New Fact Sheet from IDA with thoughtful information including both challenges and benefits on homeschooling a child with dyslexia.
The Cryers
Many parents will quickly relate to this story, written by a mother about the journey she’s had to ensure that her dyslexic children learn to read.
Switching Letters, Skipping Lines: Troubled and Dyslexic Minds
This essay was written by Hayden Miskinis, a 12 year old from Epping Middle School in Epping, NH. It was one of the top three winners in the middle school category of the New York Times Annual Student Editorial Contest.
The Top 10 Ways to Advocate for a Child with Dyslexia
This Dyslexia Quest podcast features Dr. Kelli Sandman-Hurley, author of Dyslexia Advocate.
Every Child Is Unique… and Every Child Has to Learn the Same Skills
“It is simply not true that there are hundreds of ways to learn to read… when it comes to reading we all have roughly the same brain that imposes the same constraints and the same learning sequence.”
— Dr. Stanislas Dehaene, Reading in the Brain (2009)
Reading wars hit home during lockdown lessons
A personal read about the “Reading Wars” from an Australian mother.
EXCERPT: And so it began. Perched at the dining table, armed with a 257-page guide on teaching a child to read, I was about to try to do just that. My daughter, Margot, had been at school for two months when the niggling concerns about her reading progress began.
Our Dyslexic Children – 2020 – Full Film
Definitely an important and worthwhile film to watch!
10 Signs of a Decoding Problem
This article has a comprehensive list of signs for parents (or teachers) to consider if a child appears to be struggling with reading. Signs include skipping words, misreading words, and guessing at unfamiliar words.
A Parent’s Guide to Helping Your Student with Dyslexia Get Ready for College – Janet P. Thibeau
And IDA Presentation during spring 2020.
Why every child needs explicit phonics instruction to learn to read
Good overview of the importance of teaching phonics explicitly. Students need decoding skills to read unfamiliar words.
“Without decoding skills, children could not read made-up words such as Harry Potter’s “quidditch”. Nor could they read unfamiliar names (of places such as Oodnadatta) or medication names (such as azithromycin) as these have no other cues to guide the reader to pronunciation.”
What parents need to know about the research on how kids learn to read
What should effective classroom reading instruction look like? This article reviews aspects of reading instruction including phonics, decodable readers, vocabulary and background knowledge.
“If children can’t master phonics, they are more likely to struggle to read. That’s why researchers say explicit, systematic instruction in phonics is important: Teachers must lead students step by step through a specific sequence of letters and sounds.”
Parent Webinar: Evidence-based ways to help children with reading
This 45 minute video covers the simple view of reading, explains why reading is a complex task, what “explicit instruction” means and provides parents with resources and activities to help develop their child’s skills and enjoyment of reading at home.
20 Things Only Parents Of Children With Dyslexia Would Understand
A great list for all to understand! All are important, but #16 is a favorite!
#16 – Dyslexic kids are individuals. Their disabilities come in all ranges. Some may exhibit symptoms of ADD, while others will not. Some have real difficulty putting thoughts into words, while others are much more verbal. Some are of average intellectual ability, while others are truly gifted. Some have “acting out behavior;” while others are too quiet. It is unfair to treat all dyslexic children as if they are one homogeneous group.
Thank You Dyslexia Moms: Now Can We Get Some Back Up?
We are definitely thankful for all the moms, dads, advocates, educators, journalists and policymakers who are working hard every day to ensure that every child learns to read.
Take a moment to enjoy this piece & take note of the excellent resource list at the end, too.
How Dyslexia is a Different Brain, Not a Disease
Excellent article!
“It’s important to note that dyslexia is NOT caused by visual problems, and it isn’t the flipping of letters, or reading letters backwards, or mispronouncing words—and it’s not related to motivation or intelligence. It’s merely the result of a brain with a different organization that makes reading and writing more difficult.”
“Because the human brain doesn’t come already wired to read, there is no “reading center” of the brain and there are no “reading genes.”
