with Your Recreational Reading
Cool Short Books
By Danny Brassel, [email protected], www.lazyreaders.com
It all began in a class I teach for beginningteachers.
“So, what good books are you readingright now?” I queried.
Nobody raised a hand. Confused, Iasked the class of 43 adults, ranging fromkindergarten teachers to high school specialeducation instructors, to tell me what badbooks they were reading. A flurry of complaints ensued.
“All I’ve got time to read are lessonplanning books and all of the textbookswe’re required to read in our credentialingprograms,” one woman proclaimed. “By theend of the day we don’thave time to read anybooks for pleasure.”
For weeks I ponderedways to encourage myteachers to read books for fun. It concerned methat so many people hiredto motivate students todevelop a passion forbooks lacked that passionthemselves. After all, asauthor Jim Trelease (2001)points out, reading interest is like a headcold: you can’t catch it if nobody aroundyou is infected. How could I encourageteachers to read more frequently?
Teddy Roosevelt provided the answer.Before reading The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt,a captivating Pulitzer Prize-winning biographyby Edmund Morris, I knew two things aboutthe former President: (1) Teddy bears werenamed after him, and (2) his face is on MountRushmore. Morris provides a page-turner thatchronicles Roosevelt’s triumphs and travails,but what struck me most about Rooseveltwas that he was an avid reader who readnearly 20,000 books by the time he was 30.Clearly, even I could read more frequently,so I resolved to start reading at least a book aday. How? I would read a lot of short books.
The Creation of the Lazy Readers’ ClubAbout four years ago, I began giving my students (primarily student teachers, beginning teachers and parent volunteers)recommendations of short literary works that anyone could read while waiting in agrocery line or sitting at a boring staff meeting. My goal was to stimulate people’sinterest in reading so that they might make it a life-long passion.
It started as an e-mail distribution list andevolved into a website: www.lazyreaders.com.Each month I provide book recommendationsfor quick, easy reading for personal pleasure.I try not to include any books over 200
pages, and I always includebooks written for a variety ofages. See, adults should notbe shy about reading kids’books. They are my favoritesbecause they generally haveshorter chapters, bigger printand colorful pictures. Peoplewho turn off the nightly newsin favor of a good children’sbook probably live longer.
The website includes anupdated monthly list of mypicks, as well as archivesof past selections by month,
level and page count.Also, books and otheritems purchased from
Amazon.com through linksfrom the lazyreaders.com website directlybenefit BookEnds (www.bookends.org), anonprofit organization devoted to increasingchildren’s access to books and communityservice awareness.
The different books are classified asfollows: AD, adult; YA, young adult; CH,children’s book. I always list a page countand some brief comments. I usually give atotal of 10 recommendations a month (3-4adult; 3-4 young adult; 3-4 children’s). Hereis a sampling of some past recommendations:
PAGE 11THE DYSLEXIC READER
v Iceland (cont’d)
Gudrún BenediktsdóttirHafnarfirdi+354 545 0103 or +354 822 0910
Gudbjörg EmilsdóttirKópavogur+354 554 3452
Hólmfridur GudmundsdóttirGardabae +354 895-0252
Svava Hlin HákonardEskifjordur +354 862 1518
Sigurborg SvalaGudmundsdóttirMosfellsbaer+354 566-8657
Stefanía Halldórsdóttir WadeKopavogur +354 564 2890
Nora KornbluehReykjavik+354-562-1295
Ingibjörg IngolfsdóttirMosfellsbaer +354 899-2747
Sigrún JensdóttirMosfellsbaer +354 897 4437
Valgerdur JónsdóttirDLS Workshop PresenterKópavogur +354 863 2005
Sturla KristjanssonDLS Workshop PresenterHafnarfjordur+354 845 6956
Ásta OlafsdóttirVopnafjordur+354 473-1164
Erla OlgeirsdóttirAkranes +354 694 3339
Hugrún SvavarsdóttirMosfellsbær+354 698-6465
Thorbjörg SigurdardóttirReykjavík +354 698 7213
Kolbeinn SigurjónssonMosfellsbær+354 566 6664 / 661-8654
Margret Thorarinsdottir Selfoss +354-486-1188
v India
Carol Ann RodriguesMumbai+91 (22) 2667 3649 or+91 (22) 2665 0174
v Ireland
Anne Marie BeggsOld Portmarnock/Dublin+353 (86) 239-1545
Paula HoranMullingar +353 44 934 1613
Sister Antoinette KeelanDublin +353 (01) 884 4996
Maggie O’MearaClonmel, Co. Tipperary +353 (87) 415 70 99
4. The Tao of Pooh(Benjamin Hoff), 158
pages. This is an oldfavorite of mine, asthe author offersspiritual awakeningby combining theteachings of thegreat philosophers,
Confucius andA.A. Milne. A treat for all ages.
5. Molvania (Santo Cilauro, TomGleisner & Rob Sitch), 176 pages. I am
a sucker for humorous travel books, and thisclever “travel guide”reveals everything oneneeds to know whentraveling to the fictionalcountry of Molvania.Yes, it is a one-jokebook, but anyone whohas ever trotted abroadwith a copy of TheLonely Planet, Fodors orLet’s Go is sure to enjoythis satire. I would be interested to knowhow many tourists purchase it thinking thatthere is such a country (I wish geographyfound greater importance in Americanclassrooms).
Young Adult (YA)
1. A Long Way fromChicago (Richard Peck),148 pages. I consider thisa “must” read. This funnytale of summers spentwith grandma rivalsMark Twain and TomBodett. Sweet simplicity.You can read this bookin under three hours, so grab a coffee andspend a delightful afternoon at Border’s.This book is a treasure!
2. A Hero Ain’t Nothin’But a Sandwich (AliceChildress),126 pages.One of the more popularbooks I have introducedto middleschoolers, thistale of a 13-year-oldheroin addict is sure tospark lively classroomdiscussions. A very
Adult (AD)
1. Silent Night: A ChristmasSuspense Story (Mary HigginsClark), 192 pages. This bookcould just as easily make aYoung Adult reading list, asI have recommended it toplenty of high schools andheard raves (especially fromgirls). I have to confess that Ilove Mary Higgins Clark; her booksalways entertain andforce you to read themstraight through to theend. Teachers at the firstelementary school Iworked at used to swapher books like tradingcards. I read her booksout of sure pleasure.
2. Rosencrantz andGuildenstern Are Dead(Tom Stoppard), 126pages. If you have neverread anything by TomStoppard, you are in for a treat. I rate him as oneof the most importantplaywrights of our time.You may have seen hisscreenplay Shakespearein Love. This tale is alsoset in Elizabethan timesand focuses on the mundane daily rituals of two minor charactersfrom Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Hilarious andoriginal, like all of Stoppard’s works.
3. Cool Dead People: Obituaries of RealFolks We Wish We’d Met a Little Sooner(Jane O’Boyle), 143 pages.I confess, when I don’tlink to Amazon via theLazy Readers’ website, Ibuy most of my booksfrom a great discount bookbroker called Edward G.Hamilton (they send me amonthly catalog of booksthat all cost under $3). I bought this book fora buck and read it in three hours. I loved it! Itis filled with fascinating two-page obituariesof people I truly wish I had known.Inspirational, quirky and fun.
PAGE 12 THE DYSLEXIC READER
v IsraelLuba AlibashRamat Hasharon/Tel Aviv+972 (09) 772-9888 or(052) 272-9532
Mira AshooshKiron +972 (03) 635-0973
Goldie GiladKfar Saba/Tel Aviv+972 (09) 765 1185
Eliana HarpazMa’Ale Adumim+972 (02) 590-2110 or 054-441-0789
Baruch KassiffKfar-Saba +972 (09) 767-3638Eve ResnickKfar Saba/Tel Aviv+972 (09) 766 2140Judith SchwarczDDA-Israel DirectorSupervisor-SpecialistPearl ZarskyRa’anana/Tel Aviv+972 (09) 772 9888
v Italy
Elisa De FeliceRoma +39 (06) 507 3570Piera Angiola MaglioliOcchieppo Inferiore / Biella+39 (015) 259 3080Silvia WalterBagno a Ripoli Florence +39 (055) 621 0541Rafaella ZingerleCorvara In Badia+39 (0471) 836 871
v KenyaDiana Smit-JurgensNairobi +254 733 895 603
v LebanonSamar Riad SaabBeirut +961 3 700 206
v Malaysia
Hilary CraigKuala Lumpur+603 2096 1342
v Mexico
Sivia B. Arana GarcíaMexico, D.F. +52 (55) 5520-1883
Cathy Calderón de la BarcaMéxico D.F.Fundamentals Presenter+52 (55) 5520 1883 or 5282 4196
Hilda Fabiola Herrera CantuCuliacan, Sinaloa +52 81 6677 15 01 19
La Puerta de las LetrasMaría Silvia Flores SalinasSupervisor-SpecialistOlga Zambrano de CarrilloDDA-Mexico DirectorGarza GarcíaMonterrey+52 (81) 8335 9435
Laura LammogliaTampico, Tamaulipas +52 (833) 213 4126
Alejandra Garcia MedinaCuajimalpa, Mexico, D.F+52 (55) 5813 9554
7. Speak (Laurie HalseAnderson), 197 pages.Wow! If this book doesnot make you cry or atleast reconsider how youtreat people, I don’tknow what will. I cannotbelieve this is Anderson’sfirst book. I loved thistouching tale of a highschool girl’s sudden caseof laryngitis, brought on by her outcast status.This should be required reading in everymiddle school. It’s that good.
Children’s (CH)
1. Leo the Late Bloomer (Robert Kraus), 32pages. Perfect for franticparents (e.g. my wife andme) who worry about thepace of their child’sdevelopment. Like myteaching mentor used tosay, “Each and every oneof us is gifted; it justtakes some of us a littlelonger to unwrap the presents.”
2. Giraffes? Giraffes! (Doris Haggis-on-Whey& Mr. Haggis-on-Whey),64 pages. This is nowone of my favorite ideas.Dave Eggers writesunder a pen name andcreates the most horrificidea man could have everdreamed of: the first in aseries of reference bookswritten by people who want to mess withfuture generations by providing erroneousinformation (e.g. giraffes did not evolve butrather came here from Neptune via thelargest escalator in the galaxy). I think thisconcept has been adopted by major politicalparties. Kids of all ages (from 3 to 83) get akick out of this book.
3. The Greedy Triangle(Marilyn Burns), 40pages. Too often kidswho are good at math areturned off from reading,so here is a funny way toentice mathematicians toread. A great introductionto geometry.
honest and vivid look at the harshness ofdrug addiction.
3. No More Dead Dogs (Gordon Korman),196 pages. I confess thatI picked up this bookbecause I liked the title.It is not at all what Ithought it was about, butit is still very funny. Let’sjust say that a teacher getswhat he deserves whenhe punishes a student forturning in an honest bookreport (something I always wished I haddone in school).
4. Just Annoying! (Andy Griffiths), 144 pages.No, this author has an “s”on the end of his name,and his series of booksbear little resemblance toanything you’d ever seein Mayberry. I find thatthis author has a way ofmaking teenage boyswant to read, and I willalways recommend anauthor who motivates reluctant readers.Parents beware, as his silly tales can sometimes be a bit “raunchy.”
5. Sideways Stories fromWayside School (LouisSachar), 128 pages. Eversince I read Holes (oneof the best books inyears), I have beendevouring stories fromLouis Sachar. He is mykind of writer, as his stories always make melaugh, and I always enjoyhis subtle messages.
6. The Toothpaste Millionaire (Jean Merrill),89 pages. What I enjoythe best about this bookis its entrepreneurialspirit. If I taught an MBAcourse, this is one of thefun books I’d put on myreading list (along withJeffrey Archer’s Kane andAbel). A good book for kidswho need to understandwhat it takes to succeed in business: thatnasty four-letter word known as “work.”
PAGE 13THE DYSLEXIC READER
v Mexico (cont’d)
Sociedad de ConsultatoriaOrganizacionalMaria Lourdes GutierrezMexico D.F.+52 (55) 5595 8442
Lucero PalafoxVeracruz+52 (022) 99 351302
Ana Elana Payro OgarrioCorregidora, Queretaro+52 442 228 1264
v Netherlands
Karin BakkerenBreda +31 (076) 581 57 60
Liesbeth Berg-SchagenVleuten+31 (030) 604-9601
Ineke BlomDorpstraat+31 (020) 436-1484
Lot BlomUtrecht +31 (030) 271 0005
Hester BrouwerGroningen+31 (050) 52 61 146
Lieneke CharpentierNieuwegein+31 (030) 60 41 539
Hester CnossenVeghel +31 (041) 337 5835
Monique CommandeurSterksel +31 (06) 13 94 97 54
Ratnavali de Croock Oudorp (Aalkmaar)+31 (072) 511 6881
Alexandra De GoedeAerdenhout+31 (023) 524 3263
Mine de RanitzDriebergen+31 (0343) 521 348
Christien De SmitSluis +31 (0117) 461 963
Leonardus D’HooreSluis +31 (0117) 56 29 40
Saskia Dijkstra Amsterdam +31 (020) 463-2753
Marijke Eelkman Rooda-BosGouda +31 (0182) 517-316
Johanna FokkensBeilen +31 (0593) 540 141
Ina GausSantpoort-Zuid+33 (023) 538-3927
Pérola GonçalvesAmsterdam+31 (020) 636 3637
Jan GubbelsMaastricht+31 (043) 36 39 999
Sue Hillier-SmithBreukelen+31 (0346) 265 059
Judith HolzapfelDeventer +31 (0570) 619 553
Will HuntjensHorn +31 (0475) 589 238
4. Shrinking Violet (CariBest), 40 pages. Have youever wanted to see the shykid beat the class bully?This book is satisfying toall ages and genders anda good lesson in treatingpeople kindly.
5. Thank You, Mr.Falker (PatriciaPolacco), 32 pages.Patricia Polacco is fantastic, and if this bookabout a teacher helping adyslexic child does nottouch your heart, you area grinch living on yourown mountain. All of Polacco’s booksaddress important issues, and I think all kidsneed to be exposed to her work.
6. The Shrinking of Treehorn (FlorenceParry Heide), 63 pages.Ever felt ignored? WhileTreehorn tries to con-vince adults that he isshrinking, they shrugtheir shoulders as if theboy had told them therewas a monster in hiscloset. All the whileTreehorn shrinks, and theillustrations by EdwardGorey are delightful in his demented style(he illustrated the macabre drawings at thebeginning of the wonderful “Mystery” serieson PBS).
7. The Librarian of Basra: A True Storyfrom Iraq (JeanetteWinter), 32 pages. A lotof teachers and parentshave asked me aboutnon-offensive books forkids that help themunderstand the war inIraq. I am not sure thatany books dealing withwars are non-offensive (or should be), butthis true story of one librarian’s heroic effortsto preserve her library in Iraq sends a lot ofimportant messages that I want people toremember. Namely, books are one of society’sgreatest resources. Have you ever noticed thecorrelation between the number of books thatare available to a citizenry and their literacyrate? FYI – America’s inner-city libraries are
in worse shape than many libraries in Iraq.That’s why organizations like BookEnds,The Wonder of Reading and Reading IsFundamental are so essential, in my eyes.
Final ThoughtsEnjoy the books. As always, I encouragepeople to go to the lazyreaders.com websitebefore purchasing anything on Amazon.com.By linking to Amazon via our website, up to 10% of your purchase will be donated to literacy charity. You can literally help createschool libraries with one extra click of themouse.
Anyone can be included on the e-maillist to receive my monthly recommendationsby registering at our website:
www.lazyreaders.comI promise that I will never forward anythingbut my monthly book picks. That’s the honesttruth – no mortgage rate ads or promises tohelp you lose 10 lbs. in three hours. I’ll justsend book recommendations.
Please remember to read for fun and to read to your children, and e-mail me anyshort books that you’d like to have consideredfor our lists. v
ReferencesTrelease, J. (2001). The Read AloudHandbook (5th ed.). New York: Penguin.
THE LAZY READERS WEBSITEWWW.LAZYREADERS.COM
“Read for fun and read to your children!”
–Danny Brassel
PAGE 14 THE DYSLEXIC READER
vNetherlands (cont’d)
Mia JenniskensEindhoven+31 (040) 245 9458
Trudy JolingLaren +31 (035) 531 00 66
Helen KapteinMiddleburg+31 (0118) 64 37 73
Marie KoopmanBilthoven+31 (030) 228 4014
Carry KulingHeemstede+31 (0235) 287 782
Edith Kweekel-GöldiSoest +31 (035) 601 0611
Imelda LamakerHilversum+31 (035) 621 7309
Irma LammersBoxtel +31 (411) 68 56 83
Yvie Leenaars-de RooÿBavel +31 (0161) 433 449
ZeiZei LerninstitutDrs. Siegerdina MandemaSpecialist TrainerAdvanced WorkshopPresenterDLS Workshop PresenterDDA-Nederland DirectorRobin TempleSpecialist TrainerWorkshop PresenterMaria Hoop+31 (0475) 302 203
Sjan MelsenArnhem +31 (026) 442 69 98
Marianne OosterbaanZeist +31 (030) 691 7309
Ineke PijpGroningen+31 (050) 542 0817
Fleur van de Polder-PatonSchiedam+31 (010) 471 58 67
Petra Pouw-LegêneDLS Presenter & MentorBeek +31 (046) 437 4907
Karin RietbergHolten +31 (0548) 364 286
Jacqueline van RijswijckVenray+31 (0478) 58 73 98
Lydia RogowskiHelmond+31 (0492) 513 169
Hanneke SchoemakerWageningen+31 (0317) 412 437
Ilse SchreuderDokkum +31 (0519) 220 315
Silvia Jolanda SikkemaDrachten +31 (0512) 538 815
Tonny StorHeerhugowaard+31 (072) 57 22 771
Karima P.A. TurkatteAmsterdam+31 (020) 696 4379
Play Time: FunMust Be a Big Partof the School DayBy Trish Konzak
Children need to play. This observation mightseem obvious, but lately, it is my rallying cry.It has to be. There is so much discussionamong parents and educators about the relativebenefits of academic versus developmentallyappropriate preschools, and as testing rules theday, proponents of the academic model seemto be gaining ground.
But I am a parent, and I have been a preschool teacher for more than 20 years, andmy experience and training tell me one thingloud and clear.
Children need to play. They need to build with blocks, role-play
with dolls and cooking tools, assemble tracksfor trains, dabble in paint, jump up and down,ride tricycles, smush playdough, dig in sand,splash in water. They need to negotiate withladders, slides, and each other. Take turns.Dress up. Cook.
And when they aren’t doing those things,they should be singingsongs – old ones and newones. They should belistening to stories andlooking at books. Theyshould be banging atambourine or tapping atriangle. Feeding a fish.Watching a hamster.
Why? Because whenchildren are playing withblocks, they are learning math|and science. When they play withdolls, they are practicing nurturing. Whenthey are dressing up, they are learning buttoning.When they play with playdough, they are exercising the small muscles of their fingers.When they paint, they are using small andlarge muscles and learning about color. Whenthey cut, color, and draw, they are enhancingthe small-motor development needed for writing. When they interact with each other,they are learning to share, take turns, andnegotiate. Children learn while they play.
When children sing, they learn newvocabulary and the rhythm of words. Theylearn poetry. When they listen to stories ateacher reads, they learn the left-to-right
progression they will use later for reading tothemselves. When they listen to a story that istold, their imaginations provide the pictures. In both cases, they are learning to read.
“So,” academic-preschool advocateswonder, “why not cut to the chase? Won’tchildren learn to read more quickly if theymemorize the alphabet? Isn’t counting thedirect path to math? If a child sits at a tableand copies letters and numbers, if they aredrilled on words and simple equations, won’tthey know more, sooner, and without all themessing around?”
No. They aren’t ready. There are connections in children’s
brains that are usually not completed untilbetween the fifth and sixth year of life, andthey take another year or so to mature. These
connections are essential forlearning to read. When children
haven’t grown enough to beready to read, they won’t beable to do it easily. And ifthey can’t do it easily, theywill be stressed and frustratedin the process of trying to meet
the unrealistic expectations ofparents and teachers.
Most school districts requirethat children learn to read between
five and six years of age. Most of them,especially boys, who may be developmentallybehind girls of the same chronological age byup to eighteen months, have a hard time. Bytrying to teach children what they are notready to learn, American schools are producingchildren who may become resistant to learning–and for no good reason, it seems: studieshave shown that early readers have no realadvantage in the long run, because their peershave usually caught up with them by age eight.
Children’s physiology and brain development have not changed a great deal in thousands of years, but what we expect ofthose bodies and brains has changed a greatdeal. We want more from them; we want it
PAGE 15THE DYSLEXIC READER
vNetherlands (cont’d)
Mieke van DeldenLeek +31 (059) 4514985
Agnes van den Homberg-Jacobs
America Limburg+31 (077) 464 23 22
Annette van der BaanAmsterdam+31 (020) 420-5501
Hetty van der WellOss +31 (041) 263 6403
Annemarie van HofUtrecht +31 (030) 65 86 700
Sjakkelien van LierDeventer +31 (0570) 600 008
Juchke van RoozendaalOss +31 (0412) 690 312
Willem Van UlsenGroningen+31 (050) 542 3941
Tienke Veenstra-SierhsmaMeppel +31 (0522) 254 453
Lia VermeulenHuizen +31 (062) 3671530
Christien VosTolbert +31 (0594) 511 607
Lucie Wauben-CrutsElsloo +31 (046) 437 0329
Christa WiersmaOnna (bij Steenwijk)+31 (0521) 523 303
Gerda Witte-KuijsHeerhugowaard+31 (072) 571 3163
Astrid Zanen-vander BlijAerdenhout+31 (023) 524 3485
v New Zealand
Vivienne CarsonAuckland+64 (09) 520-3278
Catherine ChurtonDDA-Pacific DirectorSupervisor-SpecialistAuckland+64 (021) 448 862
Jennifer ChurtonAuckland+64 (09) 360 4941
Wendy HaddonMosgiel+64 (03) 489-8572
Rochelle HardenWanganui +64 (027) 306-6743
Margot HewittKaiapoi +64 (03) 312-0496
Alma HoldenAlexandra+64 (027) 485-6798
Bronwyn JeffsChristchurch+64 (03) 344 2526
Raewyn MathesonInglewood+64 (027) 411 8350
sooner. They can learn what we want them to,when we want them to, if parents and teachersare consistent and very patient – but why bother, when they are not ready?
Let’s not “push down” the curriculum.Let’s allow children to discover letters, numbers,colors, and language in a way that also teachessocialization, imagination, values, and joy.
If parents are concerned about readingand writing, they can read and sing to theirchildren every day; they can let their childrenwatch them write – letters, bills, grocery lists.They can swap stories. Tell jokes.
And they can take them to a preschoolwhere they will be allowed to play.
Trish Konzak has taught preschool for 23 years, 19of them for Heather Farm Preschool, in WalnutCreek, California.
Copyright 2006-07-06. George Lucas EducationalFoundation, www.glef.org
More Thoughts on Play . . .
Best preparation for life“Play–it’s by definition absorbing. Theoutcome is always uncertain. Play makeschildren nimble–neurobiologically, mentally, behaviorally–capable ofadapting to a rapidly evolving world.That makes it just about the best preparation for life in the 21st century.Psychologists believe that play cajolespeople toward their human potential bypreserving all the possibilities nervoussystems tend to otherwise prune away.It’s no accident that all the predicamentsof play–the challenges, the dares, theraces and chases–model thestruggle for survival. Think of play as the future withsneakers on.”
—Hara Estroff Marano,Psychology Today
Learning self-control“From the beginning, play helps childrenlearn how to control themselves, howto interact with others. Contrary to thewidely held belief that only intellectualactivities build a sharp brain, it’s in playthat cognitive agility really develops.Studies of children and adults aroundthe world demonstrate that socialengagement actually improves intellectualskills. It fosters decision-making, memory and thinking, speed of mentalprocessing.”
—Hara Estroff Marano, Psychology Today
Creating model situations“Child’s play is the infantile form ofhuman ability to deal with experienceby creating model situations and tomaster reality by experimenting andplanning.”
—Erik Ericson, Child and Society, 1950
Not in school to take tests“A change in our perception of why kidsare in school seems appropriate. Kids are
not in school to learn how tomemorize a bunch ofstuff and spend an hourand a half spitting it
back to us. They are not in school to see how
much information theycan cram onto twonote cards they get touse during the test.
They are not in school to learn to taketests. They are in school to learn to takelife, and do something useful and fulfilling with it.”
—Steven W. Simpson, Ph.D. , Simpson Communications
The benefits of play“Child-initiated play lays a foundationfor learning and academic success.Through play, children learn to interactwith others, develop language skills,recognize and solve problems, and discover their human potential.” —From Time for Play, Every Day: It's Fun–and
Fundamental (The Alliance for Childhood)
PAGE 16 THE DYSLEXIC READER
v New Zealand (cont’d)
Sally Ann McCueNelson +64 (03) 545-1779
Shelley McMeekenDunedin +64 3 456 5058
Sandra MoetraWhangarei+64 (09) 435 6822
Kerrie PalmaRodney +64 (09) 425 5941
Jocelyn PrintKaikoura +64 (03) 319 6711
Alison SymeDarfield +64 (03) 318-8480
Lorna Timms Christchurch +64 3 359 8556
v Philippines
Imelda CasugaBaguio City +63 (744) 42 29 01
v PolandAgnieszka OsinskaWarsaw+48 (22) 658-2237
v Portugal
Rita Alambre Dos SantosLisboa 1000-115+351 (21) 781-6090
v Republic of SingaporePhaik Sue ChinSingapore +65 6773 4070
Constance ChuaSingapore +65 6873 3873
v South AfricaSara KramerCapetown+27 (021) 671 4634
v Spain
María Campo MartínezMurguía, Álava +34 (0945) 46 25 85
Silvia María SabatésRodrigoMadrid +34 (091) 636 31 44
v Switzerland/CH
Tinka Altwegg-ScheffmacherVeronika BeelerSt. Gallen+41 (071) 222 07 79
Monika AmreinZurich +41 (01) 341 8264
Lerninstitut BaselBonny BeuretSpecialist TrainerAdv. Workshop PresenterDLS Workshop PresenterDDA-CH DirectorRuth Froels +41 (061) 272 24 00
Regula Bacchetta-BischofbergerHorw /Luzern +41 (041) 340 2136
Priska BaumgartnerWettingen +41 (056) 426 28 88
Convinced that son is dyslexic
Q. My 11-year-old son was tested for dyslexiathis summer and we got his results yesterday.They came back negative, but I’m still convinced that he is dyslexic. Out of the 37basic dyslexia symptoms published on theinternet, my son has 33 definite symptoms,and two possibles. I asked the tester,“Soyou’re telling me that he has all thecharacteristics of dyslexia, but because he’snot a bad enough reader, he doesn’t have it?”And she said “yes.” This doesn’t sound right to me.
A. I think you are getting confused by theconcept of “diagnosis.” Dyslexia is notsomething that one either has or doesn’t have,such as a physical disease. Rather, it is a wordused to describe a constellation of symptomsand learning characteristics that can range fromvery mild to very severe. Because schools areconcerned with presenting a set curriculumto children at a certain age, they will define“dyslexia” in terms of how far behind thechild is. If the child is able to perform at ornear grade level in school, even if the child isstruggling, they will be reluctant to describethe child as dyslexic or learning disabled–instead, they want to focus their resourceson the children who are very far behind. Atester who works mostly for the schools willkeep those standards in mind.
But at an individual level, it is verypossible that a bright child will have severedyslexia, and still be able to keep up in schoolwork, and thus not test badly enough at reading or other skills to fit the school’s definition. A child like this has the potentialto perform much better–perhaps the childreads only a year behind “grade level” –withhelp, the same child may soon be readingtwo years ahead of grade level.
Because of this very common situation,Davis providers have a different view. If, asin your son’s case, the child has many commonsymptoms of dyslexia, we would consider thechild to be dyslexic. We would then ask ourprospective client two questions:
• Do you think you have a problem?• Do you want help with the problem?
This is because in the end, only the individualcan know whether the dyslexia symptomsare severe enough to warrant help. It isn’twhat other people think or a matter of testscores–it is how the dyslexic person feels.Usually, our clients feel very frustrated andupset–and often very relieved to have someone who is ready to help them withoutmaking them take a lot more tests first.Sometimes we have worked with childrenwho came to us already reading above grade level, but they wanted help with their comprehension or reading speed, or wantedhelp with writing or math instead.
Obviously your son fits in the samecategory as other bright and talented kidswho are able to function at what the schoolconsiders an acceptable level in spite of thedyslexia. I think it is just as obvious that, with help, he could do much better. Theschool only is concerned with making surehe achieves grade level learning–as a parent, I am sure you want your son to achieve hisfull potential.
Post-Program Support
Q. My son did the Davis program last year.We have been slowly working through it andI must admit keeping our enthusiasm up hasat times been hard lately. I am feeling quiteisolated and alone doing this programme.What level of support am I entitled to afterthe programme? Should I have some regularcontact from my facilitator, or is it up to meto make that contact?
A. Davis providers generally offer six hoursof post-program support, to be scheduled bythe client as needed. It would be up to you to
by Abigail Marshall
PAGE 17THE DYSLEXIC READER
v Switzerland/CH (cont’d)
Mieke Blommers-FriederichsBasel +41 (061) 378 9060
Michelle BonardiCastel S. Pietro, Ticino+41 (091) 630 23 41
Vicki BrignoliLumino+41 (091) 829 05 36
Carole DubossonVeyras/Sierre+41 (027) 452 62 02
Ursula FischbacherOrpund+41 (032) 355 23 26
Edith ForsterEttenhausen+41 (052) 365 45 54
Heidi Gander-BelzDLS Workshop PresenterMonchaltorf+41 (01) 948 1410
Elisabeth GerberMettmenstetten +41 (044) 767 10 54
Katharina GrenacherBern +41 (031) 382 00 29
Elisabeth GutGrut +41 (044) 932 3242
Ursula Hirzel EglerStäfa +41 (01) 926 2895
Christa JaegerRiehen +41 (061) 641 4667
Consuelo LangLumino +41 (091) 829 05 36
Claudia LendiSt. Gallen+41 (071) 288 41 85
Erika Meier-SchmidBonstetten+41 (01) 700 10 38
Christine NoisetRenens/Lausanne +41 (021) 634 35 10 or(079) 332 2775
Jürg PeterSupervisor-SpecialistDornach+41 (061) 701 39 16
Véronique PfeifferZürich +41 (01) 342 22 61
Elisabeth RabergerEffretikon +41 (056) 209 17 76
Hilary RhodesChesieres-Villars+41 (024) 495 38 20
Regine RothMohlin/Basel+41 (061) 851 2685
Doris Rubli-Osterwalder St. Gallen +41 (071) 245 56 90
Benita RuckliSigigen +41 (041) 495 04 09 or (079) 719 31 18
Lotti Salivisberg Basel +41 (061) 263 33 44
contact the Facilitator to arrange this; thereis no way for the Facilitator to know thatyou need help unless you initiate contact.
The Davis Dyslexia Association hostsa support forum where parents can postquestions and share various concerns at:www.dyslexiatalk.com. Also, if you havequestions about the clay modeling, youmight find this website helpful: www.symbolmastery.com
Whose decision should it be?
Q. Is it normal for the child make the decision as to whether or not to do a DavisDyslexia Correction Program? Or is it theparents’ decision? The facilitator whoassessed my 14-year old son told him thatthe decision to do a program was his. It feltlike the parents were left totally out of thisdecision. My son has told us he does notwant to do the program. I think most kidswill say they don’t want a program, eventhough it might help them. I’d appreciateyour feedback on this.
A. Yes, we do believe that the decision toundertake the Davis program must always bemade by the child. We find that motivation isthe key factor in the success of the program.Children who feel pressured by parents orother outsiders to do the program tend not todo as well. We train all our Facilitators toscreen carefully for the program, during theinitial assessment. The Facilitator looks formotivation and a learning style compatiblewith our program. Many of our techniques,such as Orientation Counseling, rely heavilyon the child’s commitment to the processand his willingness to report accurately whathe is thinking or feeling. A child who is justthere because he wants to please his parentsmay pretend to be getting the concepts whenhe really doesn’t understand.
Program follow-up is also critical tosuccess, and a child who did not want theprogram in the first place is far more likelyto balk at doing the post-program work.Because our techniques rely on the creativeparticipation of the child, they cannot beforced–the child simply must be a willingparticipant. When a child says he doesn’twant the program, it’s an indication that heis really not ready for what we have to offer.
In addition, a key aspect of the Davisprogram is the sense of control andempowerment that the child gains overlearning. Rather than saying “I can’t,” thechild will gain confidence with the
understanding that he is able to control anddirect his own learning, and take responsibilityfor his own success. Putting the decision inthe child’s hands at the outset, helps himunderstand that he can indeed have control.
I know it is frustrating to accept yourson’s decision not to do a program when youwant help for him. But it would be far worseif you were to pay the full cost of a Davisprogram, only to find in the end that your sonhad not benefited and was still struggling inschool. With a teenager, it is particularlyimportant that the child want the program,because at around age 14 kids can be veryresistant and hard to deal with. I’ve often feltvery thankful that I was able to do the Davisprogram with my own son at age 11, becauseby age 13 he became quite a handful, andwould fight me on just about everything.(Fortunately it was a phase that he passedout of at around age 15!)
I think it would be a waste of money topay for a Davis program with a 14 year oldwho doesn’t want it. Even if the Facilitatorcould work effectively with him, he wouldprobably argue with you over doing the follow-up work. A younger child might bemore compliant, even if motivation wasn’tstrong; teenagers are more likely to dig intheir heels and fight.
In spite of this, I often get mail fromstudents around age 16. By then, they are alittle more mature and starting to think about thefuture. They may worry about their high schoolgrades or wonder if college is a possibility,and their motivation and willingness to workon their problems may increase. So it’s verypossible that a seed has been planted, andwhen your son is a bit older he may decidethat he does want the program after all. v
PAGE 18 THE DYSLEXIC READER
v Switzerland/CH (cont’d)
Sonja SartorWinterthur+41 (052) 242 4015
Maya Semle-MuraroStäfa +41 (079) 704 03 07
Claudia TavernaSent +41 (081) 864 9115
Andreas VillainZürich +41 (076) 371 84 32
Catherine WarnerGeneva +41 (022) 321 70 42
Margit ZahndGerolfingen+41 (079) 256 86 65 or(032) 396 19 20
v United Arab Emirates
Linda RademanDubai +9714 348 1687
v United Kingdom
Nicky Bennett-BaggsGt. Gaddesden, Herts+44 (01442) 252 517
Jo Broughton Hitchin, Herts +44 (0)1462 435 166
Sue BullenAyrshire, Scotland+44 (01292) 591 797
Susan DuguidLondon+44 (020) 8878 9652
Dyslexia Correction CentreGeorgina DunlopJane E.M. HeywoodDLS Mentor & PresenterAscot, Berkshire+44 (01344) 622 115
Christine EastKingsbridge, Devon+44 (01548) 856 045
Hilary FarmerOxford, Oxon+44 (01865) 326 464
Nichola FarnumLondon +44 (0208) 977 6699
Maureen FloridoHarleston, Norfolk+44 (01379) 853 810
Carol ForsterDLS Workshop PresenterGloucester+44 (01452) 331 573
Achsa GriffithsSandwich, Kent +44 (01304) 611 650
Axel GudmundssonLondon +44 (020) 8341-7703
Tessa Halliwell Barrow upon Soar, Leics+44 (01509) 412 695
Karen HautzLondon+44 (0207) 228-2947
Annemette Hoegh-BanksBerkhamsted, Herts+44 1442 872185
Phyllida HowlettHaverfordwest,Pembrokeshire +44 (01437) 766 806
David Boies is one ofthe most successfullawyers in the UnitedStates today. He’sknown for taking oncauses that otherlawyers won’t touch. As a result of dyslexia,Boies didn’t learn to
read until the third grade. In “The WordAccording to David Boies,” by Dan Lynch(Daily Business Review, Feb. 17, 2005),Boies stated, “Dyslexia never leaves you. Itrained myself to listen well. That’s a veryimportant technique in the law and inlife.” In the courtroom Boies is known forciting scores of facts and figures, as well as case references from memory, withouta single written note to remind him of the details. In the article, “OvercomingDyslexia,” by Morris, Munoz and Neering,CNNMoney.com (May 13, 2002), Boiesopines that dyslexia is a learning problem,“not an intelligence disability. It doesn’tmean you can’t think.” He considers himselfto have been a “late bloomer” and wisheswe were more tolerant of children whosepath to learning is unusual. “In this environment,” he told CNNMoney.com,“you get children who think they are masters of the universe, and children whothink they are failures, when they’re 10years old. They’re both wrong. And neitheris well served by that misconception.”
Famous Dyslexics Remember
The name ErinBrockovich is known tomany, ever since thestory of how her workled to one of the biggestdirect action lawsuits inthe history of California,was made into a moviein 2000. She was just a
file clerk at the time, but as a result of herinvestigation into the health problemscaused by polluted groundwater inHinkley, California, Pacific Gas andElectric was ordered to pay $333 millionin damages to 600 residents of the town.
Ennis Cosby, son ofcomedian and actor, Bill Cosby, was tragically murdered at age 28.Ennis was dyslexic, butdid not discover this untilhe was in college. In an
article at the hellofriend.com website heis quoted as saying, “My first two years ofcollege became the most frustrating anddepressing part of my life. My confidencein myself began to slip as I became moreand more confused as to why I could notcompete in the classroom. The happiestday of my life occurred when I found outthat I was dyslexic. I believe that life isabout finding solutions, and the worstfeeling to me is confusion.” Ennis had planned to be a special education teacherand help children with similar learningdifficulties. After his death, his parentsestablished the educational foundation“Hello, Friend” (www.hellofriend.com).The foundation supports teaching andlearning and has also produced a video,called Ennis’ Gift, featuring many successful actors and business peopletelling their own stories about the struggles resulting from their learning differences. v
Ms. Brockovich went on to write a book,Take it From Me, Life’s a Struggle, butYou Can Win, has been interviewed ontelevision and radio numerous times andis often invited to speak at colleges anduniversities. An article by Kelly Mulliganof The Daily Collegian at Penn State Univ.(“Brockovich Emphasizes Concern forOthers,” Sept. 13, 2000) quotes from aspeech Ms. Brockovich gave at the university that September: “Most peopledon’t know that I have dyslexia. I don’tlike to be labeled. We are taught not tojudge a book by its cover, but that'sexactly what we do. People called mestupid — I knew that I could learn, but I just couldn’t learn the way that societywanted to teach me. There are no setanswers, just be who you are.”
PAGE 19THE DYSLEXIC READER
Based on the Davis DyslexiaCorrection methods, this Kit enables parents and tutors ofchildren, ages 5-7, to home-teachand 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 and
comprehension• establish life-long “how-to-learn” skills.
Young Learner Kitfor Home-Use
••
DA
VI S
D Y S L EX
I
A
AS
SO
C
I AT I O N I N T E R N
AT
IO
NA
L
®
The Kit includes:
• Instruction Manual • Sturdy nylon briefcase • Reusable modeling clay (2 lbs.) • Clay cutter • Webster’s Children’s Dictionary
(hardcover) • Punctuation Marks & Styles Booklet • Two Koosh Balls • Letter Recognition Cards • Laminated Alphabet Strip • Stop Signs for Reading Chart
The Davis Methods for Young Learners
Davis Focusing Strategies provide children with the self-directed ability to be physically and mentally focused on thelearning task at hand.
Davis Symbol Mastery enables childrento master the alphabet letters, punctuationmarks and basic sight words with a simple,easy and fun alternative to pencil-paperactivities and drill.
Davis Reading Exercises improve accuracy with word recognition and comprehension.
The Kit is priced at $119.95(Shipping and Handling will be added)
To purchase a kit, use our secure on-lineordering at:www.dyslexia.com/bookstore
or call our toll-free number: 1-888-999-3324
Note: For older children (ages 8 and up), werecommend the Davis Symbol Mastery Kit.
The Young Learner Kit
vUnited Kingdom (cont’d)
Angela JamesReading, Berkshire+44 (0118) 947 6545
Liz JollyFareham, Hants+44 (01329) 235 420
Lisa KloossLondon +44 (0208) 960 9406
Marilyn LaneRedhill, +44 (0173) 776-9049
Madeleine MilesDereham, Norfolk+44 (01362) 861 136
Fionna PilgrimKeighley, West Yorkshire +44 (01535) 661 801
Maxine PiperCarterton, Oxon+44 (01993) 840 291
Elenica Nina PitoskaLondon +44 (020) 8451 4025
Rebecca RossTonbridge, Kent +44 (01892) 838 109
Pauline RoylePoulton-le-Fylde, Lancs+44 (01253) 899 875
Ian RichardsonBlaisdon Longhope, Glos+44 (0145) 283 0056
Rosemary SavinsonLondon +44 (0208) 316-1973
Janice ScholesLiversedge, West Yorkshire+44 (01274) 874 712
Nigel SharpIsle of Wight +44 (07736) 251 258
Judith ShawSupervisor-SpecialistSt. Leonards onSea/Hastings, East Sussex +44 (01424) 447 077
Elizabeth Shepherd Crowborough, East Sussex +44 (0189) 266-1052
Dyslexia KentMargarita WhiteheadDDA DirectorRichard WhiteheadDDA DirectorDLS Mentor & PresenterFundamentals PresenterStaplehurst, Kent+44 (01580) 890 321
Lynne SmithBrighton, East Sussex+44 (01273) 723 920
Anna StephensRothley, Leics+44 (0116) 230-3283
Barbara TimminsSolihull+44 (015) 6477 2657
Drs. Renée van der VloodtSupervisor-SpecialistReigate, Surrey+44 (01737) 240 116
Evelyn WhiteWalton-on-Thames, Surrey+44 (01932) 230 624
PAGE 20 THE DYSLEXIC READER
vUnited Kingdom (cont’d)
Rachel WilliamsonHassocks, West Sussex+44 (01444) 245 260
Francis WrightExeter, Devon+44 (077) 9684 0762
v United States
AlabamaPaula MoreheadBirmingham+1 (205) 408-4420
Lisa SprattHuntsville +1 (256) 426-4066
ArkansasRebecca LandesMulberry / Fort Smith +1 (479) 997-1996
ArizonaDr. Edith FritzPhoenix+1 (602) 274-7738
Nancy KressGlendale/Phoenix+1 (623) 203-1890
John F. Mertz, Jr.Tucson+1 (877) 219-0613 (Toll Free)+1 (520) 219-0613
Jeannette MyersSedona +1 (928) 204-1963
CaliforniaReading Research CouncilDyslexia Correction CenterDr. Fatima Ali, FounderAlice Davis, DDAI Director,Ray DavisRonald D. Davis, FounderSharon Pfeiffer,Specialist TrainerDLS Workshop PresenterDee Weldon WhiteLexie White Strain Burlingame/San Francisco +1 (800) 729-8990 (Toll Free) +1 (650) 692-8990
Janet ConferRancho SantaMargarita/San Clemente+1 (949) 589-6394
Richard A. HarmelMarina Del Rey/Los Angeles+1 (310) 823-8900
David HirstRiverside+1 (951) 653-9251 or(909) 241-6079
Angela Dean Educators Nicole MeltonKaren Thorworth-PongsDiamond Bar+1 (909) 229-5251
Michelle PalinSanta Cruz+1 (831) 419-8338
Cheryl RodriguesSunnyvale/San Jose+1 (408) 983-0968
Dwight UnderhillEl Cerrito/Berkeley+1 (510) 559-7869
By Cathy Cook, M.Ed. Davis Facilitator in Columbia, Missouri
Over the years, working with learning disabled elementary students, I becameincreasingly aware that my students neededmore than I was offering them. I’d learnedthe methods for teaching subjects like reading,writing and math in the school district, at the university, and from respected experts inthe educational community. Despite all thecredentials and documentation garnered bythose espousing these methods, they simplydid not work effectively for the children inmy classes. How did I know?
• Students were reading years below theiractual grade placement.
• Students liked school less and less as yearspassed.
• Even after being retained, children still didn’t make satisfactory progress.
• And, as the years went by, their self-esteemcontinually suffered.
I always felt that Ideveloped a great rapportwith my students; yet theone thing that I truly wantedto give them – the abilityto master academics –eluded me. The final strawcame when I realized thatseveral of my studentsqualified for the district’sgifted program for LDlearners. Being placed inthe gifted program was awonderful step for them, but how could it bethat kids with such high IQ’s struggled sowith reading?
Late one evening, at the beginning of abrand new school year, I sat in my classroombleakly aware that my students were not getting the help they truly needed. For yearsI’d searched through the internet, readbooks, attended seminars on everything fromautism to outdoor classrooms, even createdmy own curriculum; yet, here I sat still looking for the right answer. My next decision would affect the rest of my life.
I knew I could nolonger be a specialeducation teacher if I was not able toprovide my studentswith what theyREALLY needed.But could I findsomething that would truly help them?
At that moment, sitting in the child-sized chair at the small, round table in myclassroom, I looked up at my bookcase. The Gift of Dyslexia by Ronald D. Davispractically jumped off the shelf and dancedbefore my eyes! I’d read it a few yearsbefore. Why I hadn’t taken up the ideas I’dfound in it I’m not sure. What matters is thatI picked up the book again that night. Iquickly read the beginning. WOW! Ideasspun through my brain! Despite the late hourI was energized and drove home with a newresolve to learn more about this dyslexiathing. My plan: to practice the strategies
from The Gift of Dyslexiaon my husband, Chris.
At home Chris readily agreed to be my“guinea pig.” I wanted topractice with him before Iattempted any of the methods with my students.Well, not only did he geteach step, it seemed he gotthem almost before thewords came out of mymouth! Funny, as I led him
through Orientation Counseling I thought he was surely pretending to understand justbecause he’s such a great guy. But he assured me that it actually made sense.
Months later, with Chris’ blessing, I was on my way to San Francisco for theFundamentals of Davis Dyslexia CorrectionWorkshop. As the year of facilitator trainingprogressed I gradually incorporated theDavis methods into every type of learningsituation I possibly could. My original estimate that maybe four or five of my twenty-some students were dyslexic was way
Cathy Cook
OnPointwith Davis DyslexiaCorrection Methods
PAGE 21THE DYSLEXIC READER
ColoradoValarie AbneyDenver +1 (303) 433-9077
Terry DeMeoLittleton/Denver+1 (303) 696-6807
Annie GarciaWheat Ridge / Denver+1 (303) 423-3397
Crystal PunchCentennial/Denver +1 (303) 850-0581
Janet SlavenskiDenver +1 (303) 431-0027
Kristi ThompsonDLS Workshop PresenterWalsh +1 (719) 324-9256
FloridaRandom (Randee)GarretsonLutz/Tampa/St. Petersburg+1 (813) 956-0502
Angela KeiferTampa +1 (727) 480-1093
Alice J. PrattJacksonville+1 (904) 389-9251
Rita & Eugene Von BonNavarre +1 (850) 939-2313
GeorgiaLesa HallPooler/Savannah+1 (912) 330-8577
Martha PayneSuwanee+1 (404) 886-2720
Scott TimmWoodstock/Atlanta+1 (866) 255-9028 (Toll-Free)
HawaiiVickie Kozuki-Ah YouEwa Beach/Honolulu+1 (808) 685-1122
IllinoisKim AinisChicago +1 (312) 360-0805
IndianaJodi R. BaughCloverdale/Indianapolis+1 (765) 526-2121
Myrna BurkholderGoshen/South Bend+1 (574) 533-7455
Carol WilliamsNew Albany+1 (651) 324-9156
IowaMary Kay FrasierDes Moines+1 (515) 270-0280
KansasCarole CoulterOverland Park/Kansas City+1 (913) 831-0388
KentuckyRochelle AbnerWinchester+1 (859) 513-2662
off. I quickly discovered that almost everystudent had many dyslexic characteristics.
Using the Davis methods with my students produced amazing results! Once oriented and working in clay they began tounderstand what words and symbols lookedlike, sounded like, and meant. One student,whose teachers had said she wasn’t farenough behind to receive help outside of her regular classroom,began seeking anykind of help I couldgive her. We workedabout 30 minutes oneday using clay and thesteps for SymbolMastery on the wordsfrom her spelling list.Later, when her classtook their weeklyspelling test, she onlymissed one spellingword! Her teacherstopped me inquiringhow we’d worked on her spelling list. I wondered, was something wrong? It seemedthat this 5th grader consistently scored poorlyin spelling. But after working with the wordsin Symbol Mastery, this week was very different. The teacher was quite enthusiastic!
Another child had made little or noprogress in reading for two solid school yearsand was reading at a beginning kindergartenlevel. One day he went back to his classroomafter Orientation Counseling and AlphabetMastery. Later, during a weekly reading
assessment he easily read through a selectionfor his classroom teacher. He continued theassessment until he read at the appropriatereading level for his grade, for that time ofyear! In other words, one day he was readingat a developmental reading level of three,and the next day at level 15! Once again theteacher came to me wanting to know whathad happened!
After I becamea licensed DavisFacilitator I had theopportunity to workone-on-one with students who hadpreviously been onmy school case-load.One such client wasDakota. Before hisprogram he was veryemotional aboutalmost everything in life. Reading, inparticular, produced
tremendously negative emotions in him. But even his achievement in extra-curricularactivities like Tae-Kwan-Do sufferedbecause of his feelings. Although he lovedTae-Kwan-Do, Dakota eventually droppedout because of excessive confusion and poorcoordination. The combination of giftedintelligence and academic difficulty coupledwith reading skills around the beginning ofthe 1st grade was just too emotionally draining for this 4th grader. In fact, he wasso unhappy that he frequently cried in his
“K-11 in One Week!”
“I retooled my brain with bettermethods of helping myself read
and write. I’m focusing better andon point now. In reading I can tellI’m focusing better. It’s like I’mlearning Kindergarten through11th grade in the matter of two
sessions a day over a week’s time.I now have help to divide being
on point and being creative – and Iknow when it’s time to do both!”
By Rodney Carr August 3, 2006
Rodney Carr, one of Cathy Cook’s manyenthusiastic clients, wanted to submithis own comment on the results of hisprogram.
PAGE 22 THE DYSLEXIC READER
LouisianaWendy Ware GilleyBaton Rouge+1 (225) 751-8741
MassachussettsKaren LoGiudiceNewbury+1 (978) 337-7753
Carolyn TylerFairhaven+1 (508) 994-4577
MichiganNicki CatesSaint Clair Shores/Detroit+1 (586) 801-0772
Sandra McPhallGrandville/Grand Rapids+1 (616) 534-1345
Ann MinkelSix Lakes/Grand Rapids+1 (989) 365-3925
Dean SchalowManistee+1 (800) 794-3060 (Toll-Free)
Michele WellmanAlma/Lansing/Grand Rapids+1 (989) 463-5276
MinnesotaCindy BauerPlymouth/Minneapolis+1 (612) 483-3460
Cyndi DenesonSupervisor-Specialist Workshop PresenterEdina/Minneapolis+1 (888) 890-5380 (Toll-Free)+1 (952) 820-4673
Bernadette Peterson Maple Grove+1 (763) 229-4550
MissouriCathy CookColumbia+1 (573) 819-6010 or 886-8917
Patricia HenryKansas City+1 (816) 361 6563
MontanaAshley BenjaminFort Benton+1 (406) 734-5420or (406) 781-4642
Kimberly BezansonMissoula +1 (406) 541-3076or 499-0220
Elsie JohnsonKalispel +(406) 257-8556
Linda Jo PriceBozeman +1 (406) 586-8218
Robin ZealWhitefish +1 (406) 862-6210
NebraskaShawn CarlsonLincoln +1 (402) 420-1025
NevadaBarbara ClarkGardnerville/Carson City+1 (775) 265-1188
New HampshireGlenna GiveansLebanon+ 1 (603) 863-7877
regular class at school.During his Davis Program Dakota
learned about the Energy Dial – or, rather,he taught me about Dial! He shared with mesomething he’d known for a long time. Forexample on Valentine’s Day, during the classparty, after eating lots of cookies and candy,his Dial would be at 10. He also knew hehad at least one more Dial just for facialexpressions which didn’t change very often.It was usually at a 3 or 4. At the end of hisDavis Dyslexia Correction Program weekDakota went to visit his grandmother. Shewas not aware that Dakota had attended theProgram, but she didn’t have to be told: theresults spoke for themselves. What thegrandmother saw was a happy child!Oriented, Dakota could go to school andhappily take on daily activities. Orientedand on point, Dakota could positively shakeoff the cares of the day and replace cryingwith calm, both during school and after.
One final story – about Heather. A fewof my clients were recording their thoughtsfor OnPoint Learning at a local radio stationone day. When the station called with the
end results I excitedly anticipated whatthey’d have to say. I just wasn’t prepared forthe tremendous enthusiasm in their voices.Heather’s exuberance simply caught me offguard – and frankly brought tears to myeyes. She proudly began, “Hi, I’m Heather,I’m dyslexic and, I have ADHD. After working with Cathy and the Davis DyslexiaProgram at OnPoint Learning, well I used to read at 4th grade, now I read at 9th; andI’m only in the 6th grade!” Heather wenton after her Program to test significantlyabove grade level on several district-wideassessments in both reading and writing. Nolonger does she worry about being placed inspecial classes where she felt out of place;nor does she fret over classmates phoningher at home to ask for (special) “Ed.”
These are a sampling of the wonderfulthings I’ve been privileged to experience onmy journey to becoming and being a DavisFacilitator. These examples point out a fewof the changes some of my clients haveexperienced. And for me, the rewards arepersonal, as I, too, have learned about myown “gift” of dyslexia. v
Humor CornerWrong answer, or right?
A Sunday school class was studying theTen Commandments. They were readyto discuss the last one. The teacherasked if anyone could tell her what itwas. Susie raised her hand, stood tall,and quoted, “Thou shall not take thecovers off thy neighbor’s wife.”
v
A child’s logicA nursery school teacher was deliveringa station wagon full of kids home oneday when a fire truck zoomed past.Sitting in the front seat of the fire truckwas a Dalmatian dog. The childrenstarted discussing the dog’s duties.They use him to keep crowds back,”said one youngster. “No,” said another,“he’s just for good luck.” A third child
When my grandson asked me how oldI was, I teasingly replied, “I’m notsure.” “Look in your underwear,Grandma,” he advised. “Mine says I’mfour to six.”
v
brought the argument to a close.“They use the dogs,” she said firmly,“to find the fire hydrant.”
v
PAGE 23THE DYSLEXIC READER
v United States/ New Hampshire (cont’d)
Michele SiegmannMason/Manchester/Boston+1 (603) 878-6006
New JerseyLynn ChigounisMontclair +1 (973) 746-5037
Nancy CimprichElmer/Philadelphia+1 (856) 358-3102
Charlotte FosterSupervisor-SpecialistBernardsville/Newark+1 (908) 766-5399
New YorkLisa AndersonSeneca Falls +1 (315)568-3166 or (800) 234-6922
Ann HassigGouverneur+1 (315) 287-0531
Hadar Lily HellmanNew York City +1 (212) 781-3689 or +1 (718) 614-8240
Wendy RitchieHilton/Rochester+1 (585) 233-4364
North CarolinaGerri W. CoxDLS Workshop PresenterShallotte/Wilmington+1 (910) 754-9559
Tina KirbySanford/Fayetteville+1 (919) 499-0774
Ruth MillsPineville/Charlotte+1 (704) 541-1733
Jean MoserWinston-Salem+1 (336) 765-6310
OhioLorraine CharbonneauMason/Cincinnati/Dayton+1 (513) 850-1895
Sandra KornLiberty Township/Cincinnati+1 (513) 779-9118
Lisa ThatcherMount Vernon/Columbus+1 (740) 397-7060
OklahomaAshley GriceTulsa +1 (918) 630-5187
Rhonda LacyClinton +1 (580) 323-7323
OregonRhonda ErstromVale +1 (541) 881-7817Melissa SlominskiTigard / Portland+1 (503) 957-2998
PennsylvaniaMarcia MaustBerlin/Pittsburgh+1 (814) 267-5765
Rhode IslandLinda M. DanielsProvidence+1 (401) 301-7604
Elisabeth Helenelund is a special needsteacher in Borga, and is our first DavisFacilitator in Finland! +35 (840) 079-5497. [email protected]
Agnieszka Osinska is a speed-reading andeffective learning trainer and Poland’s first DavisFacilitator! She works with children with dyslexia,ADHD and other learning difficulties. MEMPracownia Rozwoju Zdolnosci Poznawczych, ul.Filtrowa 64/15, Warsaw 02-057, Poland. +48 (022) 658-2237. [email protected]
Raylene Barnhill “Notunlike many others, I happenedupon the Davis Program whenlooking for solutions for myyoungest child’s reading difficulty. The unique and positive nature of the Davisapproach was initially appealing,
and the results my son obtained from the programsolidified my desire to pursue this further. Mytraining in occupational therapy has allowed me, a linear thinker, to appreciate the complexities ofperception. I look forward to being able to help–one person at a time – explore their gift of dyslexia.”Imaginative Minds Learning, 1015 Regent Street,Suite 410, Fredericton, New Brunswick E3B 6H5,Canada. +1(506) 458-0494. [email protected]
Ashley R. Grice “I first heard about the DavisProgram from my uncle, whose daughter wentthrough the program. I was so inspired by theirpositive testimonies that I decided to become aDavis Facilitator. I had previously worked in thespecial education field and loved seeing peoplemeet their goals and gain confidence. When thetime came to explore new options, the DavisProgram promised to be an exciting opportunityto witness life-changing accomplishments forthose struggling with learning difficulties. Myheart’s desire is seeing people get excited aboutdoing things they never thought possible. I delightin helping others realize they possess gifts andtalents and that they can use them to make lifeand learning easier and more enjoyable. Learningdifficulties should not rule a person’s life. Theycan be overcome. I offer services that can dramatically change lives, inspire hope, endlearning frustrations and replace them with confidence and success. People need long-termpositive solutions for overcoming learning challenges; solutions that make a difference intheir lives and allow them to use their gifts toexcel. I am confident that the Davis methods arethose solutions and I am excited to provide thisprogram to all ages.” Creative Mind Learning
Newly Licensed Davis FacilitatorsCongratulations and welcome to our growing
International family of Davis Providers! A special welcome to our first Davis Facilitators in Finland and Poland!
Solutions, 7020 S. Yale, Suite 275, Tulsa, OK74136, USA (918) 630-5187. [email protected]
Lillian “Lee” Miles has a Bachelors degree inElementary Education, and a K-12 Library MediaEndorsement. “I went into education with the ideaof sharing my own love of reading and learning.As a school librarian I enjoyed working with avariety of age groups, and the sparkle in students’eyes told me when I succeeded in passing on theexcitement of learning! My biggest challenge wasthe ever-present group of students in grades 3-6whose reading abilities lagged far behind theirgrade and interest levels. Many of these studentswere bright and capable of learning – they eagerlyshared with me a wealth of knowledge about theirfavorite topics – but for some reason reading wasa tedious struggle for them. During a meeting ofarea librarians in 1995, a seemingly contradictorytitle – “The Gift of Dyslexia” caught my eye. Iread the book, fascinated and excited as so manyanswers fell into place! Now I’m looking forwardto seeing that same excitement surface in my clientsas they develop an awareness and appreciation oftheir special talents.” The Learning Connection,4404 S. Louise Ave. #8, Sioux Falls, SouthDakota, 57106, USA. (605) 274-2294. [email protected]
Wendy Haddon “My introduction to the DavisProgramme came at a schoolmeeting where a DavisFacilitator was speaking to parents and teachers. I left themeeting thinking that this might
just be the answer to the learning difficultiesexperienced by some of the children in my care.As a Primary school teacher I had become veryfrustrated by the lack of useful information aboutdyslexia and how to help those with it. I attendeda Fundamentals of Dyslexia Correction Workshoppresented by Ron Davis to see if the DavisProgramme looked as good as it sounded. It did!So here I am, a newly licensed Facilitator. It iswonderful to see the changes that take place during the programme, and to hear afterwardshow well things are going at school and home formy clients. I have also attended a Davis LearningStrategies Workshop and would love to see thesestrategies implemented in all junior classes. Whata fabulous start this would be for new learners.”Solutions for Learning, 131A Gordon Road, POBox 198, Mosgiel, New Zealand 9007. +64 (03) 486-1433. [email protected]
PAGE 24 THE DYSLEXIC READER
South DakotaKim CarsonDLS Workshop PresenterBrookings/Sioux Falls +1 (605) 692-1785
Carina LittleWatertown +1 (605) 886-8415
TexasKellie Antrim-BrownFt. Worth+1 (877) 230-2622 (Toll Free)+1 (817) 989-0783
Glyndene BurnsLubbock +1 (806) 781-4891
Janalee BealsBedford/Dallas/Ft. Worth+1 (877) 439-7539 (Toll Free)or +1 (817) 354-2896
Success Learning CenterRhonda ClemonsDLS Workshop PresenterColleen MillslagleDLS Workshop PresenterTyler/Dallas+1 (866) 531-2446 (Toll Free)+1 (903) 531-2446
Shari ChuHelotes /San Antonio +1 (210) 414-0116
Lori JohnsonBoerne / San Antonio+1 (210) 843-8161
Susan LewisLubbock +1 (806) 771-1385
Christina MartinKeller +1 (817) 741-8539
Leslie McLeanAmarillo+1 (806) 331-4099 or +1 (877) 331-4099 (Toll Free)
Amanda MeyerBurleson/Ft. Worth+1 (817) 426-4442
Dorothy OwenSupervisor-SpecialistPlano/Dallas +1 (972) 447-8327 or+1 (866) 822-2441 (Toll Free)
Paula Roberts Tyler +1 (903) 570-3427
Casey Linwick-RouzerSugar Land/Houston+1 (832) 724-0492
Laura WarrenDLS Workshop PresenterLubbock +1 (806) 771-7292
VirginiaDonna KouriMontpelier/Richmond+1 (804) 883-8867
Angela OdomDLS Workshop PresenterMidlothian/Richmond+1 (804) 833-8858
Jamie Worley Yorktown/Williamsburg +1 (757) 867-1164
WashingtonJackie BlackArlington/Everett1-866-218-1614 (Toll-Free)
Inge Lanneau “In June of2006 I completed the DavisFacilitator Training. As a speechtherapist I’m used to workingwith children and adolescentsand I know how they reacttowards the current therapies.The innovative procedures of the
“Davis Method” are very rewarding for me and forclients. For both facilitator and client, the creativityinvolved and the totally different approach makedyslexia correction a challenge to GO for!”Nieuwendorpe 51 Oedelem-Beernem, 8730 Belgium.+32 (05) 033-2992. [email protected]
Irma Lammers “I am 44years old. My hobbies are:playing the piano, giving pianolessons, reading, and raisingour two 14-year-old daughters.In October 2004, I started myDavis training. Now, in Marchof 2006, I have my own practice.
I hope to give up my microbiological analyst joband help many people with the Davis program.”+31 (041) 168-5683. [email protected]
Liesbeth Berg-Schagen“Both my husband and I aredyslexic. It shouldn’t come as asurprise that our son is too. Healso shows signs of Dyscalculia.When he began to have difficultykeeping up in primary school I
started searching for ways to help him. This ishow I came into contact with the Davis Method.Our son went through the program and it made ahuge difference both in his achievement at schoolbut also in his general well being. Seeing theseremarkable results for him and the positive feelingthis method gave me, I decided to become aDavis Facilitator myself. I finished the training inMay 2006. I am looking forward to helping peopleovercome difficulties with reading, writing, mathand AD(H)D.” De Letterberg, Poelruitlaan 35,Vleuten, 3451 PB Netherlands. +311 (030) 604-9601. [email protected]
Jacqueline van Rijswijck“I am 43 years old. My husband,son, daughter and I are all picture-thinkers. My 11-year-old son has dyslexia. While looking forinformation to help him, Ilearned of the Davis Program. I
used to work as a laboratory analyst, developingvaccines for animals. Now I realize that exploringand analyzing problems in a research mode is agood way to think. Curiosity also seems to be ahelpful tool. I enjoy the puzzle, figuring out what’sbehind all those learning and life problems. Mychallenge is to help people start to enjoy learning,and gain insight into themselves.” Landweertweg14, Venray 5802 AJ, Netherlands. +31 (047) 858-7398. [email protected]
Lesa Hall “During my FinalField Assignments, I came totruly understand what DorothyOwens meant when she said, “Itis an honor to share this workwith you.” With each client, as I sat back and watched the toolswork for them and saw them
discover their own triggers, I too felt honored tobe a part of this work. It was truly amazing. I amso in awe of this program and I look forward tohelping more children and adults discover theirgifts and talents through the Davis Program.”Reading Quest, LLC. 138 Canal Street, Suite 101,Pooler, GA 31322, USA. (912) [email protected]
Anne Cupitt “After manyyears working as a SupportTeacher in Queensland schools, I have developed a good under-standing of the nature of learningdifficulties and I have empathyfor the frustration that dyslexic
students experience. My aim is to use students’positive gifts (intelligence, curiosity, creativityand innovation) to remove obstacles to theirlearning and allow the natural learning process tooccur more easily. I will be working from my new“study” at home. Study On Point, 20 WongaStreet, Scarness, Hervey Bay, Q4655 Australia.+61 (074) 128-2470. [email protected]
Anna Stephens “Being(largely) a self-corrected dyslexic,I identified very strongly, fromthe outset, with Ronald Davis’methodology. I read The Gift ofDyslexia while at a career andlife crossroads and decided thatthe route to take was the one
leading to the role of Facilitator. I am lookingforward to helping others achieve in monthsthose changes that took me years. This work fitswell with my other activities which includeassessment for recruitment development and lifecoaching.” Halstead Lodge, 247 Swithland Lane,Rothley, Leicester LE7 7SJ, United Kingdom.+44 (0116) 230-3283 or +44 (0797) [email protected]
Anne Marie Beggs“Create a life you love.” Thatis a phrase I saw in a gift shopduring my training. And that’swhat I want to do with theDavis Method. I feel that theDavis tools equip adults and
children alike to create a life they love. On myDavis journey I have found a life I love and Ihope others have too. Thanks to all who havecontributed, helped and supported me on myjourney.” Mindseye Ireland, Dunkeld, DrumnighRoad, Old Portmarnock, County Dublin, Ireland.+35 (386) 239-1545. [email protected]
PAGE 25THE DYSLEXIC READER
The Davis Facilitator Training
Program requires approximately
400 hours of course work.
The Davis Specialist Training
Program requires extensive
experience providing Davis programs
and an additional 260 hours of
training. Specialists and Facilitators
are subject to annual re-licensing
based upon case review and
adherence to the DDAI Standards
of Practice.
Davis Learning Strategies
Mentors and Workshop
Presenters are experienced teachers
and trainers with 2-3 years of
specialized training and experience
mentoring classroom teachers of
children 5-9 years of age.
For information about training and
a full directory of Davis providers, go
to: www.dyslexia.com/providers.htm
or call +1 (650) 692-7141; or
+1-888-805-7216 toll-free in the USA.
v
v United States/Washington (cont’d)
Aleta ClarkAuburn/Tacoma+1 (253) 854-9377
Carol HernDLS Workshop PresenterSpokane
Mary Ethel KelloggDLS Workshop PresenterSpokane
Rebecca LueraFall City/Seattle+1 (800) 818-9056 (Toll-Free)+1 (425) 222-4163
Nancy SittonMarysville +1 (360) 651-1241
Renie Royce SmithSpokane & Everett+1-800-371-6028 (Toll-Free)+1 (509) 443-1737
Ruth Ann YoungbergBellingham+1 (360) 752-5723
West VirginiaGale LongElkview/Charleston+1 (888) 517-7830 (Toll Free)+1 (304) 965-7400
WisconsinNew Hope Learning Centers, Inc.Darlene BishopMargaret Hayes Milwaukee+1 (888) 890-5380 (Toll Free)+1 (262) 255-3900
Anne MataczynskiWausau +1 (715) 551-7144
v UruguayMarcela PiffarettiMontevideo+598 (02) 604-2691
v
This Directory is current as of October 1, 2006. It issubject to change. Between
newsletter issues, newFacilitators are added, andoccasionally, some becomeinactive. However, the Davis
Providers list atwww.dyslexia.comis always up to date.
Davis TrainingPrograms
Linda Daniels, a long timewriter and editor, tried to learneverything she could aboutdyslexia when her gifted soncould not learn to read. Findingfew satisfactory answers in theexpected places, she followedalternative trails. Davis wasnoteworthy for its success rate
and elegance. But what most attracted mother andson was the Davis philosophy, which respects thepicture thinker and celebrates his or her gifts. “Myson blossomed after his Davis program,” she says,“and learning to read was only the half of it.”Because Linda provided the follow-up support toher son in his public school classroom, she soonrecognized that he wasn’t alone in his struggles.“The more successful my son grew, the harder itbecame to watch other struggling students fromthe sidelines.” She is grateful to Davis SpecialistCharlotte Foster for urging her to pursue Davistraining and for so thoroughly “getting” her son.She also thanks Specialist Dorothy Owen, forproviding the best possible model of facilitationduring the training process. Although Linda completed all her Davis fieldwork with publicschool students, she is looking forward to sharingher knowledge with anyone seeking an effectivenew approach to learning problems. Open Mind:Learning Success for All, 491 Eaton Street,Providence, RI 02908, USA. (401) [email protected]
Karen Hautz “A speech andlanguage therapist by training,my interest in dyslexia wasignited by my interest in findingsolutions that could help mydyslexic niece. Reading TheGift of Dyslexia and talking to a number of licensedFacilitators motivated me to
become a Davis Facilitator myself. Having competed the course, I am looking forward toworking with people of all ages, helping themhelp themselves, and achieve their goals usingthe Davis tools.” Dyslexia Achievement, 17Fontarabia Road, London, SW11 5PE UnitedKingdom. +44 (207) [email protected]
Karen LoGiudice Holdinga degree in Communicationfrom Suffolk University, Karenhas always loved reading andwriting, and has used thoseskills throughout her career.When her 9-year-old son wasstruggling with reading,spelling, and writing she
desperately wanted to find a solution so that he, too, could master these fundamental skills.School system testing came up inconclusive,
but her obviously bright, articulate son continued to struggle. After about a year of private tutoring, psycho-educational testing, and research, it was revealed that her son wassuffering from dyslexia. Karen sought help froma Davis Facilitator and watched her son’s selfesteem soar! His inspirational turnaround andacademic success prompted Karen to pursueDavis Facilitator certification. Leaving a SeniorManagement position at a leading technologycompany in order to pursue this new endeavor,Karen has no regrets. “Every client is unique;every program offers new and exciting challenges.It is an honor to work with extremely gifted andcreative people every day!” New EnglandDyslexia Solutions, 30 Green St., Newburyport,MA 01950, USA. (978) 337-7753. [email protected] v
PAGE 26 THE DYSLEXIC READER
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 equipsyoung 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 eachStrategy in various curriculum activities.
• Videotape or DVD demonstrating each classroom Strategy. • Teacher Kit: alphabet strip, letter recognition cards, clay,
cutter, dictionary and two Koosh® balls. (Classroommaterials sold separately)
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 StateUniversity. Cost is $54 per unit, plus $35 administrative fee.A written assignment, which can be completed before andduring 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.
Basic Workshop forPrimary Teachers“In the forefront of what I liked most was how easily the Davis strategies fit into many areas ofKindergarten curriculum. It relieved me of a paper-pencil approach and gave me a hands-on, kinestheticapproach. It helped develop the little finger muscles to move on to coordinate paper-pencil activities.Creating the alphabet over time also accomplished the development of ownership, responsibility, and a sensea pride in all the children. I believe all Kindergartenchildren would benefit from Davis Learning Strategies.”
–LB, Kindergarten Teacher, Mission San Jose ElementarySchool, Fremont, California
2006-2007 DATES & LOCATIONS
10-12 November: UK (Ascot/Berkshire)Instructor: Jane Heywood Language: EnglishContact: Richard WhiteheadEmail: [email protected]: +44 (01580) 892 928
24 -26 November: Switzerland (Basel)Instructor: Heidi Gander-Belz Language: GermanContact: Gabi LichtenhahnEmail: [email protected] Tel: +41 (0)61 273 81 85
29- 31 January: New Zealand (Christchurch)Instructor: Gail Hallinan Language: EnglishContact: DDA-PacificEmail: [email protected] Tel: +64 (09) 815-8626
2- 4 February: New Zealand (Christchurch)Instructor: Gail Hallinan Language: EnglishContact: DDA-PacificEmail: [email protected] Tel: +64 (09) 815-8626
13 - 15 June Iceland (Kopavogur)Instructor: Sturla Kristjansson & Valla JonsdottirContact: Gudbjorg Emilsdottir Language: IcelandicEmail: [email protected] Tel: +354 554-3452
7- 9 July: New Zealand (Christchurch)Instructor: Gail Hallinan Language: EnglishContact: DDA-PacificEmail: [email protected] Tel: +64 (09) 815-8626
11- 13 July: New Zealand (Christchurch)Instructor: Gail Hallinan Language: EnglishContact: DDA-PacificEmail: [email protected] Tel: +64 (09) 815-8626
Visit www.davislearn.com for additional workshop dates.
PAGE 27THE DYSLEXIC READER
Come Learn andEXPERIENCE the DavisDyslexia CorrectionProcedures!Fundamentals of Davis Dyslexia Correction®
Workshop based on the best-selling book The Gift of Dyslexia by Ronald D. Davis
NEW ZEALAND11-14 Nov. 2006: ChristchurchPresenter: Lorna TimmsEmail: [email protected]: +64 (09) 815-8626
1-4 Mar. 2007: ChristchurchPresenter: Lorna TimmsEmail: [email protected]: +64 (09) 815-8626
SWITZERLAND9-12 Nov. 2006: BaselPresenter: Bonny BeuretEmail: [email protected]: GermanTel: +41 (061) 273 81 85
UNITED KINGDOM• 6-9 Nov. 2006• 5 - 8 May 2007Addington, Nr. Maidstone KentPresenter: Richard Whitehead Email: [email protected]: +44 (01580) 892 928
UNITED STATES29 Jan. - 1 Feb. 2007San Francisco, CaliforniaPresenter: Cyndi DenesonEmail: [email protected]: 1-888-805-7216 toll-free
19 - 22 Mar. 2007Dallas-Ft. Worth, TexasPresenter: Gerry GrantEmail: [email protected]: 1-888-805-7216 or +1 (817) 919-6200
15 - 18 May 2007Washington, D.C.Presenter: Gerry GrantEmail: [email protected]: 1-888-805-7216 or +1 (817) 919-6200
9 -12 Jul. 2007San Francisco, CaliforniaPresenter: Gerry GrantEmail: [email protected]: 1-888-805-7216 toll-free
2006-2007 FUNDAMENTALS WORKSHOP SCHEDULE
DAY ONE
Background and Development of the Davis DyslexiaCorrection® 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 SessionSymptoms 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 SessionDavis Symbol Mastery® (the key to correcting dyslexia)• What is Symbol Mastery? Why clay?Mastering Basic Language Symbols• Demonstrations and Group ExercisesReading Improvement Exercises• Spell-Reading. Sweep-Sweep-Spell. Picture-at-
Punctuation
DAY FOURFine-Tuning Procedure (checking and adjustingorientation using balance)
Symbol Mastery Exercises for Words• Demonstrations• Group Exercises• Practice Sessions
Implementing the Davis Procedures
DAY TWO
Davis Orientation Counseling Procedures (methods tocontrol, monitor and turn off perceptual distortions)• What is Orientation? Demonstration & Practice SessionRelease Procedure (method to alleviate stress, headaches)Alignment (an alternative to Orientation Counseling)• What is Alignment? How is it used? Group DemonstrationDial-Setting Procedure (a method for controlling energylevels)
FUNDAMENTALS WORKSHOP OUTLINE
All workshops conducted inEnglish unless noted otherwise.
To register for US workshops call 1-888-805-7216 (toll-free)
For updated workshop schedules visit: www.dyslexia.com/train.htm
Continued on page 22
The Dys•lex •́ic Read •́er1601 Old Bayshore Highway, Suite 245Burlingame, CA 94010
RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
PRESORTEDSTANDARD
U.S. POSTAGE
PAIDBURLINGAME, CA
PERMIT NO.14
~
DDA-PacificPO BOX 46023Herne BayAuckland, New ZealandPhone: +64 (09) 815-8626Fax: +64 (09) 815-8627E-mail: [email protected]
DDA-CHFreie Strasse 81CH 4001 BaselSWITZERLANDTel: 41 (061) 273 81 85 Fax: 41 (061) 272 42 41E-mail: [email protected]
DDA-DeutschlandWandsbecker Chausee 132D-22089 Hamburg GERMANYTel: 49 (040) 25 17 86 22 Fax: 49 (040) 25 17 86 24E-mail: [email protected]
DDA-Israel20 Ha’shahafim St.Ra’anana 43724 ISRAELTel: 972 (0523) 693 384 or (0)9 774 7979Fax: 972 (09) 772-9889E-mail: [email protected]
DDA- MéxicoRío Volga #308 oteColonia del Valle66220 Garza Garcia N.LMEXICO Tel/Fax: 52 (81) 8335-9435 or 52 (81) 8356-8389E-mail: [email protected]
DDA-NederlandKerkweg 38a 6105 CG Maria Hoop, NEDERLANDTel: 31 (0475) 302 203 Fax: 31 (0475) 301 381E-mail: [email protected]
DDA-UKSlaney Place Headcorn RoadStaplehurst, Kent TN12 0DJ.Tel: +44 (01580) 892 928 Fax: +44 (0)1580 893 429E-mail: [email protected]
DDAI-Int’l, Canada & USA1601 Bayshore Highway, Ste 245Burlingame, CA 94010Tel: 1-888-805-7216 Fax: 1 (650) 692-7075E-mail: [email protected]
For a detailed brochure on enrollment, prices, group rates, discounts, location, and further information, contact the DDA in your country.
Based on the best-selling bookThe Gift of Dyslexia by Ronald D. DavisThis 4-day workshop is an introduction to the basic theories,principles and application of all the procedures described inThe Gift of Dyslexia. Training is done with a combination oflectures, demonstrations, group practice, and question andanswer sessions. Attendance is limited to ensure the highestquality of training.
Who should attend:Everyone involved in helping dyslexic individuals over theage of eight.
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 improvingreading, spelling, and motor coordination into a teaching,home school, tutoring, or therapeutic setting.
See page 27 for more workshop details.
Enrollment limited v Classes fill Early v Call 1-888-805-7216 or 650-692-7141For updated workshop schedules visit http://www.dyslexia.com/train.htmFor a full description of the Davis Facilitator Certification Program, ask for our booklet.
Fundamentals of Davis Dyslexia Correction Workshop
6- 9 Nov. 2006 Addington, Kent UK
9-12 Nov. 2006 Basel Switzerland
11-14 Nov. 2006 Christchurch New Zealand
29 Jan.-1 Feb. 2007 San Francisco, Calif. USA
1-4 Mar. 2007 Christchurch New Zealand
19 - 22 Mar. 2007 Dallas-Ft. Worth, Texas USA
5 - 8 May 2007 Addington, Kent UK
15 - 18 May 2007 Washington, D.C. USA
9 - 12 Jul. 2007 San Francisco, Calif. USA
2006-2007 International Schedule
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 and Discounts• $1175 per person• $1125 for DDAI members or groups of two or more• $1075 if paid in full 60 days in advance• Advance registration and $200 deposit required• Includes manual, one-year DDAI membership,
verification of attendance, and Symbol Mastery Kit• Academic units and CEUs available