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...
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Is There Anything I Shouldn’t Do? [Premium]
We’re often asked to give suggestions of activities or jobs that might be bad matches for people who are dyslexic, but the best answer is almost always, “It depends.” Dyslexic people tend to excel in creative activities that may include some or all of the MIND strengths (Material Reasoning, Interconnected Reasoning, Narrative Reasoning, Dynamic Reasoning). Difficult activities for dyslexics tend to include secretarial work because of its demands on proofreading and transcription, and rote repetitive jobs that require that tasks be done the same way every time. However, there are few absolute prohibitions when it comes to different activities or fields. In many fields or careers, challenges may arise, but in most cases these can be overcome with workarounds, technology, partnering with someone else, or […]
Reading Hacks: How to Get the Most Out of Independent Reading
The more you read, the easier it is to read, but what if reading is still difficult? Is the best way to reading independently just toughing it out and persisting although you may be skipping words or reading at such a slow pace it’s difficult to know what you’re reading? For students, choosing the right level reading passage is important. It’s been suggested that if a reader wants to read a text independently, they should be able to decode 95-97% of the words. For older dyslexic students, this can mean texts that seem childish compared to their intellectual level. As Joanne Pierson points out, one solution to this difficulty is have dyslexic students read these texts to younger children. Another option is finding “hi-low” books […]
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Using CHATGPT as a Study Partner and Quiz Maker [Premium]
How can ChatGPT be used as a study partner? If you’re just getting started with ChatGPT and study, begin keeping a list of prompts that can help you prepare for exams. STUDY BUDDY, SELF-TEST, and QUIZMAKER FOR TEACHERS ChatGPT is very handy as a study buddy, especially if working from a knowledgeable source. For most dyslexics, making studying interactive, visual, and interesting can go a long way to making information easier to remember. Here are some examples of prompts and ChatGPT answers: Me: Provide partially worked examples to help me learn how to use transition words in complex sentences. Certainly! Understanding how to use transition words in complex sentences can greatly enhance your writing. Here are some examples with explanations: Despite the rain, […]
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Don’t Do This: Dyslexia in The General Classroom [Premium]
With all the demands that teachers face regarding classroom management, and the pressures getting students up to speed in reading and math, dyslexic students may find themselves experiencing additional stress from common classroom practices. We now know that as a group, dyslexic children are more emotionally reactive than their classroom peers (UCSF research). In addition, we know that over half of dyslexic adults experience symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder when returning to school settings as parents. In the the Dyslexia at School study from Dyslexic Advantage, 43% of parents surveyed reported that their student was punished because of dyslexia-related challenges. What were some the punishments recorded? – given extra homework – physical seclusion (work in hallway or closet) – singled out in classroom […]
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The Unexpected Nature of Dyslexia [Premium]
Multi-Dimensional Assessment of Dyslexia with Machine Learning
Congratulations to Drs. Mark Moulton and Brock Eide for their publication of a novel multi-dimensional approach to measuring dyslexia risk. See publication HERE. This is the paper based on the novel Neurolearning dyslexia screening app. As the paper describes in its introduction, existing approaches to assessment have been hampered by a number of difficulties. “Multiple independent risk factors have been implicated in the etiology of dyslexic reading and spelling challenges at the cognitive processing level, including phonological processing, visual attention, working memory, naming speed, processing speed, and implicit learning, as have environmental factors. Genetic studies have revealed a similar heterogeneity, with a recent study revealing 42 genetic loci significantly associated with dyslexia. Not surprisingly, great variability in symptoms can be observed at the clinical […]
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Question: My 5th Grader is Refusing Structured Literacy What Should I do? [Premium]
My 5th Grader is refusing structured literacy, what should I do? The following is general and not specific advice. The best advice comes from someone who knows your student and also knows in more detail what your student has been experiencing. REFUSING STRUCTURED LITERACY It’s generally accepted that structured literacy is the remediation of choice for students who are struggling significantly with reading and individual word decoding. There are many reasons why students may struggle with and ultimately give up on structured literacy. They may be depressed and worn out or mismatched with a curriculum, teacher or tutor. Sometimes what worked for a student in the past won’t work for them now because the progress is slow, or they decode sufficiently that they prefer to […]
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Learning Through Real Things: David Kelley’s Tech Box [Premium]
“Striving for perfection can get in the way during the early stages of the creative process.” — David Kelley David Kelley is recognized as one of the world’s leading design innovators. He is also dyslexic and dysgraphic. In addition to founding Stanford University Design School, David co-founded IDEO, a design company that, among other things, designed the prototype for the computer mouse that we know today. In The Art of Innovation, David’s brother Tom wrote about how David loved to make things as a little kid, and as early as he could remember, he believed in the process of starting somewhere and continually improving something until it really works. When Tom was only six, he remembers David improving how he built snowmen until […]
Sony Santa Monica Game Designer Stephen Oyarijvbie
“Don’t get frustrated with yourself. There are things that you’re going to struggle with. Lean into the things that you do well, those strengths…and don’t dwell on how people treat you. You’re smart and probably smarter than a lot of other people. The world isn’t set up for us, so we have to navigate it slightly differently, and it gives us an advantage.” — Stephen Oyarijvbie When Stephen was 4 years old, he fell in love with video games and wanted to create them. Flash forward to today and Stephen’s living his dream as a combat designer for Sony Santa Monica. But things weren’t always easy in-between. Take a listen to my full interview with Stephen. It was a wide-ranging conversation that talked about […]
A Whodunit Mystery by Anthropologist Roxanne Varzi
UC Irvine Professor Roxanne Varzi is a creative anthropologist, filmmaker, and mystery author. She shared her dyslexia journey in a previous interview HERE. In my interview below, I learned that Roxanne was drawn to the field of cultural anthropology by its multidisciplinary nature. In order to explore ideas and different perspectives, Roxanne uses ethnographic texts, film, fiction, and plays. In this way she is able to break out of the research paper academic tradition and engage with a wider segment of society. In her mystery book, the main protagonist is a whipsmart anthropology graduate student who is also dyslexic with ADHD. She pieces together a murder mystery in the Rockies in a story that also includes the brilliant dyslexic paleontologist Jack Horner! Clicking on the […]
Tommy Smothers of the Smothers Brothers
Brilliant comedian Tommy Smothers of Smothers Brothers fame passed away at the age of 86. Condolences to his family and loved ones. “My comedy came out of my dyslexia…I search for words. I don’t stutter but there’s a timing that I discovered that was comedic timing, which is the process of getting to the next sentence or the next idea or the next concept. It’s kind of disjointed and not very articulate but it was a character that could say things.” — Tommy Smothers Tommy and his brother on the Judy Garland show. Tommy’s comedy sketch about being “inarticulate.” Bookmark Please login to bookmark ClosePlease login to access.
Dyslexia Wars: Attack on Dyslexia Definition
A brief note about about an article in Hechringer Report (also published in Scientific America). It is attacking the “unexpected” difficulty in reading (in the presence of average or above-average IQ) that has been a part of the dyslexia definition since its first clinical description in the late 1800’s as well as documented through scientific research since that time. I am opting not to share the link, because controversial articles such as these can attract “clicks” and that are credited in a positive way to the author and site, though contributing actual harm to students through misleading selective presentation of data use of emotionally-charged words. The title of the article is: “How a disgraced method of diagnosing learning disabilities persists in our nation’s schools.” […]
Getting Your Students Started in Creative Writing
With all the work of school and physical challenges getting information down on paper, many students with dyslexia don’t get a chance to write creatively – but the Karina Eide Young Writers Awards might get some students off the sidelines. The deadline for the awards is Valentine’s Day or February 14th. Submissions must be creative and not a book report or factual description of an event. Stories or poems should be 7-700 words only and only 1 work should be submitted. Works can be dictated to parent, teacher, or friend. Spelling does not count in judging. YourDictionary has some easy tips for students who want to write a poem here. Looking at examples of poems or stories is always a good idea. What did […]
Dyslexic Advantage at Stow Library in MA
Last week, Brock and I gave a presentation on the Strengths of Dyslexia at the Randall Library in Stow, Massachusetts via Zoom. Tina McAndrew, director of the Randall Library, got the idea to apply for a grant from the American Libraries Association after speaking to Scott Cummings, a library patron who was amazed by the audio and other resources available after he contacted her. One of the first audiobooks he listened to with the Libby App was our book, The Dyslexic Advantage. Imagine how positive dyslexia awareness could be transformed if every library had a strengths-focused dyslexia event! Although libraries in many ways are an ideal place to spread dyslexia awareness (they have many free educational and community resources, many have free tutoring programs), many […]
Dyslexic Toymakers and Gamemakers : Howard Wexler
Many dyslexic kids and adults are great at games – all sorts of games. Not surprisingly, some decide to make games themselves and then some choose careers in some aspect of the game industry. There may be an ability to see game play from multiple perspectives including different points of view, while those who win these games are often good at strategy, role play, and pattern recognition. Among game creators, strengths in humor, and divergent and playful thinking are very well-suited to inventing new games. Some years ago, legendary toy inventor Howard Wexler gave our community a webinar about his life inventing toys. As a kid, he played with Tinkertoys and enjoyed taking things apart. His toys and games were very different from each […]
Completing My Degree with AI and ChatGPT
Recently, I spoke with dyslexic entrepreneur Stan Gloss, who returned to higher education to finish a degree in Educational Leadership. Stan’s full interview will be featured in an upcoming issue in our Premium magazine. What Stan shares is his workflow for conducting research and writing his dissertation for his degree. Because of the text-based burdens of researching and writing a dissertation, many dyslexic students may find themselves halted in “ABD” or All But the Dissertation limbo. Stan found an answer to this and won his university’s approval to use these technologies in his graduate work. Bookmark Please login to bookmark ClosePlease login to access.
What is Dysgraphia in the Setting of Dyslexia?
When I saw the title of a new research paper on the indicators of dyslexia and dysgraphia in children's writing, I looked forward to seeing what it contained. The paper is available online here, but the checklist contained in the paper falls short, and at least in...
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Statistician with Dyscalculia – A Chat with Dylan Lynn [Premium]
How can a statistician have dyscalculia? Welcome to the wonderful world of mathematics – the field is as wide as it is deep. One of the keys to Dylan’s love of statistics, and later data analysis is that she loved math to tell stories. She loved the puzzle-solving aspect of statistics and how information could be made accessible through analysis to drive decision-making and policy. Although Dylan had indeed struggled with many lower level aspects of math – like timed math fact retrieval, math symbols, and fractions, she flourished as a data analyst in tech companies, drawing trends across disciplines and communicating what she learns from patterns that she recognizes to drive informed decisions. Such a career has many aspects of MIND […]
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Dyslexic Storytellers [Premium]
Although many of the physical and mechanical aspects of writing are difficult, many of the greatest writers of all time are dyslexic. Why does storytelling come naturally to so many? Dyslexic people have powerful emotional, personal, multisensory memories. As a result, it’s easy to recall the sights, sounds, smells, and feelings of the past and once the hurdles of getting information down on a page are overcome, stories can come to life for others. Not everyone has these gifts – in fact, a lot of people don’t. A common dyslexic strength is “episodic simulation”. The word “episodic” refers to what scientists refer to as episodic memory, memories for episodes or experiences that have a specific place and time. Our surveys of dyslexic and […]
Visiting the Seattle Art Museum
Recently I had such a nice visit to the Seattle Art Museum. It reminded me of how well dyslexic strengths can be cultivated in the multisensory experiences that are museums. This past summer we had had a visit by Yuko Tsuji, a dyslexia advocate in Japan who spearheaded an effort to get Dyslexic Advantage translated into Japanese. The photo includes our son Krister, who is an artist and author illustrator of graphic novels. I had seen that there was a visiting exhibit featuring Hokusai’s wood block prints at the museum.
MUSEUM VISITS ARE MULTISENSORY STORY EXPERIENCES Today’s modern museums are rich multisensory experiences, with pictures and 3-dimensional works of every size and shape, and stories conveyed in pencil and paint, sculpture, […]Free and premium posts. To subscribe to Premium: CLICK HERE
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