Watch the full U.S. Senate Committee Hearing that took place on May 10th.
IDA Urges ILA to Review and Clarify Key Points in Dyslexia Research Advisory
Earlier this year, the ILA (International Literacy Association) published a “Research Advisory” on Dyslexia. It was immediately controversial among experts, educators and parents. Below is the well-written response by the IDA (International Dyslexia Association).
EXCERPT: Our purpose is not to criticize the work of ILA and other organizations with missions similar to ours, but instead to encourage frank discussion that will lead to the best solutions for the very serious challenges we face in education today. ILA has highlighted important concepts related to dyslexia in its Dyslexia Research Advisory; however, IDA has a responsibility to clarify the implications of the research cited for the parents, professionals, advocates, and legislators who rely on IDA for guidance in applying research to practice.
Types of Reading Disability
This article, but Louisa Moats and Carol Tolman, discussed the three main areas of reading disabilities: (1) phonological deficit, (2) processing speed/orthographic processing deficit and (3) comprehension deficit.
“For purposes of research, “reading impaired” children may be all those who score below the 30th percentile in basic reading skill. Among all of those poor readers, about 70-80 percent have trouble with accurate and fluent word recognition that originates with weaknesses in phonological processing, often in combination with fluency and comprehension problems. These students have obvious trouble learning sound-symbol correspondence, sounding out words, and spelling. The term dyslexic is most often applied to this group.”
Reading, more neuroscience than rocket science; or what the telescope and brain-imaging have in common.
Article out of Massachusetts on the neurobiological existence of dyslexia and the importance of appropriate instruction.
Dyslexia requires early intervention, say UCD researchers
“The data indicate that it is no longer acceptable to wait until a child is in third grade or later before undertaking efforts to identify or address dyslexia.”
Lessons From Our Neighbor: Learning from Colorado’s Educational Success
Research Report written by Utah Foundation. Two sections of particular interest to PC READS are entitled, “Literacy Efforts in Colorado” and “Literacy Efforts in Utah.” A quote from the report:
In 2008 the Commissioner established the Colorado Literacy Council to advise the CDE on literacy initiatives, including systems for the review of literacy content in educator preparation programs. That same year, the Colorado Legislature passed HB08-1223, which created technical assistant programs to help teachers intervene early with children who have literacy challenges such as dyslexia. Sponsor of the bill representative Mike Merrifield, explained at the time that effectively addressing dyslexia was one of the keys to reaching the governor’s goal of increasing the literacy rate and cutting Colorado’s drop-out rate in half in the subsequent 10 years.
Dear Friend with Dyslexia
The final entry written by Jodi DeVries after attending a summer institute on the Neuroscience of Reading with Dr. John Gabrieli and Dr. Joanna Christodoulou at MIT. Be sure to read the first three parts of this article. Links are available at the end of her post.
“Neuroscientists can show you all sorts of pretty brain pictures indicating how, when you read, your brain looks much different than non-dyslexic readers. It’s a brain thing. It’s not an effort thing. It’s not an instruction thing. It’s not an intelligence thing. It’s a brain thing.”
The Neuroscience of Reading – Part 3
Theories on the Causes/Effects of Dyslexia & Reading Interventions
The third part of this article begins:
Theories on the Causes/Effects of Dyslexia
On the third day of the Learning and the Brain: Neuroscience of Reading summer institute, Dr. Gabrieli shared some other theories about presenting causes/effects (it’s very difficult to determine which is a cause and which is an effect) of dyslexia. One of these was that of rapid auditory processing. In the English language, many of the letters, and in fact, even entire words are nearly identical in the sound waveforms that they produce.
The Neuroscience of Reading – Part 2
Why do children struggle with letter reveals? and What does our brain do when we read?
The second post begins with: “The second day of Learning and the Brain’s “Neuroscience of Reading” summer institute was a continuation of great learning. The majority of the lecture time was spent examining what’s going on in the brain of regular readers and those with reading disorders, specifically dyslexia.”
The Neuroscience of Reading – Part 1
This four part article is a blog post made by Jodi DeVries, who attended a Learning and the Brain summer institute on the Neuroscience of Reading with Dr. John Gabrieli and Dr. Joanna Christodoulou at the MIT campus in Cambridge, MA.
Is 3rd grade too late to diagnose dyslexia?
Another article on the importance of early screening and intervention.
“Waiting until a child is in third grade or later before identifying dyslexia is no longer acceptable, researchers say. A new study shows that a large reading achievement gap between dyslexic and typical children is already present by first grade, but early effective intervention at the beginning of school can narrow or even close it.”
“For the study, published in the Journal of Pediatrics, researchers conducted a longitudinal study of reading from first grade to 12th grade and beyond and found that as early as first grade, compared with typical readers, dyslexic readers had lower reading scores. Further, their trajectories over time never converge with those of typical readers.”
Dyslexia and the English Learner Dilemma
While it may be more complicated to assess for dyslexia in ELL students, it is still important.
“Ortiz et al (2002) reported that ELL students who are struggling to learn English and have some foundation in reading in their native language should receive direct instruction that includes speech perception, phoneme awareness, and sound-symbol connections. This is very similar to the Orton-Gillingham approach that is recommended as the intervention for English readers who have dyslexia.”
Common Core math requires students to justify every answer. Does that make sense?
“Those who developed the Common Core State Standards clearly ignored brain research in math, as they did in reading; the Common Core emphasizes conceptual understanding at every phase of math instruction. So, even young children are required not only to conduct a simple math procedure, but to also explain and justify every answer.”
Dyslexia and the Wider World of Creativity and Talent
This article published in Mind/Shift includes information from Drs. Brock and Fernette Eide, authors of the book, “Dyslexic Advantage.”
EXCERPT: “Through all the stories reported here, one thing remains consistent: While many children and families feel the often debilitating and humiliating effects of not understanding why they can’t read and write like everyone else, there is a lack of understanding about what dyslexia is and is not; how to identify dyslexic students and intervene early; and how to structure classrooms to accommodate an astonishing range of neurodiverse strengths and weaknesses.”
Understanding Dyslexia and the Reading Brain in Kids
Excellent article published by Mind/Shift in which Maryanne Wolf discusses the importance of understanding how our brain functions with respect to learning to read. “Understanding that these developments are nothing more than brain differences that can be aided with systematic and explicit instruction, Wolf said, is a large but necessary step for everyone involved: students, parents and teachers. When children find they’re unable to read or read with much difficulty, they often believe that it’s the result of a bad or broken brain. Some teachers may also unwittingly hold beliefs that reading happens for all children by a kind of osmosis.”
Wolf is the author of “Proust and the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading Brain.”