Every Child is Exceptional As parents and teachers know, every child exhibits both gifts and challenges! Average children do not exist. Each brain brings unique talents to the planet. Together, we are far, far more than we are individually. So, a label such as twice-exceptional can be confusing. But, in a school setting, “twice-exceptional” indicates […]
dyslexia
Book Review: Why Tyrannosaurus But Not If?
Author Richard Whitehead Richard Whitehead facilitates the Davis Dyslexia Method at his center in the UK. His articles impressed me over the past few years. I share his admiration for Ron Davis’s pioneering dyslexia research. So, when he recently published a dyslexia book, Why ‘Tyrannosaurus’ But Not ‘If’?: The Dyslexic Blueprint for the Future of […]
Silent Reading Instead of Oral Reading: Overlooked Teaching Technique
What if oral reading is not an option? Mom’s eyes glistened with tears as she spoke with me. Six-year-old Johnny watched me carefully. His face revealed hope, worry, and intense curiosity. They came to me because they’d heard I “could teach anyone to read.” “We enrolled Johnny in the best private school in town, knowing […]
Increase Reading Speed and Comprehension with Scanning
What is Scanning? Scanning means finding words in the text by quickly glancing at each line or paragraph. Students with dyslexia or other reading difficulties find scanning less intimidating than oral reading, and it accomplishes the goal of pairing the visual image of the printed words with the meaning of the words, in context. Dyslexic […]
Homework Support for Students with Dyslexia
Teaching: Modeling, Supported Practice, Mastery Teaching involves 3 steps: Modeling (the teacher shows the student how) Supported practice (teacher and student do it together; the student gets help as needed) Mastery (the student does it independently or takes a test on it) Modeling works beautifully in the classroom, and testing happens efficiently in the classroom. Supported practice […]
Touching and Moving to Learn
Touching and Moving Learning Techniques are: Ways tutors incorporate the dyslexic student’s strong kinesthetic (body-related) learning skills into academic work. Background: Many dyslexic students learn best while moving, and remember best if the material is practiced while the body is feeling weight or impact. This is hard to achieve in a classroom. Some students are […]
Sequential Spelling for Dyslexics: A DTK Curriculum Review
First, let me say that I am not connected to Sequential Spelling publisher, AVKO, or to the author, Don McCabe. I’m reviewing the series because I tutor dyslexic students. I’ve used mountains of curriculum over 30 years and pitched most of it. This one I keep. In fact, I keep multiple copies of all seven […]
7 Ways to Teach Spelling Using Kinesthetic Recall
Kinesthetic Recall Kinesthetic learning relates to physical feelings such as a sense of body position, muscle movement and weight as felt through nerve endings. Many students who have trouble learning to spell are strong kinesthetic learners. They are easy to spot because they are usually accomplished on skateboards, bikes, skis, and anything involving motion such […]
Using Comics to Build Advanced Reading Vocabulary
VOCABULARY SPELLS SUCCESS IN SCHOOL If students aren’t voracious readers early in life, they miss out on vocabulary that bookworm peers are absorbing. This happens to students with dyslexia, students from non-reader homes, students with ADHD, and even students who need glasses. Low vocabulary hurts academic work across all subjects. But, writing definitions on lists […]
Why Students with Dyslexia Should Learn Keyboarding
Keyboarding is as Important as Handwriting Keyboarding means typing correctly, using the same finger stroke for the same letter every time. This allows a student to put thoughts onto the computer, and this opens opportunities for endless tools and accommodations. All students benefit from learning keyboarding, but dyslexic students stand to gain the most. Keyboarding […]