The Dyslexic Reader 2009

On July 31st of 2006, it was my pleasure as a Davis Learning StrategiesPresenter to train 17 Elbert staff members in the DLS Basic Teacher Workshop. Those staff membersincluded: administration, regular education teachers of preschoolthrough fifth grade, paraprofessionals,Exceptional Education teachers, Title I,

IN THIS ISSUE

News & Feature Articles

Elbert Elementary – DLS Model School . . . . .1Adult Dyslexia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1Time for a Slow Speech Movement? . . . . . . .3Ecology of Learning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6Light as a Feather . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8Book Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12EU Ritalin Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15Addicted to Vowels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16SHIFT 2008! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17Too Much Academic Focus . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18The Bloke Who Stacks The Shelves . . . . . . .20

Regular Features

In the Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2Famous Dyslexics Remember . . . . . . . . . . . .11Q&A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9New Davis Licensees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22Davis Workshops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26-28

Congratulations, Elbert ElementaryA New DLS Model School!

lbert Elementary School

has been declared a DavisLearning Strategies Model School.The teachers and support staff at Elberthave demonstrated competency andefficiency in their implementationof DLS. Watching this staff blossomin their knowledge and applicationof DLS the past two years has beentruly rewarding.The staff at Elbert Elementary hasdemonstrated the willingness anddedication necessary to meet the needsof ALL children regardless of their learning style. I would like to take thisopportunity to personally thank theElbert School Board, Administration,and staff for their support of theselife-long learning strategies for children.

E

Dys lex icRead er

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t is estimated that ten to fifteen percent of the population (or approximately30 million Americans) struggle with dyslexia. This includes adults. Some mayfind that number surprising, but the truth of the matter is that dyslexic adultstoday are often undiagnosed and, therefore, unaware that their difficulties may be caused by dyslexia.

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DAVISDYSLEXIAASSOCIATIONINTERNATIONAL

ISSUE 1 • 2009OLUME 51

and some Jr. High and High Schoolteachers as well. Kelli Loflin, ElbertSuperintendent and ElementaryPrincipal, was instrumental in bringingthis valuable training to the school.In Kelli’s opinion, Davis LearningStrategies are some of the mostimportant that teachers can share with

By Kristi T hompson, Davis Facilitator and DLS School Mentor/Presenter in Walsh, Colorado

(continued on page 4)

Adult Dyslexia –The Best Kept Secret in the Workplace

By Karen LoGiudice, Davis Facilitator in Amesbury, MA

I

PAGE 2THE DYSLEXIC READER

The Dyslexic Reader

is published quarterly by Davis Dyslexia Association International (DDAI), 1601 Bayshore Hwy.,Suite 260, Burlingame, CA 94010 USA. Tel. +1 (650) 692-7141.

OUR GOALS

are to increase worldwide awareness about the positive aspects of dyslexia and related learning styles; andto present methods for improving literacy, education and academic success. We believe that all people’s abilities andtalents should be recognized and valued, and that learning problems can be corrected.

EDITORIAL BOARD:

Laura Zinkde Díaz, Alice Davis & Abigail Marshall.

DESIGN:

Michael Troller.

SUBSCRIPTIONS:

one year $25 in US,add $5 in Canada; add $10 elsewhere.

BACK ISSUES:

send $8.00 to DDAI.

SUBMISSIONS & LETTERS:

We welcome letters, comments and articles. Mail to DDAI at the above address.

VIA FAX:

+1 (650) 692-7075

VIA E-MAIL:

editor@dyslexia.com

INTERNET:

www.dyslexia.comThe opinions and views expressed in articles and letters are not necessarily those of DDAI. Davis

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, Dyslexia Correction

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, Davis Symbol Mastery

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, DavisOrientation Counseling

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, Davis Math Mastery

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, Davis Autism Approach

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, Seed of Genius

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, and Davis Learning Strategies

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In the Mail:

Sincere Apologies

The article,

More Than They Ever Expected,

featured in the last issue of

The Dyslexic Reader,

was a compilationof anecdotes submitted by many DavisFacilitators from around the world.Unfortunately, one very important namewas left off the list of contributors.Jennifer Delrieu, Davis Facilitator inVoisins le Bretonneux, France, didn’t just submit one anecdote, but SIX,making a huge contribution to thearticle! They are reprinted here.•Davis clients begin to read menusinstead of always ordering last, choosingwhat someone else ordered because itsounded good, or always ordering thesame thing every time at everyrestaurant. In one instance, the mother of a 14-year-old boy suddenly realizedshe was not sitting next to him andcouldn’t help him read the menu. Butit wasn’t a problem, because he hadalready made his choice by reading ithimself! Mum cried…•After orientation, a nine-year-old boy picked up chopsticks and used themimmediately. He had been trying for weeks to learn.•After getting oriented, a 14-year-oldwho loved to juggle with balls feltconfident enough to juggle with flamingtorches. (Not in the Facilitator’s office!)•A nine-year-old boy gained enoughconfidence to swim across the pool at hisswimming lessons. Before, he had beentoo afraid to try. “The point helped me.”•A 15-year-old swam a good distancefrom the shore to a raft he hadn’t daredto aim for earlier. “With the point I justfelt confident.”•A man in his 50’s was such anerratic driver, his wife never dared to‘nod off’ when he was driving. Nowthat he can get oriented, his drivinghas radically improved and she oftensleeps while he drives.Thank you, Jennifer!

–The Dyslexic Reader Editors

Dear Ron Davis

I live in Kiev, Ukraine. In 2005, myfriend, who lives in Germany, told meabout your book. She read it becauseshe thought her child was dyslexic. Shetold me about dyslexia symptoms sheread from the book, and some of themwere similar to what I had experienced.I bought this book for myself, and nowam very thankful to you for your work that has helped me to change my life tomuch, much better.Before reading your book I thoughtI was stupid, because I couldn’t manageunderstanding things. After readingyour book, especially after learningabout disorientation, I started to controlmyself and could do things whichseemed impossible before. For severalyears at work I struggled understandingand analyzing legal texts. There wasalways stress, firstly because of muchresponsibility that was on me for a legalreason, and secondly because of self helplessness to become more attentive. No matter how hard I tried, the textseemed one thing at the moment I readit, and a different thing one or twoweeks later when I re-read it. After Ilearned from your book that the reasonof that problem was disorientation, Inever had that problem again. The book helped me to gain self-esteem, and Istopped thinking that I was stupid. Istarted to consult our clients and myfriends on legal matters. Thank you for writing

The Gift Of Dyslexia. –Olena –Kiev, Ukraine

THE DYSLEXIC READERPAGE 3

Time for a “SlowSpeech” Movement?

By Laura Zink de Díaz, Davis Facilitator in Bogotá, Colombia

or many years before I stumbledonto Davis Dyslexia Correction,I was a teacher.I taught foreign languages at thehigh school level and I truly LOVEDmy job. That is, I loved it once I gotrid of the traditional grammar textbooks used all over the country inforeign language classes. “Covering”material by following the scope,sequence and pace recommended incommercially produced textbooksnever worked for me. That’s becauseit clearly didn’twork for at least50% of mystudents, whostared back at me with thatstartled “is-she-callin’-on-me?

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look whenever I spoke to them inwhatever language we were studying.Fortunately, my principal was asmuch of a rebel as I was. She allowedme to lock all those grammar books ina closet. Like me, she believed weteach

cildrn

, not subjects. But I hadto do a lot of PR work with the school board and my colleagues in the other high schools. Initially, they thought Iwas a nut. Eventually my principaland I brought them around. Partially.There are always some who insist wemust all march in lock step….At that time it was popular inacademic circles to insist that foreignlanguage teachers not slow down their speech in the classroom. The theorywas that if we did, students who later encountered native speakers of thelanguage they’d studied would be soused to a slower pace that they’d findit hard to understand “real

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speech.I never subscribed to this policy.I always slowed down my speech inthe classroom. Not so slow as to beartificial, but slow enough to allowmy kids to follow. I did this because Iconsidered it most important for their motivation and future learning, thatstudents understand and feelcomfortable with their new language.Secondly, I believe that if somethingis important enough for me to mentionin class – in the “target” language or in English – it’s important enoughfor me to be certain that it’s heard,understood and remembered.Otherwise whysay it at all?What could possibly be the benefit of speakingso quickly thatmy students only“catch

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a thirdof what I say? Still, the pressure onteachers to conform is always great; Iwas just rebellious enough to go myown way, but there was always a littlevoice in the back of my head tellingme I should listen to my elders and betters….Recently, I saw an on-line articletitled,

“Slowing Speech EasesChild’s Abilityto Listen”

bySuzanne PerezTobias of theWichita Eagle. Inthe article shequotes Dr. RayHull, a WichitaState University professor of audiology, who believes that if teachers and others who work withchildren slowed their rate of speechwe would see fewer learningdisabilities, hearing problems and behavior issues in schools.

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What could possibly be the benefit of speakingso quickly that my students only “catch”a third of what I say?

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“The gap between what a childhears and what he or she understandscan appear to parents and teachersas inattention, confusion or outrightdefiance… If teachers would slowdown, they would be less frustrated,the children would be less frustrated,and children would learn withgreater ease.

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Dr. Hull informs us that mostadults speak at a rate of 160 to 170words per minute, while 5- to 7-year-olds can only process speech at about120 words per minutes. And theaverage high school student processes just 140 to 145 words per minute.Ha! So much for that irritatinglittle voice, urging me to go againstmy instincts! Herewas Dr. Hull,suggesting thatteachers and parents would dowell to slow downtheir speech inorder to respond tothe needs of ALLchildren, not justforeign language students!Hull pointed out that the late, greatFred Rogers, so beloved among theunder-five set, understood his targetaudience so well that he consistentlyspoke at about 124 words per minutewhenever he was on the air.

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Most adults speak ata rate of 160 to 170 words per minute, while5 to 7-year-olds canonly process speech atabout 120 words per minutes.

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