Powerful video out of Oregon’s branch of the IDA.
News & Articles
In a Student’s Own Words: Dyslexia — Disability or Difference?
Read this honest, emotional essay written by Annabel, a teenage student who definitely has the strength to be successful in life.
“As someone with learning disabilities, working the school system feels like I’m a minnow being asked to swim up stream.”
Famous Stars with Dyslexia!
A fun list to review!
Guide to Understanding Dyslexia
EXCERPT: What also makes dyslexia hard to spot is that many kids are savvy at masking their struggles, says Laura Bailet, Ph.D., a school psychologist in Jacksonville, FL. For instance, they’ll memorize short books or use illustrations as clues. “Dyslexia is an unexpected difficulty,” Dr. Shaywitz notes. “That’s the paradox of the condition: Kids can be strong critical thinkers and problem-solvers and also dyslexic.”
Understanding Dyslexia: It’s Not an Effort Problem
So many excellent tips about working with your student in this 2014 article by Kyle Redford. Remember to keep a record of the assistance given at home, as this information should be taken into consideration during 504 Plan Evaluations.
How widespread is dyslexia?
Nice graphic from the International Dyslexia Association.
Park City English Language Arts Plan
The PCSD recently uploaded information about the new ELA plan to their website.
Guest Editorial by Ember Conley, EdD, Superintendent, PCSD
Superintendent Conley’s guest editorial about the changes being made to the English Language Arts program in Park City.
PCSD: Don’t try to fix what is not broken
Letter to the editor in the Park Record expressing concerns with changes to the PCSD’s reading program.
Transforming a Resource Room Teacher
A teacher shares her experiences learning and using Structured Word Inquiry with struggling readers.
Making Sense of Words That Don’t
“Sight words. Demon words. Red words. Irregular words. Maverick words. There is a lot of instructional time spent teaching students to memorize words that do not seem to “play fair” or are just plain crazy. What would you think if I told you there was a way to teach the sense for what has been long taught as nonsensical? Would you read on?”
Dyslexia: The Parents that Got Away
A must-read for any parent who has been told that it is too early to evaluate their child for a disability.
“Your child is receiving intervention via RTI (Respond to Intervention) so we won’t test him until third grade anyway.”
“Well, we really don’t work with dyslexia, so testing won’t help anyway.”
“I am not sure what you are concerned about Ms. Smith; Joe is doing great in his classes.”
How to get the school system to support your child with dyslexia
Kelli Sandman-Hurley provides a good overview of things to do and things not to do, when seeking assistance for your child through the school.
At a Glance: Anatomy of an Effective Email to Your Child’s Teacher
An article about communicating effectively with teachers.
Study: RTI Practice Falls Short of Promise
“Response to intervention has become ubiquitous as a framework to teach students to read in elementary schools, but the most comprehensive federal evaluation of the approach to date finds that it may hold back some of the children it was originally designed to support.”
Why Recognizing Dyslexia In Children At School Can Be Difficult
“Experts like Mather and Maryanne Wolf of Tufts University say the core of the panic and confusion from states on down to classrooms can largely be avoided with proper understanding of what dyslexia is and what it isn’t. When schools and educators are properly trained on how to identify the different manifestations of dyslexia and to intervene appropriately, panic dissipates.”
Checklist: Questions to Ask About the School’s Reading Instruction
A good checklist to use in conversations with teachers to learn more about the reading instruction offered at school.
The Broccoli Story
Often, after many years of struggling, parents seek a diagnosis outside of the school district. A dyslexia diagnosis is often a relief to parents, who now understand why their child has been struggling. Unfortunately, the struggle for assistance is not always over. Read this personal take on such situations.
20 Things Only Parents Of Children With Dyslexia Would Understand
This is a great list and another good article to share with teachers at the beginning of a school year.
5 Topics to Go Over With Teachers Early in the School Year
It’s important to go over expectations with teachers at the beginning of the school year. Sharing information with teachers benefits your child, the teacher and the entire classroom.
A Voice of Hope for the Puzzle Children
Did you know that our 41st Vice President, Nelson Rockefeller was dyslexic? In 1975, he conducted a PBS Special entitled, The Puzzle Children” which detailed his own struggles with written language and offered hope to others. “I was one of the puzzle children myself – a dyslexic. You have a challenge; never quit!” Take the time to read his entire speech through the link and share this with your children!
Download: A 4-Week Plan to Get Your Child Ready to Go Back to School
Get organized before the new school year begins with this calendar from Understood.org.
How to Explain Dyslexia to People You Meet
Short article from the IDA giving sample “elevator pitches” on how people of different ages can explain dyslexia.
9 Empowering Books for Parents
List of books compiled by Understood.org for parents with children who have learning and/or attention issues.
Happy Mother’s Day from Understood.org
Happy Mother’s Day to all the incredible moms out there who support their children!
Waiting Rarely Works: Late Bloomers Usually Just Wilt
“A look at three pivotal longitudinal studies that clearly show: Late bloomers are rare; skill deficits are almost always what prevent children from blooming as readers.”
Parent Dyslexia Blog: When Other Kids are Reading “Big” Books …
A blog by a parent about the effect audio books can have on young students.
Family-Focused Newsletter for Students Who Have Dyslexia
Learning Ally announces a new, family-focused newsletter.
Understanding Your Child’s Trouble With Writing
Dysgraphia, dyspraxia and dyslexia may all cause writing difficulties. Read this article to learn more.
What You Need to Know When You Love a Child With Dyslexia
“Children with dyslexia are amazing, although they rarely see it because of their deficits. Most of the time these children have excellent thinking and reasoning skills. It takes a lot of work to compensate for the missing link when reading and writing; they can problem solve their way around anything.”
