Recently, I had a chance to catch up with Angus Wingfield, an African Expedition leader who works both with scientists and non-profit community groups to rescue and save animals in the wild. Angus' early experiences in school were like many profiled in this magazine,...
From this book from Nancy Mather and colleagues, a 5th grader was shown a word from her adapted spelling list, then asked to write it from memory. Needless to say, the exercise was quite frustrating for the student. From the authors: "Her teacher next showed Nalan the...
![[PREMIUM] Tips for Listening in Foreign Language Classrooms](https://www.dyslexicadvantage.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/foregin2.jpg)
Although for some dyslexic students the listening component of foreign language classes is an area of strength, many have significant challenges that teachers should be aware of in order to have a successful year. MULTISENSORY AND EXPLICIT INSTRUCTION TO HELP WITH AUDITORY DISCRIMINATION Dyslexic students can have significant challenges in the auditory discrimination of quick sounds, making the accurate learning of new words especially difficult. Teach sounds in a multisensory way, using pictures and actions and also exaggerating tricky or quick sounds and clapping out syllables so no parts of words will be skipped. Some students may need to have explicit instruction in how certain sounds are generated. Working with a mirror and receiving feedback about correct mouth and tongue positions while saying certain words […]
It's not easy. There are lots of reasons to hate or at least strongly dislike high school. What if you've done what you could to self-advocate and educate your teachers and classmates, but can't help but dread going back to school every day? Here are some tips from...
"I struggled so much at school with dyslexia, and I really found it so difficult in so many ways. When I found music, it just became an anchor that got me through the hardest school years...I couldn’t read music, and all my music teachers gave up on me one by one...
Early screeners are beginning to appear more often in the early grades of elementary school because dyslexia advocates are winning legislative battles across the country. WHAT DO LITERACY SCREENERS DO? The benefit of early universal screening is that the...
![[PREMIUM] Letter for Teachers](https://www.dyslexicadvantage.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Screen-Shot-2019-08-30-at-8.57.12-AM.jpg)
As the school year starts, it’s time to open up the word processing program and get to work on a letter for your student’s teachers. Letters should be customized for the particular class, subject, grade, and student’s needs. Here’s a nice example from Trish: “You have our son, *** in your second period AP Lang class. I wanted to give you a heads up that he has an IEP with accommodations. He has been professionally diagnosed by licensed psychologists as intellectually gifted, with dyslexia and dysgraphia. Dyslexia is often referred to as an invisible disability, and ____ has in the past had either his intelligence or his disabilities underestimated, as they can camouflage each other. He is an extremely hard worker, tries hard to overcome […]
At the age of 6, the outlook for Nicholas seemed grim. After undergoing hours of testing, Nicholas' parents were given a grave pronouncement from a professional as to why he had been struggling in school. Nicholas, they were told, was a child of "low IQ" who had "no...
![[PREMIUM] What is Dyslexia? – Fast Facts for Teachers](https://www.dyslexicadvantage.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Screen-Shot-2019-08-30-at-9.15.35-AM.jpg)
THE MOST COMMON LEARNING DIFFERENCE Dyslexia is the most common learning difference, seen in up to 15-20% of the population. Dyslexia tends to run in families, but it can vary a great deal from family member to family member. IT’S NOT JUST READING Reading challenges are a central feature of dyslexia, but dyslexia-related brain differences have been detected in children before they are reading age and with appropriate intervention, reading improves significantly. There are learning strengths also associated with dyslexia that are helpful to know for educational reasons as well as future careers. FAST FACTS FOR TEACHERS #1. Dyslexic students are smart. Dyslexic students have average or higher than average intelligence. Are they receiving adequate challenge and opportunity in their daily work? Could you be […]
![Dyslexia and Firefighting [PREMIUM]](https://www.dyslexicadvantage.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Screen-Shot-2019-08-30-at-9.19.32-AM.jpg)
In some fire stations where members are outspoken about their dyslexia, an over-representation of dyslexia has been noted. Why is this? Firefighting is a intensely active profession where strengths of situational awareness, dynamic spatial problem solving, and teamwork all come together. Firefighting especially demands M-strengths (material reasoning), I-strengths (interconnected reasoning), and D-strengths (dynamic reasoning). In the United Kingdom, one Fire District conducted a Dyslexia Awareness program that included testing, workplace coaching, and assistive technology. They’ve identified over 70 individuals in their program so far. Dyslexic firefighters often don’t have much difficulty with the actual job of firefighting. Instead, they have trouble with timed test taking required for promotion or the paperwork and paper-based data analysis required for reporting. Here in the US, Frank Ricci is […]
![Multimedia Learning Best for Dyslexics But How to Introduce Audio? [Premium]](https://www.dyslexicadvantage.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/multimedia.jpg)
“To optimize learning, it is more efficient to provide children with dyslexia with extra audio.” In a recent multimedia learning test of 11 year olds and typically-reading peers, dyslexic students were found to learn most efficiently if they were provided with text + audio or audio only, rather than text-only. How often is this happening over the course of every school day? To smoothly integrate audio in classroom learning and boost a child’s efficiency of learning preparation it’s necessary and audio should already be a friend. Summer is a great time to introduce audiobooks if your kids haven’t tried them before. 1. START WITH A FAMILIAR BOOK – Start with a familiar book or book series to smooth the entry of audiobooks. It’ll be much […]
KNOW! One of the first steps in advocacy is knowing which accommodations and or modifications you need. ASK! Here's a nice list from the state of CT. There's a reason this article is filed under "Self-Advocacy". Students should be aware that they...
