VOL. 48 Davis DyslexiaAssociation International ISSUE 2 • 2008

Dys lex ic Read er• •́ •́~The

IN THIS ISSUE(Cont’d on p. 4)

News & Feature ArticlesCharlotte Foster Named OutstandingWoman of the Year in Education . . . . .1

Outstanding Teen Focuses on Dyslexia . . .1A New Sense of Direction . . . . . . . . . . . .3Lastest Recommendations from LazyReaders’ Book Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

Famous Dyslexics Remember . . . . . . . . . .9Down with Fractions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10A Mom Remembers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11Six Years Later: A Mom Looks Back . . . .12Don’t Wait . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13What Do They Have in Common? . . . . . .14Mini-Book Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16The Soul of Golf Teaching . . . . . . . . . . . .19Back to Study with Davis in Iceland . . . .21Zameen Wins Film Award in India . . . . .22

Regular FeaturesIn the Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2Q&A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17-18New Davis Licensees . . . . . . . . . . . . .24-25Davis Workshops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26-28

Charlotte Foster Named OutstandingWoman of the Year in Education!

Outstanding PennyslvaniaTeen Focuses on DyslexiaBy Marcia Maust, Facilitator in Berlin,Pennsylvania, and Haylee Baer, MissFrostburg Dance Outstanding Teen

Haylee Baer was selected MissFrostburg Dance Outstanding Teen onApril 5 from a field of six contestants.Fifteen-year-old Haylee chose “TheGift of Dyslexia” as her platform.When asked why she chose this issue,she replied that she has a personalinterest in dyslexia because of thefrustration she has witnessed in heryounger brother, Hunter.

Haylee told the interview judgesthat even though everyone at schoolhad given up on her brother, she neverstopped believing in him. Hunter beganusing the Davis techniques eight yearsago under the guidance of DavisDyslexia Correction Facilitator, Marcia

Maust, of Laurel Highlands DyslexiaCorrection Center in Berlin,Pennsylvania. Hunter was supported inhis post program follow-up work byhis parents and Haylee. Hunter is now

(Cont’d on p. 5)

education.” Congratulations, Charlotte!Charlotte became a licensed Davis

Facilitator in 1995 and is currently aDavis Supervisor-Specialist inBernardsville, New Jersey. She foundedMultivariant Learning Systems (MLS)in 1987 to offer Davis DyslexiaCorrection services and trainingworkshops for those working withlearning-disabled and low-performingyouth and adults. In collaboration withthe Reading Edge, MLS won thecontract to design and deliver alearning-to-learn program for the U.S.Department of Education. Charlotteholds a bachelor’s degree from WellsCollege and has trained with leadingexperts in the field of accelerated

n March of this year NewJersey Governor Corzine namedCharlotte Foster OutstandingWoman of theYear in Education

for Somerset County. In his letterinforming her of the honor he stated,“New Jersey needs women like you,dedicated to the cause of education. Asyou blaze the trail toward true equalityfor our future generations, your diligentefforts help to create dynamic programsand a strategy for growth where studentscan anticipate success. Because of yourfaithful dedication to your duties andyour fair-minded approach to findingsolutions to conflict, I commend yourefforts as you continue to move forwardin your ongoing commitment to

PAGE 2 THE DYSLEXIC READER

The Dyslexic Reader is published quarterly by Davis Dyslexia Association International (DDAI), 1601 Bayshore Hwy.,Suite 260, 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. 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) 692-7075VIA E-MAIL: editor@dyslexia.com 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.

A Dream Come True!Dear Dyslexic Reader,Ten years ago, February 1997, Melissawas a 7-year-old second grader wholearned to read with Symbol Mastery.Previous to this she had informed usthat she was going to grow up to be a“rich and famous” musician and thatshe was going to attend Berklee Collegeof Music in Boston, Massachusetts.Thanks to Ron, Charlotte, Lexi, Brianand everyone else associated with theReading Research Council, Melissa isattending Berklee, has been paid tosing, and has the chance to become

Copyright 2002 Randy Glasbergen. www.glasbergen.com

In the Mail:

College for that semester!I love reading my Dyslexic Reader

and hearing about all the wonderfulsuccess stories. You are the mostremarkable people, who give us allhope of the future. My daughter hasher future, just the way she wanted it.I thank you from my husband, fromme, and from Melissa.

Sincerely,Jill Domosh, Derry, New Hampshire

Ten Years Later ...Dear Dyslexic Reader,

More than ten years have passed sincemy son, Himanshu, did the basicprogram for dyslexia correction. Mybrother, Sanjay Odak, who lives inIllinois, enrolled him on my behalf.The basic course took place in Raleigh,North Carolina in June of 1997. You allwere very helpful and considerate. Thefacilitator was very helpful to my son.

From that point on progress wasslow but steady. Himanshu completed10th grade with an average of 63%.Then, the examination board grantedhim 30 extra minutes to complete hiswritten papers. But today, he hasreached the 6th and final semesterand is about to receive a Diploma inComputer Engineering. As parents, weare proud of what he has achieved at20 years of age. He has even learnedto ride a motorbike.

I’d like to thank you all for allthat you have done personally, and

“rich and famous.”Thank you!

A majority ofstudents and teachersat Berklee aredyslexic and haveallergies. Melissafound the perfect

home for herself, where everyonethinks a million miles a minute, whereeveryone is driven towards their goals,and where trying to stay healthy isa priority–“the gift of dyslexia” atits best.

Melissa started at Berklee in thefall of 2007, finishing the semesterwith a 3.86 GPA. This has earned hera place on the Dean’s List at Berklee

(Cont’d on p. 11)

THE DYSLEXIC READER

William’s Davis Facilitator, Carol Nelson,sent us a poem he wrote in 2007 after hisDavis Program. William is 11 years old.

While amidst the wandering menI hear the dogs a-howlin.'

I stop, and sit, and wonder whyThe dogs are still a-growlin.'

Waiting for the yawning cockTo sing itself a tune

Of morning's glee to sing with thee,The singing abolished the moon.

For the day you waste away–That is of your own demise.

And, while the sun breaks down the day,You see yourself in the skies.

a group of seniors who have thewonderful capacity to look past thestammers and stuttering and listeninstead to the feelings. Though I some-how have no sense of rhythm or beatand must memorize things like tempoand flow, I write poetry and love it.Here, let me close with one, and thankRon again for his great book. �

William Edwards, duringhis Davis Program.

PAGE 3

WWhhiillee AAmmiiddsstt tthhee WWaannddeerriinngg MMeenn .. .. ..By William Edwards

Fallow TimesBy Roger Honzik

What unsung words still linger roundWhat notes are left to playAs morning breezes yawn and stirAnd shuffle leaves that stray

Sweet words are fewAnd fewer are my dreamsOf what laid begging at my doorNot long ago it seems

Yet still I ponder this and thatAnd sift for things of rhymeThat they might help me understandThis barren bit of time

I’ll not bow to emptinessNor cry as though in painFor life and words are given meAnd rhymes will come again

For now I’ll sort those scrubby wordsAnd gather some to useAnd fashion them as bits of joyOr at least some simple muse

A New Sense of

DirectionBy RogerHonzik

was taunted! It might be possible toread. One day it might be possible forme to stand before a mirror, and readthis note with some even flow.

I bought The Gift of Dyslexia andhave read it once. I will go back andread it again a few more times to besure I understand the words. Then I willsee about solving my deficiencies. Thisshould make for a very interesting year.

I just need to thank Ron Davis forhis book and let him know that evenfrom just a first reading he has givenme a better sense of direction than Iever thought I would have.

Before closing, I’d like to say that my personal approach to selfimprovement over the past seven oreight years has been to write. I joined

hen I asked, at about eightyears of age, my mother saidto me (I hear her words as

though spoken just now) “Roger,remember to always do yourvery best.” I had alwaysbelieved that Mom meantthat I should give everythingmy best effort; however, lately Ihave seen her words in a new way. Ibelieve she was saying, “Do your bestin spite of your handicap.” Fortunatelyfor me, I misunderstood her words andthus I have given reading and writingmy very best effort, all with pitifullyfew positive results.

Years and years of knowing I wasless than the rest, yet ever putting mybest foot forward, here I stand. It hasbeen a long and mostly painful struggleto read as well as a third or fourthgrader and as yet I have not clearedthat hurdle. My writing has come along way because of something that

happened early on. Dad would alwaysshush me because I was so slow to sortmy thoughts and put them into “verbalorder.” Because of his impatience Itaught myself a game that went likethis: “If I am ever allowed to speak Iwill answer (or add to the conversation)with these words and I will say themTHIS way.” With that I would recite,inwardly, my words. This preplanninghas allowed me to become perhaps anaverage writer and I dearly love to write.

Write? Um. . .yes, why am Iwriting?About a month ago I flipped on the TV and listened to the last 10 minutesof a program dedicated to children andtheir capacity to learn in school as wellas hindrances to learning. Someonecontributed to the discussion bydescribing some of the problemsdyslexics face while trying to survivethe school experience. Within minutesmy eyes clouded with tears. All theseyears of trying to become smartenough to read! I’m not stupid, as I

“All these years of trying to become smart enough toread! I’m not stupid, as Iwas taunted! It might be

possible to read.”

W

PAGE 4 THE DYSLEXIC READER

learning and communications.She is a member of

Bernardsville’s Historic PreservationAdvisory Committee, is aBernardsville Council Member and

and Sonny, a Golden Retriever. Shejokes that her hobby is keeping up with the shedding at her house!

When Charlotte accepted heraward she made a stirring speech,which she has graciously allowed us to reprint below.

Charlotte Foster–Woman of the Year (cont’d from p. 1)

serves on the Bernardsville PlanningBoard. A very busy woman! Since theirtwo sons are now grown, Charlotte andher husband, Bill, are “empty-nesters,”except for their pets – a cat, Merlin,

Acceptance SpeechBy Charlotte Foster, Outstanding Woman of the Year in EducationSomerset County, New Jersey

my children was to have a challenge. I am happy to report that the challenge

was temporary. However, when out in publicwith this child during this temporary period, the stares of curiosity came. I could feel them

intensely. In those moments I knew that Ihad, perhaps, a little of the fortitude and

grace that I had seen in those othermothers. In those moments, I felt as if I had joined a special sisterhood.

Membership in this special sisterhood of outstanding women is

predicated on the sharing and support that womenare known to give one another, particularly intimes of intense stress. Close friends, and evensometimes only acquaintances, have entrusted me with great confidences detailing incredible challenges and ultimate resolution and accomplishment. I know of many untold stories of extraordinary perseverance, resilience, and even forgiveness for egregious transgressionsexperienced by some whom I know. I was and am honored to know these stories. These womenwhom I know, with their silent stories of amazingchallenge, achievement and triumph form this sisterhood.

As I accept this award this evening, I hopethat I am humble enough in light of these untoldstories of outstanding women. Tonight I am compelled to turn the tables and use this opportunity to honor all the women who lead outstanding lives with quiet dignity, grace, courage,strength and accomplishment. To all outstandingwomen–to all of you–I know with certainty theawards–the accolades–you all deserve.

I leave you with the wisdom of the childhoodplaygrounds. To all the women here this evening, andoutstanding women everywhere, I say quite simply,as I accept this award, “It takes one to know one.”

My sincerest congratulations to the other thehonorees of the evening. I am thrilled to be a part of this amazing group of women.

Thank you all so very much. �

Honored guests, elected officialsand Commissioners—THANK YOU.

This award is a wonderfulhonor. I admit I am a little stunnedto be receiving it for I have thejoy and privilege of knowing several past recipients,one of whom I count as a dear friend. These pastrecipients are amazing women. It is quite a headymoment for me to now be counted among them.

I have many people to thank for this award;you have my word that I will thank all of them profoundly and appropriately. Tonight, I do want to make a few public “thank you’s:”

The Somerset County Commission on theStatus of Women. Thank you for this honor andaward. Mayor Lee Honecker, my Bernardsvillemayor. Thank you, Lee. My husband, Bill, who hasencouraged, supported and –yes–even toleratedmy endeavors and some of my capers. Thank you,Bill. My son, Chris, who, perhaps unbeknownst tohim, gave me my mission that has brought me tothis point. Thank you, Chris.

To make a point about outstanding women, Iwould like to share a very personal moment. As ayoung mother doing my thing in the supermarket,there were times when I would see mothers whohad children who were very obviously challenged.These mothers and their special children were subjected to the inevitable stares of curiosity. Onthese occasions, I always felt such awe by what I perceived as these mothers’ ability to movebeyond the stares with such fortitude and graceand with obvious love for and devotion to theirspecial children. I also wondered if I could havemet the challenge and possible discomfort of thecurious stares. A time was to come when one of

PAGE 5THE DYSLEXIC READER

her mentor. Haylee will be competingfor the State title on June 20 inHagerstown, Maryland. Good luckHaylee!

As part of the selection process,Haylee submitted a statement to thejudges of the Miss Frostburg DanceOutstanding Teen contest. Below isthe essay that persuaded the judges to select her.

Outstanding Teen . . . (cont’d from p. 1)

an avid reader and was recently namedRegional Champion of the NorthernYouth Mat Club for wrestling.

Among Haylee’s duties as MissFrostburg Dance Outstanding Teen willbe that of promoting and communicatingher platform. She plans to visit publicschools and help them recognizedyslexia as a gift rather than as alearning disability and to introducethem to methods they can use to helpchildren with dyslexia unlock theirgift. Marcia has graciously agreed to be

Haylee’s brother, Hunter, and thework he did with his Davis Facilitator,

Marcia Maust, inspired her project.

By Haylee Baer

IItt iiss ccrruucciiaall that public school systems treat dyslexia as agift. Dyslexia has a set stereotype as a learning disability,but it can be more of a teaching disability than anything.Some of our great role models were known as “dummies”all through school, such as, Albert Einstein, ThomasEdison, General George Patton, WhoopiGoldberg, Walt Disney, Leonardo daVinci, Winston Churchill and many more.

The most popular way dyslexia canbe accommodated without medication isthe Davis Dyslexia Correction Program.This program is the only correctionprogram that gets to the root cause ofdyslexia: disorientation resulting fromconfusion with symbols. All othersonly address the symptoms of dyslexia.Ronald Davis is the founder of thisprogram. He was labeled “retarded”and was functionally illiterate until age 38. He established this program in 1982 and it is 97% effective. “Dyslexia is not a complexity; it is a compound of simple factors which can be dealt with step by step,” says Ron Davis.

Dyslexics are visual, multidimensional thinkers who are intuitive, highly creative and excel at hands-on-learning. They are generally average or above average inintelligence, but exhibit a gap between potential and actualachievement. All dyslexics are picture thinkers. Whenthey see words like “the,” “a,” or “I,” they can’t create amental picture so they become confused by these words,called trigger words. There are over 200 trigger words.

Also, when dyslexic children try to read they stumbleover the words because their brain pulses are moving outrageously fast and they cannot control them. But when you make them slow down and read each sentence

carefully and then at each punctuation havethem stop and explain the images theysee, they can actually comprehend a whole

book rather than pages and pages of jumbled up words. Also, when they are learning how to write they

will sometimes squeeze the pencil so hard that they willaccidentally tear a hole in the paper. They do this becausethey feel like they have control over the pencil and their

thoughts. This is called “killing the bird.”If you tell them they are “killing the bird”they will try to relax their hand. Lastly, clay is the number one way

dyslexic kids benefit from the learning material.Clay work is what helps them master all of their

skills because they are working hands on.Ronald Davis says, “When one teaches to disability, students develop weaknesses;when one teaches to ability, they developstrengths.”Since there is no specific test for

dyslexia it usually goes undiagnosed or is often diagnosed with a different label,such as ADD, ADHD, visual-spatial

learner, language-based learning disability, reading disability, auditory processing disorder, visual processingdisorder, etc. Also, since it is developmental and all kidsexperience different symptoms it is hard to tell whether ornot a child has dyslexia. There is also not a set standardof symptoms a child has to display to have dyslexia,which makes it even harder to diagnose.

The essential gift of dyslexia is mastery. Thedyslexic will be able to master and comprehend skillsfaster than the average person. My marketing plan is toget an after school program put into elementary schoolsfor both parents and students and eventually convince theboard of education to develop a special program just fordyslexic children. �

Dyslexia As A Gift

“‘Dyslexia is not a complexity; it is a

compound of simple factors which can be

dealt with step by step,’says Ron Davis.”

PAGE 6 THE DYSLEXIC READER

� ArgentinaSilvana Ines RossiBuenos Aires+54 (114) 865 3898

� AustraliaBrenda BairdBrisbane+61 (07) 3299 3994

Sally BeulkeMelbourne +61 (03) 572 51752

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

Mary DavieCaringbah NSW+61 (02) 9524 3837

Jan GormanEastwood/Sydney+61 (02) 9804 1184

Bets GregoryGordon NSW+61 (4) 1401 3490

Gail HallinanDLS Workshop Presenter-MentorNaremburn/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

Jayne PivacMordialloc /Melbourne+61 (342) 030 54 05

John ReillyBerala /Sydney+61 (02) 9649 4299

Heidi RosePennington/Adelaide +61 (08) 8240 1834

Joanne ZietschCurtin ACT+61 (0) 2 6282 1225

� AustriaAnnette DietrichWien +43 (01) 888 90 25

Gabriele DoetschLeutasch/Innsbruck+43 (5) 214 64 57

Because I subscribe to The Lazy Readers’Book Club, each month I receive an emailfrom its founder, Danny Brassell, with a listof books he recommends for reluctant readersand those who just plain don’t have time forreading. (He knows we’re not lazy, just busyor in need of encouragement!) Since wehaven’t published Danny’s more recent recommendations, here’s a sampling, withDanny’s comments on each.

You can read lots more recommendationsat the Lazy Readers’ website, www.lazyreaders.com. There you’ll find the list of Danny’s picks, updated monthly, aswell as archives of past selections by month,reading level, and page count.

If you purchase books at Amazon.comthrough links at the Lazy Readers’ website,Bookends (www.bookends.org) will receive adonation. Bookends is a nonprofit organizationdevoted to increasing children’s access to books,as well as community service awareness.

Danny’s recommendations are alwaysorganized into categories: AD, for adults; YA,for young adults; CH, for children’s books. He always lists a page count and some briefcomments, as below. Danny usually postsabout 10 recommendations per month, three or four per category. At the website, you cansign up to receive recommendations by email,just as I do! �

InternationalDavis Dyslexia

Correction®

Providers

The Davis DyslexiaCorrection program is

now available from morethan 450 Facilitatorsaround the world. For updates, call:

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

www.dyslexia.com/providers.htm

Aurora and Boris Touch the Skyby Jeffrey A. MazurowskiChildren - 22 pagesPublisher: My World PressISBN-10: 0966215311ISBN-13: 978-0966215311

Recent Recommendations From The Lazy Readers’ Book Club

By Laura Zink de Diaz and Danny Brassell

“A sweet little book that my childrenenjoy. In the land of Oris, Aurora and her brother Boris fly like birds, slidedown moonbeams and explore all parts of the sky–and that’s why the NorthernLights are known as the Aurora Borealis.”

It’s All About Me–PersonalityQuizzes For You And Your Friendsby Karen PhillipsYoung adults - 70 pagesPublisher: KlutzISBN-10: 1570542252ISBN-13: 978-1570542251

“I honestly have no idea how I have over-looked putting this book on a prior editionof the Lazy Readers’ Book Club, as this wasmy favorite book of 2006. If you are ateacher, you HAVE to buy this book. It’sapplicable for all ages, but teenagers love itthe most. It is filled with funny personalityquizzes that delight students. Parents andteens: BUY THIS BOOK. Great fun! I’dalso like to plug the publisher, Klutz, whichpublishes a lot of high-quality books.”

PAGE 7THE DYSLEXIC READER

� Austria (cont’d)

Jacinta FennessyWien +43 (01) 774 98 22

Ina Barbara Hallermann Riezlern +43 5517 20012

Marika KaufmannLochau +43 (05574) 446 98

� BahrainSameera Sadiq Al BaharnaManama +973 555 201

� BelgiumThera BruggheRoeselare+32 (051) 24 63 40

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

Inge LanneauBeernem+32 (050) 33 29 92

Peggy PoppeAntwerpen+32 (474) 50 23 32

Viki VandevenneBonheiden+32 (0473) 30 41 51

� BrazilAna LimaRio De Janeiro+55 (021) 2295-1505

� BulgariaDaniela BonevaRuse +35 (988) 531 95 06

� CanadaWayne Aadelstone-HasselNorth Vancouver+1 (604) 988-7680

Jean-Pierre ArbourOttawa, Ontario+1 (613) 792-4068+1 (866) 792-4067 (Toll-Free)

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

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

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

Dyslexia Resources CanadaShelley CottonSharon RobertsWaterloo, Ontario +1 (519) 746-8422+1 (800) 981-6433 (Toll-Free)

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

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

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

Gerry GrantSupervisor-SpecialistWorkshop PresenterWaterloo/Toronto+1 (519) 498-2424

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballsby Judi BarrettChildren - 32 pagesPublisher: AladdinISBN-10: 0689707495ISBN-13: 978-0689707490

“One of the most popular read alouds in any classroom or bedroom, Barrett’sdelightful tale of the town ofChewandSwallow is sure to interestyoung children in a place where food literally falls from the sky. This should be in every home library.”

Adventures of the Sky Kidsby Keven J. ChristophersonChildren - 58 pagesPublisher: PublishAmericaISBN-10: 1413765149ISBN-13: 978-1413765144

“Subtitled Lost Treasure of KolobCanyon, this is a really easy chapterbook that boys seem especially drawn to,as it deals with camping, lost treasuresand Indians. This reminded me of thesimple books I read when I was a cubscout growing up. Why aren’t there morebooks like this nowadays? I guess I amstarting to sound like a reminiscent curmudgeon.”

The Alphabet From A to YWith Bonus Letter Zby Steve Martin & Roz ChastChildren - 64 pagesPublisher: Flying Dolphin PressISBN-10: 0385516622ISBN-13: 978-0385516624

“In this delightful alphabet book withillustrations offered by one of myfavorite New Yorker cartoonists, RozChast, Martin creates zany tonguetwisters to entice young readers to learneach letter of the alphabet. Terrific funthat prompts kids to beg for repeatedread alouds.”

PAGE 8 THE DYSLEXIC READER

� Canada (cont’d)

Corinne GraumansMedicine Hat, Alberta +1 (403) 528-9848

Sue HallWest Vancouver+1 (604) 921-1084D’vorah HoffmanToronto +1 (416) 398-6779

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) 222-2258Helen McGilivrayOakville/Toronto +1 (905) 464-4798Susan Nikolic-VicenticNewmarket/Toronto+1 (905) 953-0033

Maureen O’SullivanNewmarket, Ontario+1 (905) 853-3363

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

Sharon PermackThornhill, Ontario+1 (905) 882-9292

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

Kendra RodychSaskatoon/Saskatchewan +1 (306) 979-7323

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

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

Bernice TaylorRiverview, NB +1 (506) 871-5674

Tracy TrudellWallacetown, Ontario +1 (519) 762-2001

Kim J. Willson-RymerMississauga, Ontario+1 (905) 825-3153

Cheryl WoodHuntsville, Ontario+1 (705) 783-2763

� ChinaYvonne Wong Ho HingHong Kong+852-7323-7702

Livia WongHong Kong+852-2810-0282

Rowing to the Rescue The Story of Ida Lewisby Doris LicameliYoung Adult - 77 pagesPublisher: Lulu.comISBN-10: 1847286682ISBN-13: 978-1847286680

“There are several things I like about thislittle book. First of all, my mother is alighthouse fanatic, and I can see how thisbook would be great for any parent orteacher to read with children before orafter a lighthouse visit. More importantly, I love books that feature teenage-girl protagonists who rock, and 15-year-old Ida Lewis is such a character (and she is areal-life heroine who lived in 19th centuryRhode Island). A delightful quick read.”

Snoozers: 7 Short BedtimeStories for Lively Little Kidsby Sandra BoyntonChildren - 18 pagesPublisher: Little SimonISBN-10: 0689817746ISBN-13: 978-0689817748

“Maybe it is because I am a father of twoyoung children, but I think Sandra Boyntonis just about one of my favorite authors in the world. Her books are always wonderfully illustrated and filled withfunny rhymes and mischief. I’d recommendany books Boynton writes (my childrenespecially love Dinos to Go).”

Froggy's First Kissby Jonathan LondonChildren - 32 pagesPublisher: Puffin (Reprint edition,1999)ISBN-10: 0140565701ISBN-13: 978-0140565706

“I have discovered that my best testaudience includes my own two children, and they love this cute littlebook that would make a perfect readaloud for Valentine’s Day. Froggy hasa crush on Frogilina, but his heart isreserved for someone else who giveshim kisses.”

PAGE 9THE DYSLEXIC READER

� ColombiaLaura Zink de DíazBogotá +57 (1) 704-4399

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

Marcela RodriguezAlajuela +506 442-8090

� CyprusAlexis MouzourisLimassol +357 25 382 090

� EcuadorAna Magdalena EspinVargasAmbato +593 (2) 854 281

Nora Cristina Garza Díaz Ambato +593 (3) 282 5998

Carmensol Herdoíza Ambato +593 (3) 284 9344

Cristina Mariela LaraSalazar Ambato + 593 (2) 854 281

Inés Gimena Paredes Ríos Ambato +593 (2) 854 281

� FinlandElisabeth HelenelundBorga +358 400 79 54 97

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

Corinne CouelleLyon +33 (04) 78 88 65 52

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

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

Carol NelsonBoulogne-Billancourt/Paris+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

� Germany/Deutschland

Theresia AdlerBannewitz +49 (0351) 40 34 224

Ellen EbertAmmern +49 (03601) 813-660

Cornelia GarbeBerlin +49 (030) 61 65 91 25

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

Anna-Maria GunselmannHirschaid +49 (954) 341 70 00

Albert Einstein in hisown words: “I workedmost of the time in thephysical laboratory, fascinated by the directcontact with experience.The hitch in this was, ofcourse, the fact that onehad to cram all this stuff

into one’s mind for the exams, whetherone liked it or not. This coercion had sucha deterring effect [on me] that, after I hadpassed the final examination, I found theconsideration of any scientific problemsdistasteful for an entire year. It is nothingshort of a miracle that the modern methods of instruction have not yetentirely strangled the holy curiosity ofinquiry; for this delicate little plant, asidefrom stimulation, stands mainly in need of freedom; without this it goes to wreckand ruin without fail. It is a very gravemistake to think that the enjoyment ofseeing and searching can be promoted bymeans of coercion and a sense of duty. Tothe contrary, I believe it would be possibleto rob even a healthy beast of prey of itsvoraciousness, if it were possible, with theaid of a whip, to force it to devour continuously, even when not hungry.”

From "Autobiographical Notes," in AlbertEinstein: Philosopher-Scientist, Paul Schilpp,ed. (1951), pp.17-19 © 1951 by the Library ofLiving Philosophers, Inc.

Famous Dyslexics Remember

John Chambers is CEO ofCisco Systems. In 2004, hesaid his biggest regret wasthat he hadn’t shared hisdyslexia earlier. One day in the mid-1990s, CiscoSystems held a “bring yourchild to work” day. A littlegirl started to ask Chambers

a question, but she had trouble; the moreshe tried the harder it was, until she burstinto tears and said, “I have a learning disability.” Chambers’ perfect answer: “So do I– take your time.” That night theparents emailed their thanks, and othersencouraged him to share his experiences,which he did. According to “How Cisco’sCEO Works the Crowd” (Business Week,Oct. 22, 2006) Chambers’ dyslexia causedhim considerable pain growing up. But italso gave him an amazing work ethic.When making speeches, he focuses on thebig picture, avoiding details that wouldbore listeners. He memorizes speeches andprepares more carefully than most. As aresult he sounds in control of the facts, possessed of conviction and vision. Thesedays Chambers communicates with his64,000 employees via video-blogs posted on the company’s intranet. Chambers likesvlogging because it “allows me to sharewhat’s on my mind in a very candid way,and then gain immediate feedback.” Thentoo, he’d rather vlog than write!

Robert Benton,director and screenwriter,grew up in Waxahachie,Texas in the 1930s and1940s. “I was dyslexicbefore anybody knewwhat dyslexia was. I wascalled slow,” said Bentonin a 2003 interview with

director/writer, Nora Ephron. “It’s an awfulfeeling to think of yourself as slow; it’s horrible.” Benton wrote the AcademyAward-winning screenplays for themovies Places in the Heart (1984)and Kramer vs. Kramer (1979). Hesays movies saved him from isolationduring childhood. “I learned strategiesto cope with it, and I learned patience.But my education was an education by

movies. My father would come home atnight and say not, ‘Have you done yourhomework?’ but rather, ‘Let’s go to themovies.’ Movies could hold my attention. I could follow them.” Benton began hiscareer as an art director at EsquireMagazine. When he lost that job, hedecided to write a movie, but since he wasa poor speller, he asked his friend, David

Newman, to collaborate.Together they wrote the screenplay forBonnie and Clyde(1967). That screenplaywas nominated for an

Academy Award. Benton has been nominated for filmawards nine times, and haswon seven times! �

PAGE 10 THE DYSLEXIC READER

� Germany/Deutschland (cont’d)

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

Christine HeinrichSchwäb Gmünd+49 (0717) 118 29 74

Sonja HeinrichSupervisor-SpecialistDDA-DACH DirectorGarbsen/Hannover+49 (040) 25 17 86 23

Kirsten HohageNürnberg+49 (0911) 54 85 234Ingrid HuthBerlin +49 (0179) 896 8007

Mechtild HyllaKassel+49 (0561) 602 78 20

Christine JacobLörrach +49 (07621) 134 60Rita JarrarMünchen+49 (089) 821 20 30

Inge Koch-GassmannBuggingen+49 (07631) 23 29

Angelika KohnSteinheim-Kleinbottwar+49 (07148) 66 08

Marianne KranzerKönigsfeld+49 (07725) 72 26

Anneliese Kunz-DanhauserRosenheim+49 (08031) 632 29

Sabine La DueStuttgart +49 711 47 91 000

Gundula PatzlaffStuttgart+49 (0711) 23 64 86 0

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

Colette ReimannLandshut+49 (0871) 770 994

Ursula RittlerStuttgart +49 (0711) 47 18 50

Phoebe SchafschetzyHamburg +49 (040) 392 589

Margarethe Schlauch-Agostini Volklingen +49 (0689) 844 10 40

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

Beate Tiletzek Waldkraiburg+49 (08638) 88 17 89

Some years ago, Dr. Dennis DeTurck madethe following statement during a series of 60-second lectures at the University ofPennsylvania: “Down with Fractions!” Dr.DeTurck is an award-winning mathematician,and today he’s the Dean of Artsand Sciences at Penn.

In January 2008 USAToday recalled that eventand quoted DeTurck assaying, “Fractions havehad their day, being useful for by-hand calculation, but in thisdigital age, they’re as obsolete as Roman numerals.”

Wow! Roman numerals are finally obsolete? I’m delighted to hear it!

Dr. Deturck isn’t exactly excited abouthow much emphasis schools place on longdivision either. Actually, he doesn’t advocatedoing entirely away with fractions. He justthinks they’re complex enough that they shouldbe taught considerably later in the curriculum–say, after calculus–and advocates teachingdecimals first. He’s publishing a book, due out later this year, in which he discusses fractions, long division, calculating squareroots, multiplying long numbers by hand and various other issues relating to the teaching of mathematics.

Many who read the USA Today articlehave posted comments on the internet aboutDr. Deturck’s ideas. Some think his ideasabout fractions are crazy. Others think hemay well have a point. I’m not only not amath expert, a field of numbers can make

my vision go all blurry,so I’m probably biased.

But I do recall heaving agreat sigh of relief late in my

elementary school career when we finallystopped focussing so much on fractions andmoved on to decimals. I could “do fractions”back then, but they drove me to distraction.Even today, for me, decimals are nearlyalways significantly easier to work with.(Consider the source: I never dared take calculus!)

What do YOU think? Perhaps thisancient rhyme strikes a chord with you…

Multiplication is vexationDivision is just as badThe rule of three doth puzzle meAnd fractions drive me mad!

–Anonymous(16th Century or earlier)

You can read the USA Today article(“Professor: Fractions Should be Scrapped,”by Maureen Milford) at www.usatoday.com/news/education/2008-01-23fractions_N.htm. �

Down with Fractions!?By Laura Zink de DíazDavis Facilitator in Bogotá, Colombia

Some people think Dr.DeTurck’s ideas aboutfractions are crazy.

IImmaaggiinnaattiioonn ffaaiilleedd tthheemm

“This ‘telephone’has too many

shortcomings to be seriously considered as ameans of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us.”

—Western Union internal memo, 1876

“The wireless music box has no imaginablecommercial value.Who would pay for a message sent to

nobody in particular?”

—David Sarnoff’s associates, inresponse to his urgings to investin the radio in the 1920s

“640K ought to beenough for anybody.”

—Bill Gates, CEO ofMicrosoft Corp., 1981

PAGE 11THE DYSLEXIC READER

� Germany/Deutschland (cont’d)

Andrea ToloczykiHavixbeck/Münster+49 (02507) 57 04 84Ulrike von Kutzleben-HausenDeisslingen+49 (07420) 33 46Dr. Angelika WeidemannUlm +49 (0731) 931 46 46Gabriele WirtzStuttgart +49 (0711) 55 17 18

� GreeceEvagelia Apostolopoulou-ArmaosPatras +30 (261) 062 21 22Zoe DeliakidouThessaloniki +30 2310 434510 or +30 6934 662438

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

� IcelandÁslaug ÁsgeirsdóttirMosfellsbaer+354 861-2537Sigrún Jónina BaldursdóttirSnaefellsbae+354 586 8180

Gudrún BenediktsdóttirHafnarfirdi+354 545 0103 or +354 822 0910

Gudbjörg EmilsdóttirDLS MentorKópavogur+354 554 3452

Hólmfridur GudmundsdóttirGardabae +354 895-0252

Sigurborg Svala GudmundsdóttirMosfellsbaer+354 867 1928

Stefanía Halldórsdóttir WadeKopavogur +354 564 2890

Ingibjörg IngolfsdóttirMosfellsbaer +354 899-2747

Sigrún JensdóttirMosfellsbaer +354 897 4437

Valgerdur JónsdóttirDLS Presenter-MentorKópavogur +354 863 2005Sturla KristjanssonDLS Presenter-MentorHafnarfjordur+354 845 6956

Jon Einar HaraldssonLambiAkureyri +354 867 1875

Ásta OlafsdóttirVopnafjordur+354 473-1164Erla OlgeirsdóttirAkranes +354 694 3339

Hugrún SvavarsdóttirMosfellsbær+354 698-6465

A Mom Remembers…

and a professional second. Knowing that youknew what I was going through was verycomforting. I felt for the first time that I wasn’t crazy and finally someone believed me.

Now a year later and I can’t believehow our family life has changed. Homeworkis no longer a nightmare but more importantly,Trevor feels good about himself and his stresslevel has decreased significantly.

He is no longer on a modified programand is making A’s. He actually joined a drama

group this year. Heuses his toolseveryday and iscomfortable tellinghis teacher when heneeds a break to gethis alignment. He

can tell me when his alignment is off whichis fantastic!

My message to anyone thinking aboutthe Davis program would be, “It is worth thejourney.” A journey it is as we work on Davistools daily. You have to commit to the journeybut it is worth it. Not just academically, butmore importantly for your child’s self esteemand your family’s well being.

Thank you for bringing the DavisProgram to Fredericton and for being you! �

–Susan (mother of 9-year-old Trevor)

“My message toanyone thinkingabout the Davisprogram wouldbe, “It is worththe journey.”

Trevor, rightfully proud to have completedhis Davis Dyslexia Correction Program.

In The Mail (continued from p. 2)

Thanks a lot, from the bottom of myheart for helping me help my son Himanshu.Today, he also helps his father with his computer hardware business.

May God bless you all always for doingsuch good work.

Yours affectionately,–Sujata Bhatia, Mumbai, India

* Editor’s Note: See “Taare Zameen Par Wins FilmAwards in India”on page 22.

Submitted by Raylene Barnhill, Davis Facilitatorin Fredericton NB, Canada.

Dear Raylene:As I reflect back on the year 2007, I justwanted to let you know how much the Davisprogram has changed our life.

Two years ago our family was in despair.Homework was a constant struggle and Iwould experience stressat the end of my workday knowing that I hadto face homework aftersupper. I can onlyimagine how Trevor felt

coming home everyday to face me as well asmore work that he didn’t understand.

I can still remember the words I usedand never knew how untrue those sentimentswere. I often said, “try harder,” “you do soknow that word,” “you knew it yesterday” andmy favourite, “stop being so stubborn.” Notonly was Trevor hearing this from his motherbut also at school. I’m not saying his teacherswere mean, they were just misinformed (as wasI) about how his learning disability affectedhis processing skills. We were all trying to doour best with what we knew at that time.

The turning point in our lives wasNovember 2006 when I saw a small ad in theDaily Gleaner. Ronnie and I had decided tofind a tutor for Trevor, even though I felt itwouldn’t really help. I will always remembersitting at my dining room table reading thepaper and discovering your ad. I was hopingthis was the sign I was praying for.

I immediately went to your website andcompleted the 37 Common Traits of Dyslexia.Trevor exhibited most of the traits. Aftermeeting you and reading The Gift of Dyslexia,I knew my prayers had been answered.

I appreciated that you were a mom first

through your book and program. Backthen, we had a tough time educating

Himanshu’s teachers and classmates. Buttoday, everyone in India knows more aboutdyslexia. One of our very famous actors, hasrecently made a very good film about aneight-year-old boy who is dyslexic.* It showswhat the boy and his parents went throughuntil he met a new art teacher who recognizedhis problem and helped the child.

“I felt for thefirst time thatI wasn’t crazyand finallythat someonebelieved me.”

PAGE 12 THE DYSLEXIC READER

� Iceland (cont’d)

Thorbjörg SigurdardóttirReykjavík +354 698 7213

Margret Thorarinsdottir Selfoss +354-486-1188

� India

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

� IrelandAnne Marie BeggsOld Portmarnock/Dublin+353 (86) 239-1545Paula HoranMullingar +353 44 934 1613Sister Antoinette KeelanDublin +353 (01) 884 4996

Aideen TierneyDublin

� 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 1185Eliana HarpazMa’Ale Adumim+972 (02) 590-2110 or 054-441-0789Judith SchwarczDDA-Israel DirectorSupervisor-SpecialistPearl ZarskyRa’anana/Tel Aviv+972 (09) 772 9888

� ItalyElisa De FeliceRoma +39 (06) 507 3570Piera Angiola MaglioliOcchieppo Inferiore / Biella+39 (015) 259 3080Alessandro TaiocchiSettimo Milanese +39 (333) 443 7368Silvia WalterBagno a Ripoli Florence +39 (055) 621 0541Rafaella ZingerleCorvara In Badia+39 (0471) 836 959

� KenyaChristel FlowersLangata/Nairobi+ 254 (20) 72 271 4578Manisha ShahNairobi+ 254 (0) 722 492 217Diana Smit-JurgensNairobi +254 733 895 603Kimberly SwallowNairobi+ 254 (20) 712 0472

Was it one of the the most challenging things I have everdone? Yes. Was it difficult anddraining at times? Yes. Was itworth it? Absolutely! The DavisProgram is absolutely brilliant in its approach and I can say first-hand, it works.

I found myself the very proud mother of a little boy who was having a difficult time inschool. He was never bad enough to warrantthe attention of the school, but never thrivedenough to work independently or live up toexpectations. I noticed early on, long before I could get anyone to admit to me that I wasnot crazy, that there was something not quiteright and that my son was struggling when he should not have been. I worked with himconstantly, yet things didn’t improve. It wasn’tuntil a very brave third grade teacher riskedall to tell me that it appeared that my son washaving “processing difficulties.” Of course,“processing difficulties” is the buzz word ofthe decade and what myson really had wasdyslexia. Thank goodness that one of my son’s most obviousdifficulties was reversalof the letters “b” and “d.” That was what ultimately led me to the Davis DyslexiaAssociation. After a Google search on dyslexia,I came across the Davis site and found the listof “37 Common Characteristics of Dyslexia.”My son possessed over 30 of them. Therewas never a doubt from that point forwardthat I had found what I was looking for.

My son spent a week with his very talented, caring, and forever helpful facilitatorat the end of April 2002. We spent about 16months on the follow-up work and I am stillvery proud to say that we did it ALL, everytrigger word, reading exercise, Koosh ball,math, spelling, you name it.

From my perspective, the Davis programcan be the biggest high. There were times whenthings clicked and I would feel so excited! Iremember one day driving in the car whenmy son calculated time past the hour for thefirst time or when he would pop out with anunderstanding of something I knew he never

Six Years Later: A Mom’s Look Back

got before. It was as if I could see his brainworking. The distant lost look in his eyes wasgone and he got it! He knew things I hadn’teven worked on with him. It was as if all theinformation of his entire lifetime was now athis disposal. The successes were all whatmost people would consider “little” but theywere huge to us. After a while, I noticed that

the “little” successescombined with other“little” successes and we got “huge” progress.Just like a snowball.

Of course, to becompletely fair and forthright to parentsinterested in the process, I must admit thatevery day was not the picture of perfection.Some days were extremely successful, somewere almost hysterically funny–especiallywhen we’d do picture-at-punctuation and I’dsee exactly what he pictured. And some of hisclay models were very humorous. Then somedays were drudgery. When combining theprogram with regular school homework,some days were completely overwhelming.There were times when I didn’t think wewould make it and others when I couldn’twait to see what was in store for us next.

In addition to the follow up work andhomework from school (and dealing withteachers), it was also my job to be cheerleader, motivator, and sometimes manipulator. It takes a little practice to findwhat works to motivate a child. For the mostpart, I found that routine and consistencywere very important. In our house, the Davis

“After a while, I noticed that the ‘little’ successes combinedwith other ‘little’ successes and we had ‘huge’ progress.”

Submitted by Janet ConferDavis Facilitator in Rancho Santa Margarita, CA

PAGE 13THE DYSLEXIC READER

� LebanonSamar Riad SaabBeirut +961 3 700 206

� MalaysiaHilary CraigKuala Lumpur+60 (36) 201 55 95

� Mexico

Silvia B. Arana GarcíaMexico, D.F. +52 (55) 5540-7205

Cathy Calderón de la BarcaMéxico D.F.Advanced WorkshopPresenter+52 (55) 5540-7205

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

María Silvia Flores SalinasSupervisor–SpecialistGarza García Monterrey NL+52 (81) 8378 4846

Laura LammogliaTampico, Tamaulipas +52 (833) 213 4126

Alejandra Garcia MedinaHuixquilucan+52 (55) 1085 5608l

Maria Lourdes GutiérrezMexico D.F.+52 (555) 593 18 22

Lucero Palafox de MartinVeracruz+52 (229) 935 1302

Ana Elena Payro OgarrioCorregidora, Queretaro+52 442 228 1264

Lydia Gloria VargasGarza García Monterrey NL+52 (81) 8338 2226

� NetherlandsLiesbeth Berg-SchagenVleuten +31 (030) 604-9601

Ineke BlomDorpstraat+31 (020) 436-1484

Lot BlomUtrecht +31 (030) 271 0005

Lieneke CharpentierNieuwegein+31 (030) 60 41 539 Hester CnossenVeghel +31 (495) 641 920Monique CommandeurSterksel +31 (06) 13 94 97 54Ratnavali de Croock Oudorp (Aalkmaar)+31 (072) 511 6881Alexandra De GoedeAerdenhout+31 (023) 524 3263Mine de RanitzDriebergen+31 (0343) 521 348Christien De SmitSluis +31 (0117) 461 963

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

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

Don’t Wait!Please don’t wait years for an official diagnosis of dyslexia– that was our mistake.

My daughter is eight and hasgone through so much sufferingas a result of her school’s poorunderstanding of her needsand challenges. She finallygot a diagnosis two weeks agoplacing her reading age at fiveyears. She cannot do phonics orput words together. She hatesreading and tells me it’s like being locked in a dungeon.

I read The Gift of Dyslexia inthe last week or so. It was like readingan insight into my daughter. It is so positive and has really helped us. She

has struggled since the age of five and allthe teachers denied dyslexia (blaming it onher known dyspraxia), but if I had knownearlier what I know now, I would have

made sure that the school did notforce her to read aloud and thenshout at her errors. My daughterhas reached the point where shetells me she believes she isworthless. This book puts theworth back into her with positives rather than the school’snegatives. It has helped in just one week! And do try thePerceptual Ability Assessmentdescribed in the book. When wedid it I found my daughter’s

ability to “see the cake” uncanny. But to her it was the most natural thing in the world.

Please do not wait for diagnosis. �

By an anonymous Mom

program came first and everything else second. We did our follow-up work beforeschool homework, before play and beforefriends. Sometimes I would use that to myadvantage by soliciting his agreementto do follow-up after playing.

I gave him some control over thesituation and he was willing to liveup to his end of the bargain. I oftenused fun things to help motivate my son. Forexample, I would say, “we’re going to thebeach, but before we go, you need to do yourtrigger word for today.”

Our biggest battle was to get my son tosit down and commit. Once he did, he didgreat. Sometimes he would drive me crazyspending a half an hour or more making aclay model. Sometimes I sat with him, othertimes I left the room and let him surprise mewith his brilliance. We always tried to keep itfun and varied. Sometimes I made a claymodel too and we would compare what wecame up with. One other very motivatingthing for my son was dodge Koosh ball. He

absolutely loved that. It was our deal that ifhe did the regular Koosh ball exercise, we’dplay dodge Koosh ball after. I would throwthe Koosh balls at him and he had to duck,dodge and dive out of the way.

Of course all of these thingstook time and energy, and sometimes I felt that I just didn’thave them to give. But we stuckwith it. Some weeks were betterthan others, but no matter what

happened, we never stopped. We tookthe occasional day off, but overall, Davisfollow-up became an obsession. There are those moments when I look back andwonder how we got through. Fortunately,the good vastly outweighed the bad and ultimately the progress and success outweighed any difficulties I experienced as support person for my son.

It took me years to truly appreciate the“gift” of dyslexia. Now that dyslexia is notinterfering, it is helping my son be the wonderful, extremely creative and talentedperson that he was always meant to be. True, there were moments when it didn’tseem like a gift, but fortunately time givesyou perspective. Perspective and the Davisprogram tools are all you need. The Davisprogram is brilliant and it changed my child’slife. I highly recommend it. Just be patientwith yourself and never, never give up. �

“The Davis program is absolutely brilliantin its approach and Ican say first-hand,

it works.”

PAGE 14 THE DYSLEXIC READER

�Netherlands (cont’d)

Jolien FokkensBeilen +31 (0593) 540 141

Ina GausSantpoort-Zuid+31 (023) 538-3927

Jan GubbelsMaastricht+31 (043) 36 39 999

Sue Hillier-SmithBreukelen+31 (0346) 265 059

Judith HolzapfelDeventer +31 (0570) 619 553

Mia JenniskensEindhoven+31 (040) 245 9458

Trudy JolingLaren +31 (035) 531 00 66

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 WorkshopPresenterDDA-Nederland DirectorRobin TempleSpecialist TrainerWorkshop PresenterMaria Hoop+31 (0475) 302 203

Sjan MelsenArnhem +31 (026) 442 69 98

Cinda MustersAmsterdam +31 (20) 330-78 08

Bert NeeleMelick +31 (61) 259 8802

Marianne OosterbaanZeist +31 (030) 691 7309

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

Petra Pouw-LegêneDLS Nederlands DirectorBeek +31 (046) 437 4907

Karin RietbergHolten +31 (548) 364 286

Jacqueline van RijswijckVenray +31 (0478) 58 73 98

Lydia Rogowski WijnbergHelmond +31 (0492) 513 169

Hanneke SchoemakerWageningen+31 (0317) 412 437

What Do They Have in Common?By René Engelbrecht

There is hope for people withdyslexia, writes South African educator, René Engelbrecht. Hereshe tells the story of dyslexic twinsfrom Somerset West who last yearpassed matric (grade 12) with meritin spite of possessing the readingability of eight-year-olds.

What do May and Katie de Clercq fromSomerset West, the twins about whom DieBurger reported on 22 January, have in common with Pablo Picasso?

The most obvious answer would be theirartistic skills. But then there’s also somethingelse – their dyslexia. Theyshare this with AlbertEinstein, Leonardo daVinci, Walt Disney, TomCruise, Keira Knightley,Sir Richard Branson, andAgatha Christie, to mention but a few famouspeople who reached fameand fortune in life.

Dyslexia does notindicate a lack of talent or intelligence. Only aninability to read. Yet in theworld of today we depend on the written word to alarge extent.

Although variousmethods are applied tohelp with dyslexia, theysimply do not all work foreveryone. I experienced this as a remedialteacher. Eventually I started searching on theinternet to try to find out whether somewherein the world there was perhaps something thatworked, and in this way I came upon the website of Ronald Davis–and discovered hope!

Davis’ viewpoint immediately attractedmy attention. He regards dyslexia as an innategift that becomes a burden in the two-dimensional world of the written word. Thisgift goes hand in hand with imagination and creativity, with problem solving by looking at the bigger picture, rather than an analyticalstep-by-step process. According to himdyslexic individuals mainly think in picturesand not in words. Such as the De Clercqtwins who think in “shapes.”

It is this way of thinking that causedEinstein problems at school, but also madehim a brilliant mathematician.

Because he is dyslexic himself, Davissays, frustration caused him to sit down oneday to try and figure out why he struggled sowith reading and writing, while at the sametime he was a qualified mechanical engineerand amateur sculptor. In this way he startedcreating an idea to overcome his dyslexia.

In 1981, Davis started developing a programme for children and adults withdyslexia with the collaboration of Dr. FatimaAli, Ph.D, educational psychologist. Then, inApril 1982 they opened the Davis Dyslexia

Correction Center inCalifornia offering theirservices to the generalpublic – with wonderfulresults.

Now dyslexia doesnot mean a struggle ofmonths or even years.Davis’ book, The Gift ofDyslexia, was publishedin 1994 and in 1995 DavisDyslexia AssociationInternational (DDAI) waslaunched with the purposeof providing informationabout the Davis methods,setting standards for theDavis programme andtraining of facilitators. Hisnext book, The Gift ofLearning, adding methods

for attention-deficit disorder, mathematicsand handwriting, was published in 2003.

Davis’ approach does not includeinstruction based on phonics, does not makeuse of drill work, does not depend on physicalapparatus such as books in large print, nordoes it rely on medication.

He does use the individual’s imagination,the fact that the human brain is reprogrammable,multi-sensory techniques and creativity.

Davis regards it as important that individuals with dyslexia gain control of theirown learning processes. According to Davisdyslexic people are different, in the sense thatthey see things from different perspectives.This characteristic stands them in good steadin the world of concrete images, but lets them

“I started searching on the internet … and in this way came upon the website of

Ronald Davis—and discovered hope!”

PAGE 15THE DYSLEXIC READER

�Netherlands (cont’d)

Ilse SchreuderAalzum/Dokkum +31 (051) 922-0315

Silvia Jolanda SikkemaDrachten +31 (0512) 538 815

Suzan SintemaartensdijkAkersloot +31 (25) 131-26 62

Romina TorozUtrecht +31 (61) 280-1821

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

Marieke UiterwijkLeiden +31 (071) 576 2533

Mieke van DeldenLeek +31 (059) 4514985

Agnes van den Homberg-JacobsAmerica 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

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

� New Zealand

Kirsteen BrittenChristchurch+64 (3) 348 1665

Vivienne CarsonAuckland+64 (09) 520-3270

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

Jennifer ChurtonAuckland+64 (09) 360 494

Ann CookWarkworth/Auckland+64 (0) 9 422 0042

Martine FalconerChristchurch+64 (03) 383-1988

down when they have to interpret things thatare two dimensional, such as the writtenword. Then they “disorient.”

What makes his approach so different is that he helps individuals establish an orientation point they can use to focus. This,and his completely different approach toreading, is the crux of his work.

Furthermore a very important factor isthat the Davis programme helps to mend people’s self-esteem and self-confidence.

I discovered this programme in 1999and immediately ordered Davis’ book TheGift of Dyslexia in which his methods aredescribed in detail. Although I was not surewhether this programme was scientificallyjustifiable or whether I’d be able to performit, it fascinated me. I studied it in depth.Through Abigail Marshall, Davis’ webmaster,I gained consent to use the Davis techniques[for purposes of research only] with mylearners even though I was not a qualifiedDavis facilitator.

My trial test was a grade 4 learner withdyslexia. Her remedial teacher had told herparents after a year’s remedial lessons that shecould do no more for the child and that shewould most probably fail grade 3. She wastransferred, however, and at the beginning ofgrade 4 her parents came to ask for my help.

I told them about the Davis method, thatI had not tried it out myself, but that I wouldtreat their daughter free of charge if theyallowed me to test the method on her. By thistime they were so desperate that they told meto continue. In quite a short while there wassignificant improvement.

Within a few weeks this girl could readbetter and understand what she was reading.Her self-confidence improved as well. And totop it all, she earned an average of 70% at theend of the year.

Worldwide Davis Facilitators have hadgreat success with the course, but up until a fewyears ago there had been no clinical evidencethat it works, and for that reason some professionals did not accept it. Because I saw how well learners performed after beingintroduced to the Davis programme, I decidedthat I would put it to a scientific test myself.

My idea was to prove that the Davismethods can help individuals with dyslexia,and that it should be acknowledged as anacceptable additional or alternative method.

The Davis Dyslexia Association gaveme permission to do research based on theinformation I gained from The Gift of

Dyslexia and The Gift of Learning. I only hadto state clearly that I was merely researchingthe methods and not the overall techniquesthat trained facilitators use.

In 2004 I did research for my master’sdegree in psychology at StellenboschUniversity (South Africa) on the influence ofthe Davis methods on the reading ability andpsychological functioning of learners. Theresults were scientifically significant and alsoindicated a success rate above 80%. This wasafter only 14 hours of instruction. [A normalDavis Dyslexia Correction Programme consists of 30 hours of instruction.]

Last year I met Dr. Linda Silverman onthe internet. She is Director of the Institutefor the Study of Advanced Development aswell as the Gifted Development Center inDenver, Colorado, and has the same viewpointas Davis, and supports his work.

Her work mainly deals with gifted

“My idea was to prove that the Davis methods can help

individuals with dyslexia, andthat it should be acknowledgedas an acceptable additional or

alternative method.”

children, and she created the concept of theVisual-Spatial Learner.

Like Davis, she believes that under-achievers often are gifted learners whoseminds simply function differently. Shenoticed that these children are often artisticallygifted – dancers, actors, musicians, creativewriters. Among them there are also mathe-maticians, scientists, computer experts andentrepreneurs. They seek and find patterns inlife and are most excited when they discoversomething new. Some are very empathetic

PAGE 16 THE DYSLEXIC READER

�New Zealand (cont’d)

Konstanca Friedrich-PalzerMotueka/Nelson+64 (03) 527 8060

Tina GuyNelson +64 (03) 547 4958

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

Glenys KnoppDarfield +64 (03) 317-9072

Raewyn MathesonDLS MentorInglewood+64 (027) 411-8350

Sally Ann McCueNelson +64 (03) 545-1779

Tania McGrathChristchurch +64 (03) 322 41 73

Shelley McMeekenDunedin +64 3 456 5058

Colleen MortonGore +64 (03) 208 6308

Kerrie PalmaRodney +64 (09) 425 5941

Jocelyn PrintKaikoura +64 (03) 319 6711

Alison SymeDarfield +64 (03) 318-8480Lorna Timms Christchurch +64 (03) 363 9358Margot YoungAuckland+64 (0) 9 638 3627

� Philippines

Imelda CasugaBaguio City +63 (744) 42 29 01

� PolandAgnieszka OsinskaWarsaw +48 (22) 658-2237

� PortugalAna Catarina Gil deAlmeidaLisboa +35 (121) 781-6090

Maria Teresa HenriquesLisboa +351 (21) 847-3515

Sofia Vassalo SantosLisboa+35 (191) 911-2565

Cristina Rocha VieiraCoimbra +35 (123) 943-7732

� Republic of Singapore

Phaik Sue ChinSingapore +65 6773 4070

Constance ChuaSingapore +65 6873 3873

and emotional with a particular spiritualawareness

In her book Upside-down Brilliance shediscusses various techniques to help these“visual-spatial” individuals on their waythrough the world of reading and writing.

Although these methods are not generallywell known in South Africa, parents couldhelp their children by means of the two booksby Ronald Davis, The Gift of Dyslexia andThe Gift of Learning. His web address ishttp://www.dyslexia.com.

I also highly recommend Upside-downBrilliance. And there are quite a few e-booksavailable on the websites of Silverman andher co-worker, Allie Golon, at www.gifteddevelopment.com and www.visualspatial.org. �

ReferencesDavis, R.D. (1997). The Gift of Dyslexia. New York: The Berkley Publishing Group.

Davis, R.D. (2003). The Gift of Learning.New York: The Berkley Publishing Group.

Silverman, L. K. (2002). Upside-downBrilliance. The Visual-Spatial Learner.Denver, Colorado: DeLeon Publishing.

About the AuthorRené Engelbrecht taught languages for over 20

years when she decided to follow acourse that would allow her towork with students with special educational needs. Sheestablished her own clinic in l999to help learners who could notread or write. She discovered thatthe techniques she used did not

really have any impact on many of her clients.This ultimately lead to her decision to do a studyof Davis Dyslexia Correction as part of herMaster’s degree program, finding that it producesextremely significant results. She now treats indi-viduals with emotional, physical, and performanceproblems. She also offers a program in studymethods for those with no learning difficulties, butwho wish to learn to structure their work, performresearch, and prepare for tests and examinations.Visit her website at: http://english.reneengel-brecht.co.za/home/. You can also contact her at: rene@rene-engelbrecht.co.za.

This article was first published in Afrikaansin the daily newspaper, Die Burger, on Jan. 26,2008. The author later translated it into English.

Too Much of a Bad Thing?When I was a teacher I never gave homework.My logic: if I’d spent my instructional timewell, there should be no need for it. Celebratededucation researcher and author, Alfie Kohnsuggests that no homework should be the“default” setting in schools. Although thebelief in the value of homework is profoundlypersistent and widespread, Kohn argues that itdestroys curiosity – essential to meaningfullearning – stresses out parents and kids alike,and eats up time that could be spent on other,more beneficial activities. His review of theresearch should silence homework proponents.He found that there is NONE that supportsthat belief that homework helps studentsdevelop good work habits or self discipline, or that it improves learning or test scores. His final sentence says it all: “If homeworkpersists because of a myth, we owe it to ourkids—to all kids—to insist on a policy that’sbased on what’s true and what makes sense”(p.198). Go, Alfie! �

The Homework Myth: Why Our Kids Get Too Much of a Bad ThingBy Alfie KohnPublisher: Da Capo Press, 2007Paperback, 243 pagesISBN-10: 0738211117

“a very important factor is thatthe Davis programme helps tomend people’s self-esteem and

self-confidence.”

PAGE 17THE DYSLEXIC READER

� South AfricaSharon GerkinDurban +27 (82) 82 85 180

� SpainSilvia María SabatésRodrigoMadrid +34 (091) 636 31 44

� Switzerland/CHTinka Altwegg-ScheffmacherSt. Gallen+41 (071) 222 07 79

Monika AmreinZurich +41 (01) 341 8264

Regula Bacchetta-Bischofberger

Horw /Luzern +41 (041) 340 2136

Priska BaumgartnerWettingen +41 (056) 426 28 88

Renate Blum-MullerFull-Reuenthal +41 (56) 246-18 66

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

Brigitta DünkiRafz + 41 (079) 318-8300

Ursula FischbacherOrpund +41 (032) 355 23 26

Mieke FriederichsReinach +41 (061) 712 42 06

Heidi Gander-BelzDLS Presenter-MentorMonchaltorf+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

Beatrice LeutertStein am Rhein +41 (052) 232 03 83

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

Verena Luisa MoserRiken +41 (076) 346 93 34

Autism: a kind of “super dyslexia?”

Q: I have been reading The Gift of Dyslexiaby Ronald D. Davis. In the book, he saysthat autism is a kind of “super dyslexia”caused by severe disorientation brought aboutby auditory stimuli, and that he, himself, wasautistic as a child. Does this mean that theDavis program would be helpful in correctingautism? If so, do you have any informationon how these programs could be done withautistic children? Has any research beendone on the program’s effectiveness withautistic children? Is it recommended for regular autism, autism spectrum disorders(such as Asperger’s syndrome), or both?

A: The program described in The Gift ofDyslexia is geared specifically to addressingreading problems. The programs describedin The Gift of Learning are for addressingattention, math and handwriting difficulties.These programs are very effective for individuals who are on the autistic spectrumbut high functioning. Auditory Orientationprocedures which are part of what DavisFacilitators provide as part of a DavisProgram are a key element for working withautistic individuals. But there is no claimthat these programs can “correct autism.”

As to your question about informationon how these programs could be done withautistic children, we do have a programunder development called the Davis AutismApproach. This new program addressesidentity development and the social issuescommonly associated with autism. It hasbeen used effectively with a small number ofchildren, and the developers of the programare now beginning to train interested DavisFacilitators in this new approach.

You will be able to get informationabout the program as it develops at this website at www.davisautism.com. This websiteis under development and does not yet havecontent uploaded, but it does have a formthat you can use to subscribe to the DavisAutism e-newsletter if you wish to receiveoccasional news about autism-related topics

By Abigail Marshall

as well as information about the developingDavis program.

With regard to your question aboutresearch into the program’s effectiveness withautistic children, as noted above, the DavisDyslexia Correction program is not intendedto directly address the symptoms of autism.The new Davis Autism Approach is underactive development. For that reason we donot expect formalized research for sometime. Currently the program is being pilotedand developed through collaboration amongthe developers and the individuals beingtrained in the approach. We have had veryimpressive results with individual children,but at this time such anecdotal evidence isonly preliminary, not formalized “research.”

The Davis Autism Approach would be appropriate for any individual along the autistic spectrum who has sufficient communication skills to work with aFacilitator. Again, the Davis DyslexiaCorrection program might be appropriate for a high-functioning individual with mildautism or Asperger’s Syndrome seeking aprogram to address reading, attention andacademic difficulties.

Global Developmentally Delayed

Q: I have two children diagnosed as GlobalDevelopmentally Delayed. They have bothreceived additional help through the publicschool system. One of my kids can read witha little comprehension (math is a huge issue),yet my other child, who’s in sixth grade, readsat first grade level. Since I know my children’sabilities very well, I took the on-line test atthe website, but am unsure about the results.Is it possible that my kids are dyslexic?

A: The term “Global DevelopmentallyDelayed” is usually used when the child hasacross-the-board delays that go beyond academic problems, such as learning to reador do math. Usually this is apparent in many

PAGE 18 THE DYSLEXIC READER

� Switzerland/CH (cont’d)

Maya MuraroStäfa +41 (079) 704 03 07

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

Véronique PfeifferZürich +41 (01) 342 22 61

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

Regine Roth-GloorMohlin/Basel+41 (061) 851 2685

Doris Rubli-Huber St. Gallen +41 (071) 245 56 90Benita RuckliSigigen +41 (041) 495 04 09 or (079) 719 31 18Lotti Salivisberg Basel +41 (061) 263 33 44Sonja SartorWinterthur+41 (052) 242 4015Marianne SchutzZofinger+41 (62) 752 8281Andreas VillainZürich +41 (076) 371 84 32Catherine WarnerGeneva +41 (022) 321 70 42

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

� United Arab EmiratesLinda RademanDubai +9714 348 1687

� United KingdomNicky Bennett-BaggsGt. Gaddesden, Herts+44 (01442) 252 517

Sue BullenAyrshire, Scotland+44 (01292) 591 797

Sarah DixonEast Horsley, Surrey +44 (01483) 283 088

Susan DuguidLondon+44 (0) 8000 272657

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

Christine EastKingsbridge, Devon+44 (0) 8000 272657Hilary FarmerOxford, Oxon+44 (01865) 326 464

Nichola Farnum MALondon +44 (0) 8000 272657

Jacqueline Ann FlisherHungerford Berks+44 (0) 8000 272657

Maureen FloridoHarleston, Norfolk+44 (0) 8000 272657

ways beyond their problems in school. Unfortunately, children are sometimes

misdiagnosed or mislabeled. I suggest youhave more comprehensive testing done by aprofessional if you are unsure about thestanding of your children. Learning to read isnot directly correlated with intelligence. It ispossible for children with severe intellectualimpairment to learn the skill and read at arudimentary level, just as it is possible for an extremely bright child to struggle withreading, even into adulthood.

It is important to keep in mind that various programs and methods geared to“dyslexic” children might also be effectivefor children with different types of impairments. Sometimes the label is not as important as understanding your child’slearning style.

The online assessment on our website atwww.testdyslexia.com is meant only to givea very rough idea of the child’s learningstyle. However, for purposes of getting asense of where your own children stand, itmight be important to look at areas ofstrength as well as weakness. Whatever thediagnosis, your children will learn best ifteaching is geared to their strengths.

The methods that we use with dyslexicchildren can also often help children withother learning barriers. However, our one-week program is geared to children with normal or above-normal intelligence. If a child has more serious impairments ordisabilities, then parents or tutors can applythe methods we use but work more slowly,over an extended time frame.

For ages 5-7, the “Young Learner Kitfor Home Use” (see page 23), would be the appropriate option to try for a parent of a child who truly has global delays. �

“Forever is composed of nows.”–Emily Dickinson (1830–1886)

American poet

“Remember, no one can make you feel inferior without your consent.”–Eleanor Roosevelt (1884–1962)First Lady of the United States

“Don’t walk in front of me, I may not follow. Don’t walk

behind me, I may not lead. Walkbeside me and be my friend.”

–Albert Camus (1913–1960)French existentialist author

and philosopher

NNoottaabblleess.. .. ..from

QQuuoottaabblleess

PAGE 19THE DYSLEXIC READER

�United Kingdom (cont’d)

Carol ForsterGloucester+44 (0) 8000 272657

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

Catherine HooperCamborne+44 (01209) 717 754

Phyllida HowlettHaverfordwest,Pembrokeshire +44 (01437) 766 806

Angela JamesReading, Berkshire+44 (0118) 947 6545

Liz JollyFareham, Hants+44 (01329) 235 420

Lisa KloossLondon +44 (0208) 960 9406

Sara KramerLondon +44 (0) 8000 272657

Marilyn LaneRedhill +44 (0173) 776-9049

Isabel MartinCrowborough East Sussex+44 (0) 8000 272657

Stuart ParsonsLowton/Warrington,Cheshire+44 (07754) 534 740

Fionna PilgrimKeighley, West Yorkshire +44 (0) 8000 272657

Maxine PiperCarterton, Oxon+44 (01993) 840 291

Elenica Nina PitoskaLondon +44 (0) 8000 272657

Rebecca RossLamberhurst, Kent +44 (0) 8000 272657

Pauline RoylePoulton-le-Fylde, Lancs+44 (0) 8000 272657

Ian RichardsonBlaisdon Longhope, Glos+44 (0) 8000 272657

Rosemary SavinsonLondon +44 (0208) 316-1973

Janice ScholesLiversedge, West Yorkshire+44 (0) 8000 272657

Nigel SharpIsle of Wight +44 (0) 8000 272657

The Soul of Golf TeachingBy Donald Kehoe

while recalling how standardized testsseemed to jump around on paper when hewas in school.

“I never forget something I hear . . .songs, advice, quotes, it doesn’t matter. Ilearn differently, and this helps me to helpother people learn the way they need to.”

Shane also has the ability to recall andrepeat words and even facial expressionsafter witnessing them.

Three years ago, Shane broke his leftarm and tore a tendon on an 8-iron fairwayhit while playing golf at Berkeley Hall withTom McKnight, a Belfair member and playeron the Championship Tour. He feared hisgolf career might be over at the level he onceplayed, but the injury gave Shane time torestructure his future in golf and his teachingmethodology.

A New Approach Like lots of young golf professionals, Shanebroke into the field doing “grunt work” for aPGA pro he cannot say enough good thingsabout. That man is his step-dad, Dale Hardy,a PGA professional in Lincoln (no relation toteaching pro Jim Hardy).

After a stellar high school career and ayear at a small college in Fayetteville, NorthCarolina, Shane went to work performing aseries of local-club duties in the Kansas Cityarea, a rite of passage many golf assistantsgo through.

Before joining Belfair last year, Shanespent five years working at Moss Creekwhere Heidi Wright, that club’s respected pro

Shane LeBaron and Butch Harmon, Number1 ranked teaching pro at Rio Secco GolfClub in Las Vegas.

What makes a great golf teachingprofessional? Many say it‘s learningfrom the best that helps to achievethat goal.

Let’s take a peek at the early career of 29-year-old teaching professional Shane

LeBaron, who is well on his wayto drawing national attention forhis communication abilities inteaching students at BelfairGolf Club in Bluffton,South Carolina, as well as from as far away asIndiana and California.Shane has taken a careerpath that already has led

him to study under three ofthe top 10 teaching professionals as rated byGolf Digest. And he has worked with and forKrista Dunton, ranked among the top 100female teachers.

But before we look at Shane now, wewant to go back to when he was in the fourthgrade, not doing well in school and frequentlyaccused of behavioral problems by someteachers.

At that point, the school he attended inLincoln, Nebraska, discovered Shane haddyslexia, a disability that thwarted his abilityto learn to read or interpret words, letters andother symbols.

Today a lot more is known aboutdyslexia than 20 years ago. But many ofthose diagnosed with the disorder still struggle hard, taking special courses. Shaneattended a Sylvan center three days a weekfrom fourth grade through high school.

And Shane did struggle–as have progolfer J.B. Holmes, actor Tom Cruise, andeven Albert Einstein. All dyslexic, and allultimately successful.

But, there is a side benefit to dyslexia.Shane developed an unusual memory thathas enabled him to progress as a teacher. “I may have a hard time with books andcomputers, but I learn through experiencingand through my ears,” Shane said recently

“in fourth grade, not doing well and frequently accused of behavior problems… Shane

had dyslexia.”

PAGE 20 THE DYSLEXIC READER

�United Kingdom (cont’d)

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

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

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

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

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

Frank WalkerGreasby Wirral/Liverpool+44 (0151) 678 14 99

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

The Learning PeopleMargarita WhiteheadDDA DirectorRichard WhiteheadDDA DirectorDLS Presenter-MentorFundamentals PresenterCanterbury, Kent+44 (01227) 738 972

Rachel WilliamsonHassocks, West Sussex+44 (0) 8000 272657

� United States

AlabamaLisa SprattHuntsville +1 (256) 426-4066

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

Nancy KressPhoenix+1 (480) 544-5031

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

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

CaliforniaReading Research CouncilDyslexia Correction CenterDr. Fatima Ali, FounderRay DavisRonald D. Davis, FounderBurlingame/San Francisco +1 (800) 729-8990 (Toll Free) +1 (650) 692-8990

Janet ConferRancho Santa Margarita+1 (949) 589-6394

Anette FullerWalnut Creek+1 (925) 639-7846

“I never forget something that Ihear... songs, advice, quotes, it

doesn’t matter. I learn differently,and this helps me to help others

learn the way they need to learn.”

for 13 years, took him from the cart barn tothe golf class.

“She sat me down one day and askedabout my future in golf,” Shane recalls. “Sheis always helping young assistants, and shestill helps me. Heidi said the best way for meto learn is by watching others. ‘Go to SeaPines and watch Rick Barry. Go to Belfairand watch Krista Dunton,’ she said. Both areranked among the top 100 teachers.

“I followed Heidi’s lead, but really madeprogress while I was injured. Rick gave me abook, The Plane Truth by Jim Hardy, who isranked No. 7 as a teacher by Golf Digest.”

Shane may have struggled with the book,but when he obtained a DVD Hardy did for thePGA, he watched it 100 times and decided toattend a Hardy seminar in Scottsdale, Arizona,on his own. He can repeat word-for-word theaudio on the DVD, and supplement that withvisual expressions.

“By then the cast was off my arm,but I had to find a new swing,” hesaid. “I was attracted immediatelyby Hardy saying and showing thereis not just one way to swing a golfclub. I had done it one way foryears with relative success, butHardy demonstrated that therewas more than one way to crackthat egg.” He went back the following year and continued to observe and learn.

“All players are different,”says Shane, “Mr. Hardy taught me to under-stand that there are different ways to teachfor different people ...whether swinging witharms or body... inside or outside.”

From there Shane went to see ChuckCook out of Austin, Texas. Cook is rankedNo. 6 by the Digest. “I observed Chuck andwatched him work with the late PayneStewart’s son, Aaron, and began to understand that there is a line in the sand that distinguishes top instructors,” Shanesaid. “The main difference is they are greatcommunicators. No one says ‘It’s just likethis.’ They seem to be able to take the positiveaspects of an individual’s swing and figureout the one or two issues that are causingfour or five problems.”

Communicating is KeyShane then began e-mailing and calling LasVegas–not to reserve a room for a gamblingtrip, but to hook up with Butch Harmon, No.1 ranked teaching pro, at Rio Secco Golf Club.

“Mr. Harmon welcomed me and let me

observe him and his staff for four days whileI took notes and asked questions,” Shanesaid. “Butch is not obsessed with the golfswing. If the ball is moving toward the targetyou are doing something right.”

Shane plans to return next year. Heobserved that Harmon works with all types.And of course, the golf world knows howmuch Harmon helped Tiger Woods when heappeared on the scene.

“Ask a room full of people to raise their hands if they have a back, neck or armproblem. You’ll get all kinds of responses.They can’t all swing like Tiger Woods. Buta communicator can teach them to swingthe easiest, most simple way for them.And that is what gets results.”

Shane says he also is absorbing knowledge working for Jim Irvin atBelfair’s Learning Center. Irvin, whotrained under Jim Flick and JackNicklaus, is nudging close to that

top 100 category himself. Shane and his wife, Ashley,also from Lincoln, enjoy theLowcountry, particularlyBelfair, where he said people

have been “insanely” good to him ...“eventreating me like somebody’s son.”

“Best of all, these learning experienceshave opened my eyes to myself,” Shane said.

“I feel it and see it in an audio andvisual sense; communication is the soul ofteaching, and your students will tell youeverything you need to know about them.” �

About the AuthorThis article is reprinted with permission from theauthor, Donald Kehoe. It originally appeared inThe Island Packet, a daily publication serving theHilton Head Island area of South Carolina. DonKehoe began his career as a journalist at 16,working as a copy boy at the now defunct, LongIsland Daily Press. He worked for Newsday onLong Island, New York and did freelance work forNewsday, The New York Times and many othernewspapers, before entering public relations. For 20 years he also ran the Nassau Off-TrackBetting Corporation, which provided horsewagering on Long Island. Now ten years intoretirement, he occasionally writes articles on subjects of interest.

PAGE 21THE DYSLEXIC READER

� United States/California (cont’d)

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

David HirstRiverside+1 (951) 653-9251 or(909) 241-6079Angela Dean Educators Nicole MeltonKaren Thorworth-PongsDiamond Bar+1 (909) 861-5251Cheryl RodriguesSunnyvale/San Jose+1 (408) 983-0968

David Carlos RosenSan Rafael+1 (415) 479-1700

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

Dee Weldon WhiteLexie White StrainMenlo Park+1 (650) 388-6808

ColoradoAnnie GarciaWheat Ridge / Denver+1 (303) 423-3397Crystal PunchDLS MentorCentennial/Denver +1 (303) 850-0581Kristi ThompsonDLS Presenter-MentorWalsh +1 (719) 324-9256

FloridaTerry DeMeoMiami +1 (305) 567-0611

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

Tina KirbyNavarre +1 (850) 218-5956

Rita Von BonNavarre +1 (850) 934-1389

GeorgiaBonny BeuretSupervisor-SpecialistAdvanced WorkshopPresenterSavannah+1 (912) 239 9339

Lesa 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) 664-9608

IdahoCarma SutherlandRexburg+1 (208) 356-3944

“Back to Study” with Davis in Iceland

Before becoming a Davis Facilitator I was aproject manager for an education company,Mimir-simenntun, specializing in courses foradults with limited schooling. We applied forand received a grant from the Ministry ofSocial Affairs to organize a course for peoplewith reading difficulties.

At the time, I knew very little aboutDavis. I had attended a talk by AxelGudmundsson that February, and I’d alsospoken to Nora Kornblueh who knew aboutthe method. It sounded very exciting andpromising.

After I began my Davis training, I gotpermission to offer correction programs as apart of the course we were offering. Initiallyfive of us, Nora Kornblueh, GudrúnBenediktsdóttir, Sigrún Jensdóttir, HugrúnSvavarsdóttir and I folded our Davis skillsinto the course. Since we hadn’t finished ourtraining, the participants in our course werenot charged for the program. All of them said they were ready to try anything becausenothing had worked so far. Later on IngibjörgIngolfsdóttir, Sigurborg Svala Gudmundsdóttir,Áslaug K. Ásgeirsdóttir and KolbeinnSigurjónsson joined the team.

This was in 2004. By October 2007thirteen groups had taken the course. By now,over 150 people have completed the course,and we have a waiting list.

The course is called Back to Study, andthe main component is the Davis DyslexiaCorrection Program. In the beginning, beforethey start the correction program, participantswork on their self-esteem. After they have allfinished the program, they meet to studygrammar, spelling, writing and computerskills. When all of this is done, the participantsmeet one-on-one with a social worker wherethey assess what they have achieved, discusstheir future goals and brainstorm how to reachthem. Many of the participants go further: toschool or specific courses of study, since bythen Back to Study has armed them withcourage and the knowledge that they can learn.

We always hold a celebration at the endof each course, so that teachers and studentsalike can take delight in the results achieved. Nowords can describe what we feel when we seestudents stand proud, and give a speech abouttheir success. It never fails: nearly everyonein the room fights to hold back the tears.

Hulda Olafsdottir, the manager ofMimir-simenntun, attends each graduation of

by Hólmfridur Gudmundsdóttir Davis Facilitator in Gardabae, Iceland

Participants and facilitators enjoy SymbolMastery.

A group graduates from Back to Study inIceland.

PAGE 22 THE DYSLEXIC READER

IllinoisKim AinisChicago +1 (312) 360-0805

Susan SmarjesseSpringfield+1 (217) 522-6650

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

Myrna BurkholderGoshen/South Bend+1 (574) 533-7455Carol K. WilliamsJeffersonville+1 (651) 324-9156

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

KentuckyRochelle AbnerWinchester+1 (859) 595-7870

MassachussettsKaren LoGiudiceNewburyport+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) 534-1385

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

Michele WellmanMt. Pleasant/Lansing+1 (989) 772-3084

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

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

Alice J. PrattExcelsior/Minneapolis+1 (904) 389-9251

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

Gretchen FitzGeraldKansas City+1 (816) 806-8611

MontanaKimberly BezansonMissoula +1 (406) 541-3076or 677-4014

Elsie JohnsonManhatten +1 (406) 257-8556

the Back to Study groups. She has three sons,two of them dyslexic. At each graduationceremony she speaks about the time she metRon Davis at Haskolabio. Hulda asked himto autograph her copy of The Gift of Dyslexia

and he asked her how it was that she wasattending the graduation. So she told himabout her sons, and to her surprise Ron congratulated her! Hulda says that this wasthe first time in her life someone had suggested there was anything positive aboutdyslexia. Afterwards she realized that theschool system had never even considered thepossibility that her sons had valuable abilities.

When we first began to offer Back toStudy, the grant from the Ministry of SocialAffairs paid for the course. Later, unionsoffered participants some financial support.Today, after representatives of the Ministry ofEducation attended our graduation ceremoniesand saw the success of the program, theMinistry pays nearly all costs. The word isspreading. We have taken the course to threedifferent locations around the country and Iam sure we will take it to even more. �

An obviously delighted and newly energized graduate of Back to Studyreceives her certificate of completion.

Taare Zameen ParWins Film Awardsin IndiaBy Laura Zink de Diaz

Critics are raving about Taare Zameen Par(“Stars On Earth”), the Hindi feature film by Aamir Khan focusing on the academicstruggles of a young dyslexic boy. The filmrecently swept the Filmfare Awards in Mumbai,India, winning awards for Best Film, BestDirector, Best Story, Best Lyricist, and a BestMale Performance award for its 11-year-oldstar, Darsheel Safary.

In the film, eight-year-old IshaanAwasthi has a rich and vivid imagination, butpoor motor skills, and fails every exam hetakes. Neither his teachers nor his classmateshelp him, but instead subject him to constantpublic humiliation. At home with his successful and demanding parents, Ishaan isan embarrassment and disappointment and iscontinually compared to his more successfulbrother. Eventually the parents become sofrustrated with Ishaan that they send him to a boarding school to be disciplined.

Life at the boarding school is evenworse, and Ishaan suffers unbearable fear and depression until a new art teacherarrives, Ram Shankar Nikumbh, who realizesthat the boy is very artistic. And havinggrown up dyslexic himself, Nikumbh realizeswhat is at the bottom of Ishaan’s difficulties,and takes on the task of tutoring the boy.

The film was conceived and developedby a husband-and-wife team, Amole Gupte(writer and creative director) and DeepaBhatia (concept, research, and editing). Theirgoal was to understand why some childrencannot conform to the educational system.Dyslexia was not their original inspiration forthe film. They were intrigued by the childhoodof Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa–himself a poor student in school. Theyplanned to explore the story of a child whodid not fit into the mainstream at school, andhow the attention of a caring teacher cantransform the life of a student. As theylearned more about dyslexia, they decided to focus on the condition, and society’s widespread misunderstanding of the potentialgenius of dyslexic children.

The film was released in December,2007 in India and soon became the fifth topgrossing movie of 2007 in that country. No,sorry, I won’t tell you how it ends. You’llhave to find that out for yourself! Enjoy! �

PAGE 23THE DYSLEXIC READER

NebraskaShawn CarlsonLincoln +1 (402) 420-1025

Elaine ThoendelChambers+1 (402) 482-5709

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

New HampshireGlenna GiveansLebanon+ 1 (603) 863-7877

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

New JerseyLynn ChigounisMontclair +1 (973) 746-5037

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 HellmanForest Hills +1 (212) 781-3689

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

North CarolinaGerri W. CoxDLS Presenter-MentorShallotte/Wilmington+1 (910) 754-9559

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

Jean MoserWinston-Salem+1 (336) 830-2390

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

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

OklahomaAshley GriceTulsa +1 (918) 779-7351

Rhonda LacyClinton +1 (580) 323-7323

OregonRhonda ErstromVale +1 (541) 881-7817Kathy PozziOntario +1 (541) 881 6497Melissa SlominskiTigard /Portland+1 (503) 957-2998

Based on the Davis DyslexiaCorrection methods, this Kit enables parents of children, ages 5-7, to home-teach and help younglearners 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 learningproblem

• improve sight word recognition andcomprehension

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

Young Learner Kitfor Home-Use

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 children tomaster 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

PAGE 24 THE DYSLEXIC READER

PennsylvaniaMaude Le RouxGlen Mills+1 (484) 840-1529

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

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

South CarolinaAngela KeiferGreenville+1 (864) 420-1627

South DakotaKim CarsonDLS Presenter-MentorBrookings/Sioux Falls +1 (605) 692-1785

Carina LittleWatertown +1 (605) 886-8415

Lillian “Lee” MilesSioux Falls+1 (605) 274-2294

TennesseeJackie BlackDover1-866-218-1614 (Toll-Free)

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

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

Success Learning CenterRhonda ClemonsDLS Presenter-MentorColleen MillslagleDLS Presenter-MentorTyler/Dallas+1 (866) 531-2446 (Toll Free)+1 (903) 531-2446

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

Jodie HarberCedar Park/Austin+1 (512) 918-9247

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

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

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

Dorothy OwenSupervisor-SpecialistIrving +1 (817) 919-6200Paula Roberts Tyler +1 (903) 570-3427Casey Linwick-RouzerSugar Land/Houston+1 (832) 724-0492Laura WarrenLubbock +1 (806) 790-7292

Elaine Thoendel “I taughtin public and private schoolsand home schooled our sevensons. A friend told us aboutDavis Dyslexia Correction whenmy youngest son struggled withreading and ADHD. We found a wonderful Davis Facilitator

in Brookings, South Dakota and my son did aprogram with her. Finally, here was an answer!Now I want to offer the Davis DyslexiaCorrection Program in our area. I’m looking forward to working with children and adults. It isso exciting to be able to help clients realize theirgift!” Thoendel Learning Center, 109 S. VictoriaStreet P.O.B. 7 Chambers, NE 68725. UnitedStates. Tlc7@kmtel.net +1 (402) 482-5709; +1 (402) 626-7905.

Maureen O’Sullivan “When I saw what theDavis Program was able to do for my 9-year-oldson, taking him from a struggling reader to ahappy, independent child, I knew I had to studythe Davis Dyslexia Correction Program. I lookforward to facilitating many children and adultswho struggle just as our son did, helping themunlock the great potential each one of them holdsinside!” Learning Ability, 451 Botsford Street,Ste. 4A, Newmarket, Ontario, Canada.Info@learningability.org +1 (905) 853-3363; Fax: +1 (905) 830-9345.

Stuart Parsons is a qualified counselor andsocial worker with over 10 years of experienceworking with adults and children. 27 BradwellRoad, Lowton St. Lukes, NR Warrington,Cheshire, United Kingdom WA32PB.Spattno@blueyonder.co.uk +44 (07754) 534 740.

Kathy Pozzi “My personaljourney with dyslexia began withthe schooling of my youngest son.After years and many struggleswe discovered the DavisDyslexia Correction Program. Iwas so impressed with it, I felt

that there should be more facilitators, so morefamilies can have this wonderful opportunity. Iam excited to become part of a program that is sopositive and life changing. I plan to spread the“word” about Davis, so that other families won’thave to struggle, not knowing what to do.”Learning Perceptions, P.O. Box 1015, Ontario, OR97914, USA. kathy@learningperceptions.com,www.learningperceptions.com +1 (541) 881-6497; +1 (541) 473-3373.

Newly Licensed Davis FacilitatorsCongratulations to all the newest members of our growing

international community of Davis Program Providers!

Joanne Zietsch “I am ateacher trained in the primary,high and tertiary sectors, withover 30 years of experience,mainly in the area of learningassistance/special education. In2005, while working in theUnited Kingdom, I met a 21

year-old woman with such severe dyslexia that itwas impossible to meet her needs within the context of an adult literacy classroom. Frustratedby my inability to help her, I searched the internetfor inspiration and found The Gift of Dyslexia andThe Gift of Learning. In the two years it took tocomplete my training in the UK, I transformedfrom a teacher, into a facilitator–a world of difference. I located the young woman who wasthe catalyst for my initial quest, and she becamemy final case study client. Her transformation wasamazing! My husband and I have now returned toour home in Canberra, Australia and I look forwardto the challenge of introducing Davis to my hometown, as well as to spreading the word within our Australian Capital Territory EducationDept.” Act on Dyslexia, 1 Mair Place, CurtinACT, Australia. actondyslexia@bigpond.com +61 (02) 6282 1225.

Carma Sutherland “I lookforward to joining other DavisFacilitators in helping peoplerealize their potential with theDavis tools. I recently retiredafter over 30 years teaching inhigher education, so this will bea new and exciting career for

me. Standing Ovations for Learning will be thefirst center in Idaho to offer the Davis DyslexiaCorrection Program.” Standing Ovations forLearning, 56 Professional Plaza, Rexburg, ID83440 USA. carma@standingovationsidaho.com,www.standingovationsidaho.com +1 (208) 313-6907; +1 (208) 356-3944; Fax: +1(208) 356-3944.

Susan Smarjesse “I was aretired public school teacherwith 32 years of experience,working at a phonics-baseddyslexia center when my clientbrought me The Gift of Dyslexiaby Ronald Davis. He said,‘Read this! I’ve been a dyslexic

for 50 years and I know what I need. This is whatI should be doing. This will correct me!’ He was

PAGE 25THE DYSLEXIC READER

The Davis Facilitator TrainingProgram requires approximately 400hours of course work.

The Davis Specialist TrainingProgram requires extensive experienceproviding Davis programs and anadditional 260 hours of training.Specialists and Facilitators are subject toannual re-licensing based upon casereview and adherence to the DDAIStandards of Practice.

VirginiaDonna KouriMontpelier/Richmond+1 (804) 883-8867Angela OdomDLS Presenter-MentorMidlothian/Richmond+1 (804) 833-8858Jamie Worley Yorktown/Williamsburg +1 (757) 867-1164WashingtonAleta ClarkAuburn/Tacoma+1 (253) 854-9377Carol HernDLS Presenter-MentorSpokaneMary Ethel KelloggDLS Presenter-MentorSpokaneRebecca LueraFall City/Seattle+1 (800) 818-9056 (Toll-Free)+1 (425) 222-4163Nancy SittonMarysville +1 (360) 651-1241Renie Royce SmithSpokane & Everett+1-800-371-6028 (Toll-Free)+1 (509) 443-1737Ruth Ann YoungbergBellingham+1 (360) 752-5723West 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) 255-3900Anne MataczynskiWausau +1 (715) 551-7144� UruguayMarcela PiffarettiMontevideo+598 (02) 600-6326

�This Directory is current as ofApril 1, 2008. It is subject tochange. Between newsletterissues, new Facilitators are

added, and occasionally, somebecome inactive. However, the

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

Davis Training Programs

right. The Davis Dyslexia Correction Programexplains every symptom and its simplicity is puregenius. I grow with each client and can’t wait tosee what wonders the next one will bring. Whenmy first case study told his mother, ‘She’s the onlyone who understands me,’ I knew I had found anew home, a place to make my contribution. As aFacilitator I will offer this program at my office indowntown Springfield or travel where I’m needed.I am determined to change the now-popularphrase to No One Left Behind and give it realmeaning.” Reading Solutions of Central Illinois,920 S. Spring Street Ste. 2200, Springfield, IL62704, United States. susan@readingsolution.com,www.readingsolution.com. +1 (217) 789-Read (7323); +1 (217) 744-3905;Fax: +1 (217) 522-6650.

Colleen Morton “Life among the challengesof dyslexia prompted us to have our nine year-oldson experience a Davis Program. Afterwards, theWOW factor left me with no doubts that I wantedto begin the journey for myself. The program RonDavis has developed continues to excite me and I simply cannot wait to pass on to others thisknowledge. I feel very honored and privileged tobe a part of this international family and knowthat I will continue to grow with the wisdom myclients will give me. I am forever grateful to thosewho have supported, encouraged and believed inme: My extended family, The Matavra LicensingTrust, and my colleagues, Lorna Timms andCatherine Churton. Catherine, you are the reason

Carla Cynthia NiessenIt was early Sunday morning,

January 20, 2008, that our

dear friend peacefully slipped

from her slumbering body to

embrace the stars. (Carla was

a Davis Facilitator from 1999

to 2005.)

IN MEMORIAM

we grow into Davis Facilitators. Your profession-alism, encouragement and kind words during myjourney were valued. May the journey continue.Dyslexia Untangled. Waimea Highway, RD 6,Gore , 9776 New Zealand. +64 (03) 208 6308,dyslexia@kinnect.co.nz.

Maude Le Roux is anOccupational Therapist whoowns and directs a private practice in Glen Mills,Pennsylvania. She is excitedabout adding this very neededprogram to her practice and islooking forward to seeing morechildren and adults prosper

and grow! A Total Approach, 9 La Crue Avenue,Suite 103, Glen Mills, PA 19342 USA.maude@atotalapproach.com +1 (484) 840-1529; Fax: +1 (484) 840-1560.

Davis Learning Strategies Mentorsand Workshop Presenters areexperienced teachers and trainers with 2-3 years of specialized training andexperience mentoring classroomteachers of children 5-9 years of age.

For information about training and afull 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.

PAGE 26 THE DYSLEXIC READER

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 easilyfit 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 classroomimplementation suggestions.

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

Materials include:• Detailed Manual with suggested year-long guides, black-linemasters, 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. (Classroom materials 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 likedmost was how easily the Davisstrategies fit into many areas of Kindergarten curriculum. Itrelieved me of a paper-pencilapproach and gave me a hands-on,kinesthetic approach. It helpeddevelop 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 sense a pride in all the children. I believe allKindergarten children would benefit from Davis Learning Strategies.” –LB, Kindergarten Teacher, Mission San Jose Elementary School, Fremont, California

2008 DATES & LOCATIONSDate Location TelephoneUnited StatesJune 3 - 4 Amarillo, TX 1-806-790-7292June 9 - 10 Lubbock, TX 1-806-790-7292 June 9 - 10 Denver, CO 1-719-324-9256July 24 - 25 San Diego, CA 1-866-531-2446Aug. 5 - 6 Brookings, SD 1-605-692-1785Aug. 7 - 8 Denver, CO 1-719-324-9256Aug. 14 - 15 Eugene, OR 1-866-531-2446Sept. 25 - 26 Springfield, MA 1-866-531-2446Oct. 2 - 3 Tyler, TX 1-866-531-2446Oct. 6 - 7 Richmond, VA 1-804-833-8858Nov. 6 - 7 Tyler, TX 1-866-531-2446

NederlandSept. 5 - 6 Stroinkweg +31 (046) 4374907Sept. 19 - 20 Stroinkweg +31 (046) 4374907Oct. 10 - 11 Stroinkweg +31 (046) 4374907

SwitzerlandAug 7 - 8 Zurich +41 (061) 273 81 85Nov 8 - 9 Zurich +41 (061) 273 81 85

For more details, visit www.davislearn.com

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

2008 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

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

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

GERMANY2-5 October: HamburgPresenter: Ioannis TzivanikisLanguage: German/FrenchEmail: info@dyslexia.comTel: +49 (040) 25 17 86 22

MEXICO24-27 September: GuadalajaraPresenter: Cathy CalderónLanguage: SpanishEmail: spanish@dyslexia.comTel: +52 (81) 8335-9435

NEDERLAND3-6 September: Amersfoort Presenter: Ioannis Tzivanikis/Robin TempleLanguage: English/DutchEmail: nederland@dyslexia.comTel: +31 (0475) 301 277

UNITED KINGDOM17-20 May: Addington, KentPresenter: Richard WhiteheadLanguage: EnglishEmail: uk@dyslexia.comTel: +44 (0) 1227 732 288

UNITED STATES

14-17 July: Burlingame, CAPresenter: Gerry GrantLanguage: EnglishEmail: training@dyslexia.comTel: 1-888-805-7216 toll-free

8-11 October: Dallas, TXPresenter: Gerry GrantLanguage: EnglishEmail: training@dyslexia.comTel: 1-888-805-7216 toll-free

Continued on page 22

The Dys•lex •́ic Read •́er1601 Old Bayshore Highway, Suite 260Burlingame, CA 94010

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

PRESORTEDSTANDARDU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDBURLINGAME, CAPERMIT NO.14

~

DDA-PacificPO BOX 46023Herne BayAuckland, New ZealandPhone: +64 (09) 815-8626Fax: +64 (09) 815-8627E-mail: pacific@dyslexia.com

DDA-Israel20 Ha’shahafim St.Ra’anana 43724 ISRAELTel: 972 (0523) 693 384 or (0)9 774 7979Fax: 972 (09) 772-9889E-mail: Israel@dyslexia.com

DDA-DACHDeutschland-Austria-SwitzerlandWandsbecker Chausee 132D-22089 Hamburg GERMANYTel: 49 (040) 25 17 86 22 Fax: 49 (040) 25 17 86 24E-mail: germany@dyslexia.comSWITZERLANDTel: 41 (061) 273 81 85E-MAIL: ch@dyslexia.com

DDA- Latin AmericaCalzada del Valle #400 Local 8Colonia del ValleGarza García, Monterrey Nuevo LeónMÉXICO, CP 66220Tel: 52 (81) 8335-9435Email: spanish@dyslexia.com

DDA-NederlandKerkweg 38a 6105 CG Maria Hoop, NEDERLANDTel: 31 (0475) 302 203 Fax: 31 (0475) 301 381E-mail: holland@dyslexia.com

DDA-UKDavis Learning FoundationPO Box 972CanterburyKent CT1 9DNTel: +44 (0)1227 732 288Fax: +44 (0)1227 731 756E-mail: uk@dyslexia.com

DDAI-Int’l, Canada & USA1601 Bayshore Highway, Ste 260Burlingame, CA 94010Tel: 1-888-805-7216 Fax: 1 (650) 692-7075E-mail: ddai@dyslexia.com

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 improving

reading, spelling, and motor coordination into a teaching,home school, tutoring, or therapeutic setting.

See page 27 for more workshop details.

Enrollment limited ❖ Classes fill Early ❖ 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

17 - 20 May Addington, Kent UK

14 - 17 July Burlingame, CA USA

3 - 6 Sept. Amersfoort Nederland

24 - 27 Sept. Guadalajara Mexico

2 - 5 Oct. Hamburg Germany

8 - 11 Oct. Dallas, TX USA

2008 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