The Dyslexic Reader 2006 - Issue 43

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The Seven Causes of Handwriting Problems - Part 2

Transcript of The Dyslexic Reader 2006 - Issue 43

Page 1: The Dyslexic Reader 2006 - Issue 43

VOL. 43 Davis Dyslexia Association International ISSUE 4 • 2006

Dys lex ic Read er• •́ •́~The

IN THIS ISSUE

(Cont’d on p. 5)

Excerpted from The Gift of Learning byRonald D. Davis and Eldon Braun

In Part 1 we looked in depth at threepossible causes for handwriting problems: inadequate instruction– or none at all, disorientation, and thepresence of multiple mental images. In Part 2, we learn how dyspraxiaaffects handwriting.

Inadequate NaturalOrientation (dyspraxia)Finally, we have the handwritingproblem that accompanies the conditionknown as dyspraxia. Dyspraxia is most commonly associated with an

“auditory deficit disorder,” but we alsosee it as “clumsy child syndrome.” Itaffects between two to four percent ofthe population, and is generally considered a neurological deficit thatdelays or prevents the development ofmotor skills andcoordination. Poorhandwriting is onlyone of many possible symptoms:

• Overall poorcoordination. Theperson is clumsy,and may have ahard time walkingevenly, tying shoes,or performing anytask that requiresfine motor skills. • Lack of lateralization (right-left sense). The person has difficultydistinguishing right from left and withcrossing the midline of the body witheither hand or foot.• Perceptual and speech difficulties.The person may have problems understanding what was said, or mayhave a speech impairment.

News & Feature Articles

The Seven Causes of Handwriting . . . .Problems, Part 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

Musical Expectations . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

Unwrapping the Gift of Dyslexia . . . .4

Congratulations to Walsh Elementary:Second DLS Model School in USA . . .6

Lazy Readers Club: How to Keep Up

with Your Recreational Reading . . .10

Play Time: Fun Must be a Big Part of the School Day . . . . . . . . . . . .14

Famous Dyslexics Remember . . . . . . .18

OnPoint with Davis Dyslexia Correction Methods . . . . . . . . . . .20

Regular Features

In the Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

Q&A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16-17

New Davis Licensees . . . . . . . . . .23-25

Davis Workshops . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26-28

The Seven Causes of Handwriting Problems, Part 2

The clay alphabet below the alphabetstrip shows evidence of dyspraxia.

• Researchers have noted that this condition is often accompanied bydyslexia, ADD, dysgraphia or mathproblems. Simply put, it is the “clumsy

form of dyslexia.”Dyspraxia

occurs when a person’s naturalorientation is in avery unfavorableplace. Their habitualorientation issomewhere in frontof the body andbelow the line ofsight. This orientation willproduce the classicsymptoms ofmixed hemispheric

dominance of the brain, such as right-left confusion.

It can also create the effect of amidline barrier, where the individualcannot move a hand or foot across the midline of his body. The midline barrier also prevents the eyes from

(Photo courtesy of Cyndi Deneson)

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The Dyslexic Reader is published quarterly by Davis Dyslexia Association International (DDAI), 1601 Bayshore Hwy.,Suite 245, 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;and to present methods for improving literacy, education and academic success. We believe that all people’s abilitiesand talents should be recognized and valued, and that learning problems can be corrected. EDITORIAL BOARD:Laura Zink de Diaz, Alice Davis, Abigail Marshall & Maria Fagioli. DESIGN: Gideon Kramer. 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: [email protected] INTERNET: www.dyslexia.com

The opinions and views expressed in articles and letters are not necessarily those of DDAI. Davis™, Dyslexia Correction®, Davis Symbol Mastery®, DavisOrientation Counseling®, and Davis Learning Strategies® are trademarks of Ronald D. Davis. Copyright © 2006 by DDAI, unless otherwise noted.All rights reserved.

Dear DDAI:

I’d like to share something nice with you. One of my clients, GraceEracleous, gave a wonderful answerto a question in program resultsassessment. I call her “AmazingGrace” because she is really great and we had a beautiful week together.

The question was, “Why is itimportant to master symbols andwords?”

Her answer: “Because if you do not master words and symbols you can not go forward. It’s a blurredpicture. It’s like you cannot see in the

Copyright 2001 Randy Glasbergen. www.glasbergen.com

In the Mail:

fog. But when the fog rises from thesea and the town you can have a clearpicture of everything that surrounds you.”–Alexis MouzourisThe Speech & Learning Correction CentreEmail:[email protected] Internet:www.dyslexia-cyprus.com

Dear DDAI:

I just finished reading The Gift ofDyslexia and have started the procedures with my 12-year-old son. I cannot thank you enough for sharingthe information and your experiences.My son has struggled for years and Ihave always been told it was ADHDthat was causing his problems. He hadtoo many side effects from medication.

While reading one of HenryWinkler’s books about two years agomy son told me that sometimes whenhe tries to read it looks like a wordsearch puzzle. That was when I realized his problem was dyslexia.

I have fought with the school system since then to do more testing.His test scores fall in the average rangebut now I understand why his visualmotor integration is so high. I havetried to get as much information ondyslexia as I can. Your book is the only one I have read that completelyexplains dyslexia.

It is a blessing to have a betterunderstanding and really be able tohelp my son. For the first time hewants to be involved in ways to correctthe problem. He is very gifted. I havealways known that, but I love to seehim realizing it now. Thanks again forsharing your gift with others.

–Jane Hendricks

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Musical ExpectationsBy Geoffrey Keith

(Cont’d on p. 8)

Parents take their children to musiclessons placing a great deal of trust intheir children’s music teacher. Theywant the teacher to instruct their children in music, but often do notknow what that really means. We willtalk about the different areas of musicthat students study, and then realisticexpectations for students with dyslexiaand ADHD, touching on the strategiesthat are needed to help visual-spatialstudents to excel in music.

First let’s take a look at what isstudied in music lessons. As most ofyou probably already know, dyslexicstudents are picture thinkers. Visualthinking is the fount of both their giftedness and learning issues. Visual-spatial learners can include studentswho have dyslexia and/or ADD, ormay also include students who do nothave obvious dyslexic tendencies.

Most lesson materials teacherswill use are notation based, meaningthat the student learns to read musicfirst; then, he learns all of his musicpieces and music knowledge throughthe notation. The advantage to thisapproach is that music notation canhelp convey concepts of pitch andrhythm critical to learning moreadvanced material later on. The disadvantage is that if the studentstruggles with the notation, he isblocked from learning music at all.The good news is that there areways around this.

Many instructors teach by earand rote memorization. The advantageto this approach is that a student witha good ear can begin playing rightaway. The disadvantage is that a student with a good ear can often playa piece after only one listening andwill skip the entire process of reading.Here is an anecdote from the bookMusic and Dyslexia.

“It was decided that I shouldhave music. As I had a good ear, Imade progress and got through thewhole of Book One of the exercisesand simple tunes simply by copying

become frustrated when she doesbegin to learn to read and plays at alower level of difficulty.

Musical instrument lessons, bydefinition, teach instrumental technique.Music notation is often fairly general.The basic notation applies equallywell to most instruments. Technique,though, is usually instrument specific.In other words, notation tells you whento play a particular note, whereas technique shows you what finger(s) to use, how to hold the pick or bow,how to lip a note, or how to sing witha supported tone. It is connected toteaching music notation, but not synonymous with it.

Music theory is sometimestaught in instrumental lessons and

sometimes not. Music theory teachesthe underlying concepts of how musicis organized. In my experience, it isimportant to include elements ofmusic theory in instrumental lessons,because it gives the student the largerstructure, which helps him makesense of music (remember that visual-

spatial learners are big-picture people).The theory of intervals, scales, chords,and phrases can also be helpful forreading music by way of a psychologicalconcept called chunking. It is alsohelpful when visual-spatial studentsstart to learn to improvise and compose, which is an area wheredyslexic students can shine.

Interpretation and performanceare also important elements of the lessons. Interpretation is the pointwhere music stops being an exercise–notes strung together–and starts tohave emotional impact. These are alsoareas where the visual-spatial thinkercan shine.

the notes the teacher playedon the piano. She had notenquired whether I couldread music; she had justassumed I could, and I wasfar too inhibited to tell her Icould not. One lesson intoBook Two I played my firstwrong note. ‘What note isthat?’ She said. I made a wild guess–‘B.’ ‘No, of course not you stupidgirl.’ There ended my violin lessons”(Wood, p. 51).

It is an irony that some of ourmost gifted students can be the mostdifficult to get to read. The teacher has to be careful about how much and

when to play for the student. It is generally a good

idea to have the student make the firsttwo or three attempts on her own,because this forces her to read themusic. If she still struggles, theteacher can play for her, having herfocus on how it looks or sounds whenshe plays the phrase versus how itlooks or sounds when the teacherplays it. It is also important to teachreading in conjunction with “ear learning,” because if a student’s technique progresses too far beyondher reading ability, the student can

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By Ruth Guckenberger

A mom traces her son’s pathback to the great person he waswhen he began school, andhow his work with the DavisDyslexia Correction Programand Learning Options changedhis perspective about himself.

I would not wish on any childthe path that led my son, Johnathon,to the Davis Dyslexia CorrectionProgram and Learning Options. He was an attentive and brightkindergartener whose schooling experiences landed him in specialeducation from first until the end ofseventh grade, when homeschoolingbrought him to a Davis DyslexiaCorrection Facilitator.

Johnathon began pre-schoolspelling his name and knowing hisnumbers. When he started kindergarten,things changed almost instantly. Hestarted having trouble spelling hisname. I found out that his teacher wasspelling it differently for his desk, hislabel where his coat belonged, on thebulletin board, on his papers… andshe kept trying to shorten it to Jon. Bythe end of first grade Johnathon wason an IEP and was being passed on tosecond grade because if he was heldback he would be too old to graduatedown the road. And because histeacher didn’t know how to help him.

We switched to a one-roomschool house in our rural state wherethe teacher looked forward to thechallenge of trying to help Johnathon.He began having nightmares in whichthere were so many papers in his newdesk that he couldn’t shut it! The SpecialEducation Director recommended thissensitive and kindhearted boy go to adoctor and get medication for ADDor ADHD. Thank God his teacher dida research paper on Ritalin and insistedthat was not what he needed!

By the seventh grade some ofhis teachers didn’t realize that he was

still not reading. In a meeting withJohnathon’s keyboarding teacher, Ilearned that the teacher was convincedhe was lazy, not using his time wisely,when in fact Johnathon was simplyunable to proofread his typing becausehe couldn’t read it. His geographyteacher nearly fell out of his chair whenhe finally attended an IEP meeting andfound out just how poor Johnathon’sreading skills were.

Finally, we left the school andbegan homeschooling. I attended ahomeschooling convention hoping tosee a wider variety of curriculum

ognizing positive as well as negativedisorientation, while doing the readingexercises and symbol mastery.

Johnathon got better over time.By the end of the school year, he wasready to go to a new high school. Hecouldn’t wait to enter his new schoolwhere he would be a regular student!Not only is he a ‘regular’ student, butbecause he knows how he learns he isnow his own best advocate.

Johnathon was sick for nine daysduring his first semester back atschool, but it didn’t matter. His lowestgrade was a C+! When Elsie andJohnathon first met, he shared with herhis dream of going to ground schoolto learn to fly. This young man, soweighted down by difficulties, createda model of himself now reaching forthe sky. And he’s now taking groundschool courses along with his highschool classes. No doubt about it,Johnathon will reach the stars!

Elsie’s comment on the model:Making a model of self brings anawareness of your knowledge, experience, and understanding represented at a point in time. WhenJohnathon made his “self” model, heput his feelings in three dimensionsknowing the model would only workif he made the boulder hollow; heused his gift of dyslexia from theinside out! He dreamed of becoming apilot, but how could he reach for thesky when that heavy weight held himdown? Eight months later, he was succeeding in school AND taking flying lessons!! v

–Elsie Johnson, Davis Facilitator inKalispell, Montana

Unwrapping the Gift of Dyslexia

Johnathon and Elsie. The smiles thatfollow unwrapping The Gift.

Carrying this weight kept Johnathonon the ground.

materials. While at the convention, Isaw a sign that read “Dyslexia…ACurse or Gift?” I stopped in atLearning Options, to find out howFacilitator, Elsie Johnson might beable to help. I could hardly believethat there was someone with a greatattitude, smart, and sane, and who wasnot trying to put one over on me!

Six months later Johnathon wentthrough a Davis Dyslexia Correctionprogram. The program and Elsie lifteda weight from Johnathon’s shouldersand his attitude about himselfchanged completely. We finished ourhomeschool year using the tools, rec-

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bigger problem. The child will haveextreme difficulty with letters that contain intersecting diagonal lines, likethe letters A, M, V, and W, because thelack of symmetry distorts the perceptionof the intersecting points. The A and Vare difficult enough with only oneintersection. The M and W, havingthree, are unbelievably difficult.

Identifying this category of problem is easy, because one will seemany of the obvious characteristicsdescribed above.

To narrow it down further, onecould simply ask the person to drawthe block print upper case letters A andW, following a model. Better yet, to

avoid confusion with the multiple mental image category, ask the personto fashion the letters A and W usingclay “ropes” by copying a model made on the table. If the problem isdyspraxia, there won’t be any symmetry in the letters. The lines willnot be straight, and the intersectingpoints will be incorrect.

It might look something like this:

Over the years, corrective strategies for the correctable causes of handwriting problems have beendeveloped, all of which relate directlyor indirectly to disorientation and picture thinking. v

scanning across the midline, so it canbe a barrier to perception. For such aperson, half of the world is cut off.For them, the half of the world on the other side of the midline barriersimply does not exist. This anomalydoesn’t affect only visual perception;it also severely distorts auditory perception so that the person may hear sounds as garbled, too loud orsoft, or coming from the wrong place.This explains why the problem isoften seen as an auditory deficit.

In students who have reached theage where motor skills would normallybe developed, the symptoms of themidline barrier are easy to see. Whenthey talk, they usually don’t lookdirectly at a person. If they do, one eye will often close or veer off in adifferent direction. They are almostalways heavy on their feet andextremely clumsy. When they read,they hold the book off to one side,sometimes at a 90-degree angle. Whenthey try to write, the paper is alsoplaced off to one side. Often they anglethe paper so their writing is verticalinstead of going from left to right.

The handwriting problem thataccompanies the midline barrieroccurs primarily when the personmust draw a letter that would crossthe midline, but the problem goes waybeyond that. When one looks straightat a block print capital letter A, onesees the symmetry of the letter. Thediagonal lines are straight and meet inthe center at the top. The horizontalline is straight, and links the two diagonal lines at their centers. A personwith a midline barrier can’t lookstraight at the letter; he would only beable to see half of it. To see the entire

character, he needs to shift the pointof focus so the entire letter is on oneside of the midline. In doing this, heloses the symmetry of the letter. Thediagonal lines appear to be curved,and don’t appear to meet at the centerof the character. The handwritingproblem is caused by the perceptionproblem. When attempting to drawthe letters, the very best that can bedone is to duplicate the perceptualdistortions.

Taking an overview of this situation, one can conclude that thebrain of this individual has never seenstraight vertical or diagonal lines. Theinability to look straight at them hascaused a perceptual distortion. If thebrain has never seen them, it cannotinstruct the hand to draw them.

Even with years of practice,someone with dyspraxia won’t be ableto draw a straight vertical or diagonalline until they learn orientation.Turning the paper 90 degrees to writeup and down helps a little, but stilldoesn’t eliminate the need to the drawvertical and diagonal lines.

A dyspraxic child who is beingtaught penmanship has a handicapthat the teacher doesn’t see or understand. Because the child cannotsee the symmetry of any of the letters,no amount of traditional instruction inwriting will ever make a difference. Itdoesn’t matter how many models ofwhat the writing should look like areshown. His brain cannot accuratelyperceive the model images, so he will never get it right.

This writing problem is not limited to the inability to drawstraight vertical or diagonal lines.Intersecting lines present an even

Handwriting . . . (cont’d from p. 1)

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v Argentina

Silvana Ines RossiBuenos Aires+54 (114) 865 3898

v Australia

Brenda BairdBrisbane+61 (07) 3299 3994

Sally BeulkeMelbourne +61 (03) 5727 3517

Anne CupittScarness, Queensland+61 (074) 128-2470

Mary DavieSydney, NSW+61 (02) 9526 1505

Jan GormanEastwood/Sydney+61 (02) 9804 1184

Gail HallinanDLS Workshop PresenterNaremburn/Sydney+61 (02) 9405 2800

Barbara HoiMosman/Sydney +61 (02) 9968 1093

Eileen McCarthyManly/Sydney +61 (02) 9977 2061

Marianne MullallyCrows Nest, Sydney+61 (02) 9436 3766

John ReillyBerala/Sydney+61 (02) 9649 4299

Michelle RoachSydney +61 (02) 9680 1610

Heidi RosePennington/Adelaide +61 (08) 8240 1834

v Austria

Annette DietrichWien +43 (01) 888 90 25

Jacinta FennessyWien +43 (01) 774 98 22

Ina Barbara Hallermann Riezlern +43 5517 20012

Marika KaufmannLochau +43 (05574) 446 98

Christa SalcherWien +43 (01) 888 61 44

InternationalDavis Dyslexia

Correction®

ProvidersThe Davis Dyslexia

Correction program isnow available from more

than 440 Facilitatorsaround the world. For updates, call:

(888) 805-7216 [Toll Free]or (650) 692-7141 or visit

www.dyslexia.com/providers.htm

Walsh Elementary School in Walsh,Colorado, has been recognized to havemet the qualifications and standardsof a Davis Learning Strategies ModelSchool for the 2006-07 academic year.

Kristi Thompson, DLS Mentor andWorkshop Presenter and owner of TurningPoint Learning Center in Walsh, nominatedWalsh elementary for this award. The awardcriteria are:

• Administration should be knowledgeableand supportive of DLS.• All primary teachers must have attended aDLS Workshop.• Staff received two years of mentoringfrom a DLS Mentor.• The school communityis enthusiastic about DLS,clearly understandingthat Davis LearningStrategies are lifelongstrategies for ALLstudents.• The Staff is willing toallow other (outside)school personnel to visit.• The school can demonstrate positiveresults through testscores and/or teacher/principal observation ofincorporating DLS in thecurriculum and schoolenvironment.

Following is Kristi’s description ofWalsh Elementary, how the staff has implemented DLS over the last three years, met the above criteria and obtainedoutstanding results:

“We are so excited to be a DavisLearning Strategies Model School! WalshElementary is a small, rural school servingpreschool through 6th grades. Our staff isextremely proud of our school and our commitment to meeting the needs of allchildren. The average class size varies from10 to 15 students. We have one class and

Congratulations to WalshElementary School! TheSecond DLS Model School in the United States

teacher per grade level.Walsh is proud of itssupplemental programsas well, such as: Title I programfor reading and math; an ExceptionalEducation program; Power-Half-Hour afterschool tutoring program; Gifted and Talentedprogram; Kinder-music program; Parents asTeachers (PAT); and our Preschool Program,as well as the Preschool Advisory Council.We also offer art, music/band, and physicaleducation classes.

In March of 2003, our school wastrained in the Davis Learning Strategies.There were over 20 people who participatedincluding: Principal/ Superintendent, twoschool board members, Pre-K through 6th

grade staff and supportstaff, including aides. As a DLS School Mentor, Iwas encouraged by ourstaff to bring the trainingto Walsh as soon as Icould. Our staff wasextremely supportive andenthusiastic about mywork as a DLS SchoolMentor. They wanted tobe knowledgeable aboutDLS too, so they wouldhave the ability to meetthe needs of children intheir classrooms. I haveto commend our schoolboard, administration,

staff, and parents as they are always willingto go the extra distance in order to make adifference in children’s lives.

Davis Learning Strategies is usedthroughout our elementary school. Teachersintroduce the strategies PreK-3. Our supportstaff supplements with the strategies and our4th-6th grade teachers reinforce DLS at ahigher level. As a DLS school mentor, I amable to work with students who need extraone-on-one, utilizing the strategies to supportacademic and social performance. Our schooland community have been very supportive ofDavis Learning Strategies. Often, I have

“DLS helps me focus on my work!”

A Walsh School studentmodels how DLS hashelped him in school.

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v Bahrain

Sameera Sadiq Al BaharnaManama +973 555 201

v Belgium

Ann Devloo-DelvaVeurne +32 (058) 31 63 52

Inge LanneauBeernem+32 (050) 33 29 92

Peggy PoppeBorgerhout (Antwerpen)+32 (03) 236 54 24

Edith RotenbergHoutain-St. Siméon/Liège+ 32 (04) 374-27-87

Viki VandevenneBonheiden+32 (0473) 30 41 51

v Brazil

Ana LimaRio De Janeiro+55 (021) 2295-1505

Canada

Wayne Aadelstone-HasselNorth Vancouver+1 (604) 988-7680

Raylene BarnhillFredericton, New Brunswick+1 (506) 458-0494

Rocky Point AcademyStacey Borger-SmithLawrence Smith, Jr.Calgary+1 (866) 685-0067 (Toll-Free)+1 (403) 685-0067

Darlene BrownSmithers/Prince Rupert+1 (250) 847-3463

Paddy CarsonEdmonton/Alberta+1 (780) 489-6225

Debra D’AversaLeamington, Ontario+1 (519) 322-1297

Sandy FarrellHudson, Quebec+1 (450) 458-4777

Terri FedorchukDryden, Ontario+1 (807) 937-2253

Renée FiglarzMontreal, Quebec+1 (514) 815-7827

Sher GoerzenMaple Ridge/Vancouver+1 (604) 290-5063

Gerry GrantSupervisor-SpecialistWorkshop PresenterWaterloo/Toronto+1 (800) 981-6433 (Toll-Free)+1 (519) 221-8484

Sue HallWest Vancouver+1 (604) 921-1084

D’vorah HoffmanToronto+1 (416) 398-6779

parents approach me and express a deepgratitude that our school is providing DLS to their children, giving them an opportunityfor a lifetime of learning.

DLS has been very effective for ourstudents. I believe the knowledge gained byour teachers from the workshop has enabledus to better understand how children think

and learn. DLS works so well, it’s like asilent workhorse that is always there, makinga difference for students. Our school recentlywas awarded a national Title I award foroverall high achieving school in Colorado.Only 29 schools nationwide were recipientsof this award. Teachers have reported to methat classroom behavior is much easier toaddress. Through DLS, our children areencouraged to be responsible for managingtheir own behavior, so they can be life-longlearners. We have found that DLS can beincorporated into just about anything we doin school. We’re very proud to be accepted asa DLS model school and wish to thank theDavis Association for making this incrediblyvaluable program available to schools!” v

I once had a horse who could jump very high.He jumped so high that he thought he could fly.

He jumped so high that he bumped the moonAnd he thought he landed on Neptune.

He saw the man on the moon that day.Who gave my horse a Milky WayAnd now my horse has tooth decay.

Milky WayBy Amanda Yatckoske

Amanda completed the Davis DyslexiaCorrection® Program in March, 2005 atthe age of eight with Cyndi Denesonat New Hope Learning Centers, Inc. inBloomington, Minnesota. Her momreports: “Amanda’s attitude aboutlearning has improved 200%!”

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v Canada (cont’d)

Sue JutsonVancouver, B.C.+1 (604) 732-1516

Mary Ann KettlewellLondon, Ontario+1 (519) 652-0252

Carol LivermoreOttawa, Ontario +1 (800) 394-1535 [Toll Free]

Julie LockeTruro, Nova Scotia +1 (902) 895-9015

Yuko Kimura McCulloch, Ph.D.Vancouver, B.C. +1 (604) 222-2258

Helen McGilivrayOakville/Toronto +1 (905) 464-4798

Susan Nikolic-VicenticNewmarket/Toronto+1 (905) 953-0033

Tina PanaritisMontreal, Quebec+ 1 (514) 690-9164

Judy ParleyTaber, Alberta+1 (403) 330-9873

Sharon RobertsWaterloo/Toronto +1 (519) 746-8422

Kendra RodychSaskatoon/Saskatchewan +1 (306) 955-2972 or (306) 230-8961

Sharon SchachterThornhill, Ontario+1 (905) 764-6774

Catherine SmithOakville/Toronto+1 (905) 844-41441-888-569-1113 toll-free

Edwina StoneWhitehorse, Yukon+1 (867) 393-4489

Kim J. Willson-RymerOakville/Toronto+1 (905) 825-3153

v ChinaLivia WongHong Kong+852-2810-0282

v ColombiaLaura Zink de DíazBogotá +57 (1) 638-6342

v Costa RicaMaria Elena Guth BlancoSan Jose+506 296-4078

Marcela RodriguezAlajuela +506 442-8090

v CyprusAlexis MouzourisLimassol +357 25 382 090

v FinlandElisabeth HelenelundBorga +358 400 79 54 97

Musical Expectations . . . (cont’d from p. 3)

Having said this, does this mean thatvisual-spatial students will be better at theemotional/intuitive aspects of music than atthe detail oriented elements such as we findin music notation? Though this can be true, it would be simplistic to give a blanket yes.

Just as there are many different aspectsof music that can be studied, there are manydifferent “talents” that students can excel in.Some are great sight-readers, and othersimprovise well, or havea flair for composition,or theory. Others willdevelop a beautiful toneand light touch, or areally fast ear. Visual-spatial students may dowell in any of theseareas.

The task that yourchild struggles with, ifany, will depend on whatdisorients him. RonaldDavis, in The Gift ofDyslexia, describes disorientation: “Itoccurs when we areoverwhelmed by stimulior thought. It also occurswhen the brain receivesconflicting information fromthe different senses andattempts to correlate the information” (p. 15).Disorientation is the result of problems inperception. Dennis Coon defines perceptionas, “... the process of assembling sensations(‘data’ from the senses) into usable mentalrepresentations of the world... Perceptualorganization may be thought of as a hypothesisheld until evidence contradicts it. Perceptualorganization shifts for ambiguous stimuli.Impossible figures resist stable organizationaltogether” (p. 129). All minds seek out shapesand patterns; the visually oriented mind evenmore so. The pattern recognition abilities ofthe picture thinker can make him prone tomake errors in perception, i.e. disorientation,but can also allow him to see subtle patternsin data, in his surroundings, or in art–whethervisual or aural–that a traditional learnermight miss. Disorientation is similar to our experience of an optical illusion, in that themind misperceives the data flowing in fromthe senses.

So here we have the two sides of theissue. The visual-spatial thinker can learnthings incredibly quickly if she accuratelyperceives the subject she is learning, but ifshe does not perceive accurately, if she disorients when looking at music symbols or at the instrument itself, confusion can setin. It is not general intelligence that is theissue with dyslexics, but rather perception,particularly disorientation. You never knowwhat the student will have a problem with

until the lessons actuallystart, but there are definitesigns to watch for.

Betty W. Atterbury,in her bookMainstreamingExceptional Learners In Music, had this to say about some musicteacher’s expectationsconcerning their studentswith dyslexia, “Oneresearcher (Ansuini,1979) surveyed teacherswho had taught theseexceptional students andreported that the mostcommon competencies

were patience, knowledgeof the individual and thelearning disorder, ability toaccept little or no student

progress, willingness to provide additional time, and the

ability to form personal relationships withstudents” (p. 46).

I read this statement and immediatelyagreed with the need for patience, knowledgeof the student, and building relationships, butlittle or no student progress is not acceptable.It is one thing to proceed at the student’s paceand be patient. It is another entirely to expectthe student will not progress. That is almostlike saying that the music teacher shouldexpect the student to fail. If that is the case,then we music teachers are failing ourstudents. So the question is: how can yourmusic teacher lead your dyslexic child toward success in music?

The first step is to eliminate disorientation. As most of you are probablyaware, Davis has two simple visualizationprocedures, called Orientation Counselingand Alignment, which allow the visualthinker with dyslexic tendencies to quicklyand easily stop disorientation. When oriented

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v France

Christine BleusSaint Jean de Gonville/Genève +33 450 56 40 48

Corinne CouelleMarsannay-le-bois/Dijon +33 (0380) 357 953

Jennifer DelrieuVoisins le Bretonneux/Paris+33 (01) 30 44 19 91

Françoise MagarianLegny/Lyon+33 (0474) 72 43 13

Carol Ann NelsonBoulogne-Billancourt+33 (0) 1 49 09 12 33

Odile PugetSegny/Geneve +33 (0) 450 418 267

Guilaine Batoz Saint-MartinLa Bastidonne/Marseille+33 (0490) 08 98 56

v Germany/Deutschland

Theresia AdlerBannewitz +49 (0351) 40 34 224

Ute BreithauptLangenselbold+49 (06184) 93 84 88

Gabriele Doetsch Bad Windsheim / Würzburg+49 (09841) 1637 or 1644

Ellen EbertAmmern +49 (03601) 813-660

Cornelia GarbeBerlin +49 (030) 61 65 91 25

Astrid Grosse-MönchBuxtehude+49 (04161) 702 90 70

Das Legasthenie InstitutIoannis TzivanakisSpecialist TrainerWorkshop PresenterDDA-Deutschland DirectorWilfried BährHamburg+49 (040) 25 17 86 23

Christine HeinrichHeubach/Ulm+49 (07173) 716 793

Sonja HeinrichSupervisor-SpecialistDLS Workshop PresenterDDA-Deutschland DirectorGarbsen/Hannover+49 (040) 25 17 86 23

Kirsten HohageNürnberg+49 (0911) 54 85 234

Ingrid HuthBerlin +49 (0179) 896 8007

Christine JacobLörrach +49 (07621) 134 60

Rainer KnoblochRöthenbach/Nürnberg +49 (09120) 18 14 84

Inge Koch-GassmannBuggingen+49 (07631) 23 29

(or aligned), the visual thinker is able to perceive his surroundings accurately–possiblyfor the first time in his life. My experiencewith Alignment has been extremely positive.It can bring about a dramatic reduction in thestudent’s confusion. It can also cut in half thetime required to gain proficiency in readingmusic. You or your music teacher can leadthe student through Orientation Counseling or the Alignment Procedure by following thescripts in chapters 8–12 of The Gift ofLearning by Ronald Davis.

The second step is to use multisensorytechniques to help make the notation and themusic concrete. Multisensory is just what itsounds like – teaching the material throughthe various senses:

• color to create visual symbols for the notes• clay to give it texture and depth• kinesthetic body movement to teach rhythm

and the steady beat • touch to convey note distance and pitch

direction on the page or instrument or inpointing to rhythms while counting or tracing the form of a piece

• drawing pictures to convey the meaning ofsymbols or tempo and expression marks

• playing for the student so he can hear andsee the different touches and dynamic shadings, and

• using visual imagination to enhance interpretation

It is critical to always name a symbol,define what it does (as concretely and visuallyas possible), and describe how it looks.Multisensory strategies can help.

I have been working with these conceptsfor nine years, and I have had consistentsuccess with them. One guitar student, whohas dyslexic tendencies and ADD, startedwith me in October 2002. He is creative andhas grown in his ability to improvise. It hasnot always been easy; he has struggled withnote accuracy and steady rhythm, but has stuckwith it and has been gaining mastery. Usingmultisensory strategies and the AlignmentProcedure has been pivotal in helping himget to where he is. He plans to major in musicin college next year in either music businessor sound recording technology. Expect thebest from your visual-spatial students, givethem the tools to succeed, and they can amazeyou in what they will accomplish. v

ReferencesAtterbury, Betty W. Mainstreaming ExceptionalLearners in Music. Old Tappen: Prentice Hall-Allyn & Bacon, 1990.

Coon, Dennis. Introduction to Psychology:Exploration and Application. 4th ed. St. Paul:West, 1986.

Davis, Ronald D., and Eldon M. Braun. The Giftof Dyslexia. New York: Perigee, 1997.

Davis, Ronald D., and Eldon M. Braun. The Giftof Learning. New York: Perigee, 2003.

Wood, Siw. “My Experience with the Problem ofReading Music.” Music and Dyslexia: OpeningNew Doors. Ed. T.R. Miles and John Westcombe.London: Whurr, 2004. P. 51 and 52.

© 2006 Geoffrey Keith

Geoffrey Keith received his music degreefrom U-Mass Lowell in 1993and has recently started his ownmusic lesson studio, SuccessMusic Studio, specializing inmultisensory strategies forteaching music to young students, students with dyslexia,

AD/HD, and visual-spatial learning styles (successmusicstudio.com). He has taught musicfor the last eighteen years, nine of which he hasbeen working with multisensory strategies, andhe is also a visual thinker. This is the first in aseries of articles on teaching music to studentswho are visual/spatial learners.

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v Germany/Deutschland (cont’d)

Angelika KohnSteinheim-Kleinbottwar+49 (07148) 66 08

Marianne KranzerKönigsfeld+49 (07725) 72 26

Anneliese Kunz-DanhauserRosenheim+49 (08031) 632 29

Sabine La DueStuttgart+49 (0711) 479 1000

Gundula PatzlaffStuttgart+49 (0711) 23 64 86 0

Margit PlegerWetter/Dortmund +49 (02335) 84 87 60

Ursula Rackur-BastianIdstein/Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis/Wiesbaden+49 (06126) 565 01

Colette ReimannLandshut+49 (0871) 770 994

Ursula RittlerStuttgart+49 (0711) 47 18 50

Phoebe SchafschetzyHamburg+49 (040) 392 589

Gabriela ScholterSupervisor-SpecialistStuttgart+49 (0711) 578 28 33

Inge StarckBattenberg/Eder+49 (06452) 93 28 88

Beate Tiletzek Waldkraiburg+49 (08638) 88 17 89

Andrea ToloczykiHavixbeck/Münster+49 (02507) 57 04 84

Ulrike von Kutzleben-HausenDeisslingen+49 (07420) 33 46

Dr. Angelika WeidemannUlm +49 (0731) 931 46 46

Susanne WildPaar +49 (08205) 959 08 28

Gabriele WirtzStuttgart +49 (0711) 55 17 18

v GreeceZoe DeliakidouThessaloniki +30 2310 434510 or +30 6934 662438

Irma Vierstra-VourvachakisRethymnon/Crete+30 283105 8201 or 69766 40292

v Iceland

Áslaug ÁsgeirsdóttirMosfellsbaer+354 861-2537Sigrún Jónina BaldursdóttirSnaefellsbae+354 586 8180

The Lazy Readers Club: How to KeepUp with Your Recreational Reading

Cool Short Books

By Danny Brassel, [email protected], www.lazyreaders.com

It all began in a class I teach for beginningteachers.

“So, what good books are you readingright now?” I queried.

Nobody raised a hand. Confused, Iasked the class of 43 adults, ranging fromkindergarten teachers to high school specialeducation instructors, to tell me what badbooks they were reading. A flurry of complaints ensued.

“All I’ve got time to read are lessonplanning books and all of the textbookswe’re required to read in our credentialingprograms,” one woman proclaimed. “By theend of the day we don’thave time to read anybooks for pleasure.”

For weeks I ponderedways to encourage myteachers to read books for fun. It concerned methat so many people hiredto motivate students todevelop a passion forbooks lacked that passionthemselves. After all, asauthor Jim Trelease (2001)points out, reading interest is like a headcold: you can’t catch it if nobody aroundyou is infected. How could I encourageteachers to read more frequently?

Teddy Roosevelt provided the answer.Before reading The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt,a captivating Pulitzer Prize-winning biographyby Edmund Morris, I knew two things aboutthe former President: (1) Teddy bears werenamed after him, and (2) his face is on MountRushmore. Morris provides a page-turner thatchronicles Roosevelt’s triumphs and travails,but what struck me most about Rooseveltwas that he was an avid reader who readnearly 20,000 books by the time he was 30.Clearly, even I could read more frequently,so I resolved to start reading at least a book aday. How? I would read a lot of short books.

The Creation of the Lazy Readers’ ClubAbout four years ago, I began giving my students (primarily student teachers, beginning teachers and parent volunteers)recommendations of short literary works that anyone could read while waiting in agrocery line or sitting at a boring staff meeting. My goal was to stimulate people’sinterest in reading so that they might make it a life-long passion.

It started as an e-mail distribution list andevolved into a website: www.lazyreaders.com.Each month I provide book recommendationsfor quick, easy reading for personal pleasure.I try not to include any books over 200

pages, and I always includebooks written for a variety ofages. See, adults should notbe shy about reading kids’books. They are my favoritesbecause they generally haveshorter chapters, bigger printand colorful pictures. Peoplewho turn off the nightly newsin favor of a good children’sbook probably live longer.

The website includes anupdated monthly list of mypicks, as well as archivesof past selections by month,

level and page count.Also, books and otheritems purchased from

Amazon.com through linksfrom the lazyreaders.com website directlybenefit BookEnds (www.bookends.org), anonprofit organization devoted to increasingchildren’s access to books and communityservice awareness.

The different books are classified asfollows: AD, adult; YA, young adult; CH,children’s book. I always list a page countand some brief comments. I usually give atotal of 10 recommendations a month (3-4adult; 3-4 young adult; 3-4 children’s). Hereis a sampling of some past recommendations:

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v Iceland (cont’d)

Gudrún BenediktsdóttirHafnarfirdi+354 545 0103 or +354 822 0910

Gudbjörg EmilsdóttirKópavogur+354 554 3452

Hólmfridur GudmundsdóttirGardabae +354 895-0252

Svava Hlin HákonardEskifjordur +354 862 1518

Sigurborg SvalaGudmundsdóttirMosfellsbaer+354 566-8657

Stefanía Halldórsdóttir WadeKopavogur +354 564 2890

Nora KornbluehReykjavik+354-562-1295

Ingibjörg IngolfsdóttirMosfellsbaer +354 899-2747

Sigrún JensdóttirMosfellsbaer +354 897 4437

Valgerdur JónsdóttirDLS Workshop PresenterKópavogur +354 863 2005

Sturla KristjanssonDLS Workshop PresenterHafnarfjordur+354 845 6956

Ásta OlafsdóttirVopnafjordur+354 473-1164

Erla OlgeirsdóttirAkranes +354 694 3339

Hugrún SvavarsdóttirMosfellsbær+354 698-6465

Thorbjörg SigurdardóttirReykjavík +354 698 7213

Kolbeinn SigurjónssonMosfellsbær+354 566 6664 / 661-8654

Margret Thorarinsdottir Selfoss +354-486-1188

v India

Carol Ann RodriguesMumbai+91 (22) 2667 3649 or+91 (22) 2665 0174

v Ireland

Anne Marie BeggsOld Portmarnock/Dublin+353 (86) 239-1545

Paula HoranMullingar +353 44 934 1613

Sister Antoinette KeelanDublin +353 (01) 884 4996

Maggie O’MearaClonmel, Co. Tipperary +353 (87) 415 70 99

4. The Tao of Pooh(Benjamin Hoff), 158

pages. This is an oldfavorite of mine, asthe author offersspiritual awakeningby combining theteachings of thegreat philosophers,

Confucius andA.A. Milne. A treat for all ages.

5. Molvania (Santo Cilauro, TomGleisner & Rob Sitch), 176 pages. I am

a sucker for humorous travel books, and thisclever “travel guide”reveals everything oneneeds to know whentraveling to the fictionalcountry of Molvania.Yes, it is a one-jokebook, but anyone whohas ever trotted abroadwith a copy of TheLonely Planet, Fodors orLet’s Go is sure to enjoythis satire. I would be interested to knowhow many tourists purchase it thinking thatthere is such a country (I wish geographyfound greater importance in Americanclassrooms).

Young Adult (YA)

1. A Long Way fromChicago (Richard Peck),148 pages. I consider thisa “must” read. This funnytale of summers spentwith grandma rivalsMark Twain and TomBodett. Sweet simplicity.You can read this bookin under three hours, so grab a coffee andspend a delightful afternoon at Border’s.This book is a treasure!

2. A Hero Ain’t Nothin’But a Sandwich (AliceChildress),126 pages.One of the more popularbooks I have introducedto middleschoolers, thistale of a 13-year-oldheroin addict is sure tospark lively classroomdiscussions. A very

Adult (AD)

1. Silent Night: A ChristmasSuspense Story (Mary HigginsClark), 192 pages. This bookcould just as easily make aYoung Adult reading list, asI have recommended it toplenty of high schools andheard raves (especially fromgirls). I have to confess that Ilove Mary Higgins Clark; her booksalways entertain andforce you to read themstraight through to theend. Teachers at the firstelementary school Iworked at used to swapher books like tradingcards. I read her booksout of sure pleasure.

2. Rosencrantz andGuildenstern Are Dead(Tom Stoppard), 126pages. If you have neverread anything by TomStoppard, you are in for a treat. I rate him as oneof the most importantplaywrights of our time.You may have seen hisscreenplay Shakespearein Love. This tale is alsoset in Elizabethan timesand focuses on the mundane daily rituals of two minor charactersfrom Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Hilarious andoriginal, like all of Stoppard’s works.

3. Cool Dead People: Obituaries of RealFolks We Wish We’d Met a Little Sooner(Jane O’Boyle), 143 pages.I confess, when I don’tlink to Amazon via theLazy Readers’ website, Ibuy most of my booksfrom a great discount bookbroker called Edward G.Hamilton (they send me amonthly catalog of booksthat all cost under $3). I bought this book fora buck and read it in three hours. I loved it! Itis filled with fascinating two-page obituariesof people I truly wish I had known.Inspirational, quirky and fun.

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v IsraelLuba AlibashRamat Hasharon/Tel Aviv+972 (09) 772-9888 or(052) 272-9532

Mira AshooshKiron +972 (03) 635-0973

Goldie GiladKfar Saba/Tel Aviv+972 (09) 765 1185

Eliana HarpazMa’Ale Adumim+972 (02) 590-2110 or 054-441-0789

Baruch KassiffKfar-Saba +972 (09) 767-3638Eve ResnickKfar Saba/Tel Aviv+972 (09) 766 2140Judith SchwarczDDA-Israel DirectorSupervisor-SpecialistPearl ZarskyRa’anana/Tel Aviv+972 (09) 772 9888

v Italy

Elisa De FeliceRoma +39 (06) 507 3570Piera Angiola MaglioliOcchieppo Inferiore / Biella+39 (015) 259 3080Silvia WalterBagno a Ripoli Florence +39 (055) 621 0541Rafaella ZingerleCorvara In Badia+39 (0471) 836 871

v KenyaDiana Smit-JurgensNairobi +254 733 895 603

v LebanonSamar Riad SaabBeirut +961 3 700 206

v Malaysia

Hilary CraigKuala Lumpur+603 2096 1342

v Mexico

Sivia B. Arana GarcíaMexico, D.F. +52 (55) 5520-1883

Cathy Calderón de la BarcaMéxico D.F.Fundamentals Presenter+52 (55) 5520 1883 or 5282 4196

Hilda Fabiola Herrera CantuCuliacan, Sinaloa +52 81 6677 15 01 19

La Puerta de las LetrasMaría Silvia Flores SalinasSupervisor-SpecialistOlga Zambrano de CarrilloDDA-Mexico DirectorGarza GarcíaMonterrey+52 (81) 8335 9435

Laura LammogliaTampico, Tamaulipas +52 (833) 213 4126

Alejandra Garcia MedinaCuajimalpa, Mexico, D.F+52 (55) 5813 9554

7. Speak (Laurie HalseAnderson), 197 pages.Wow! If this book doesnot make you cry or atleast reconsider how youtreat people, I don’tknow what will. I cannotbelieve this is Anderson’sfirst book. I loved thistouching tale of a highschool girl’s sudden caseof laryngitis, brought on by her outcast status.This should be required reading in everymiddle school. It’s that good.

Children’s (CH)

1. Leo the Late Bloomer (Robert Kraus), 32pages. Perfect for franticparents (e.g. my wife andme) who worry about thepace of their child’sdevelopment. Like myteaching mentor used tosay, “Each and every oneof us is gifted; it justtakes some of us a littlelonger to unwrap the presents.”

2. Giraffes? Giraffes! (Doris Haggis-on-Whey& Mr. Haggis-on-Whey),64 pages. This is nowone of my favorite ideas.Dave Eggers writesunder a pen name andcreates the most horrificidea man could have everdreamed of: the first in aseries of reference bookswritten by people who want to mess withfuture generations by providing erroneousinformation (e.g. giraffes did not evolve butrather came here from Neptune via thelargest escalator in the galaxy). I think thisconcept has been adopted by major politicalparties. Kids of all ages (from 3 to 83) get akick out of this book.

3. The Greedy Triangle(Marilyn Burns), 40pages. Too often kidswho are good at math areturned off from reading,so here is a funny way toentice mathematicians toread. A great introductionto geometry.

honest and vivid look at the harshness ofdrug addiction.

3. No More Dead Dogs (Gordon Korman),196 pages. I confess thatI picked up this bookbecause I liked the title.It is not at all what Ithought it was about, butit is still very funny. Let’sjust say that a teacher getswhat he deserves whenhe punishes a student forturning in an honest bookreport (something I always wished I haddone in school).

4. Just Annoying! (Andy Griffiths), 144 pages.No, this author has an “s”on the end of his name,and his series of booksbear little resemblance toanything you’d ever seein Mayberry. I find thatthis author has a way ofmaking teenage boyswant to read, and I willalways recommend anauthor who motivates reluctant readers.Parents beware, as his silly tales can sometimes be a bit “raunchy.”

5. Sideways Stories fromWayside School (LouisSachar), 128 pages. Eversince I read Holes (oneof the best books inyears), I have beendevouring stories fromLouis Sachar. He is mykind of writer, as his stories always make melaugh, and I always enjoyhis subtle messages.

6. The Toothpaste Millionaire (Jean Merrill),89 pages. What I enjoythe best about this bookis its entrepreneurialspirit. If I taught an MBAcourse, this is one of thefun books I’d put on myreading list (along withJeffrey Archer’s Kane andAbel). A good book for kidswho need to understandwhat it takes to succeed in business: thatnasty four-letter word known as “work.”

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v Mexico (cont’d)

Sociedad de ConsultatoriaOrganizacionalMaria Lourdes GutierrezMexico D.F.+52 (55) 5595 8442

Lucero PalafoxVeracruz+52 (022) 99 351302

Ana Elana Payro OgarrioCorregidora, Queretaro+52 442 228 1264

v Netherlands

Karin BakkerenBreda +31 (076) 581 57 60

Liesbeth Berg-SchagenVleuten+31 (030) 604-9601

Ineke BlomDorpstraat+31 (020) 436-1484

Lot BlomUtrecht +31 (030) 271 0005

Hester BrouwerGroningen+31 (050) 52 61 146

Lieneke CharpentierNieuwegein+31 (030) 60 41 539

Hester CnossenVeghel +31 (041) 337 5835

Monique CommandeurSterksel +31 (06) 13 94 97 54

Ratnavali de Croock Oudorp (Aalkmaar)+31 (072) 511 6881

Alexandra De GoedeAerdenhout+31 (023) 524 3263

Mine de RanitzDriebergen+31 (0343) 521 348

Christien De SmitSluis +31 (0117) 461 963

Leonardus D’HooreSluis +31 (0117) 56 29 40

Saskia Dijkstra Amsterdam +31 (020) 463-2753

Marijke Eelkman Rooda-BosGouda +31 (0182) 517-316

Johanna FokkensBeilen +31 (0593) 540 141

Ina GausSantpoort-Zuid+33 (023) 538-3927

Pérola GonçalvesAmsterdam+31 (020) 636 3637

Jan GubbelsMaastricht+31 (043) 36 39 999

Sue Hillier-SmithBreukelen+31 (0346) 265 059

Judith HolzapfelDeventer +31 (0570) 619 553

Will HuntjensHorn +31 (0475) 589 238

4. Shrinking Violet (CariBest), 40 pages. Have youever wanted to see the shykid beat the class bully?This book is satisfying toall ages and genders anda good lesson in treatingpeople kindly.

5. Thank You, Mr.Falker (PatriciaPolacco), 32 pages.Patricia Polacco is fantastic, and if this bookabout a teacher helping adyslexic child does nottouch your heart, you area grinch living on yourown mountain. All of Polacco’s booksaddress important issues, and I think all kidsneed to be exposed to her work.

6. The Shrinking of Treehorn (FlorenceParry Heide), 63 pages.Ever felt ignored? WhileTreehorn tries to con-vince adults that he isshrinking, they shrugtheir shoulders as if theboy had told them therewas a monster in hiscloset. All the whileTreehorn shrinks, and theillustrations by EdwardGorey are delightful in his demented style(he illustrated the macabre drawings at thebeginning of the wonderful “Mystery” serieson PBS).

7. The Librarian of Basra: A True Storyfrom Iraq (JeanetteWinter), 32 pages. A lotof teachers and parentshave asked me aboutnon-offensive books forkids that help themunderstand the war inIraq. I am not sure thatany books dealing withwars are non-offensive (or should be), butthis true story of one librarian’s heroic effortsto preserve her library in Iraq sends a lot ofimportant messages that I want people toremember. Namely, books are one of society’sgreatest resources. Have you ever noticed thecorrelation between the number of books thatare available to a citizenry and their literacyrate? FYI – America’s inner-city libraries are

in worse shape than many libraries in Iraq.That’s why organizations like BookEnds,The Wonder of Reading and Reading IsFundamental are so essential, in my eyes.

Final ThoughtsEnjoy the books. As always, I encouragepeople to go to the lazyreaders.com websitebefore purchasing anything on Amazon.com.By linking to Amazon via our website, up to 10% of your purchase will be donated to literacy charity. You can literally help createschool libraries with one extra click of themouse.

Anyone can be included on the e-maillist to receive my monthly recommendationsby registering at our website:

www.lazyreaders.comI promise that I will never forward anythingbut my monthly book picks. That’s the honesttruth – no mortgage rate ads or promises tohelp you lose 10 lbs. in three hours. I’ll justsend book recommendations.

Please remember to read for fun and to read to your children, and e-mail me anyshort books that you’d like to have consideredfor our lists. v

ReferencesTrelease, J. (2001). The Read AloudHandbook (5th ed.). New York: Penguin.

THE LAZY READERS WEBSITEWWW.LAZYREADERS.COM

“Read for fun and read to your children!”

–Danny Brassel

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vNetherlands (cont’d)

Mia JenniskensEindhoven+31 (040) 245 9458

Trudy JolingLaren +31 (035) 531 00 66

Helen KapteinMiddleburg+31 (0118) 64 37 73

Marie KoopmanBilthoven+31 (030) 228 4014

Carry KulingHeemstede+31 (0235) 287 782

Edith Kweekel-GöldiSoest +31 (035) 601 0611

Imelda LamakerHilversum+31 (035) 621 7309

Irma LammersBoxtel +31 (411) 68 56 83

Yvie Leenaars-de RooÿBavel +31 (0161) 433 449

ZeiZei LerninstitutDrs. Siegerdina MandemaSpecialist TrainerAdvanced WorkshopPresenterDLS Workshop PresenterDDA-Nederland DirectorRobin TempleSpecialist TrainerWorkshop PresenterMaria Hoop+31 (0475) 302 203

Sjan MelsenArnhem +31 (026) 442 69 98

Marianne OosterbaanZeist +31 (030) 691 7309

Ineke PijpGroningen+31 (050) 542 0817

Fleur van de Polder-PatonSchiedam+31 (010) 471 58 67

Petra Pouw-LegêneDLS Presenter & MentorBeek +31 (046) 437 4907

Karin RietbergHolten +31 (0548) 364 286

Jacqueline van RijswijckVenray+31 (0478) 58 73 98

Lydia RogowskiHelmond+31 (0492) 513 169

Hanneke SchoemakerWageningen+31 (0317) 412 437

Ilse SchreuderDokkum +31 (0519) 220 315

Silvia Jolanda SikkemaDrachten +31 (0512) 538 815

Tonny StorHeerhugowaard+31 (072) 57 22 771

Karima P.A. TurkatteAmsterdam+31 (020) 696 4379

Play Time: FunMust Be a Big Partof the School DayBy Trish Konzak

Children need to play. This observation mightseem obvious, but lately, it is my rallying cry.It has to be. There is so much discussionamong parents and educators about the relativebenefits of academic versus developmentallyappropriate preschools, and as testing rules theday, proponents of the academic model seemto be gaining ground.

But I am a parent, and I have been a preschool teacher for more than 20 years, andmy experience and training tell me one thingloud and clear.

Children need to play. They need to build with blocks, role-play

with dolls and cooking tools, assemble tracksfor trains, dabble in paint, jump up and down,ride tricycles, smush playdough, dig in sand,splash in water. They need to negotiate withladders, slides, and each other. Take turns.Dress up. Cook.

And when they aren’t doing those things,they should be singingsongs – old ones and newones. They should belistening to stories andlooking at books. Theyshould be banging atambourine or tapping atriangle. Feeding a fish.Watching a hamster.

Why? Because whenchildren are playing withblocks, they are learning math|and science. When they play withdolls, they are practicing nurturing. Whenthey are dressing up, they are learning buttoning.When they play with playdough, they are exercising the small muscles of their fingers.When they paint, they are using small andlarge muscles and learning about color. Whenthey cut, color, and draw, they are enhancingthe small-motor development needed for writing. When they interact with each other,they are learning to share, take turns, andnegotiate. Children learn while they play.

When children sing, they learn newvocabulary and the rhythm of words. Theylearn poetry. When they listen to stories ateacher reads, they learn the left-to-right

progression they will use later for reading tothemselves. When they listen to a story that istold, their imaginations provide the pictures. In both cases, they are learning to read.

“So,” academic-preschool advocateswonder, “why not cut to the chase? Won’tchildren learn to read more quickly if theymemorize the alphabet? Isn’t counting thedirect path to math? If a child sits at a tableand copies letters and numbers, if they aredrilled on words and simple equations, won’tthey know more, sooner, and without all themessing around?”

No. They aren’t ready. There are connections in children’s

brains that are usually not completed untilbetween the fifth and sixth year of life, andthey take another year or so to mature. These

connections are essential forlearning to read. When children

haven’t grown enough to beready to read, they won’t beable to do it easily. And ifthey can’t do it easily, theywill be stressed and frustratedin the process of trying to meet

the unrealistic expectations ofparents and teachers.

Most school districts requirethat children learn to read between

five and six years of age. Most of them,especially boys, who may be developmentallybehind girls of the same chronological age byup to eighteen months, have a hard time. Bytrying to teach children what they are notready to learn, American schools are producingchildren who may become resistant to learning–and for no good reason, it seems: studieshave shown that early readers have no realadvantage in the long run, because their peershave usually caught up with them by age eight.

Children’s physiology and brain development have not changed a great deal in thousands of years, but what we expect ofthose bodies and brains has changed a greatdeal. We want more from them; we want it

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vNetherlands (cont’d)

Mieke van DeldenLeek +31 (059) 4514985

Agnes van den Homberg-Jacobs

America Limburg+31 (077) 464 23 22

Annette van der BaanAmsterdam+31 (020) 420-5501

Hetty van der WellOss +31 (041) 263 6403

Annemarie van HofUtrecht +31 (030) 65 86 700

Sjakkelien van LierDeventer +31 (0570) 600 008

Juchke van RoozendaalOss +31 (0412) 690 312

Willem Van UlsenGroningen+31 (050) 542 3941

Tienke Veenstra-SierhsmaMeppel +31 (0522) 254 453

Lia VermeulenHuizen +31 (062) 3671530

Christien VosTolbert +31 (0594) 511 607

Lucie Wauben-CrutsElsloo +31 (046) 437 0329

Christa WiersmaOnna (bij Steenwijk)+31 (0521) 523 303

Gerda Witte-KuijsHeerhugowaard+31 (072) 571 3163

Astrid Zanen-vander BlijAerdenhout+31 (023) 524 3485

v New Zealand

Vivienne CarsonAuckland+64 (09) 520-3278

Catherine ChurtonDDA-Pacific DirectorSupervisor-SpecialistAuckland+64 (021) 448 862

Jennifer ChurtonAuckland+64 (09) 360 4941

Wendy HaddonMosgiel+64 (03) 489-8572

Rochelle HardenWanganui +64 (027) 306-6743

Margot HewittKaiapoi +64 (03) 312-0496

Alma HoldenAlexandra+64 (027) 485-6798

Bronwyn JeffsChristchurch+64 (03) 344 2526

Raewyn MathesonInglewood+64 (027) 411 8350

sooner. They can learn what we want them to,when we want them to, if parents and teachersare consistent and very patient – but why bother, when they are not ready?

Let’s not “push down” the curriculum.Let’s allow children to discover letters, numbers,colors, and language in a way that also teachessocialization, imagination, values, and joy.

If parents are concerned about readingand writing, they can read and sing to theirchildren every day; they can let their childrenwatch them write – letters, bills, grocery lists.They can swap stories. Tell jokes.

And they can take them to a preschoolwhere they will be allowed to play.

Trish Konzak has taught preschool for 23 years, 19of them for Heather Farm Preschool, in WalnutCreek, California.

Copyright 2006-07-06. George Lucas EducationalFoundation, www.glef.org

More Thoughts on Play . . .

Best preparation for life“Play–it’s by definition absorbing. Theoutcome is always uncertain. Play makeschildren nimble–neurobiologically, mentally, behaviorally–capable ofadapting to a rapidly evolving world.That makes it just about the best preparation for life in the 21st century.Psychologists believe that play cajolespeople toward their human potential bypreserving all the possibilities nervoussystems tend to otherwise prune away.It’s no accident that all the predicamentsof play–the challenges, the dares, theraces and chases–model thestruggle for survival. Think of play as the future withsneakers on.”

—Hara Estroff Marano,Psychology Today

Learning self-control“From the beginning, play helps childrenlearn how to control themselves, howto interact with others. Contrary to thewidely held belief that only intellectualactivities build a sharp brain, it’s in playthat cognitive agility really develops.Studies of children and adults aroundthe world demonstrate that socialengagement actually improves intellectualskills. It fosters decision-making, memory and thinking, speed of mentalprocessing.”

—Hara Estroff Marano, Psychology Today

Creating model situations“Child’s play is the infantile form ofhuman ability to deal with experienceby creating model situations and tomaster reality by experimenting andplanning.”

—Erik Ericson, Child and Society, 1950

Not in school to take tests“A change in our perception of why kidsare in school seems appropriate. Kids are

not in school to learn how tomemorize a bunch ofstuff and spend an hourand a half spitting it

back to us. They are not in school to see how

much information theycan cram onto twonote cards they get touse during the test.

They are not in school to learn to taketests. They are in school to learn to takelife, and do something useful and fulfilling with it.”

—Steven W. Simpson, Ph.D. , Simpson Communications

The benefits of play“Child-initiated play lays a foundationfor learning and academic success.Through play, children learn to interactwith others, develop language skills,recognize and solve problems, and discover their human potential.” —From Time for Play, Every Day: It's Fun–and

Fundamental (The Alliance for Childhood)

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v New Zealand (cont’d)

Sally Ann McCueNelson +64 (03) 545-1779

Shelley McMeekenDunedin +64 3 456 5058

Sandra MoetraWhangarei+64 (09) 435 6822

Kerrie PalmaRodney +64 (09) 425 5941

Jocelyn PrintKaikoura +64 (03) 319 6711

Alison SymeDarfield +64 (03) 318-8480

Lorna Timms Christchurch +64 3 359 8556

v Philippines

Imelda CasugaBaguio City +63 (744) 42 29 01

v PolandAgnieszka OsinskaWarsaw+48 (22) 658-2237

v Portugal

Rita Alambre Dos SantosLisboa 1000-115+351 (21) 781-6090

v Republic of SingaporePhaik Sue ChinSingapore +65 6773 4070

Constance ChuaSingapore +65 6873 3873

v South AfricaSara KramerCapetown+27 (021) 671 4634

v Spain

María Campo MartínezMurguía, Álava +34 (0945) 46 25 85

Silvia María SabatésRodrigoMadrid +34 (091) 636 31 44

v Switzerland/CH

Tinka Altwegg-ScheffmacherVeronika BeelerSt. Gallen+41 (071) 222 07 79

Monika AmreinZurich +41 (01) 341 8264

Lerninstitut BaselBonny BeuretSpecialist TrainerAdv. Workshop PresenterDLS Workshop PresenterDDA-CH DirectorRuth Froels +41 (061) 272 24 00

Regula Bacchetta-BischofbergerHorw /Luzern +41 (041) 340 2136

Priska BaumgartnerWettingen +41 (056) 426 28 88

Convinced that son is dyslexic

Q. My 11-year-old son was tested for dyslexiathis summer and we got his results yesterday.They came back negative, but I’m still convinced that he is dyslexic. Out of the 37basic dyslexia symptoms published on theinternet, my son has 33 definite symptoms,and two possibles. I asked the tester,“Soyou’re telling me that he has all thecharacteristics of dyslexia, but because he’snot a bad enough reader, he doesn’t have it?”And she said “yes.” This doesn’t sound right to me.

A. I think you are getting confused by theconcept of “diagnosis.” Dyslexia is notsomething that one either has or doesn’t have,such as a physical disease. Rather, it is a wordused to describe a constellation of symptomsand learning characteristics that can range fromvery mild to very severe. Because schools areconcerned with presenting a set curriculumto children at a certain age, they will define“dyslexia” in terms of how far behind thechild is. If the child is able to perform at ornear grade level in school, even if the child isstruggling, they will be reluctant to describethe child as dyslexic or learning disabled–instead, they want to focus their resourceson the children who are very far behind. Atester who works mostly for the schools willkeep those standards in mind.

But at an individual level, it is verypossible that a bright child will have severedyslexia, and still be able to keep up in schoolwork, and thus not test badly enough at reading or other skills to fit the school’s definition. A child like this has the potentialto perform much better–perhaps the childreads only a year behind “grade level” –withhelp, the same child may soon be readingtwo years ahead of grade level.

Because of this very common situation,Davis providers have a different view. If, asin your son’s case, the child has many commonsymptoms of dyslexia, we would consider thechild to be dyslexic. We would then ask ourprospective client two questions:

• Do you think you have a problem?• Do you want help with the problem?

This is because in the end, only the individualcan know whether the dyslexia symptomsare severe enough to warrant help. It isn’twhat other people think or a matter of testscores–it is how the dyslexic person feels.Usually, our clients feel very frustrated andupset–and often very relieved to have someone who is ready to help them withoutmaking them take a lot more tests first.Sometimes we have worked with childrenwho came to us already reading above grade level, but they wanted help with their comprehension or reading speed, or wantedhelp with writing or math instead.

Obviously your son fits in the samecategory as other bright and talented kidswho are able to function at what the schoolconsiders an acceptable level in spite of thedyslexia. I think it is just as obvious that, with help, he could do much better. Theschool only is concerned with making surehe achieves grade level learning–as a parent, I am sure you want your son to achieve hisfull potential.

Post-Program Support

Q. My son did the Davis program last year.We have been slowly working through it andI must admit keeping our enthusiasm up hasat times been hard lately. I am feeling quiteisolated and alone doing this programme.What level of support am I entitled to afterthe programme? Should I have some regularcontact from my facilitator, or is it up to meto make that contact?

A. Davis providers generally offer six hoursof post-program support, to be scheduled bythe client as needed. It would be up to you to

by Abigail Marshall

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v Switzerland/CH (cont’d)

Mieke Blommers-FriederichsBasel +41 (061) 378 9060

Michelle BonardiCastel S. Pietro, Ticino+41 (091) 630 23 41

Vicki BrignoliLumino+41 (091) 829 05 36

Carole DubossonVeyras/Sierre+41 (027) 452 62 02

Ursula FischbacherOrpund+41 (032) 355 23 26

Edith ForsterEttenhausen+41 (052) 365 45 54

Heidi Gander-BelzDLS Workshop PresenterMonchaltorf+41 (01) 948 1410

Elisabeth GerberMettmenstetten +41 (044) 767 10 54

Katharina GrenacherBern +41 (031) 382 00 29

Elisabeth GutGrut +41 (044) 932 3242

Ursula Hirzel EglerStäfa +41 (01) 926 2895

Christa JaegerRiehen +41 (061) 641 4667

Consuelo LangLumino +41 (091) 829 05 36

Claudia LendiSt. Gallen+41 (071) 288 41 85

Erika Meier-SchmidBonstetten+41 (01) 700 10 38

Christine NoisetRenens/Lausanne +41 (021) 634 35 10 or(079) 332 2775

Jürg PeterSupervisor-SpecialistDornach+41 (061) 701 39 16

Véronique PfeifferZürich +41 (01) 342 22 61

Elisabeth RabergerEffretikon +41 (056) 209 17 76

Hilary RhodesChesieres-Villars+41 (024) 495 38 20

Regine RothMohlin/Basel+41 (061) 851 2685

Doris Rubli-Osterwalder St. Gallen +41 (071) 245 56 90

Benita RuckliSigigen +41 (041) 495 04 09 or (079) 719 31 18

Lotti Salivisberg Basel +41 (061) 263 33 44

contact the Facilitator to arrange this; thereis no way for the Facilitator to know thatyou need help unless you initiate contact.

The Davis Dyslexia Association hostsa support forum where parents can postquestions and share various concerns at:www.dyslexiatalk.com. Also, if you havequestions about the clay modeling, youmight find this website helpful: www.symbolmastery.com

Whose decision should it be?

Q. Is it normal for the child make the decision as to whether or not to do a DavisDyslexia Correction Program? Or is it theparents’ decision? The facilitator whoassessed my 14-year old son told him thatthe decision to do a program was his. It feltlike the parents were left totally out of thisdecision. My son has told us he does notwant to do the program. I think most kidswill say they don’t want a program, eventhough it might help them. I’d appreciateyour feedback on this.

A. Yes, we do believe that the decision toundertake the Davis program must always bemade by the child. We find that motivation isthe key factor in the success of the program.Children who feel pressured by parents orother outsiders to do the program tend not todo as well. We train all our Facilitators toscreen carefully for the program, during theinitial assessment. The Facilitator looks formotivation and a learning style compatiblewith our program. Many of our techniques,such as Orientation Counseling, rely heavilyon the child’s commitment to the processand his willingness to report accurately whathe is thinking or feeling. A child who is justthere because he wants to please his parentsmay pretend to be getting the concepts whenhe really doesn’t understand.

Program follow-up is also critical tosuccess, and a child who did not want theprogram in the first place is far more likelyto balk at doing the post-program work.Because our techniques rely on the creativeparticipation of the child, they cannot beforced–the child simply must be a willingparticipant. When a child says he doesn’twant the program, it’s an indication that heis really not ready for what we have to offer.

In addition, a key aspect of the Davisprogram is the sense of control andempowerment that the child gains overlearning. Rather than saying “I can’t,” thechild will gain confidence with the

understanding that he is able to control anddirect his own learning, and take responsibilityfor his own success. Putting the decision inthe child’s hands at the outset, helps himunderstand that he can indeed have control.

I know it is frustrating to accept yourson’s decision not to do a program when youwant help for him. But it would be far worseif you were to pay the full cost of a Davisprogram, only to find in the end that your sonhad not benefited and was still struggling inschool. With a teenager, it is particularlyimportant that the child want the program,because at around age 14 kids can be veryresistant and hard to deal with. I’ve often feltvery thankful that I was able to do the Davisprogram with my own son at age 11, becauseby age 13 he became quite a handful, andwould fight me on just about everything.(Fortunately it was a phase that he passedout of at around age 15!)

I think it would be a waste of money topay for a Davis program with a 14 year oldwho doesn’t want it. Even if the Facilitatorcould work effectively with him, he wouldprobably argue with you over doing the follow-up work. A younger child might bemore compliant, even if motivation wasn’tstrong; teenagers are more likely to dig intheir heels and fight.

In spite of this, I often get mail fromstudents around age 16. By then, they are alittle more mature and starting to think about thefuture. They may worry about their high schoolgrades or wonder if college is a possibility,and their motivation and willingness to workon their problems may increase. So it’s verypossible that a seed has been planted, andwhen your son is a bit older he may decidethat he does want the program after all. v

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v Switzerland/CH (cont’d)

Sonja SartorWinterthur+41 (052) 242 4015

Maya Semle-MuraroStäfa +41 (079) 704 03 07

Claudia TavernaSent +41 (081) 864 9115

Andreas VillainZürich +41 (076) 371 84 32

Catherine WarnerGeneva +41 (022) 321 70 42

Margit ZahndGerolfingen+41 (079) 256 86 65 or(032) 396 19 20

v United Arab Emirates

Linda RademanDubai +9714 348 1687

v United Kingdom

Nicky Bennett-BaggsGt. Gaddesden, Herts+44 (01442) 252 517

Jo Broughton Hitchin, Herts +44 (0)1462 435 166

Sue BullenAyrshire, Scotland+44 (01292) 591 797

Susan DuguidLondon+44 (020) 8878 9652

Dyslexia Correction CentreGeorgina DunlopJane E.M. HeywoodDLS Mentor & PresenterAscot, Berkshire+44 (01344) 622 115

Christine EastKingsbridge, Devon+44 (01548) 856 045

Hilary FarmerOxford, Oxon+44 (01865) 326 464

Nichola FarnumLondon +44 (0208) 977 6699

Maureen FloridoHarleston, Norfolk+44 (01379) 853 810

Carol ForsterDLS Workshop PresenterGloucester+44 (01452) 331 573

Achsa GriffithsSandwich, Kent +44 (01304) 611 650

Axel GudmundssonLondon +44 (020) 8341-7703

Tessa Halliwell Barrow upon Soar, Leics+44 (01509) 412 695

Karen HautzLondon+44 (0207) 228-2947

Annemette Hoegh-BanksBerkhamsted, Herts+44 1442 872185

Phyllida HowlettHaverfordwest,Pembrokeshire +44 (01437) 766 806

David Boies is one ofthe most successfullawyers in the UnitedStates today. He’sknown for taking oncauses that otherlawyers won’t touch. As a result of dyslexia,Boies didn’t learn to

read until the third grade. In “The WordAccording to David Boies,” by Dan Lynch(Daily Business Review, Feb. 17, 2005),Boies stated, “Dyslexia never leaves you. Itrained myself to listen well. That’s a veryimportant technique in the law and inlife.” In the courtroom Boies is known forciting scores of facts and figures, as well as case references from memory, withouta single written note to remind him of the details. In the article, “OvercomingDyslexia,” by Morris, Munoz and Neering,CNNMoney.com (May 13, 2002), Boiesopines that dyslexia is a learning problem,“not an intelligence disability. It doesn’tmean you can’t think.” He considers himselfto have been a “late bloomer” and wisheswe were more tolerant of children whosepath to learning is unusual. “In this environment,” he told CNNMoney.com,“you get children who think they are masters of the universe, and children whothink they are failures, when they’re 10years old. They’re both wrong. And neitheris well served by that misconception.”

Famous Dyslexics Remember

The name ErinBrockovich is known tomany, ever since thestory of how her workled to one of the biggestdirect action lawsuits inthe history of California,was made into a moviein 2000. She was just a

file clerk at the time, but as a result of herinvestigation into the health problemscaused by polluted groundwater inHinkley, California, Pacific Gas andElectric was ordered to pay $333 millionin damages to 600 residents of the town.

Ennis Cosby, son ofcomedian and actor, Bill Cosby, was tragically murdered at age 28.Ennis was dyslexic, butdid not discover this untilhe was in college. In an

article at the hellofriend.com website heis quoted as saying, “My first two years ofcollege became the most frustrating anddepressing part of my life. My confidencein myself began to slip as I became moreand more confused as to why I could notcompete in the classroom. The happiestday of my life occurred when I found outthat I was dyslexic. I believe that life isabout finding solutions, and the worstfeeling to me is confusion.” Ennis had planned to be a special education teacherand help children with similar learningdifficulties. After his death, his parentsestablished the educational foundation“Hello, Friend” (www.hellofriend.com).The foundation supports teaching andlearning and has also produced a video,called Ennis’ Gift, featuring many successful actors and business peopletelling their own stories about the struggles resulting from their learning differences. v

Ms. Brockovich went on to write a book,Take it From Me, Life’s a Struggle, butYou Can Win, has been interviewed ontelevision and radio numerous times andis often invited to speak at colleges anduniversities. An article by Kelly Mulliganof The Daily Collegian at Penn State Univ.(“Brockovich Emphasizes Concern forOthers,” Sept. 13, 2000) quotes from aspeech Ms. Brockovich gave at the university that September: “Most peopledon’t know that I have dyslexia. I don’tlike to be labeled. We are taught not tojudge a book by its cover, but that'sexactly what we do. People called mestupid — I knew that I could learn, but I just couldn’t learn the way that societywanted to teach me. There are no setanswers, just be who you are.”

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Based on the Davis DyslexiaCorrection methods, this Kit enables parents and tutors ofchildren, ages 5-7, to home-teachand help young learners to:• focus attention• control energy levels• improve eye-hand coordination• learn the alphabet• learn basic punctuation• develop and strengthen pre-reading

and basic reading skills• prevent the potential of a learning

problem• improve sight word recognition and

comprehension• establish life-long “how-to-learn” skills.

Young Learner Kitfor Home-Use

••

DA

VI S

D Y S L EX

I

A

AS

SO

C

I AT I O N I N T E R N

AT

IO

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®

The Kit includes:

• Instruction Manual • Sturdy nylon briefcase • Reusable modeling clay (2 lbs.) • Clay cutter • Webster’s Children’s Dictionary

(hardcover) • Punctuation Marks & Styles Booklet • Two Koosh Balls • Letter Recognition Cards • Laminated Alphabet Strip • Stop Signs for Reading Chart

The Davis Methods for Young Learners

Davis Focusing Strategies provide children with the self-directed ability to be physically and mentally focused on thelearning task at hand.

Davis Symbol Mastery enables childrento master the alphabet letters, punctuationmarks and basic sight words with a simple,easy and fun alternative to pencil-paperactivities and drill.

Davis Reading Exercises improve accuracy with word recognition and comprehension.

The Kit is priced at $119.95(Shipping and Handling will be added)

To purchase a kit, use our secure on-lineordering at:www.dyslexia.com/bookstore

or call our toll-free number: 1-888-999-3324

Note: For older children (ages 8 and up), werecommend the Davis Symbol Mastery Kit.

The Young Learner Kit

vUnited Kingdom (cont’d)

Angela JamesReading, Berkshire+44 (0118) 947 6545

Liz JollyFareham, Hants+44 (01329) 235 420

Lisa KloossLondon +44 (0208) 960 9406

Marilyn LaneRedhill, +44 (0173) 776-9049

Madeleine MilesDereham, Norfolk+44 (01362) 861 136

Fionna PilgrimKeighley, West Yorkshire +44 (01535) 661 801

Maxine PiperCarterton, Oxon+44 (01993) 840 291

Elenica Nina PitoskaLondon +44 (020) 8451 4025

Rebecca RossTonbridge, Kent +44 (01892) 838 109

Pauline RoylePoulton-le-Fylde, Lancs+44 (01253) 899 875

Ian RichardsonBlaisdon Longhope, Glos+44 (0145) 283 0056

Rosemary SavinsonLondon +44 (0208) 316-1973

Janice ScholesLiversedge, West Yorkshire+44 (01274) 874 712

Nigel SharpIsle of Wight +44 (07736) 251 258

Judith ShawSupervisor-SpecialistSt. Leonards onSea/Hastings, East Sussex +44 (01424) 447 077

Elizabeth Shepherd Crowborough, East Sussex +44 (0189) 266-1052

Dyslexia KentMargarita WhiteheadDDA DirectorRichard WhiteheadDDA DirectorDLS Mentor & PresenterFundamentals PresenterStaplehurst, Kent+44 (01580) 890 321

Lynne SmithBrighton, East Sussex+44 (01273) 723 920

Anna StephensRothley, Leics+44 (0116) 230-3283

Barbara TimminsSolihull+44 (015) 6477 2657

Drs. Renée van der VloodtSupervisor-SpecialistReigate, Surrey+44 (01737) 240 116

Evelyn WhiteWalton-on-Thames, Surrey+44 (01932) 230 624

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vUnited Kingdom (cont’d)

Rachel WilliamsonHassocks, West Sussex+44 (01444) 245 260

Francis WrightExeter, Devon+44 (077) 9684 0762

v United States

AlabamaPaula MoreheadBirmingham+1 (205) 408-4420

Lisa SprattHuntsville +1 (256) 426-4066

ArkansasRebecca LandesMulberry / Fort Smith +1 (479) 997-1996

ArizonaDr. Edith FritzPhoenix+1 (602) 274-7738

Nancy KressGlendale/Phoenix+1 (623) 203-1890

John F. Mertz, Jr.Tucson+1 (877) 219-0613 (Toll Free)+1 (520) 219-0613

Jeannette MyersSedona +1 (928) 204-1963

CaliforniaReading Research CouncilDyslexia Correction CenterDr. Fatima Ali, FounderAlice Davis, DDAI Director,Ray DavisRonald D. Davis, FounderSharon Pfeiffer,Specialist TrainerDLS Workshop PresenterDee Weldon WhiteLexie White Strain Burlingame/San Francisco +1 (800) 729-8990 (Toll Free) +1 (650) 692-8990

Janet ConferRancho SantaMargarita/San Clemente+1 (949) 589-6394

Richard A. HarmelMarina Del Rey/Los Angeles+1 (310) 823-8900

David HirstRiverside+1 (951) 653-9251 or(909) 241-6079

Angela Dean Educators Nicole MeltonKaren Thorworth-PongsDiamond Bar+1 (909) 229-5251

Michelle PalinSanta Cruz+1 (831) 419-8338

Cheryl RodriguesSunnyvale/San Jose+1 (408) 983-0968

Dwight UnderhillEl Cerrito/Berkeley+1 (510) 559-7869

By Cathy Cook, M.Ed. Davis Facilitator in Columbia, Missouri

Over the years, working with learning disabled elementary students, I becameincreasingly aware that my students neededmore than I was offering them. I’d learnedthe methods for teaching subjects like reading,writing and math in the school district, at the university, and from respected experts inthe educational community. Despite all thecredentials and documentation garnered bythose espousing these methods, they simplydid not work effectively for the children inmy classes. How did I know?

• Students were reading years below theiractual grade placement.

• Students liked school less and less as yearspassed.

• Even after being retained, children still didn’t make satisfactory progress.

• And, as the years went by, their self-esteemcontinually suffered.

I always felt that Ideveloped a great rapportwith my students; yet theone thing that I truly wantedto give them – the abilityto master academics –eluded me. The final strawcame when I realized thatseveral of my studentsqualified for the district’sgifted program for LDlearners. Being placed inthe gifted program was awonderful step for them, but how could it bethat kids with such high IQ’s struggled sowith reading?

Late one evening, at the beginning of abrand new school year, I sat in my classroombleakly aware that my students were not getting the help they truly needed. For yearsI’d searched through the internet, readbooks, attended seminars on everything fromautism to outdoor classrooms, even createdmy own curriculum; yet, here I sat still looking for the right answer. My next decision would affect the rest of my life.

I knew I could nolonger be a specialeducation teacher if I was not able toprovide my studentswith what theyREALLY needed.But could I findsomething that would truly help them?

At that moment, sitting in the child-sized chair at the small, round table in myclassroom, I looked up at my bookcase. The Gift of Dyslexia by Ronald D. Davispractically jumped off the shelf and dancedbefore my eyes! I’d read it a few yearsbefore. Why I hadn’t taken up the ideas I’dfound in it I’m not sure. What matters is thatI picked up the book again that night. Iquickly read the beginning. WOW! Ideasspun through my brain! Despite the late hourI was energized and drove home with a newresolve to learn more about this dyslexiathing. My plan: to practice the strategies

from The Gift of Dyslexiaon my husband, Chris.

At home Chris readily agreed to be my“guinea pig.” I wanted topractice with him before Iattempted any of the methods with my students.Well, not only did he geteach step, it seemed he gotthem almost before thewords came out of mymouth! Funny, as I led him

through Orientation Counseling I thought he was surely pretending to understand justbecause he’s such a great guy. But he assured me that it actually made sense.

Months later, with Chris’ blessing, I was on my way to San Francisco for theFundamentals of Davis Dyslexia CorrectionWorkshop. As the year of facilitator trainingprogressed I gradually incorporated theDavis methods into every type of learningsituation I possibly could. My original estimate that maybe four or five of my twenty-some students were dyslexic was way

Cathy Cook

OnPointwith Davis DyslexiaCorrection Methods

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ColoradoValarie AbneyDenver +1 (303) 433-9077

Terry DeMeoLittleton/Denver+1 (303) 696-6807

Annie GarciaWheat Ridge / Denver+1 (303) 423-3397

Crystal PunchCentennial/Denver +1 (303) 850-0581

Janet SlavenskiDenver +1 (303) 431-0027

Kristi ThompsonDLS Workshop PresenterWalsh +1 (719) 324-9256

FloridaRandom (Randee)GarretsonLutz/Tampa/St. Petersburg+1 (813) 956-0502

Angela KeiferTampa +1 (727) 480-1093

Alice J. PrattJacksonville+1 (904) 389-9251

Rita & Eugene Von BonNavarre +1 (850) 939-2313

GeorgiaLesa HallPooler/Savannah+1 (912) 330-8577

Martha PayneSuwanee+1 (404) 886-2720

Scott TimmWoodstock/Atlanta+1 (866) 255-9028 (Toll-Free)

HawaiiVickie Kozuki-Ah YouEwa Beach/Honolulu+1 (808) 685-1122

IllinoisKim AinisChicago +1 (312) 360-0805

IndianaJodi R. BaughCloverdale/Indianapolis+1 (765) 526-2121

Myrna BurkholderGoshen/South Bend+1 (574) 533-7455

Carol WilliamsNew Albany+1 (651) 324-9156

IowaMary Kay FrasierDes Moines+1 (515) 270-0280

KansasCarole CoulterOverland Park/Kansas City+1 (913) 831-0388

KentuckyRochelle AbnerWinchester+1 (859) 513-2662

off. I quickly discovered that almost everystudent had many dyslexic characteristics.

Using the Davis methods with my students produced amazing results! Once oriented and working in clay they began tounderstand what words and symbols lookedlike, sounded like, and meant. One student,whose teachers had said she wasn’t farenough behind to receive help outside of her regular classroom,began seeking anykind of help I couldgive her. We workedabout 30 minutes oneday using clay and thesteps for SymbolMastery on the wordsfrom her spelling list.Later, when her classtook their weeklyspelling test, she onlymissed one spellingword! Her teacherstopped me inquiringhow we’d worked on her spelling list. I wondered, was something wrong? It seemedthat this 5th grader consistently scored poorlyin spelling. But after working with the wordsin Symbol Mastery, this week was very different. The teacher was quite enthusiastic!

Another child had made little or noprogress in reading for two solid school yearsand was reading at a beginning kindergartenlevel. One day he went back to his classroomafter Orientation Counseling and AlphabetMastery. Later, during a weekly reading

assessment he easily read through a selectionfor his classroom teacher. He continued theassessment until he read at the appropriatereading level for his grade, for that time ofyear! In other words, one day he was readingat a developmental reading level of three,and the next day at level 15! Once again theteacher came to me wanting to know whathad happened!

After I becamea licensed DavisFacilitator I had theopportunity to workone-on-one with students who hadpreviously been onmy school case-load.One such client wasDakota. Before hisprogram he was veryemotional aboutalmost everything in life. Reading, inparticular, produced

tremendously negative emotions in him. But even his achievement in extra-curricularactivities like Tae-Kwan-Do sufferedbecause of his feelings. Although he lovedTae-Kwan-Do, Dakota eventually droppedout because of excessive confusion and poorcoordination. The combination of giftedintelligence and academic difficulty coupledwith reading skills around the beginning ofthe 1st grade was just too emotionally draining for this 4th grader. In fact, he wasso unhappy that he frequently cried in his

“K-11 in One Week!”

“I retooled my brain with bettermethods of helping myself read

and write. I’m focusing better andon point now. In reading I can tellI’m focusing better. It’s like I’mlearning Kindergarten through11th grade in the matter of two

sessions a day over a week’s time.I now have help to divide being

on point and being creative – and Iknow when it’s time to do both!”

By Rodney Carr August 3, 2006

Rodney Carr, one of Cathy Cook’s manyenthusiastic clients, wanted to submithis own comment on the results of hisprogram.

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LouisianaWendy Ware GilleyBaton Rouge+1 (225) 751-8741

MassachussettsKaren LoGiudiceNewbury+1 (978) 337-7753

Carolyn TylerFairhaven+1 (508) 994-4577

MichiganNicki CatesSaint Clair Shores/Detroit+1 (586) 801-0772

Sandra McPhallGrandville/Grand Rapids+1 (616) 534-1345

Ann MinkelSix Lakes/Grand Rapids+1 (989) 365-3925

Dean SchalowManistee+1 (800) 794-3060 (Toll-Free)

Michele WellmanAlma/Lansing/Grand Rapids+1 (989) 463-5276

MinnesotaCindy BauerPlymouth/Minneapolis+1 (612) 483-3460

Cyndi DenesonSupervisor-Specialist Workshop PresenterEdina/Minneapolis+1 (888) 890-5380 (Toll-Free)+1 (952) 820-4673

Bernadette Peterson Maple Grove+1 (763) 229-4550

MissouriCathy CookColumbia+1 (573) 819-6010 or 886-8917

Patricia HenryKansas City+1 (816) 361 6563

MontanaAshley BenjaminFort Benton+1 (406) 734-5420or (406) 781-4642

Kimberly BezansonMissoula +1 (406) 541-3076or 499-0220

Elsie JohnsonKalispel +(406) 257-8556

Linda Jo PriceBozeman +1 (406) 586-8218

Robin ZealWhitefish +1 (406) 862-6210

NebraskaShawn CarlsonLincoln +1 (402) 420-1025

NevadaBarbara ClarkGardnerville/Carson City+1 (775) 265-1188

New HampshireGlenna GiveansLebanon+ 1 (603) 863-7877

regular class at school.During his Davis Program Dakota

learned about the Energy Dial – or, rather,he taught me about Dial! He shared with mesomething he’d known for a long time. Forexample on Valentine’s Day, during the classparty, after eating lots of cookies and candy,his Dial would be at 10. He also knew hehad at least one more Dial just for facialexpressions which didn’t change very often.It was usually at a 3 or 4. At the end of hisDavis Dyslexia Correction Program weekDakota went to visit his grandmother. Shewas not aware that Dakota had attended theProgram, but she didn’t have to be told: theresults spoke for themselves. What thegrandmother saw was a happy child!Oriented, Dakota could go to school andhappily take on daily activities. Orientedand on point, Dakota could positively shakeoff the cares of the day and replace cryingwith calm, both during school and after.

One final story – about Heather. A fewof my clients were recording their thoughtsfor OnPoint Learning at a local radio stationone day. When the station called with the

end results I excitedly anticipated whatthey’d have to say. I just wasn’t prepared forthe tremendous enthusiasm in their voices.Heather’s exuberance simply caught me offguard – and frankly brought tears to myeyes. She proudly began, “Hi, I’m Heather,I’m dyslexic and, I have ADHD. After working with Cathy and the Davis DyslexiaProgram at OnPoint Learning, well I used to read at 4th grade, now I read at 9th; andI’m only in the 6th grade!” Heather wenton after her Program to test significantlyabove grade level on several district-wideassessments in both reading and writing. Nolonger does she worry about being placed inspecial classes where she felt out of place;nor does she fret over classmates phoningher at home to ask for (special) “Ed.”

These are a sampling of the wonderfulthings I’ve been privileged to experience onmy journey to becoming and being a DavisFacilitator. These examples point out a fewof the changes some of my clients haveexperienced. And for me, the rewards arepersonal, as I, too, have learned about myown “gift” of dyslexia. v

Humor CornerWrong answer, or right?

A Sunday school class was studying theTen Commandments. They were readyto discuss the last one. The teacherasked if anyone could tell her what itwas. Susie raised her hand, stood tall,and quoted, “Thou shall not take thecovers off thy neighbor’s wife.”

v

A child’s logicA nursery school teacher was deliveringa station wagon full of kids home oneday when a fire truck zoomed past.Sitting in the front seat of the fire truckwas a Dalmatian dog. The childrenstarted discussing the dog’s duties.They use him to keep crowds back,”said one youngster. “No,” said another,“he’s just for good luck.” A third child

When my grandson asked me how oldI was, I teasingly replied, “I’m notsure.” “Look in your underwear,Grandma,” he advised. “Mine says I’mfour to six.”

v

brought the argument to a close.“They use the dogs,” she said firmly,“to find the fire hydrant.”

v

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v United States/ New Hampshire (cont’d)

Michele SiegmannMason/Manchester/Boston+1 (603) 878-6006

New JerseyLynn ChigounisMontclair +1 (973) 746-5037

Nancy CimprichElmer/Philadelphia+1 (856) 358-3102

Charlotte FosterSupervisor-SpecialistBernardsville/Newark+1 (908) 766-5399

New YorkLisa AndersonSeneca Falls +1 (315)568-3166 or (800) 234-6922

Ann HassigGouverneur+1 (315) 287-0531

Hadar Lily HellmanNew York City +1 (212) 781-3689 or +1 (718) 614-8240

Wendy RitchieHilton/Rochester+1 (585) 233-4364

North CarolinaGerri W. CoxDLS Workshop PresenterShallotte/Wilmington+1 (910) 754-9559

Tina KirbySanford/Fayetteville+1 (919) 499-0774

Ruth MillsPineville/Charlotte+1 (704) 541-1733

Jean MoserWinston-Salem+1 (336) 765-6310

OhioLorraine CharbonneauMason/Cincinnati/Dayton+1 (513) 850-1895

Sandra KornLiberty Township/Cincinnati+1 (513) 779-9118

Lisa ThatcherMount Vernon/Columbus+1 (740) 397-7060

OklahomaAshley GriceTulsa +1 (918) 630-5187

Rhonda LacyClinton +1 (580) 323-7323

OregonRhonda ErstromVale +1 (541) 881-7817Melissa SlominskiTigard / Portland+1 (503) 957-2998

PennsylvaniaMarcia MaustBerlin/Pittsburgh+1 (814) 267-5765

Rhode IslandLinda M. DanielsProvidence+1 (401) 301-7604

Elisabeth Helenelund is a special needsteacher in Borga, and is our first DavisFacilitator in Finland! +35 (840) 079-5497. [email protected]

Agnieszka Osinska is a speed-reading andeffective learning trainer and Poland’s first DavisFacilitator! She works with children with dyslexia,ADHD and other learning difficulties. MEMPracownia Rozwoju Zdolnosci Poznawczych, ul.Filtrowa 64/15, Warsaw 02-057, Poland. +48 (022) 658-2237. [email protected]

Raylene Barnhill “Notunlike many others, I happenedupon the Davis Program whenlooking for solutions for myyoungest child’s reading difficulty. The unique and positive nature of the Davisapproach was initially appealing,

and the results my son obtained from the programsolidified my desire to pursue this further. Mytraining in occupational therapy has allowed me, a linear thinker, to appreciate the complexities ofperception. I look forward to being able to help–one person at a time – explore their gift of dyslexia.”Imaginative Minds Learning, 1015 Regent Street,Suite 410, Fredericton, New Brunswick E3B 6H5,Canada. +1(506) 458-0494. [email protected]

Ashley R. Grice “I first heard about the DavisProgram from my uncle, whose daughter wentthrough the program. I was so inspired by theirpositive testimonies that I decided to become aDavis Facilitator. I had previously worked in thespecial education field and loved seeing peoplemeet their goals and gain confidence. When thetime came to explore new options, the DavisProgram promised to be an exciting opportunityto witness life-changing accomplishments forthose struggling with learning difficulties. Myheart’s desire is seeing people get excited aboutdoing things they never thought possible. I delightin helping others realize they possess gifts andtalents and that they can use them to make lifeand learning easier and more enjoyable. Learningdifficulties should not rule a person’s life. Theycan be overcome. I offer services that can dramatically change lives, inspire hope, endlearning frustrations and replace them with confidence and success. People need long-termpositive solutions for overcoming learning challenges; solutions that make a difference intheir lives and allow them to use their gifts toexcel. I am confident that the Davis methods arethose solutions and I am excited to provide thisprogram to all ages.” Creative Mind Learning

Newly Licensed Davis FacilitatorsCongratulations and welcome to our growing

International family of Davis Providers! A special welcome to our first Davis Facilitators in Finland and Poland!

Solutions, 7020 S. Yale, Suite 275, Tulsa, OK74136, USA (918) 630-5187. [email protected]

Lillian “Lee” Miles has a Bachelors degree inElementary Education, and a K-12 Library MediaEndorsement. “I went into education with the ideaof sharing my own love of reading and learning.As a school librarian I enjoyed working with avariety of age groups, and the sparkle in students’eyes told me when I succeeded in passing on theexcitement of learning! My biggest challenge wasthe ever-present group of students in grades 3-6whose reading abilities lagged far behind theirgrade and interest levels. Many of these studentswere bright and capable of learning – they eagerlyshared with me a wealth of knowledge about theirfavorite topics – but for some reason reading wasa tedious struggle for them. During a meeting ofarea librarians in 1995, a seemingly contradictorytitle – “The Gift of Dyslexia” caught my eye. Iread the book, fascinated and excited as so manyanswers fell into place! Now I’m looking forwardto seeing that same excitement surface in my clientsas they develop an awareness and appreciation oftheir special talents.” The Learning Connection,4404 S. Louise Ave. #8, Sioux Falls, SouthDakota, 57106, USA. (605) 274-2294. [email protected]

Wendy Haddon “My introduction to the DavisProgramme came at a schoolmeeting where a DavisFacilitator was speaking to parents and teachers. I left themeeting thinking that this might

just be the answer to the learning difficultiesexperienced by some of the children in my care.As a Primary school teacher I had become veryfrustrated by the lack of useful information aboutdyslexia and how to help those with it. I attendeda Fundamentals of Dyslexia Correction Workshoppresented by Ron Davis to see if the DavisProgramme looked as good as it sounded. It did!So here I am, a newly licensed Facilitator. It iswonderful to see the changes that take place during the programme, and to hear afterwardshow well things are going at school and home formy clients. I have also attended a Davis LearningStrategies Workshop and would love to see thesestrategies implemented in all junior classes. Whata fabulous start this would be for new learners.”Solutions for Learning, 131A Gordon Road, POBox 198, Mosgiel, New Zealand 9007. +64 (03) 486-1433. [email protected]

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South DakotaKim CarsonDLS Workshop PresenterBrookings/Sioux Falls +1 (605) 692-1785

Carina LittleWatertown +1 (605) 886-8415

TexasKellie Antrim-BrownFt. Worth+1 (877) 230-2622 (Toll Free)+1 (817) 989-0783

Glyndene BurnsLubbock +1 (806) 781-4891

Janalee BealsBedford/Dallas/Ft. Worth+1 (877) 439-7539 (Toll Free)or +1 (817) 354-2896

Success Learning CenterRhonda ClemonsDLS Workshop PresenterColleen MillslagleDLS Workshop PresenterTyler/Dallas+1 (866) 531-2446 (Toll Free)+1 (903) 531-2446

Shari ChuHelotes /San Antonio +1 (210) 414-0116

Lori JohnsonBoerne / San Antonio+1 (210) 843-8161

Susan LewisLubbock +1 (806) 771-1385

Christina MartinKeller +1 (817) 741-8539

Leslie McLeanAmarillo+1 (806) 331-4099 or +1 (877) 331-4099 (Toll Free)

Amanda MeyerBurleson/Ft. Worth+1 (817) 426-4442

Dorothy OwenSupervisor-SpecialistPlano/Dallas +1 (972) 447-8327 or+1 (866) 822-2441 (Toll Free)

Paula Roberts Tyler +1 (903) 570-3427

Casey Linwick-RouzerSugar Land/Houston+1 (832) 724-0492

Laura WarrenDLS Workshop PresenterLubbock +1 (806) 771-7292

VirginiaDonna KouriMontpelier/Richmond+1 (804) 883-8867

Angela OdomDLS Workshop PresenterMidlothian/Richmond+1 (804) 833-8858

Jamie Worley Yorktown/Williamsburg +1 (757) 867-1164

WashingtonJackie BlackArlington/Everett1-866-218-1614 (Toll-Free)

Inge Lanneau “In June of2006 I completed the DavisFacilitator Training. As a speechtherapist I’m used to workingwith children and adolescentsand I know how they reacttowards the current therapies.The innovative procedures of the

“Davis Method” are very rewarding for me and forclients. For both facilitator and client, the creativityinvolved and the totally different approach makedyslexia correction a challenge to GO for!”Nieuwendorpe 51 Oedelem-Beernem, 8730 Belgium.+32 (05) 033-2992. [email protected]

Irma Lammers “I am 44years old. My hobbies are:playing the piano, giving pianolessons, reading, and raisingour two 14-year-old daughters.In October 2004, I started myDavis training. Now, in Marchof 2006, I have my own practice.

I hope to give up my microbiological analyst joband help many people with the Davis program.”+31 (041) 168-5683. [email protected]

Liesbeth Berg-Schagen“Both my husband and I aredyslexic. It shouldn’t come as asurprise that our son is too. Healso shows signs of Dyscalculia.When he began to have difficultykeeping up in primary school I

started searching for ways to help him. This ishow I came into contact with the Davis Method.Our son went through the program and it made ahuge difference both in his achievement at schoolbut also in his general well being. Seeing theseremarkable results for him and the positive feelingthis method gave me, I decided to become aDavis Facilitator myself. I finished the training inMay 2006. I am looking forward to helping peopleovercome difficulties with reading, writing, mathand AD(H)D.” De Letterberg, Poelruitlaan 35,Vleuten, 3451 PB Netherlands. +311 (030) 604-9601. [email protected]

Jacqueline van Rijswijck“I am 43 years old. My husband,son, daughter and I are all picture-thinkers. My 11-year-old son has dyslexia. While looking forinformation to help him, Ilearned of the Davis Program. I

used to work as a laboratory analyst, developingvaccines for animals. Now I realize that exploringand analyzing problems in a research mode is agood way to think. Curiosity also seems to be ahelpful tool. I enjoy the puzzle, figuring out what’sbehind all those learning and life problems. Mychallenge is to help people start to enjoy learning,and gain insight into themselves.” Landweertweg14, Venray 5802 AJ, Netherlands. +31 (047) 858-7398. [email protected]

Lesa Hall “During my FinalField Assignments, I came totruly understand what DorothyOwens meant when she said, “Itis an honor to share this workwith you.” With each client, as I sat back and watched the toolswork for them and saw them

discover their own triggers, I too felt honored tobe a part of this work. It was truly amazing. I amso in awe of this program and I look forward tohelping more children and adults discover theirgifts and talents through the Davis Program.”Reading Quest, LLC. 138 Canal Street, Suite 101,Pooler, GA 31322, USA. (912) [email protected]

Anne Cupitt “After manyyears working as a SupportTeacher in Queensland schools, I have developed a good under-standing of the nature of learningdifficulties and I have empathyfor the frustration that dyslexic

students experience. My aim is to use students’positive gifts (intelligence, curiosity, creativityand innovation) to remove obstacles to theirlearning and allow the natural learning process tooccur more easily. I will be working from my new“study” at home. Study On Point, 20 WongaStreet, Scarness, Hervey Bay, Q4655 Australia.+61 (074) 128-2470. [email protected]

Anna Stephens “Being(largely) a self-corrected dyslexic,I identified very strongly, fromthe outset, with Ronald Davis’methodology. I read The Gift ofDyslexia while at a career andlife crossroads and decided thatthe route to take was the one

leading to the role of Facilitator. I am lookingforward to helping others achieve in monthsthose changes that took me years. This work fitswell with my other activities which includeassessment for recruitment development and lifecoaching.” Halstead Lodge, 247 Swithland Lane,Rothley, Leicester LE7 7SJ, United Kingdom.+44 (0116) 230-3283 or +44 (0797) [email protected]

Anne Marie Beggs“Create a life you love.” Thatis a phrase I saw in a gift shopduring my training. And that’swhat I want to do with theDavis Method. I feel that theDavis tools equip adults and

children alike to create a life they love. On myDavis journey I have found a life I love and Ihope others have too. Thanks to all who havecontributed, helped and supported me on myjourney.” Mindseye Ireland, Dunkeld, DrumnighRoad, Old Portmarnock, County Dublin, Ireland.+35 (386) 239-1545. [email protected]

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The Davis Facilitator Training

Program requires approximately

400 hours of course work.

The Davis Specialist Training

Program requires extensive

experience providing Davis programs

and an additional 260 hours of

training. Specialists and Facilitators

are subject to annual re-licensing

based upon case review and

adherence to the DDAI Standards

of Practice.

Davis Learning Strategies

Mentors and Workshop

Presenters are experienced teachers

and trainers with 2-3 years of

specialized training and experience

mentoring classroom teachers of

children 5-9 years of age.

For information about training and

a full directory of Davis providers, go

to: www.dyslexia.com/providers.htm

or call +1 (650) 692-7141; or

+1-888-805-7216 toll-free in the USA.

v

v United States/Washington (cont’d)

Aleta ClarkAuburn/Tacoma+1 (253) 854-9377

Carol HernDLS Workshop PresenterSpokane

Mary Ethel KelloggDLS Workshop PresenterSpokane

Rebecca LueraFall City/Seattle+1 (800) 818-9056 (Toll-Free)+1 (425) 222-4163

Nancy SittonMarysville +1 (360) 651-1241

Renie Royce SmithSpokane & Everett+1-800-371-6028 (Toll-Free)+1 (509) 443-1737

Ruth Ann YoungbergBellingham+1 (360) 752-5723

West VirginiaGale LongElkview/Charleston+1 (888) 517-7830 (Toll Free)+1 (304) 965-7400

WisconsinNew Hope Learning Centers, Inc.Darlene BishopMargaret Hayes Milwaukee+1 (888) 890-5380 (Toll Free)+1 (262) 255-3900

Anne MataczynskiWausau +1 (715) 551-7144

v UruguayMarcela PiffarettiMontevideo+598 (02) 604-2691

v

This Directory is current as of October 1, 2006. It issubject to change. Between

newsletter issues, newFacilitators are added, andoccasionally, some becomeinactive. However, the Davis

Providers list atwww.dyslexia.comis always up to date.

Davis TrainingPrograms

Linda Daniels, a long timewriter and editor, tried to learneverything she could aboutdyslexia when her gifted soncould not learn to read. Findingfew satisfactory answers in theexpected places, she followedalternative trails. Davis wasnoteworthy for its success rate

and elegance. But what most attracted mother andson was the Davis philosophy, which respects thepicture thinker and celebrates his or her gifts. “Myson blossomed after his Davis program,” she says,“and learning to read was only the half of it.”Because Linda provided the follow-up support toher son in his public school classroom, she soonrecognized that he wasn’t alone in his struggles.“The more successful my son grew, the harder itbecame to watch other struggling students fromthe sidelines.” She is grateful to Davis SpecialistCharlotte Foster for urging her to pursue Davistraining and for so thoroughly “getting” her son.She also thanks Specialist Dorothy Owen, forproviding the best possible model of facilitationduring the training process. Although Linda completed all her Davis fieldwork with publicschool students, she is looking forward to sharingher knowledge with anyone seeking an effectivenew approach to learning problems. Open Mind:Learning Success for All, 491 Eaton Street,Providence, RI 02908, USA. (401) [email protected]

Karen Hautz “A speech andlanguage therapist by training,my interest in dyslexia wasignited by my interest in findingsolutions that could help mydyslexic niece. Reading TheGift of Dyslexia and talking to a number of licensedFacilitators motivated me to

become a Davis Facilitator myself. Having competed the course, I am looking forward toworking with people of all ages, helping themhelp themselves, and achieve their goals usingthe Davis tools.” Dyslexia Achievement, 17Fontarabia Road, London, SW11 5PE UnitedKingdom. +44 (207) [email protected]

Karen LoGiudice Holdinga degree in Communicationfrom Suffolk University, Karenhas always loved reading andwriting, and has used thoseskills throughout her career.When her 9-year-old son wasstruggling with reading,spelling, and writing she

desperately wanted to find a solution so that he, too, could master these fundamental skills.School system testing came up inconclusive,

but her obviously bright, articulate son continued to struggle. After about a year of private tutoring, psycho-educational testing, and research, it was revealed that her son wassuffering from dyslexia. Karen sought help froma Davis Facilitator and watched her son’s selfesteem soar! His inspirational turnaround andacademic success prompted Karen to pursueDavis Facilitator certification. Leaving a SeniorManagement position at a leading technologycompany in order to pursue this new endeavor,Karen has no regrets. “Every client is unique;every program offers new and exciting challenges.It is an honor to work with extremely gifted andcreative people every day!” New EnglandDyslexia Solutions, 30 Green St., Newburyport,MA 01950, USA. (978) 337-7753. [email protected] v

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Teachers, would you like to…• Improve the reading skills of all the children in your

class regardless of their learning style?• Manage your classroom more effectively?• Prevent the onset of learning disabilities?• Use research-based methods that are flexible and easily

fit into and enhance any existing curriculum?

This two-day workshop provides Primary Teachers (K-3)with unique and innovative strategies for improving reading instruction and classroom management, and equipsyoung learners with proven life long skills in “how to learn.”

Instruction includes:• Theory and Reasoning for each Strategy.• Video demonstrations of each Strategy and classroom

implementation suggestions.• Supervised experiential practice on each Strategy.• Q&A and discussion about each Strategy.

Materials include:• Detailed Manual with suggested year-long guides, black-line

masters, and numerous tips for each implementing eachStrategy in various curriculum activities.

• Videotape or DVD demonstrating each classroom Strategy. • Teacher Kit: alphabet strip, letter recognition cards, clay,

cutter, dictionary and two Koosh® balls. (Classroommaterials sold separately)

Workshop hours: 9am-4pm with one hour lunch break.Cost: $595 per person (US only) Academic Units or CEUs (US and Canada only)Two Quarter Units are available through California StateUniversity. Cost is $54 per unit, plus $35 administrative fee.A written assignment, which can be completed before andduring the workshop, is required.

Would you like to bring a DLS workshop to your school/area?Call 1-888-805-7216 and ask for Paula McCarthy.

Basic Workshop forPrimary Teachers“In the forefront of what I liked most was how easily the Davis strategies fit into many areas ofKindergarten curriculum. It relieved me of a paper-pencil approach and gave me a hands-on, kinestheticapproach. It helped develop the little finger muscles to move on to coordinate paper-pencil activities.Creating the alphabet over time also accomplished the development of ownership, responsibility, and a sensea pride in all the children. I believe all Kindergartenchildren would benefit from Davis Learning Strategies.”

–LB, Kindergarten Teacher, Mission San Jose ElementarySchool, Fremont, California

2006-2007 DATES & LOCATIONS

10-12 November: UK (Ascot/Berkshire)Instructor: Jane Heywood Language: EnglishContact: Richard WhiteheadEmail: [email protected]: +44 (01580) 892 928

24 -26 November: Switzerland (Basel)Instructor: Heidi Gander-Belz Language: GermanContact: Gabi LichtenhahnEmail: [email protected] Tel: +41 (0)61 273 81 85

29- 31 January: New Zealand (Christchurch)Instructor: Gail Hallinan Language: EnglishContact: DDA-PacificEmail: [email protected] Tel: +64 (09) 815-8626

2- 4 February: New Zealand (Christchurch)Instructor: Gail Hallinan Language: EnglishContact: DDA-PacificEmail: [email protected] Tel: +64 (09) 815-8626

13 - 15 June Iceland (Kopavogur)Instructor: Sturla Kristjansson & Valla JonsdottirContact: Gudbjorg Emilsdottir Language: IcelandicEmail: [email protected] Tel: +354 554-3452

7- 9 July: New Zealand (Christchurch)Instructor: Gail Hallinan Language: EnglishContact: DDA-PacificEmail: [email protected] Tel: +64 (09) 815-8626

11- 13 July: New Zealand (Christchurch)Instructor: Gail Hallinan Language: EnglishContact: DDA-PacificEmail: [email protected] Tel: +64 (09) 815-8626

Visit www.davislearn.com for additional workshop dates.

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PAGE 27THE DYSLEXIC READER

Come Learn andEXPERIENCE the DavisDyslexia CorrectionProcedures!Fundamentals of Davis Dyslexia Correction®

Workshop based on the best-selling book The Gift of Dyslexia by Ronald D. Davis

NEW ZEALAND11-14 Nov. 2006: ChristchurchPresenter: Lorna TimmsEmail: [email protected]: +64 (09) 815-8626

1-4 Mar. 2007: ChristchurchPresenter: Lorna TimmsEmail: [email protected]: +64 (09) 815-8626

SWITZERLAND9-12 Nov. 2006: BaselPresenter: Bonny BeuretEmail: [email protected]: GermanTel: +41 (061) 273 81 85

UNITED KINGDOM• 6-9 Nov. 2006• 5 - 8 May 2007Addington, Nr. Maidstone KentPresenter: Richard Whitehead Email: [email protected]: +44 (01580) 892 928

UNITED STATES29 Jan. - 1 Feb. 2007San Francisco, CaliforniaPresenter: Cyndi DenesonEmail: [email protected]: 1-888-805-7216 toll-free

19 - 22 Mar. 2007Dallas-Ft. Worth, TexasPresenter: Gerry GrantEmail: [email protected]: 1-888-805-7216 or +1 (817) 919-6200

15 - 18 May 2007Washington, D.C.Presenter: Gerry GrantEmail: [email protected]: 1-888-805-7216 or +1 (817) 919-6200

9 -12 Jul. 2007San Francisco, CaliforniaPresenter: Gerry GrantEmail: [email protected]: 1-888-805-7216 toll-free

2006-2007 FUNDAMENTALS WORKSHOP SCHEDULE

DAY ONE

Background and Development of the Davis DyslexiaCorrection® Procedures• Research and discovery. The “gifts” of dyslexia. Anatomy

and developmental stages of a learning disability.Overview of the steps for dyslexia correction.

Davis Perceptual Ability Assessment(a screening for dyslexic learning styles)• Demonstration and Practice SessionSymptoms Profile Interview (used to assess symptoms,strengths and weaknesses; set goals; establish motivation)• Demonstration and Practice Session

DAY THREE

Orientation Review Procedure(a method for checking orientation skills)• Demonstration & Practice SessionDavis Symbol Mastery® (the key to correcting dyslexia)• What is Symbol Mastery? Why clay?Mastering Basic Language Symbols• Demonstrations and Group ExercisesReading Improvement Exercises• Spell-Reading. Sweep-Sweep-Spell. Picture-at-

Punctuation

DAY FOURFine-Tuning Procedure (checking and adjustingorientation using balance)

Symbol Mastery Exercises for Words• Demonstrations• Group Exercises• Practice Sessions

Implementing the Davis Procedures

DAY TWO

Davis Orientation Counseling Procedures (methods tocontrol, monitor and turn off perceptual distortions)• What is Orientation? Demonstration & Practice SessionRelease Procedure (method to alleviate stress, headaches)Alignment (an alternative to Orientation Counseling)• What is Alignment? How is it used? Group DemonstrationDial-Setting Procedure (a method for controlling energylevels)

FUNDAMENTALS WORKSHOP OUTLINE

All workshops conducted inEnglish unless noted otherwise.

To register for US workshops call 1-888-805-7216 (toll-free)

For updated workshop schedules visit: www.dyslexia.com/train.htm

Page 28: The Dyslexic Reader 2006 - Issue 43

Continued on page 22

The Dys•lex •́ic Read •́er1601 Old Bayshore Highway, Suite 245Burlingame, CA 94010

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

PRESORTEDSTANDARD

U.S. POSTAGE

PAIDBURLINGAME, CA

PERMIT NO.14

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DDA-PacificPO BOX 46023Herne BayAuckland, New ZealandPhone: +64 (09) 815-8626Fax: +64 (09) 815-8627E-mail: [email protected]

DDA-CHFreie Strasse 81CH 4001 BaselSWITZERLANDTel: 41 (061) 273 81 85 Fax: 41 (061) 272 42 41E-mail: [email protected]

DDA-DeutschlandWandsbecker Chausee 132D-22089 Hamburg GERMANYTel: 49 (040) 25 17 86 22 Fax: 49 (040) 25 17 86 24E-mail: [email protected]

DDA-Israel20 Ha’shahafim St.Ra’anana 43724 ISRAELTel: 972 (0523) 693 384 or (0)9 774 7979Fax: 972 (09) 772-9889E-mail: [email protected]

DDA- MéxicoRío Volga #308 oteColonia del Valle66220 Garza Garcia N.LMEXICO Tel/Fax: 52 (81) 8335-9435 or 52 (81) 8356-8389E-mail: [email protected]

DDA-NederlandKerkweg 38a 6105 CG Maria Hoop, NEDERLANDTel: 31 (0475) 302 203 Fax: 31 (0475) 301 381E-mail: [email protected]

DDA-UKSlaney Place Headcorn RoadStaplehurst, Kent TN12 0DJ.Tel: +44 (01580) 892 928 Fax: +44 (0)1580 893 429E-mail: [email protected]

DDAI-Int’l, Canada & USA1601 Bayshore Highway, Ste 245Burlingame, CA 94010Tel: 1-888-805-7216 Fax: 1 (650) 692-7075E-mail: [email protected]

For a detailed brochure on enrollment, prices, group rates, discounts, location, and further information, contact the DDA in your country.

Based on the best-selling bookThe Gift of Dyslexia by Ronald D. DavisThis 4-day workshop is an introduction to the basic theories,principles and application of all the procedures described inThe Gift of Dyslexia. Training is done with a combination oflectures, demonstrations, group practice, and question andanswer sessions. Attendance is limited to ensure the highestquality of training.

Who should attend:Everyone involved in helping dyslexic individuals over theage of eight.

Participants will learn:• How the Davis procedures were developed.

• How to assess for the “gift of dyslexia.”

• How to help dyslexics eliminate mistakes and focus attention.

• The Davis Symbol Mastery tools for mastering reading.

• How to incorporate and use proven methods for improvingreading, spelling, and motor coordination into a teaching,home school, tutoring, or therapeutic setting.

See page 27 for more workshop details.

Enrollment limited v Classes fill Early v Call 1-888-805-7216 or 650-692-7141For updated workshop schedules visit http://www.dyslexia.com/train.htmFor a full description of the Davis Facilitator Certification Program, ask for our booklet.

Fundamentals of Davis Dyslexia Correction Workshop

6- 9 Nov. 2006 Addington, Kent UK

9-12 Nov. 2006 Basel Switzerland

11-14 Nov. 2006 Christchurch New Zealand

29 Jan.-1 Feb. 2007 San Francisco, Calif. USA

1-4 Mar. 2007 Christchurch New Zealand

19 - 22 Mar. 2007 Dallas-Ft. Worth, Texas USA

5 - 8 May 2007 Addington, Kent UK

15 - 18 May 2007 Washington, D.C. USA

9 - 12 Jul. 2007 San Francisco, Calif. USA

2006-2007 International Schedule

U.S. Course Schedule• 8:30 - 9:00 Registration (first day)

• 9:00 - 5:00 Daily (lunch break 12:00-1:30)

U.S. Fees and Discounts• $1175 per person• $1125 for DDAI members or groups of two or more• $1075 if paid in full 60 days in advance• Advance registration and $200 deposit required• Includes manual, one-year DDAI membership,

verification of attendance, and Symbol Mastery Kit• Academic units and CEUs available