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Dyslexia Newsletter
What is Dyslexia?
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Assessment
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The Gift of Dyslexia
Usually when people hear the word dyslexia they think only of reading, writing, spelling, and math problems a child is having in school. Some associate it only with word and letter reversals, some only with slow learners. Almost everyone considers it some form of a learning disability, but the learning disability is only one face of dyslexia.
Once as a guest on a television show, I was asked about the “positive” side of dyslexia. As part of my answer, I listed a dozen or so famous dyslexics. The hostess of the show then commented, “Isn’t it amazing that all those people could be geniuses in spite of having dyslexia.”
She missed the point. Their genius didn’t occur in spite of their dyslexia, but because of it!
Having dyslexia won’t make every dyslexic a genius, but it is good for the self-esteem of all dyslexics to know their minds work in exactly the same way as the minds of great geniuses. It is also important for them to know that having a problem with reading, writing, spelling, or math doesn’t mean they are dumb or stupid. The same mental function that produces a genius can also produce those problems.
The mental function that causes dyslexia is a gift in the truest sense of the word: a natural ability, a talent. It is something special that enhances the individual.
Dyslexics don’t all develop the same gifts, but they do have certain mental functions in common. Here are the basic abilities all dyslexics share:
- They can utilize the brain’s ability to alter and create perceptions (the primary ability).
- They are highly aware of the environment.
- They are more CURIOUS than average.
- They think mainly in PICTURES instead of words.
- They are highly INTUITIVE and insightful.
- They think and perceive multi-dimensionally (USE ALL THE SENSES).
- They can experience thought as reality.
- They have vivid imaginations.
When the individual with dyslexia persists through their difficulties in school, these eight basic abilities will result in two characteristics: higher than normal intelligence, and extraordinary creative abilities. From these the true gift of dyslexia can emerge — the gift of mastery!
*Davis, Ronald Dell. (1994, 2010) “Chapter 1 – The Underlying Talent”, from The Gift of Dyslexia (Perigee, New York)
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The Big Picture
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Famous and Successful Dyslexics
Your brain is hard wired for GREATNESS!
When you unlock YOUR potential...
What will YOU Become?
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Take Flight
The lesson cycle takes on a new look with Book 3. On alternating days, the lessons continue new grapheme-phoneme introductions with additional practice of all learned decoding rules. The alternate lessons provide the opportunity to practice previous learning through timed, repeated practice to improve reading fluency. These lessons also include comprehension strategy instruction and 20 minutes of oral reading connected text that provides necessary practice of newly learned strategies.
With Take Flight, students will learn all 44 phonemes of the English language, 96 grapheme-phoneme correspondence rules and 87 affixes. The students will also learn spelling rules for base words and derivatives. Practice opportunities are also provided that are designed to improve oral reading fluency. Finally, Take Flight introduces comprehension and vocabulary building strategies for both narrative and expository text in the context of oral reading exercises, preparing students for successful, independent reading.
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Multisensory Teaching Approach (MTA)
The MTA curriculum meets all state requirements for the remediation of dyslexia. In fact, the descriptors for remediation were based on this curriculum. The MTA program provides a proven approach to teaching reading, spelling, and handwriting to students who require a structured, multisensory presentation. Reliable reading and spelling patterns in the English Language are taught using multisensory discovery techniques that are intensive, systemic, and sequential. Daily lesson plans follow a structured schedule of activities. The rapid-moving of this curriculum from one activity to another helps maintain the student’s attention and keeps the student involved throughout the lesson.
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Reading By Design
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Importance of Audiobooks
If a student is not reading on grade level, that student is missing out on crucial vocabulary. Students with dyslexia need multiple exposures to the same word before they can begin to recognize it, much less use the word. Audiobooks provide students with the opportunity to hear words read aloud while following along visually. This allows the student to accurately pair the visual representation of a word with the pronunciation of it. This is why audio programs such as Learning Ally and Epic are fantastic resources for students.
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Talking Book Program
Follow this link for more information and to register for services: https://www.tsl.texas.gov/tbp/index.html
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Resources:
Bright Solutions for Dyslexia:
The Dyslexic Advantage:
https://www.dyslexicadvantage.org/
Headstrong Nation:
Understood: