The Big Picture of Dyslexic Cognition [Premium]
“Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men’s blood and probably themselves will not be realized. Make big plans; aim high in hope and work, remembering that a noble, logical diagram once recorded will never die, but long after we are gone will be a living thing, asserting itself with ever- growing insistency…” — Daniel Burnham, a founding father of American urban design With every year, a stronger picture of dyslexic cognition seems to be emerging and with this greater knowledge comes a better understanding of the positive opportunities and advantages as well as broader context for why development seems to be so late blooming and beset by unexpected challenges. MIND STRENGTHS, DEFAULT MODE NETWORK, INTERCONNECTED THINKING Although there’s a new push […]
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...
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 […]
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 […]
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Dyslexic Toymakers and Gamemakers
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...
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...