“I’m still slow at reading but I’ve learned to adjust…while you will have dyslexia for the rest of your life, you can dart between the raindrops to get where you want to go. It will not hold you back.” – Steven Spielberg WHAT IS PROCESSING SPEED? Processing speed generally refers to the speed required to take in information, do cognitive work, and respond. For dyslexic children and adults, processing speeds can vary dramatically depending on the types of stimuli, types of mental work, and types of responses expected. PROCESSING SPEED CHANGES AND CHANGES OVER TIME In the setting of dyslexia, processing speeds for different tasks also vary dramatically with age. Typical “late-blooming” children may be much slower than same age peers in early grade […]
Extraordinary Artist: Vincent [Premium]
“When you have dyslexia and you don’t know that’s what it is, you assume you’re not intelligent — and your self-confidence is taken away.” – Vincent Fantauzzo Vincent grew up in a crowded public housing flat with his mother and four siblings. He left school at 13, barely able to read and write, and got mixed up in street fights and general delinquency. “I spent my life hiding and hustling, feeling ashamed, not being good enough, not being smart enough and pretending to be someone I wasn’t…” – Vincent Fantauzzo While he was in school, Vincent remembered wanting to get kicked out of class rather than stand up and read aloud. He wondered why other students could read and he could not. “You can be dyslexic […]
Reversing COVID Slide In MATH
]"Early testing data from this fall seem to bear out that the pandemic has hit students harder in math than reading." With increasing numbers of the population getting vaccinated, there's hope for more normalcy, but chances are with all of the disruptions and stress,...
In Memoriam: Patience Thomson
"Thomson played a leading role in the slow transition from the condition being perceived as a learning difficulty to the championing of many dyslexic children as creatively gifted. She liked to recall showing a child a picture of a dinosaur and asking him what letter...
Challenges of Pandemic Learning For Dyslexic Students
As education slowly drifts to a new normal, and parents take stock of where they are and what their priorities are in education, it is best to be aware of what to be on the lookout for because dyslexic students learn so differently. AUDITORY PROCESSING HURDLES Because...
Real World Learning with Dr. Glenn Sterner
In our interview with CEO Brett Kopf, he told us that the experience of being part of the Bailey Scholar program at Michigan State University was life changing in terms of finding a positive future for himself. He told me that his advisor was a really inspirational...
Chat with Co-Founder of Remind, Brett Kopf
"I like to tell people I started the company in fifth grade. That's a lie. But, I was diagnosed with a bunch of learning disabilities as a kid and I really struggled in school. I had this teacher that totally changed my life, named Miss Whitefield. My parents were...
The Remarkable Maya Hawke
Maya was recently interviewed by Scott Simon for NPR and we loved that she pushed back on the phrase "suffer with dyslexia": "SIMON: I have read that your - that you suffer from dyslexia. HAWKE: I wouldn't say suffer. I would say it is, like, one of the great...
Tips From Hannah: College Junior with a 4.0 [Premium]
KNOW YOUR STRENGTHS – SELF-ADVOCATE – Early in group work, let your fellow students know that you’re dyslexic. Say, “I’m dyslexic, so I can’t read or write well, but I’m creative and can come up with ideas.” – Don’t be afraid of asking students to read things for you. You can help more if people read things aloud to you. – Research on RateMyProfessor ahead of time to find teachers that will work with you re: dyslexia. Are there any warning signs? I like choosing professors who like a lot of class participation. ASK FOR SUBSITUTIONS IF YOU NEED THEM When snow days upset the schedule at school, Hannah had to face learning material and putting together an assignment over Thanksgiving break without the help […]
Breakthrough Books: Getting Hooked On Books
Do you remember the book or books that got you hooked on reading? It's not always what you might expect. Academy Award winning actress Octavia Spencer says the only reason why she's able to read today is that she got hooked on Encyclopedia Brown books. Those books...
Going Back: Learning To Live With The New Normal
Whether it's you going back to work, or your children trying a new part-in school, part-remote school routine, many of us will be having to adjust to changes because of the pandemic. There will be many aspects of every day living that we won't have control of, but...
Keeping Math Alive
Among the many challenges facing dyslexic students in the midst of the pandemic is holding on to skills and continuing to make progress in the midst of disruptions and altered schedules due to the pandemic. Because so much math builds on previous knowledge, many...