Our updated 2023 version of The Dyslexic Advantage is available in audiobook from places like Amazon / Audible, and Brock and I enjoyed hearing Tristan's narration, so we reached out to him for this interview. Brock listens to books at a high speed of playback and he...
![What I Know Now About Learning a Foreign Language [Premium]](https://www.dyslexicadvantage.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/What-I-Know-Now-About-Learning-a-Foreign-Language-Charlann-400x250.png)
When I came across a remarkable article titled, “Dyslexia and Learning a Foreign Language: A Personal Experience,” I knew that I wanted to talk to the author. Charlann had the unique perspective of being both dyslexic and a speech language pathologist. She dodged the college level foreign language requirement by getting a bachelor’s degree in speech and theater and master’s degree in speech language pathology. “I no longer tell the truth about how long I have studied French because people cannot comprehend how I could have studied (for seven years) and…still struggle so severely with spoken and written language. I could not fluently retrieve basic structures or pronunciation patterns to communicate my thoughts in classroom discussions, so I tended to speak in sentence fragments […]
With so much dyslexia in creative communities, it's not surprising that more authors and screenwriters are including dyslexic characters in their works. The strength side is appearing more commonly, but is it great or will it make you cringe? The answer is, probably a...
![Curiosity-Driven Learning [Premium]](https://www.dyslexicadvantage.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Curiosity-Driven-Learning-Premium-400x250.png)
“Life isn’t about finding the answers, it’s about asking the questions.” – Brian Grazer, A Curious Mind: The Secret to a Bigger Life Although dyslexic people don’t have a monopoly on curiosity, curiosity may be a particular strength among dyslexic people – it may be what drives creative thinking and the exploratory advantage of dyslexic people. In Dyslexic Advantage’s School Survey, 88% of parents responding said that one of their children’s strengths was a high curiosity. Many dyslexic adults we’ve interviewed over the years have shared that their lifelong curiosity is something that has guided their life success over the years. “A lot of leaders would say they’re curious. I can tell you from personal experience that most leaders are not. They don’t ask a […]
In a unanimous Supreme Court decision in the case of Miguel Perez vs. Sturgis Public Schools, the courts ruled that students aren't required to exhaust the IDEA procedures before seeking relief (for instance money damages) under the ADA. The case involved a deaf...
![Teaching the Schwa [Premium]](https://www.dyslexicadvantage.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Teaching-the-Schwa-Premium-1-1.jpg)
What is the schwa? The schwa sound is the most common sound in English and symbolized by the upside-down e in International Phonetic Alphabet and is pronounced like “uh” in words like “the”. It’s a maddening sound because it’s not really associated with any specific letter of the alphabet…and that affects spelling as well as reading aloud. Sarah’s Snippets Literacy Nest has a nice series of post on teaching the schwa. Emily recommends starting with “a” words like “alike”, “panda”, “soda”, or “Alaska” that say “uh” instead of the long a sound. Add a little kinesthetic action like thumping the table to make recognizing the schwa more memorable. Students may need to master stressed and unstressed syllables first; The Call […]
Do you find it easier to read webpages that aren't cluttered? If so, you're not alone. Popups and even photos can be distracting. Many browser reading modes offer customizations like font size, color, and sometimes character and line spacing. Typically, many dyslexic...
![Highly Gifted with Dyslexia (It may not look like what you think!) [Premium]](https://www.dyslexicadvantage.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Highly-Gifted-e1683553266424-400x250.jpg)
A recent article caught my eye on CNBC. It was titled, 5 Signs Your Kid is ‘Highly Gifted’ According to Neuroscience Experts – ‘They’re Not Always Well-Behaved. From the article – the five signs: – asynchronous development – emotional depth and sensitivity at a young age – existential questioning – unique interests or a mature sense of humor – underachievement at school The author is from the Davidson Institute, a charity supporting profoundly gifted students (99.9th percentile). Davidson Scholars can be twice-exceptional (gifted with LD) which includes gifted students with dyslexia. Years ago when we had an international practice testing dyslexic students, we saw many gifted dyslexic students through the Davidson Institute. The definitions of highly and profoundly gifted may vary depending on what tests […]
![Math: Teaching with Physical Materials [Premium]](https://www.dyslexicadvantage.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Teaching-with-Physical-Materials-e1683788874447-400x250.jpg)
Almost half of all dyslexic student may have math disabilities (Wilcutt et al.2013), but math disabilities or dyscalculia are rarely recognized in public or private schools in the US. All the more important for tutors, teachers, and parents to be aware of dyslexia-related differences in learning better ways of helping information ‘stick’. One helpful example for how to support math for dyslexic students comes from the Sagonaska Demonstration School. They have completely embraced multisensory learning and have considered how reading and writing challenges can affect the way students learn and show their work. Third Space Learning has nice graphics about this approach. Briefly, it involves introducing new math concepts with physical materials, then switching to the use of drawings (representations) to work […]
![Been There Done That College Advice From Fellow Dyslexics [Premium]](https://www.dyslexicadvantage.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Been-There-Done-That-College-Advice-From-Fellow-Dyslexics-Premium-e1683550941759-400x250.jpg)
We love the movement of dyslexic post-grads sharing their studying tips. Check out some of these words of wisdom if you’re college-bound, in college, or planning to return to higher education. In general, things are much better than they were decades ago, but you can still encounter hurdles that may make it difficult to complete your degree. If you need additional inspiration, here is a master’s student in architecture writing his 10,000 word dissertation. Over the years, we’ve seen many students stopped at the dissertation stage – or at least stalled. Dissertation requirements are different, so the video below is not intended to be a guide for all – but at least a way to see how important organization is […]
![Dyslexia and College [Premium]](https://www.dyslexicadvantage.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Dyslexia-and-College.jpg)
It’s becoming increasingly common for dyslexic students to attend college, university and graduate school; some careers require these degrees. IS IT EASIER TO ATTEND COLLEGE? Compared to past decades, it is generally easier for dyslexic students to attend college because more colleges and universities have specifically designated academic support centers and tutors to help manage school loads successfully. Institutions of higher education aren’t allowed to discriminate against students (learn more about ADA regulations here); therefore, teachers and departments try to tread carefully once students disclose their dyslexia and request specific accommodations. That said, there are still wide differences between schools that are well-informed and support their students. See our survey results for the Best and Worst Colleges for Dyslexia FINDING THE SCHOOL THAT […]
"In 2018, just after I turned thirteen, my mom signed me up for a film camp at a local private school. The moment I picked up a camera, I felt like I never wanted to put it down!" — Lauren Havel Recently, I had the chance to talk with an amazing young filmmaker,...
