NPR Dives Into Dyslexia: Part 2

In part 2 of their coverage of dyslexia, NPR touches on the fact that to read, we use two main parts of our brain (there are three but they focus on two in this story).  For most people, this happens almost automatically, however, for someone who is dyslexic, the brain must be trained.  Evidence shows that intensive reading instruction greatly helps the dyslexic brain and acts almost as a rewiring of sorts.  

I'm working on a piece that explores and explains more about the dyslexic brain; stay tuned!  

NPR Dives Into Dyslexia!

Parents and friends, I'm excited to post this first part of a series on Dyslexia by NPR.   Being dyslexic has it's challenges, for sure, but those who are dyslexic do not lack in intelligence.  I will remind you of one of my favorite quotes about dyslexia which states: "Dyslexia is defined as a specific and significant impairment in reading abilities, unexplainable by any kind of deficit in general intelligence, learning opportunity, general motivation or sensory acuity."  (Critchley, 1970)

Dyslexia, does however, have to do with a difficulty in being able to break words apart into syllables and sounds. This short piece by NPR touches on how difficult it is to read a big word such as galloping or discombobulated without proper training.  The work I do with my students (and the general Orton-Gillingham approach) addresses this very issue.  All of the work we do together is training the brain how to read a word, to recognize sounds, syllables, spelling patterns and rules in a logical way.  Because of this very precise method of teaching, I'm proud to say that my students who have had training in decoding multi-syllable words would be able to confidently decipher both galloping and discombobulated. This program works!

Listen to the piece or read the transcript; invite your children to listen too.  I bet they will identify with the people in the story.   

I'm excited to hear what they will discuss in the next part of this series.  Regardless, it has inspired me to write a piece on how the brain function of a dyslexic person differs in comparison to a "regular" brain.  Most people are unaware of this and I find it to be the most interesting component to understanding dyslexia.  Stay tuned! 

Strengths of Dyslexia

For most parents and children, facing the facts of dyslexia can be daunting and quite depressing. Here is lovely list of 9 Strengths of Dyslexia.  How fun to read about some of the benefits of being dyslexic. These are the ideas I love to point out to my students when they are feeling overwhelmed or discouraged.  

Steven Spielberg is Dyslexic Too!

This is a great clip of Steven Spielberg sharing some of the struggles he experienced in school as a dyslexic student. This inspiring interview shows that despite being bullied, made fun of and intimidated in school, Spielberg persevered by expressing his creativity.   He also stresses a crucial point that he wishes he'd known he wasn't alone, that others were like him also.  He reminds us to build community and to show our children that there are many others in their classroom and all around them who are dyslexic too.