book available in twelve languages
and Davis Facilitators on every
continent except Antarctica, this is no
longer the case. It is remarkable to
know that the principles of Davis
Symbol Mastery can be applied in
any language to help dyslexic

Over the last five years, we have
accumulated various tips from our
colleagues around the world who
have done Davis programs with
clients who must learn to read two or

acquisition is a fascinating field. It touches on many areas of our lives including cognitive development, cultural identity, and education.

Recently I consulted with two
wonderful women who have studied
Second Language Acquisition
extensively. They are Maria Seranno
who teaches Second Language
Acquisition at the University of
Arizona, and Helen Brittle Matsuki
who teaches English as a second
language in Tokyo, Japan. Both
women are world travelers and speak
two or more languages. Both feel that
Davis Symbol Mastery is a very
useful tool for not only addressing
dyslexia but also mastering a second
language. Here is some of what we
have learned from them and the
many Davis Facilitators world wide
who provide Davis Programs in
multiple languages.

In some countries such as
Germany and Switzerland, children
must learn High German in school to
pass their exams, while speaking a
German dialect at home and in their

Quebec becomes instantly aware of
the difference in the “same”
language. Many people who speak

Spanish can quickly tell what country
a fellow-Spanish speaker comes from
because of accents, idioms and slang.
These vary between Cuba, Puerto
Rico, Mexico, and the other Latin
American countries, and are easily
distinguishable from the Spanish
spoken in Spain. In the United States,
we can differentiate someone from

their accent or grammar. Brazilian
Portuguese is both written and
spoken differently from the
Portuguese in Portugal. South
Africans, in addition to all the tribal
languages in their environment, must
learn both Afrikaans and English.

Students. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Dreams Really Do Come True. . . . . . . .3 Davis Symbol Mastery Procedure

Viewpoints on Motivation. . . . . . . . . . . .2 Q& A. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Book & Product Reviews. . . . . . . . . . .7 Workshops. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10, 11 New Facilitators & Specialists. . . . .12-13 Davis Providers (U.S. & Canada) . .14-15

offer me options for problem
solving. If the road is blocked, I
need to know the detours.

Burlingame, CA 94010 USA +1(650) 692-7141.OUR GOALS are to increase worldwide awareness about the positive aspects of dyslexia
and related learning styles; and to present methods for improving literacy, education and academic success. We believe that all people’s
abilities and talents should be recognized and valued, and that learning problems can be corrected.EDITORIAL BOARD: Alice Davis,
Abigail Marshall, Michele Plevin, Maria Fagioli and Dee White.DESIGN: Julia Gaskill.SUB SCRIPTIONS: one year $25 in US, add $5 in
Canada; add $10 elsewhere. BACK ISSUES: send $8.00 to DDAI.SUB MISSIONS A ND L ETTERS: We welcome letters, comments and
articles. Mail to DDAI at the above address. VIA FAX: +1(650) 692-7075 VIA E-MAIL: editor@dyslexia.comINTERNET:
http://www.dyslexia.com/

Because the Davis methods are
based on utilizing the imagination
and creating word concepts with
clay, it encourages dyslexics to
value their natural picture learning
style. At the core of motivation is a
person’s will or intention. When a
person’s will is engaged in a
creative endeavor, the heart is
involved and motivation is free
flowing. We have all seen this in
ourselves when we do something we
love. We see this in children when

The Davis Orientation procedures
use a person’s imagination and
perceptual talent to take control of
perceptions when dealing with
symbolic language. The Symbol
Mastery procedure is a rich
language process utilizing the hands
and critical thinking to create
models for the meanings of words.
This creative process connects and
taps the emotional and motivational
systems of the dyslexic learner.

As a parent and/or support
person, it is important to realize that
motivation is restored gradually and
needs time to emerge. The dyslexic
person may need to stop trying to
meet the developmental time table
of word thinking people. They need
time, respect, and freedom to
practice and control using their
newly acquired skills, and thus
restore their belief in the validity of
their natural learning style.

For all of us who have had the
privilege of using the Davis Dyslexia
Correction® Program to help
individuals worldwide, we know that
dreams really do come true as
learning barriers are removed. Ron
Davis often begins his workshops by
stating that he is a “lucky
man…because he has a dream and
that dream is coming true.” But what
about Davis Facilitators? Do they
have dreams come true?

with the dyslexic child who 20 years
ago was not learning to read; the
teacher who works with children who
recognize letters, words or concepts
one day, but seems to forget them the
next; the learning center director who
is trying to unlock a child’s learning
potential, yet for some reason just
can’t find the right key; and the
person who cares deeply about others
and has a dream.

pm at the Creekside Community
Center in Bloomington, Minnesota,
Cyndi Deneson (Davis Facilitator,

her husband, Paul, co-director of
New Hope Learning Centers, Inc.
realized a dream come true. Cyndi,
who is the mom, the teacher, the
director, and the dreamer welcomed
approximately 100 people from the
Twin Cities and surrounding area to
hear Ron Davis publicly share his
story and touch the hearts of the

joined Cyndi, Paul and their staff for
an evening of public lecture,
questions and answers, and personal
greetings as New Hope Learning
Centers commenced the Grand
Opening Celebration of their
Minnesota office.

Among the guests were many who
have benefited over the years from
the work of Ron Davis, Cyndi
Deneson and New Hope Learning
Centers. They were excited to

parents, teachers, mental health
professionals, psychologists, and
physicians from the surrounding

going to dream, then dream big and
go for it! On Saturday, September 29,
2001, New Hope Learning Centers
continued their outreach to the
community with a Fall Family Fun
Festival.

The Festival began under a
glorious white tent with a ribbon
cutting ceremony by Mayor Gene
Winstead of Bloomington, Minnesota
and representatives from the
Bloomington-Minneapolis Chamber
of Commerce. The sun was shining,
and the smiles were welcoming. New
Hope Learning Centers’ Wisconsin
Facilitators Darlene Bishop, Pam
Kretz, Margie Hayes, and

Johannes were present, along with
Minnesota Facilitators Ginny
Bushman of New Visions Integrated
Learning Systems and Cindy Bauer
of Partners in Learning, and Iowa
Facilitator Mary Kay Frasier of
Innovative Learning Professionals,
truly making the event a Midwest
celebration.

Once again, Ron was able to share his story and message of hope. Cyndi considered it an honor to host such

an event and publicly introduce Ron to the Twin Cities and Midwest area. As usual, his presentations were

During the Festival, a local radio
station was broadcasting the event
live, and children were jumping in a
big inflated castle, getting their faces
painted, or eating cookies. Twenty-
one local businesses gave their
support to the festivities by donating
food, beverages and prizes. Many
spoke about their own struggles and
experiences and became encouraged
with the potential the Davis Program
holds for the dyslexic learner.

Cyndi wanted to let people in the
area know that she cares about them
and their families and she did just
that. Her hope for the future is that
she will be able to increase the
awareness of what dyslexia really is
and how the Davis Program can
bring new hope to the dyslexic

represented a dream come true. For those she and her staff are reaching in the community, it is a dream