The Dyslexic Reader 1996 - Issue 6

Book Reviews:The Super Science Book of Time

Explaining Time

Dyslexia, My Life, by Girard Sagmiller

Focus onSymbolMasteryFor all kids, modeling words withclay fills the gap between phonicsand whole language instruction.

In the Classroom:A kids-eye view

At Home:Homeschooling withSymbol Mastery

Also:Creativity Meets Inventionat Inventure Camps

Why a Drug-Free Program?by Brian Grimes

The Dys�lex�ic Read�erDavis Dyslexia Association InternationalIssue No. 6

´ �´Summer 1996

The new Davis Symbol Mastery kit containsall materials needed for home use or tutoring,beginning with the alphabet and working throughthe small word list. The fold-out alphabet stripcontains upper case letters on one side, and lowercase letters in reverse order on the other. Thechecklist format of the manual helps students tracktheir progress. This is the same kit provided tostudents enrolled in the intensive one-week DavisDyslexia Correction program.

My favorite word isthe- my word is: thebird is in the cage.

-Lori

The Dyslexic Reader Issue No. 6

�M�M�M�M�M y seven year old hasextreme difficultywith reading and

writing. The school districtsays he has �an auditoryprocessing problem,� but won�ttest for dyslexia. We aredesperate to find help....�

�My daughter has just beendiagnosed as a �Type 2 visualand auditory dyslexic.� Theschool says she is not deficientenough to warrant help....�

�My eight year old son hasNOT been diagnosed withDyslexia. But he tested severalyears behind grade level inlanguage mechanics and math.The school labeled my son LD,but he �fell through the cracks�because so many are worse offand need help more....�

Not �Behind Enough�Again and again, parents

complain that their children arefalling behind, but the schoolscan�t offer help because the kidsare not failing badly enough.Schools vary with the labels usedto describe the children�sproblems. But whatever thediagnosis, help remains elusive.

Virtually all experts in the fieldof learning disabilities favor earlyintervention. Educators also knowthat dyslexic children learn bestfrom multifaceted or hands-on,experiential approaches. In fact,those approaches are far superiorto pencil-and-paper tasks foralmost all young children, becausethey are geared to the develop-mental needs of pre-readers.

Schools should never deny helpto all but the �worst cases.�Dyslexia is compounded byfrustration. By third or fourth

Getting on Point

Schools that Teach Failure

�Abigail Marshall,Managing Editor

grade, the dyslexic child may havealready given up trying. Schoolsthat follow a �wait-and-see�approach may turn a mild learningdifficulty into a lifelong barrier.

The answer is for all schools toprovide a multifaceted readingcurriculum to every primary gradechild. Each and every child shouldbe exposed to methods suited to avariety of individual learning styles.

The Missing LinkThis is not an impossible task,

nor is it unduly expensive. Thepublic elementary school inCalifornia which is featured in ourcover story provides Davis SymbolMastery to all the children in threeprimary grade classrooms. Theteachers also use an excellentprogram called Total Reading,which gives intensive preparationin phonics, in addition to theschool district�s whole languagereading program. In fact, SymbolMastery provides the �missing link�between phonics and wholelanguage, adding an understandingof word meaning and grammaticalstructure to decoding and wordrecognition skills.

The rewards are clear. As aneditor and a mother, I had thepleasure of reading the first-drafthandwritten comments of the firstgrade authors. In more than 40pages, I did not see a single letterreversed! The kids almost alwayswrote in complete sentences, withcorrect use of upper and lowercase letters and punctuation. Somekids wrote prolifically, and somestill have a lot to learn, but it�sclear that they are all getting theeducation they deserve, right now.

The Dys�lex�ic Read�er´ ´ �Published quarterly by DavisDyslexia Association International(DDAI). DDAI�s purposes are toincrease worldwide awareness aboutthe gifted aspects of dyslexia andrelated learning styles; and topresent methods for improvingliteracy. We believe all people haveabilities and talents that should becherished and valued, and thatlearning problems can be corrected.Letters to the editor, address

changes, and article submissionsshould be sent to 1601 Old BayshoreHwy. #260C, Burlingame, CA 94010For reprints or permission to

republish an article, call (415) 692-8995, fax (415) 692-8997 or [email protected]. Internet address:

http://www.dyslexia.com/

Subscriptions: US$25 a year, US$30Canada/Mexico, US$35 othercountries.Views expressed in letters and

articles herein are not necessarilythose of DDAI. All materials ©DDAI1996, unless otherwise noted.Managing Editor, Abigail Marshall.

on Davis will betraveling to Australia inSeptember, 1996.

During the first week ofSeptember, he will provide a4-hour Symbol Mastery coursein Melbourne. He will thentravel to Canberra. From therehe will go to Sydney, wherehe will speak at the AdultLearner�s Conference.

In Sydney, Ron will alsoprovide a 4-day trainingworkshop, beginningSeptember 13. From there hewill travel to Brisbane, wherehe will lecture and may alsopresent an additional seminarin Davis methods.

The Australian tour andworkshops are being co-ordinated by Kay Distel, ofSound Education, whichspecializes in the therapeuticuse of sound and music.

Davis Down Under

R


he kids all enjoyed theart of working withclay. Many childrenalso said they liked theexercise involved in

using their hands to manipulateand mold the clay.Tracy: �I remember when I firstdid clay it was a little hard.What I like about clay is yourhands have something to do.You can be a great artist with

clay. Your fingers will never gettired of clay. It�s so much fun, Iplay with it at home, too.� Annie: �Clay is hard. I have tosmooth it with my hands. WhenI�m done I raise my hand up.�Andrea: �Clay gives us goodexercise for our hands and goodstrength for our body.�Sonya: �Clay makes me feelcreative. It keeps my handscool. Clay keeps your handsbusy. When I do clay it makesme feel good.�Megan: �Clay makes me feellike an artist.�

The children also enjoyedworking at their own pace, andbeing given freedom to exploretheir own ideas.

Alex: �I can go at my ownspeed and I don�t get bored.�Jason: �We don�t have to makethe picture that Mrs. Steel wantsus to do. We can make anypicture that we want. Then wecan write it in our journal.�

The kids also understood andappreciated the purpose ofSymbol Mastery: to help themunderstand and remember themeanings of words.

Jazmine: �Clay teaches us themeaning of the word. I like tomake the picture with the clay.�Irene: �Some times I had a veryhard time with some words, but alot of times I know the reason.�Jaimie: �We tell the definitionto the teachers when we�redone. It is fun.�Chloe: "I like the word and.Mrs. Steel puts up a word. Wemake a sentence. I made Momand Dad."Kaylee: �My favorite word is a. Idid a puppy can run.�Leila: �When I grow up I wantto be a clay teacher.�

Although it was conceived asa preventive interventionprogram, to reach kids at risk forlearning problems, the SymbolMastery program is viewed by thechildren as an enrichmentactivity. Clearly, it benefits notonly the �slow� readers, but alsothe children who crave morestimulation. Unlike textbookinstruction or worksheets, SymbolMastery was never boring, evenwhen the assigned task focusedon the most basic words.

Clay is Fun!Clay is Fun!Clay is Fun!Clay is Fun!Clay is Fun! A kids-eye view of Symbol Mastery in theclassroom, by Mrs. Steel�s first grade class

The Symbol Mastery PilotProgram, under thedirection of DDAI�s SharonPfeiffer, is now finishing itsthird year.

This program is beingconducted at Mission San JoseElementary School, a publicschool in the Fremont SchoolDistrict in Northern California(Principal Sharyn Carroll).Three teachers, Larry Becerra(kindergarten), Donna Steel(first grade) and Kristen Fisher(second grade) provide SymbolMastery regularly within theirclass curriculum.

Mrs. Steel�s first grade is on astaggered schedule. Readinginstruction takes place duringthe first and last hours of theday, when the class group isreduced to 15 students. Twodays a week are �clay days�during which Symbol Mastery isdone for the entire class period.

At the beginning of the year,the first graders made clayalphabets and punctuationmarks. They then moved on tothe �small� word list, modelingwords such as a, an, the andand. They also worked withsome more challenging words,such as through and whether.

This article is composed ofthe childrens� written comments,compiled by Joan Stoelker, the�Project Write� teacher atMission San Jose. The children�s�invented spelling� of newwords has been corrected, butsentence structure reflects theoriginal phrasing. The SymbolMastery words were spelled andused correctly. Twenty-eightstudents wrote about theirexperiences; most also drewpictures illustrating their ideas.

T


Symbol Mastery andSight Words

ften, teachers arefrustrated when theirdyslexic students seem

unable to remember thesimplest words from day to day.This characteristic has led manyto the erroneous conclusion thatdyslexics have �poor visualmemory� and must be taughtthrough constant repetition.

With Symbol Mastery,children learn each word in amanner that is easily retained.Jocelyn Hardwick is a Britishteacher who recently startedusing this method with two veryyoung students. She writes:

I have the Symbol Masteryvideo and am using the claytechniques with Jake (8).

Jake is very dyslexic I am sure.On a recent Monday, he neededthe word they. He modelled fourpeople and said �there theyare,theyare my friends.� OnTuesday he remembered itinstantly and remodelled it.On Thursday it came up in hisbook and with a little smile �that�s what impressed me morethan anything�he seemed torecognize it easily. That is not hisusual reaction to print.

Soon after that, Jake had a 3week break in Greece, doing noreading. Upon his return, theone word he could read withouta prompt was they!! You canimagine my amazement. I justasked him to choose a knownbook and have a go at it; I thenjust listened and watched andprompted many times so that hecould enjoy the story and feelOK. The word they seemedeffortless on each of the occasionsit came up .

and according to his owncomfort level. There are noworksheets to complete orwritten tests. Further, it rests on aconcept that should be embracedby all home-schoolers�mastery.Mastery means that the child willfully understand a particular ideaor concept before moving on,whether it is an aspect ofreading, math, or any other areaof study. Once mastered, there isno need for repetition or drill.

It�s Compatible with AllMethods and ApproachesSymbol Mastery also fits in

with whatever approach tohomeschooling is followed. Aparent following a structuredschedule of instruction at homewould probably create a specifictime and place for SymbolMastery. A parent who �un-schooled� might prefer to leavethe clay, dictionary, and a wordlist accessible at all times,encouraging but not requiringthe child to do Symbol Mastery atany set time.

It�s Ideal for Beginning Readers

Symbol Mastery is an idealway to introduce children age 4and up to reading concepts, andto provide a beginning readingvocabulary. It gives children anunderstanding of both themeanings of connective wordsand their logical relation to otherwords in the sentence. Thisincreases comprehension skills.Symbol Mastery also provides animportant bridge betweenreading methods based onphonics instruction and thosebased on a broad exposure tochildren�s literature.

YMBOL MASTERY is ideal for aparent who chooses to workat home to help a dyslexic

child overcome school problems.But it is also wonderful for home-schooling, or for after schoolactivities and enrichment. Herethe use of Symbol Mastery is not

restricted to children who areconsidered learning disabled, butis a helpful tool for all learning.Some advantages of using SymbolMastery are:

It�s Adaptable for All AgesSymbol Mastery is a study

method that can be adapted forand will appeal to students ofany age. Several children in ahomeschooling family can workwith clay at the same time, onvery different levels. A 4-year-old might be learning to roll andshape the clay, and starting onthe first letters of the alphabet.His 7-year-old sister might beworking through the word listcontained in the Symbol Masterymanual. Their 10-year-old siblingcould use the same techniques tomaster new terms encountered inreading a science book.

It�s Self-Paced andIndividualized

With Symbol Mastery, thechild moves at his own speed

ALL parents can be homeschoolers some of the time, even if ourchildren are in school or daycare centers most of the day! SymbolMastery at home can be used to complement school assignments,such as studying spelling words or foreign language vocabulary.

Homeschooling with Symbol Mastery

S O


Dyslexia My Life: Oneman�s story of his life with

a learning disability,by Girard J. Sagmiller

irard Sagmiller defines adyslexic as one who �hastrouble processing data

from the senses of the bodydealing with two-dimensional (2-D) items, and yet hasexceptional talent processingthree-dimensional (3-D) items.�

Growing up in rural NorthDakota, Girard experiencedrejection, torment, embarassmentand sometimes physical abusefrom his parents and teacherswho reacted to his dyslexia withfrustration and anger. School wasa succession of remedial classes,which provided continualembarassment but little progress.

Through dogged determina-tion, Girard ultimately slogged hisway through college, findingsalvation in his computerprogramming skills. But evenafter earning a master�s degree,Girard encountered frustratingbarriers to employment orpromotion, such as standardizedwritten tests, and often sufferedfrom the ignorance and prejudiceof his co-workers.

His autobiography stands as atestament to all the things thatparents, teachers, and employersshould not do or say todyslexics. Ultimately Girardachieved sucess only by comingto terms with his own dyslexia,recognizing both its gifts andlimitations, and moving toward acareer and life path appropriateto his talents.

had been counselingabout a month whenRon Davis presentedme with a new

challenge. He felt thatthe client that I wasworking with that weekneeded to master theconcept of time. Ronexplained that time wasone of the basicfoundations for math. Hewent on to say that unless we have a clear understanding and havemastered time, we only have memory to help us in math. When ourmemory runs out, that is as far as we can advance in mathematics.Ron gave me this definition of time: the measurement of change inrelation to a standard.

My assignment was clear. The next day I was to help this studentmaster time. I headed for the library, hoping to find some bookswith pictures that would explain the definition of time. With the helpof the children�s librarian, I reviewed all the books on time. Onlyone fit my new definition�The Super Science Book of Time.

All the other books were about how to tell time, but did not givean understanding of what time really means. This book helped myclient understand that our clocks and watches are measuring the turnof the earth. The book also talks very clearly about measuring time,using time lines, the body clock, shadows, seasons, phases of themoon, tides, and other cycles. I found the book to be colorful andeasy to use with students of any age.

Another book I have since found to help advance the concept isExplaining Time, by Gillian Chapman and Pam Robson. I particularlylike the pages showing the growth rings on a tree and explaininghow this relates to events in historical time. The book is filled withlots of interesting facts and colorful pictures, and is written in aneasy-to-read style. It contains many activities that would make goodscience projects.

I have used both of these books with great success and highlyrecommend them. I feel with the help of these books, a visit to aplanetarium, and becoming aware of nature, we can all have funwhile gaining a clear understanding of the definition of time�themeasurement of change in relation to a standard.

Reviewed by Sharon Pfeiffer

The BookReport: 3The Super Science Book of

Time, by Kay Davies and Wendy Oldfield

3Explaining Time, by Gillian

Chapman and Pam Robson

I

33333Check Mark indicates book is available from DDAI.See catalog insert for ordering information.

G

Reviewed by Abigail Marshall

Softcover, $8.95. This book isavailable from G & R Publishing

Company. For orderinginformation call 816-803-4679,

or toll free 1-800-428-8309


hat is a dyslexic kid�s idea ofsummer fun? How about asummer day camp where kids

dismantle clocks and telephones to seehow they work?

Inventure Place, a program created bythe National Inventors Hall of Fame ofAkron, Ohio, provides week-long summerday camps for kids ages 6-11 at 150locations across the US. The program aimsto increase children�s creativity and self-esteem as they learn art and scienceconcepts and about the great inventors ofthe world. Besides dismantling smallappliances, kids might design life supportsystems for the planet �Zak�, create newamusement park rides based on thephysics of existing rides, invent newmarble games and activities, or createchalk murals and sculptures based on thetechniques of Picasso or DaVinci.

The camps are usually conducted inneighborhood schools or museums. Thissummer, camps will be held at schools andmuseums in San Diego, Seattle, Chicago,Boca Raton, Baltimore, Boston, NewJersey, Long Island, New Hampshire,Pittsburgh, Columbus, Cincinnati,Cleveland, and Akron.

A typical camp has five different agegroups of children. During the week, eachchild rotates through six different modules,each consuming one hour a day.Inventure Place has developed 24 differentmodules in all, each geared to inspirecreativity through a multi-disciplinaryapproach. Modules integrate science, math,language arts, social studies, and the visualarts. Every camp experience includes aninvention unit called I Can Invent.

These camps offer a valuableeducational alternative to sports camps,computer camps, and scout camps. TheCamp Invention experience appeals tochildren, and to their parents, because ofits thematic hands-on activities thatcombine fun with learning. Here, everychild can experience success.

CREATIVITY MEETS INVENTIONAT SUMMER DAY CAMPW

In the What�s Bugging You? unit, children collect and study insects,and then create their own bug engineered to solve a specific problem..

For specific information about the locations ofInventure Place administered camps, call 1-800-968-IDEA or access the Inventure Place web page, http://www.invent.org/. For information aboutadministering a cluster of 8-10 camps in your areaor to purchase a franchise license to run 1-3 campscall Inventure Place Camp Coordinator JoAnn Uslickat 330-849-6850 or e-mail at [email protected].

Other Resources Mentioned in this Issuelllll For more information about the TotalReading Language Arts Program (page 2), contactthe Total Reading Association, P.O. Box 54465, LosAngeles, CA 90054, Telephone 1-800-525-7905.lllll For information on implementing aclassroom-based Davis Symbol Mastery program atyour school, contact Sharon Pfeifer at DDAI,Telephone 1-415-692-8995.

INTERNET USERS TIP:You can find more educational resources at theDDAI World Wide Web site by going directly toh t t p : / / w w w. d y s l e x i a . c o m / l i n k s . c g i


DDAI CertifiedCounseling and

Learning Centers66666UNITED STATES

CaliforniaReading Research Council

Dyslexia Correction CenterRon Davis, Founder

Brian Grimes, DirectorDr. Fatima Ali, Ph.D., MFCC

Sharon Pfeiffer, Curriculum Director1601 Old Bayshore Highway, Suite 260

Burlingame, CA 94010Telephone: +1 (415) 692-8990

Fax: +1 (415) 692-8997

New JerseyMultivariant Learning

Systems CorporationCharlotte Foster, President

P.O. Box 224Basking Ridge, NJ 07920

Telephone: +1 (908) 766-5399Fax: +1 (908)766-6010

6EUROPEGermany

Albrecht Giese, Ph.D.St. Georgs-Kirchhof 6

20099 Hamburg, Germany

Telephone/Fax: +49 40 280-4576

HollandZieZei Counselling

Institute for DyslexiaRobin Temple

Drs. Siegerdina MandemaKerkweg 38a

NL-6105 CG Maria Hoop, HollandTelephone: +31 475 302 203

Fax: +31 475 301 381All DDAI-Certified Centers Can beReached via the Internet through

the DDAI web site athttp://www.dyslexia.com

Why A Drug Free Program?by Brian K. Grimes, Director, Reading Research Council

e are often asked whether a person can do the DavisOrientation Counseling Program while taking prescribedmedications such as Ritalin or Prozac. These medications

are sometimes prescribed for conditions such as ADD, ADHDand depression.

The answer to this question is that we prefer the programnot be done while medications are being taken. Of course, wealways ask our clients to seek the advice and permission of theirdoctor before discontinuing any medication.

Some medicines (particularly those that affect the centralnervous system) hamper a person�s ability to use creativethought, or to visualize or picture things using imagination. Thisbecomes significant when doing Orientation Counseling as wellas the Fine Tuning sections of our program. During these times,individuals are using multi-dimensional thought and perceptualabilities that are quite natural for them. Psychoactive drugs willinhibit the individual from using these talents.

One of the main goals of Orientation Counseling is to enablea person to correct their perceptions and control their attentionon their own without the use of medication. A person under theinfluence of medication cannot experience the contrast andimprovement that voluntary control of orientation has on theirlearning ability as well as their creativity.

This doesn�t mean that it is impossible for a medicated personto do the Davis procedures. We simply prefer to reduce anypossibility of the person being unable to perform these tasksand thereby not gaining the full benefits of our program.

In many cases, our clients have traveled a great distance.Should they arrive only to be unable to do parts of the programsuccessfully because of drugs in their system, it is unfair both tothe clients and to the counselors charged with taking themthrough the program successfully.

Thus, our policy is to ask the individual to refrain fromusing drugs for at least a week before starting OrientationCounseling whenever possible. Medications such as antibioticsand aspirin, when necessary to treat physical illness, are ofcourse acceptable. Medicines such as antihistamines, codeine-based cough syrups, Ritalin, antidepressants (Prozac, Zoloft,etc.) should be avoided.

If you have any questions regarding a medication, call us andask about it, then consult with your doctor.

W

Brian Grimes, the Counseling Director at theReading Research Council, has over 20 years�counseling experience. He is certified by theInternational Association of Trauma Counselors,and has counseled for the Red Cross, US Navy andDepartment of Veterans Affairs.

BULK RATE U.S.POSTAGE PAIDPERMIT NO. 14

BURLINGAME, CA94010

The Dyslexic Reader1601 Old Bayshore Highway, Suite 260

Burlingame, CA 94010

(415) 692-8995

FORWARD & ADDRESS CORRECTION

Upcoming EventsNEW EVENING SEMINARS

�Dyslexia & ADD:Their Causes & Correction�

Adults and parents of children withlearning differences share experiencesand learn more about their abilities at thisinformal discussion presented by theReading Research Council at 1601 OldBayshore Highway #260, Burlingame,CA(east of 101 between Millbrae Avenueand Broadway exits).

Admission $5.00; free if you bring acopy of The Gift of Dyslexia. Forinformation and reservations, call

(415) 692-8990.

u Wednesday, July 10 7�8:30 p.m.

u Tuesday, August 6 7�8:30 p.m.

Learning Exchange Workshopby Ron Davis

�Why Dyslexia is a Gift andHow It Can Be Corrected�

Saturday, August 3, 199610 am-1 pm

650 Howe Ave. Suite 610Sacramento, CA(916) 929-9200

Course fee: $30-35

For more information about events and counseling programs,

please call the Reading Research Council

1-800-729-8990

READING RESEARCH COUNCILDYSLEXIA CORRECTION CENTERAGES: Adults and children from 7 yearsCOST: $2,700

Includes the new Davis Symbol Mastery kit.

GET PROFESSIONAL COUNSELING AT THEREADING RESEARCH COUNCIL

This personalized five-day (25-30 hour) programis usually scheduled Monday-Friday, 9:00AM-4:00PMwith a break for lunch. It is an intensive, one-on-one educational and therapeutic program.Conditions that can be addressed include: poor ordelayed reading, spelling, math and handwritingskills; auditory processing difficulties; ADD; andmotor coordination difficulties.

By the end of the program, clients should be able to:(1) recognize and correct their own disorientations; (2)know how to eliminate confusions in words and/orsymbols; (3) experience increased self-confidence andability with reading and writing skills.

If more than 30 hours is needed to achieve thesegoals, they will be included without additional cost.Also included are: reference materials, unlimitedtelephone consultations and support training fortutors, teachers and family members. The program andits history are described in The Gift of Dyslexia byRonald D. Davis.

The Dyslexic Reader 1996 - Issue 6

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