What Reading Speed Has to Do With Leadership: Nothing
Many leaders succeed because of their dyslexia, not in spite of it. President Trump stirred up a hornet’s nest when he suggested that Governor...
Storytelling as a Dyslexic Strength
Storytelling is not simply a language skill. It is a form of reasoning. Recognizing these strengths helps shift how we think about writing instruction and creative expression.
Rethinking Auditory-Only Phonemic Awareness Training for Reading in the Early Grades Does Not Work
A new study reported on in Education Week found that a widely-used phonemic awareness program (the oral-only Heggerty curriculum) did not improve gains in word reading or oral reading fluency, although it did significantly improve phonemic awareness skills.
Free Back To School Reading Apps
Some of the most common free apps that dyslexic students use for school.
Beyond Behavior: Attention, Working Memory, or Something Else?
The problem with trying to diagnose with behavioral checklists is that behavior can result from many different sources. If you have a 3rd grader...
Math Difficulties Common with Dyslexia
Although the pace of research into dyslexia beyond reading proceeds very slowly, there is some welcome recent research into some of the...
![Dyslexia: What About Sequencing? [Premium]](https://www.dyslexicadvantage.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Sequencing-400x250.jpg.webp)
Dyslexia: What About Sequencing? [Premium]
Sequential memory is a challenge for many dyslexic people – and you may be surprised how many very accomplished dyslexics have trouble with it. SEQUENCING DIFFICULTIES PRESENT MANY WAYS Parents and students may first notice difficulties memorizing sequences when they get asked to recite the alphabet or numbers up to 10. Trouble appears learning the days of the week or months of the year (harder) but some are able to compensate with music or associated mnemonics. “You mean you don’t have to sing the ABC song in order to remember which letter is in front of the other? ” – Business Executive Sequencing errors contribute to problems in reading, spelling, writing, and math, but also specific subjects like history or literature. Students with sequencing […]
Free Visual and Hands-On Math Curriculum: Bridges
Recently, I discovered a free visual and hands-on math curriculum from The Math Learning Center, a non-profit organization that grew out of a National Science Foundation project. The curriculum is for Pre-K through 5th grade and it may be helpful as an addition to...
![Qona Rankin from the Royal College of Art: Creative [Premium]](https://www.dyslexicadvantage.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Qona-Rankin-cover-e1680639793162-400x250.jpg.webp)
Qona Rankin from the Royal College of Art: Creative [Premium]
“…instead of reading perhaps 240 words a minute, the Dyslexic brain may read 150 words a minute, but at the same time, it could be making all sorts of fascinating connections and links through dipping into other processing centers in the brain.” – Qona Rankin Qona Rankin is dyslexia specialist at the Royal College of Art (RCA), one of the premier institutions for art and design in the world. She is also dyslexic. Qona’s expertise was in three-dimension design, whether furniture, consumer products, or jewelry. After Qona earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees, she began working part-time at a university. A visiting lecturer from another university was a dyslexia support specialist and she told the group that there were likely to be many dyslexic […]
![The Fight with Robots: AI Writing (ChatGPT) Causing Trouble for Dysgraphic Students [Premium]](https://www.dyslexicadvantage.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/The-Fight-with-Robots-AI-Writing-ChatGPT-Causing-Trouble-for-Dysgraphic-Students-DA-e1676637777257-400x250.jpg.webp)
The Fight with Robots: AI Writing (ChatGPT) Causing Trouble for Dysgraphic Students [Premium]
Currently, the educational world is being rocked about advances in artificial intelligence technology that are upturning ways students are being assessed and demonstrating their knowledge. The AI Writing programs are dazzling and while there can be upsides to having this technology for free at your fingertips, there are definite problems and the challenge for teachers and schools will be to adjust to this new AI-reality without hurting students in the process. To see ChatGPT in action, check out the video below our link to sign up for a free account. To see an example of ChatGPT in action, look at what happens when I ask the program to write a paragraph about how AI can be used for cheating. Not surprisingly, free technology […]
![Schools Missing the Boat on Dyslexia and Math [Premium]](https://www.dyslexicadvantage.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/SCHOOLS-MISSING-THE-BOAT-ON-DYSLEXIA-AND-MATH-400x250.png.webp)
Schools Missing the Boat on Dyslexia and Math [Premium]
Forty-four percent of dyslexic students also meet diagnostic criteria for math disability, according to researchers, but math rarely receives specific designations on students’ individualized education plans. What is the result? Dyslexic students with math disabilities underperform, fail, get held back, and find themselves excluded from certain academic tracks and majors (like science, technology, and engineering). What they really need though are informed teachers and school programs that understand their specific needs and teach them based on their strengths. CHALLENGES AND STRENGTHS IN MATH In a review of 50 consecutive dyslexic students seen in our clinic, the following patterns were seen in their WISCIV IQ and WIAT-III achievement scores. Our practice was unusual because we had many gifted referrals from the Silicon Valley and many students […]
![Embracing the Spiky* Profile [Premium]](https://www.dyslexicadvantage.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/EMBRACING-THE-SPIKY-PROFILE-DA-400x250.png.webp)
Embracing the Spiky* Profile [Premium]
It can be a challenge reconciling dyslexia stories in a publication such as this because the topics may zoom from the highest highs (innovators, explorers, paradigm-shifters) to what seem to be early school frustrations – like spelling homonyms or forming letters correctly – but such is the life of the spiky profile person. That is also why if you look at what seems to be a well-organized program of remediation, and have your student signed up for it, progress may not be as orderly as hoped. A core part of the trouble trying to communicate what dyslexia may look like to those who are unfamiliar is that many existing definitions fall wide of the mark. Dyslexia is better understood as a broad learning difference – […]
People Power Strengths
Over the years, we've met many dyslexic adults with people strengths that span the full range of careers. Sometimes people with strong empathy are drawn to jobs that really need the human touch - whether it's counseling, nursing or other health professions, or in...
![Writing An Essay — How They Do It [Premium]](https://www.dyslexicadvantage.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Writing-an-Essay-400x250.png.webp)
Writing An Essay — How They Do It [Premium]
Over the past decade, it’s been a joy to see how many more dyslexic university students and professors are sharing how they tackle one of the most difficult tasks in education: writing an essay. The mechanics of writing are difficult, for sure, but for many, the volume of ideas and a need to organize and prioritize them is an equally difficult task. Here are two videos from Jemima Hutton, a medical student from Australia. She shares why she prefers mind-mapping to outlining (outlining is too restrictive) and how she enjoys getting her associated ideas down on paper. In the second video, Jemima talks about how she uses software to scaffold her writing. She uses Claro Writing Helper, but now there are other software similar to […]
![Learning Irregular Words [Premium]](https://www.dyslexicadvantage.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Dyslexic-Advantage-400x250.png.webp)
Learning Irregular Words [Premium]
Question: Why does dyslexia intervention focus so much on phonics and phonological awareness when so much of English doesn’t follow rules? Every comprehensive structured literacy program includes lessons and intensive practice with sight words and orthographic mapping as well as morphology (the study of words from the perspective of small meaning parts like prefixes, roots, and suffixes). So students undergoing remediation are actually becoming deep scholars of language. It can be pretty intense. Regular phonological patterns are learned first, then irregular words that don’t fall into classic phonics rules. For example, an open syllable is a syllable that ends in a vowel (the word “she”, for instance). The rule for open syllables is that the vowel is long. Closed syllables are syllables that are closed […]
![Navigating the Non-Dyslexic World [Premium]](https://www.dyslexicadvantage.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Navigating-the-Non-Dyslexic-World-DA-400x250.jpg.webp)
Navigating the Non-Dyslexic World [Premium]
For almost every subject and career, there will be challenges that arise because rules and programs were designed without dyslexic people in mind. The only way things can change for the better is to have more members of the community speak up and advocate for change. Sometimes the process of self-advocacy can be exhausting, but if you stay with it day-in and day-out, educating rather than doing battle, you are usually surprised to see improvement over time. ADVANCED AND SPECIALTY CLASSES OR ACTIVITIES As individuals progress through their education and life, they master the basics of reading and writing, and other problems are encountered in spotty fashion as they enter advanced or specialty activities and classes. For example, I’ve often heard from dyslexic IT specialists […]
![Can Artificial Intelligence (AI) Help Dyslexics? [Free Registration]](https://www.dyslexicadvantage.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Artificial-Intelligence_19-400x250.png.webp)
Can Artificial Intelligence (AI) Help Dyslexics? [Free Registration]
It’s very clear that AI or Artificial Intelligence-informed software can be extremely useful in many ways for dyslexic students as well as adults. If you haven’t tried any of these programs before, you’re in for a surprise. There are also downsides to the technology (see our article, The Fight Against Robots) but AI is already embedded in many programs including Apple’s Siri, Amazon’s Alexa, and Google Assistant, and also programs like Grammarly and WordTune. Many of the best text-to-speech programs are using AI. So it’s here and the applications are immense. STUDENTS A student in New Zealand recently spoke anonymously about their use of AI for written assignments in college. They rationalized that it was like writing with Grammarly, which in the paid version […]
![Multiplication [Premium]](https://www.dyslexicadvantage.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/multiplication-envato-400x250.jpg.webp)
Multiplication [Premium]
Multiplication has always been my nemesis. When I was testing a student and Brock heard me hesitate when a student was answering a math fact, he took that job away from me. I know I’ve spoken about the stories and mnemonics at Multiplication.com before, but if this approach is not a match for your student, consider multiplication chart or machine approaches which also use both visual and kinesthetic approaches to remember. One thing we had in our house was a Multiplication Machine like this one from Lakeshore Learning: It’s a low-tech gadget but surprisingly is attractive for kids practicing their times tables. It especially helps those who are kinesthetic learners – pressing on the number to get the answers reinforces the facts. For kids who […]
How Soon Can I Get My Son Tested for Extended time ?
There can be many hurdles facing students who have not been formally identified. Early in the school year, parents and students may be told to wait until a student has had time to adjust to class. But then when a student appears to fail without accommodations like...
![Dyslexia, Art, and Science [Premium]](https://www.dyslexicadvantage.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Dyslexia-Art-and-Science-400x250.png.webp)
Dyslexia, Art, and Science [Premium]
“Artists and scientists are curious creatures always looking for patterns…. And that’s because patterns communicate larger insights about the world around us.” — Rebecca Kamen Many dyslexic people work in fields that involve science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and art, and those career choices may be due to personal characteristics like curiosity as well as cognitive strengths involving analytical ability, creative problem solving, visualization, and hands-on problem solving. In our survey of careers of dyslexic adults in our network (please fill out here if you haven’t already), out of 106 people who answered, 42 had careers in science, technology, medicine, engineering, or the visual arts. That’s almost 40% in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, math) professions! If that is so, is our education preparing students for […]
![Dyslexic Cognition and Processing Speed [Premium]](https://www.dyslexicadvantage.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Dyslexia-Cognition-and-Processing-Speed-Dyslexic-Advantage-400x250.png)
Dyslexic Cognition and Processing Speed [Premium]
Processing speed can be a very frustrating aspect of dyslexia and dyspraxia. It doesn’t have its own DSM diagnosis code and in truth, processing speed in the context of dyslexia and or dyspraxia have very different sources. Some people think that it doesn’t matter what the source of the speed problems are, but I think it’s more important than people realize. Most people in the dyslexia field don’t have the experience of being a neurologist – but it’s a pity that more people haven’t had those experiences. If you have assessed people throughout the life cycle (kids through adults) and in the setting of disease (like brain injury) or learning difference (like dyslexia), there are dramatic differences that affect learning and communication. Common issues that […]
![You Think in Words; I Think in Pictures [Premium]](https://www.dyslexicadvantage.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Screen-Shot-2023-02-16-at-12.28.43-PM-400x250.png.webp)
You Think in Words; I Think in Pictures [Premium]
“…when I was a kid, my mother had often asked my father, ‘What are you thinking?’ He’d shrug and say, ‘Nothing’ — a response that irritated her to no end. (‘How can he be thinking about nothing?’ she’d ask me.) I’ve always been on Team Dad; I spend a lot of time thoughtless, just living life. At the same time, whenever I speak, ideas condense out of the mental cloud. It was happening even then, as I talked with my friend: I was articulating thoughts that had been unspecified yet present in my mind. My head isn’t entirely word-free; like many people, I occasionally talk to myself in an inner monologue. (Remember the milk! Ten more reps!) On the whole, though, silence reigns. Blankness, too: […]
ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith: New Book About His Life Including Dyslexia
"From the time I was six, I thought I was stupid. Although I talked well — and a lot — and articulated my thoughts fluidly enough that some folks swore one day I’d become a lawyer or a public speaker, it was all a facade. I couldn’t comprehend what I was reading, a...
![Learning Outside the Lines [Premium]](https://www.dyslexicadvantage.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Learning-outside-the-lines-400x250.jpg.webp)
Learning Outside the Lines [Premium]
Many adults with dyslexia only discovered that they were dyslexic late in life. Those who return to learning may enjoy more successes as they can choose routes of learning (and assessments) better matched to how they learn best. ONLINE LEARNING Many K-12 students may have disliked online learning based on pandemic experiences, but careful selection of online programs (some with 1:1 tutors) may result in better options than a particular classroom. If a student is failing, the school may be open to trying something different. The option to replay and re-listen, then have a tutor to follow up with additional explanations may be a way that some students can get through and succeed with math CERTIFICATIONS AND SCHOOL-TO-WORK PIPELINES The pandemic led to an explosion […]
The Benefits of Reading Together
It doesn’t replace early identification, remediation, and support, but reading at home supported the long term reading success of children with a positive family history of dyslexia. The study is interesting one because it followed children for 13 years! The youngest children were age 2, and by the conclusion of the study, the oldest were 23. Researchers compared various reading and language skills as well as conducting detailed interviews of family practices. READ TOGETHER What was interesting is that early shared reading with family members (from the age of 2) was associated with the development of strong vocabulary. Strong vocabulary in turn had positive protective effect on reading comprehension in adolescence. Another finding was that reading vocabulary and reading fluency at 8 years among students […]
![Stealth or Compensated Dyslexia [Premium]](https://www.dyslexicadvantage.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Stealth-or-Compensated-Dyslexia-1-400x250.jpg.webp)
Stealth or Compensated Dyslexia [Premium]
There are a variety of terms used to described individuals with dyslexia who have challenges decoding text but then evolve over time to those who can read silently with good compensation. These people can succeed in the highest levels of education and work, but still have non-reading-related challenges (for instance spelling and writing fluency, tip of the tongue word retrieval issues) that persist. We coined the term stealth dyslexia some years ago because in this setting dyslexia could fly under the radar of detection, but others have used terms like compensated or resilient dyslexia to characterize many of these individuals. IS THIS THE GOAL? If you have a student who is still in the throes of learning effective decoding, getting to the the compensated or […]
Free and premium posts. To subscribe to Premium: CLICK HERE
WATCH NOW
OSPI STEM Course – STEM for Diverse Learners
Dyslexia and Gifted: Course for Psychologists
Dyslexia for Teachers Course
