The Dyslexic Advantage is Real I first encountered Brock and Fernette Eide’s ground-breaking research on dyslexia when they published the first edition of The Dyslexic Advantage, back around 2011. At least that’s when I found it. It changed my life and my career. That book explained how my daughter could be both brilliant and extremely […]
The Saddest Word in Dyslexic History I think the saddest word in the history of dyslexic education is despite. For many dyslexic people, despite seems to define them: “If I work harder than anyone else, maybe I can get a college degree despite being dyslexic — I learned to read 150 wpm despite being dyslexic […]
The First Edition was Great; This One is Even Better! I first reviewed this powerhouse of information back in 2017. So why did I buy the 2023 Revised and Updated edition? Because A LOT has happened in dyslexia research in the past few years, and the Eide’s are in the thick of it. This book […]
Made by Dyslexia Kate Griggs, herself dyslexic, makes waves in the U.K and beyond by claiming — and demonstrating — that dyslexic thinking is precisely what the world needs to solve the challenges of the future. She explains, “dyslexic minds process information differently,” making them experts at problem-solving, empathy, and communication. She gave a TED […]
Because it’s teaching to the weakness, not to the strength Rote memory comes hard for those with dyslexia. However, I’ve known many students who put in phenomenal effort to memorize all the letter sounds, blends, syllables, and rules of the English language. Unfortunately, the payoff was NOT carefree easy reading! Automatic word recognition just didn’t […]
Are Dyslexic People Organizationally Challenged? The cliché that dyslexics are hopeless at organization misses the truth. In reality, dyslexic people frequently maintain complicated and highly effective organizational systems. These systems simply don’t look right to neurotypical people. In fact, poor organization by a dyslexic person often results from an attempt to impose a “standard” organizational […]
A Diagnosis Brings Relief and Panic Parents who consult with me following a dyslexia diagnosis report two emotions: relief that they know why the student is struggling to read, and panic about the resources needed. Both responses are realistic. Happily, the panic can be laid aside once the parent has more information. From my experience […]
Reading Equals Academic Success Reading success means academic success. So, parents and teachers feel fear and frustration when a child seems unable to learn to read in spite of being bright, inquisitive, and having a great teacher. This situation generally indicates dyslexia. Dyslexia just means “doesn’t learn to read despite normal intelligence and education.” Dyslexic […]
Should I Homeschool My Dyslexic Child? Are you wondering if homeschooling your dyslexic child is a good idea or the worst idea you’ve had this decade? In this post, I cover four great reasons to consider homeschooling as an educational option, and one overpowering reason not to. Here’s what I cover in this post. Experts […]
What Does Dyspraxia Look Like? Dyspraxia comes from “praxis,” a Greek word describing the learned ability to plan and to carry out coordinated movements. Add “dys,” the Greek prefix meaning “bad,” and you get dyspraxia. It literally means bad sequential coordination. Dyspraxia looks like clumsiness, klutziness, and failure to think ahead. Recognizing Dyspraxia in Children […]