by David Elkind,Professor of Child Development at Tufts

University and the author of ReinventingChildhood and The Hurried Child

In one sentence, Froebel, father ofthe kindergarten, expressed theessence of early childhoodeducation. Children are not bornknowing the difference between redand green, sweet and sour, roughand smooth, cold and hot, or any ofthe other myriad of physicalsensations. The natural world is theinfant's and young child's first

curriculum, and it can only belearned by direct interaction withthings. There is no way a youngchild can learn the differencebetween sweet and sour, rough and

smooth, hot and cold withouttasting, touching or feelingsomething. Learning about the worldof things, and all their various

properties is a time consumingprocess that cannot be hurried.

This view of early childhoodeducation has been echoed by all ofthe giants of early childhooddevelopment: Froebel, Montessori,Steiner, Piaget and Vygotsky. It is

supported by developmentaltheory which demonstrates that

the logical structure of readingand math require syllogisticreasoning abilities on the part of thechild. Given that most youngchildren do not attain this form ofreasoning until the age of five or six,it makes little sense to introduce

Vol. 32 Davis Dyslexia Association International Issue 3 • 2003

Dys lex ic Read er• •́ •́~The

continued on page 4

Much Too Early

News & Feature Articles:

Regular Features:

In This Issueby David Elkind

The educators who establishedearly childhood as a legitimate agefor guided learning, were also

quite explicit as to the nature ofearly instruction. They allemphasized the importance ofmanipulative experiences forinfants and young children, andthe dangers of their too earlyintroduction to the world ofsymbols. Frederich Froebel, MariaMontessori and Rudoph Steiner allcreated rich, hands-on materialsfor children to explore andconceptualize. Each of themacknowledged, in his or her ownway, that the capacity todiscriminate precedes the capacityto label, and that the understandingof quality precedes that ofquantity. For example, children

“Children must master the languageof things before they master thelanguage of words.”

—Friedrich Froebel, Pedagogicsof the Kindergarten, 1895

The Giants of Early Childhood Development

Maria Montessori continued on page 4

Congratulations to Alanand his happy Mom!(posted by Robin at www.dyslexiatalk.com)

I AM AMAZED! We have been a"Davis" household for two monthsnow. Slowly the homework battle isgoing away. It has gotten so goodlately. I have even been able to letAlan do his homework after suppersome nights. YEA!!!

Last night I went upstairs and caughtAlan with his bedroom light on. Iexpected him to be playing hisGameboy or playing Legos. HEWAS READING! He had read 20pages of the book we were readingbefore bed all by himself. Today hetook it to school. He came off thebus with it in his hands and wasreading it as he walked up the driveway. I NEVER thought I would seethis day!!!!

PAGE 2 THE DYSLEXIC READER

is published quarterly by Davis Dyslexia Association International (DDAI), 1601 Bayshore Hwy., Suite245, Burlingame, CA 94010 USA +1(650) 692-7141. are to increase worldwide awareness about the positiveaspects of dyslexia and related learning styles; and to present methods for improving literacy, education and academicsuccess. We believe that all people’s abilities and talents should be recognized and valued, and that learning problems can becorrected. Alice Davis, Abigail Marshall, Maria Fagioli and Dee White. Julia Gaskill.

one year $25 in US, add $5 in Canada; add $10 elsewhere. send $8.00 to DDAI.We welcome letters, comments and articles. Mail to DDAI at the above address.

+1(650) 692-7075 editor@dyslexia.com http://www.dyslexia.com/The opinions and views expressed in articles and letters are not necessarily those of DDAI. Davis Dyslexia Correction®, DavisSymbol Mastery®, Davis Orientation Counseling®, and Davis Learning Strategies® are registered trademarks of Ronald D. Davis.Copyright © 1999 by DDAI, unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved.

Copyright 1996 Randy Glasbergen. www.glasergen.com

IN THE MAIL

A motherwas

showing herson how tozip up hiscoat. "Thesecret," shesaid, "is toget the leftpart of thezipper to fitin the otherside beforeyou try tozip it up."The boylooked atherquizzically:

"Why does it haveto be a secret?"

PAGE 3 THE DYSLEXIC READER

When it was released in 1994, TheGift of Dyslexia spawned agrassroots movement that has spreadaround the world. It has beentranslated into every major Westernlanguage, plus others like Croatian,Swedish, Hebrew and Japanese.Nearly 300 certified DavisFacilitators now offer DavisPrograms in 27 countries in 18languages.

The sequel to The Gift of Dyslexia isscheduled to appear in USA andCanadian bookstores around August5, 2003. The new book expands theDavis Methods with theories andcorrection procedures that addressthe three basic areas of learningdisability other than reading. TheGift of Learning is authored byRonald D. Davis with Eldon M.Braun, and published in the UnitedStates and Canada by PenguinPutnam under its Perigee Booksimprint.

The other two R’s and the AThe Gift of Dyslexia covered theDavis Correction Procedures forReading in detail, but only touchedon ‘Rithmetic, ‘Riting and Attentionproblems. The Gift of Learningfocuses on proven methods forcorrecting the other three basiclearning difficulties children andadults experience. Disorientation inone form or another is still seen as amajor factor that prevents studentsfrom learning efficiently.

Orientation for EverybodyThe Orientation CounselingProcedure from The Gift of Dyslexiais repeated pretty much verbatim inthe new book. An alternateprocedure called Alignment is addedfor use by students who learn betterkinesthetically, or who are youngerthan seven or eight. It’s the same asthe “Focusing” exercise used for K-3students in classrooms as part of the

Davis Learning Strategiesprogram.

Motivation & ResponsibilityThe main prerequisite forsuccess with the DavisMethods is a willingness toparticipate. The student mustwant a meaningfulimprovement in life skills. Inthe new book, Ron discusseshow to uncover an individual’sown perception of the problemand offer the “carrot” of apotential solution that willinstill motivation.

Solving ADD and ADHDThe Davis Methods haveproduced dramaticimprovements in attentionspan, behavior, and studyskills without the use of drugs.Ron discusses how disorientationaffects both the “hyper” and“daydreamer” varieties of ADD. TheEnergy Dial exercise is presented asa way students can adjust theirenergy levels to different situations.

Math: Numbers vs. NumeralsThis difference is explained as a linkbetween reading dyslexia and mathproblems (dyscalculia). A studentcan easily see that there are four ofsomething (a number), but doesn’tautomatically make the connectionwith the symbol 4 (a single numeral).The new book presents twentyexercises, mostly done with claymodels, that allow a student to learnmath in real world terms. Thennumerical symbols and arithmeticfunctions are introduced one at atime until the student learns to workout problems symbolically usingpencil and paper.

Legible Handwriting: DysgraphiaRon discusses various possiblecauses for illegible handwriting andpresents procedures to correct most

of them once the student is able toachieve orientation easily. Besidespencil and paper, the exercises useclay models, “giant” writing onposter paper with a marker, andtracing paper to copy handwritingmodels.

Parents and teachers who have beenworking with students using thetechniques from The Gift of Dyslexiawill find that this new book providesadditional exercises they can use toimprove basic learning skills otherthan reading.

Special offer on pre-publicationorders:DDAI has ordered 1,000 copies ofThe Gift of Learning for sale by ourbookstore. If you pre-order beforeAugust 1, 2003, a 10% discount willbe applied. The cost of the new bookis the same as the first one:US$14.95. Membership discountsand standard quantity discounts forFacilitators also apply. To order, call1-888-999-3324 or visit thewww.dyslexia.com bookstore.

Announcing The Gift of Learning—Ron Davis’ new book addresses the“other faces” of Dyslexia

The Gift of Learningby Ronald D. Davis with Eldon M. Braun

Perigee Books / $14.95 / ISBN: 0-399-52809-1

PAGE 4 THE DYSLEXIC READER

Australia

Brenda Gayle BairdBrisbane+61 (07) 3341 3471

Sally BeulkeVictoria+61 (03) 5727 3517

Catherine ChurtonDDA-Australia DirectorSupervisor-SpecialistSydney+61 (0421) 252 518

Jan GormanEastwood/Sydney+61 (02) 9874 7498

Naren HoosonSydney+61 (02) 9801 1917

Linda HoubenSydney+61 (02) 9948 4307

John ReillyBerala/Sydney+61 (02) 9649 4299

Austria

Annette DietrichWien+43 (01) 888 90 25

Gabriele KlugBaden+43 (2252) 214 56

Christa SalcherWien+43 (01) 888 61 44

Bahrain

Sameera Sadiq Al BaharnaManama+973 555 201

Bolivia

Maria OrmacheaLa Paz+591 (02) 792 945

Brazil

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

InternationalDavis Dyslexia

Correction®Providers

The Davis DyslexiaCorrection program is

now available from morethan 300 Facilitators

around the world. Forupdates, call:

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

formal instruction in reading and mathuntil then. This theory is given weight bya number of longitudinal studies whichshow that children who have been enrolledin early academic programs eventuallylose whatever gains they made incomparison to control groups.

Yet, in the United States, there is agrowing call for early-childhood educatorsto engage in the academic training ofyoung children. This began with the fearsand space race sparked by the SovietUnion's launching of Sputnik in 1957. Thecivil rights movement and the growingpublic awareness of our educationalsystem's inequality led to the creation ofHead Start, a program aimed at preparingyoung disadvantaged children for school.Although Head Start is an important andvaluable program, it gave rise to thepernicious belief that education is a race-the earlier you start, the earlier you finish.This encouraged educators like CarlBereiter, Siegfried Engelmann, and, morerecently, E. D. Hirschto introduce earlyacademic programsbased on the learningtheories of E. L.Thorndike and B. F.Skinner. These writersassume that learningfollows the sameprinciples at all age levels. They ignoreboth children's developing mental abilitiesand the fact that academic skills vary intheir logical complexity and difficulty.

Concerns over our educational system,fueled by our students' poor performancein international comparisons ofachievement, have reinvigorated the callfor early academic instruction as a remedyfor inadequate teaching later on. All toomany kindergarten teachers are underpressure to teach their children numbersand letters and to administer standardizedtests. In some kindergartens, children areeven given homework in addition to thework sheets they must fill out during classtime. In a developmentally appropriateclassroom, children are busy taking care ofplants and animals, experimenting withsand and water, drawing and painting,listening to songs and stories, andengaging in dramatic play. It is hard tobelieve that these young children learnmore from work sheets than they do from

engaging in these age-appropriateactivities.

In the end, there is no solid researchdemonstrating that early academic trainingis superior to (or worse than) the moretraditional, hands-on model of earlyeducation. Why take the risky step ofengaging in formal academic training ofthe young when we already know whatworks?

Why, in the face of our knowledgeabout what is good education for youngchildren, do we persist in miseducatingchildren, in putting them at risk for nopurpose? The short answer is that earlychildhood education is not about youngchildren. It is about parents anxious togive their children an edge in what theyregard as an increasingly competitive andglobal economy. It is about the motivationdraining poverty that keeps so manychildren from learning in a sociallyforeign, middle-class, environment. It isabout politicians who advocateaccountability, standards and testing towin votes as much or more than toimprove the schools. And it is about the

miserable salaries andconsequent high turnoverthat is the rule amongearly childhood workers.

While bypassing whatwe know is goodpedagogy for children isdeplorable at any step inthe educational ladder, it

is particularly pernicious at the earlychildhood level. It is during the earlyyears, ages four to seven, when children'sbasic attitudes towards themselves,towards learning and towards school areestablished. Children who leave theseformative years feeling badly aboutthemselves as a learner, with an aversionto learning and a dislike of school, willnever fully realize their latent abilities andtalents. In contrast, children who comethrough this period feeling good aboutthemselves, enjoying learning and likingschool, will have a lasting appetite for theacquisition of skills and knowledge.

If we want all of our children to be thebest that they can be, we have to recognizethat education is about them, not about us.When we do that, we will give youngchildren and their parents thedevelopmentally appropriate, quality,affordable and accessible early childhoodeducation they both need and deserve.

MuchToo Early. . .continued from page 1

“Head Start gave rise tothe pernicious belief thateducation is a race—andthat the earlier you start,

the earlier you finish.”

PAGE 5 THE DYSLEXIC READER

Canada

Wayne Aadelstone-HasselNorth Vancouver1 (604) 988-7680

Rocky Point AcademyStacey Borger-SmithLawrence Smith, Jr.Calgary1 (866) 685-0067 (Toll-Free)1 (403) 685-0067

Darlene BrownSmithers/Prince Rupert1 (250) 847-3463

Paddy CarsonEdmonton/Alberta(780) 489-6225

Sher GoerzenBritish Columbia+1 (604) 290-5063

Gerry GrantSupervisor-SpecialistFundamentals WorkshopPresenterWaterloo/Toronto1 (800) 981-6433 (Toll-Free) 1 (519) 221-8484

Sue HallWest Vancouver1 (604) 921-1084

D'vorah HoffmanToronto1 (416) 398-6779

Jeri McLeodCalgary1 (403) 503-0108

Catherine SmithOakville/Toronto1 (905) 844-4144

Wayman E. (Wes) SoleLondon/Toronto/Detroit1 (519) 472-1255

Kim J. Willson-RymerOakville/Toronto1 (905) 825-3153

ChinaCarrie CheungHong Kong+852 90 111 736

FranceDominique BlaessLe Pecq/Paris+33 (01) 39 76 12 61

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

Valentine Galliot-AppiaAubergenville/Paris+33 (01) 30 99 53 59

Carol Nelson-PollardParis+33 (01) 46 51 72 63

Odile PugetGex/Geneva+33 (0450) 41 82 67

learn to discriminate among different colorsbefore they can distinguish different shadesof the same color.

It would be wrong, however, to suggestthat founders of age-appropriate practicewere of one mind. They disagreed on suchmatters as the teacher's role in guidingyoung children's learning and thecomparative benefits of individual versuscollaborative learning.

Froebel believed that introducingchildren to different manipulative materials(which he called "gifts"), such as a woodenball, a square, and a diamond, would teachyoung children not only geometric shapesbut alsoabstractconcepts ofunity andharmony.Montessori, bycontrast,doubtedwhetherchildren wouldlearn abstractconcepts byusingmanipulativematerials. Shedid argue thatthere werecritical periodsin development during which children hadto exercise their sensory-motor abilities ifthey were to fully realize them. Montessoriregarded children's exercise of their sensoryabilities, and indeed of all their activities,as preparation for adult life. Froebel sawplay as a valuable mode of learning foryoung children; to Montessori it wasfrivolous and should be the child's work.For example, she wrote that children wouldbe better served if they used theirimaginations to fantasize about real foreigncountries rather than fairytale kingdoms.

Steiner, founder of the Waldorf schools,believed that education should be holistic.In Waldorf schools, handicrafts, the arts,and music are integral parts of thecurriculum. Children are asked to write andillustrate their own textbooks in science,history, and social studies. Whereas Froebeland Montessori focused on having childrenlearn from their own individual activity,Steiner's activities were more social andcollaborative.

Jean Piaget, while not supporting any

particular early-education program, arguedthat children learn primarily from their ownspontaneous exploration of things and asubsequent reflective abstraction fromthose activities. This is an indirectargument for the importance ofmanipulative materials in early-childhoodeducation.

Lev Vygotsky, while also believing thatmuch of intellectual growth wasspontaneous, nonetheless proposed thatchildren could not fully realize theirabilities without the help of adults. Heargued that there was a zone of proximatedevelopment that could be attained onlywith guidance and modeling by adults.Vygotsky emphasized the teacher's rolemuch more than other writers, who

entrusted muchof youngchildren'slearning to thechildrenthemselves.Contemporaryearly childhoodeducators alsodisagree on theteacher's role inthe learningprocess andcontinue todebate what

constitutes themost effectivecurriculum for

young children.What unites them, and sets them apart

from those who would make early-childhood education a one-size-smaller firstor second grade, is their commitment tobuilding early-childhood practice on theirobservations of young children. Put a bitdifferently, the giants of early childhooddevelopment and their followers agree thatearly education must start with the child,not with the subject matter to be taught.

The guiding principle of early-childhoodeducation is the matching of curriculumand instruction to the child's developingabilities, needs, and interests. This principleis broadly accepted and advocated by mostearly-childhood educators. The NationalAssociation for the Education of YoungChildren (NAEYC) has issued a policystatement entitled "DevelopmentallyAppropriate Practice in Early-ChildhoodPrograms." The NAEYC now evaluates andcertifies early-childhood programs thatmeet its criteria for developmentalappropriateness.

The Giants . . .continued from page 1

Frederich Froebel Rudoph Steiner

PAGE 6 THE DYSLEXIC READER

Germany/Deutschland

Liesbeth Berger-LamingStuttgart-Vaihingen+49 (0711) 782 3115

Andrea FleckensteinWitzenhausen+49 (05542) 91 16 07

Cornelia GarbeBerlin+49 030 61 65 91 25

Margit GeussWessobrunn/München+49 (08809) 163034

Matthias GradenwitzFrankfurt am Main+49 (069) 94 94 58 85

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

Wibke HachmannFreiburg +49 (0761) 13 78 288

Das Legasthenie InstitutSonja HeinrichSupervisor-SpecialistDLS Workshop PresenterDDA-Deutschland DirectorIoannis TzivanakisSpecialist TrainerWorkshop PresenterDDA-Deutschland DirectorWilfried BährHamburg+49 (040) 25 17 86 23

Christine JacobLörrach+49 (07621) 134 60

Wiebke JanssenBad Nauheim+49 (06032) 817 01

Doris Karl-AkovaBremen+49 (0421) 713 30

Rainer KnoblochLeinburg/OrtsteilDiepersdorf +49 (09120) 18 14 84

Inge Koch-GassmannBuggingen+49 (07631) 23 29

Angelika KohnSteinheim-Kleinbottwar+49 (07148) 66 08

Marianne KranzerKönigsfeld+49 (07725) 72 26

Gundula PatzlaffStuttgart+49 (0711) 23 64 86 0

Barbel PreussMunchen+49 (089) 69 38 03 92

by David Elkind

Those who advocate early academicinstruction, appear to make a fundamentalerror. They fail to recognize that there aredifferent levels of math and readingattainment. Learning to name numbers andletters is far different from learning toperform mathematical operations and toread with understanding. This is easy todemonstrate. We have had Sesame Streeton TV for more than thirty years. Childrentoday know their numbers and lettersearlier than ever before. Many know themby age two. Yet children today are notlearning math or reading any earlier or anybetter than children did before there wasSesame Street. Learning the names ofnumbers and letters is only the firststep in the attainment of truenumerical understanding andreading comprehension.

Take the concept ofnumbers. There are threelevels of numericalunderstanding, nominal,ordinal and interval.Nominal understanding isthe use of a number as a name,such as those on a football or baseballuniform. Children by the age of two orthree can use numbers in the nominalsense. By the age of four or five, childrencan begin to use ordinal numbers (first-second, smallest-biggest, shortest-tallest);they can order things according toquantitative differences. At this agechildren can arrange a series of size-gradedblocks, or sticks, from the smallest to thelargest. Once the arrangement is complete,however, they are not able to insert a new,intermediate sized element, into theperceptual array.

It is only at six or seven, when childrenhave attained what Piaget calls “concreteoperations,” that children can construct aconcept of a “unit,” the basis for theunderstanding of interval numbers.Mathematical operations can only beperformed on numbers that represent equalintervals, or units. The interval concept ofnumbers is an intellectual construction. Itbuilds upon the child’s experiences of bothclassifying and seriating concrete materials.Classification helps the child to understandquantitative sameness, while seriation helpshim or her appreciate quantitativedifference. At a certain point, with the aidof concrete operations, the child is able tobring these two concepts, of quantitative

sameness and difference, together into thehigher order concept of a unit. Learning thenames of numbers, and rote counting, isless important in this attainment than ispractice in classifying and seriating manydifferent materials.

A similar analysis can be made withrespect to reading even though it is in somerespects a more complex process thatinvolves auditory and visual discriminationas well as cognitive construction.Nonetheless, the principle is the same.

The earliest level of reading is therecognition of sight words. A two or three-year-old child may learn “stop” and “go” inpart by the perceptual configuration of thesymbols and in part by the colors

associated with these words. Sightwords are like nominal numbers,they reflect a very early level ofreading achievement. A second

level of reading is phonetic andcorresponds roughly toordinal numbers. Children atfour or five can learn thesounds for single letters andare able to read words like

hat, cat sat and so on. The very same child who can

read phonetically, however, may not be ableto read phonemically. To read phonemicallythe child must be able to recognize that oneand the same letter can be pronounceddifferently depending upon the context. Achild who can read; hat, cat, sat, may stillhave trouble with ate, gate, and late.Likewise a child who may know “pin” mayhave trouble with “spin” because itinvolves a blend of consonants. Here again,concrete operations are required for thishighest level of reading.

The problem, then, of most earlychildhood academic instruction is thefailure to appreciate that math and readingare complex skills that are acquired instages related to age. Equally important isthe appreciation that young children’sintellectual abilities mature at differentrates and that chronological age is not agood measure of cognitive ability. It isimportant, therefore, not to confuse earlystages of math and reading, knowingnumber and letter names, with the laterstages which require logical abilities.Children will acquire these skills moreeasily and more soundly, if they are taughtin accordance with the developmentalsequence that parallels their cognitivedevelopment.

The Logical Structure of Learning Reading & Math

PAGE 7 THE DYSLEXIC READER

Germany/Deutschland(cont.)

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

Colette ReimannLandshut+49 (0871) 770 994

Ursula RittlerStuttgart+49 (0711) 47 18 50

Petra SaegerStorkow / Berlin+49 (03987) 15 21 06

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

Marietta TiebenHaren+49 (05934) 70 47 37

Magdalena Vogel-EichertBonn+49 (0228) 689 69 70

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

Gisela WedemeyerHameln/Hannover+49 (05151) 647 85

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

Susanne WildPaar+49 (08205) 959 08 28

Christine WuschWuppertal+49 (0202) 80 230

Anna Henia ZawidowskiFeldgeding bei München+49 (08131) 853 03

Angelika ZellerBichl+49 (08857) 91 68

Ireland

Sister Antoinette KeelanDublin+353 (01) 884 4996

Indonesia

Elizabeth MartinJakarta+62 21 769 4845

Israel

Etya CheslerKochav-Yair+972 (53) 561 155

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

by David Elkind

At the outset, it must be admitted thathard data on the efficacy of one oranother type of early childhood educationprogram is hard to come by. Thedifficulty stems from the fact thateducation is a chaotic process. Every timea class meets the children and teacher aredifferent, thanks to the interveningexperiences each one has had. Putdifferently, every classroom meeting is anon-replicable experiment. Our researchtools, however, are borrowed from thephysical sciences whereregularity, rather thanchaos, reigns. In physicsand chemistry it ispossible to control most,if not all of the variablesin play. In education, thisis almost impossible.

Comparisons betweenclassrooms following differenteducational philosophies will vary inmany other ways as well. The teachersmay vary in skill and experience as wellas in personality. In addition, it is almostimpossible to match two groups ofchildren. A reliable match would requirecomparable families, a condition which isdifficult, if not impossible, to satisfy. Theinstruments used for assessment, whetherobservations or tests, are less reliable andvalid at the early childhood levels than atlater ages. This does not mean thatmeaningful research cannot, or has notbeen done. It just means that we mayhave to be more innovative in designingeducational studies than we have been.The physical science paradigm, thatpresupposes regularity and replicability, issimply not appropriate to the study ofclassrooms.

Despite the difficulties, longitudinalstudies of educational outcomes providesome of our most meaningful evidence ofeducational effects. If consistent effectsare found over long periods of time, anddespite all the variables in play, thissuggest a hardy outcome.

In an analysis of ten independentlyconducted, and variously sponsored,longitudinal studies of the effects ofearly-childhood education for poor and

at-risk children, High Scope EducationalResearch Foundation scholar Lawrence J.Schweinhart and his colleagues found thatchildren who attended preschoolperformed significantly betterintellectually, at least during the programand shortly thereafter. In some, but not allof the studies, significantly fewer childrenwho attended preschool were classified asdisabled and placed in special-educationclasses. Likewise, in some but not all ofthe studies, children who attendedpreschool had higher rates of high-schoolcompletion.

These earlyintervention studies giveclear evidence that earlychildhood education, inmost cases of thedevelopmentallyappropriate kind, hadlasting effects upon thelives of the children who

participated. It is not clear, however,whether similar results would be attainedhad advantaged children been thesubjects. Consider an analogy. If you takechildren who are significantly below thenorm and feed them a full calorienutritious diet, they will make remarkableprogress until they reach the norm. Onthe other hand, if you put well nourishedchildren on a similar regime, there will befew if any effects. It is a base rate issue.If you start at a low base rate, you havemore room for improvement than if youstart at the norm.

Studies of non-poverty children indifferent types of preschool are simplynot definitive, but suggestive. One studyby Hirsh-Pasek and Cone comparedchildren who had attended an academicpreschool with those who had attended adevelopmentally appropriate program.Although there were no academicdifferences between the groups, thechildren attending the academic programwere more anxious and had lower selfesteem. These results diminished after thechildren began to attend public school.

An older study, was carried out byCarelton Washburn, the famed EvanstonIllinois educator. He introduced differentclasses of children to reading at differentgrade levels from kindergarten to second

Early Childhood Education Research:Developmental or Academic

“Every classroommeeting is a

non-replicableexperiment.”

PAGE 8 THE DYSLEXIC READER

Israel (cont.)

Eve ResnikKfar Saba / Tel Aviv+972 (09) 766 2140

Edith RotenbergOranit+972 (3) 936 9268 or (52) 569 923

Judith SchwarczDDA - Israel DirectorRa'anana / Tel Aviv+972 (09) 772 9888

Italy

Elisa De FeliceRoma+39 (06) 507 3570

Dr. Raffaella ZingerleCorvara In Badia+39 (0471) 83 68 71

Japan

Helen Brittle-MatsukiTokyo+81 (03) 3795 5997

Rita Von BonOkinawa+81 98-936-9144

Lebanon

Samar Riad SaabBeirut+961 3 700 206

MalaysiaHilary CraigKuala Lumpur+603 2096 1342

Mexico

Sandra Cecilia GorozpeBarbaraQuerétaro+52 (01442) 220 52 48

Las Palmas Counseling CtrSilvia Arana GarciaCathy Calderón de la BarcaSofía Flores Gabriela MeléndezZagacetaOscar Modesto RamírezRocío Palma ContrerasKatia Villafuerte CardonaMéxico D.F.+52 (55) 5202 7913

La Puerta de las LetrasMaría Silvia Flores SalinasSupervisor-SpecialistDLS Workshop PresenterAlejandra Garcia MedinaDLS Workshop PresenterGraciela Trevino GonzalezOlga Zambrano de CarrilloDDA - Mexico DirectorGarza García, Monterrey+52 (81) 8335 9435

Laura LammogliaTampico, Tamaulipas +52 (833) 213 4126

grade. The children who were introducedto reading at these three levels were thenretested when they were in junior highschool. They were assessed by raters whodid not know at what grade level readinginstruction had commenced. WhatWashburn found was there was littledifference between the level of readingachievement among the groups. Thechildren who had been introduced toreading late, however, were moremotivated and spontaneous readers thanthose who had begun early. Similarfindings were reported in the PlowdenReport in England which comparedchildren from the informal schools ofrural areas with children who attended themore formal schools of urban centers.

Studies of early readers who are able toread phonemically on enteringkindergarten, give similar results. In theUnited States and Canada, only about 3 to5 percent of children read early. In ourstudies of such children we found thatmost of them had IQ's of 120 or betterand were at Piaget's stage of concrete

operations. In addition, almost all of themhad a parent or relative who took aspecial interest in them. These adults readto them, took them to the library andtalked about books with them. In order tolearn to read early in life, children needthe requisite mental abilities, but theyalso benefit from the motivation thatdevelops from rich exposure to languageand books, and the special attention of awarm and caring adult.

Evidence attesting to the importance ofdevelopmentally appropriate education inthe early years also comes from crosscultural studies. Jerome Bruner reportsthat in French-speaking parts ofSwitzerland, where reading instruction isbegun at the preschool level, there is alarge percentage of children with readingproblems. In German-speaking parts ofSwitzerland, where reading is not taughtuntil ages six or seven, there are fewreading problems. In Denmark, wherereading is taught late there is almost noilliteracy. Likewise in Russia, where theliteracy rate is high, reading is not taughtuntil the age of six or seven. The benefitsof early academic instruction is thus notsupported by cross cultural data.

Developmental or Academic. . .continued from page 7

Dyslexia is.....SwIrLiNg ToRnAdOeS oN tHe PaGe

A dIzZyInG cArOuSeL oF wOrDs.NoNsEnSe AnD MaYhEm

CrEaTiNg A dAgGeR iN mY hEaD.A tOrMeNtInG sToRm In My StOmAcH,

ThE rEsUlT oF mAn'S cHaOtIc AtTeMpTsAt CoMmUnIcAtIoN.

JeLlO rUlEs Of PhOnIcS, RiGiD fLoWiNg WaTeR.

NiGhTmArE dAyS iN sChOlAsTiC pRiSoN.A cOnSpIrAcY aGaInSt AlL wHo

MaRcH tO tHe BeAt Of A dIfFeReNt DrUm.

by Katie Gilley, age 12

PAGE 9 THE DYSLEXIC READER

Mexico (cont.)

Lucero PalafoxVeracruz+52 (022) 99 351302

Susana Palafox Naucalpan, Edo. de Mexico +52 (55) 5251-3037

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

Netherlands

Kees BlankendaalWijk bij Duutstede+31 (06) 1460 6863

Ineke BlomDorpstraat+31 20 436-1484

Lot BlomUtrecht+31 (030) 271 0005

Hester BrouwerGroningen+31 (050) 52 61 146

Lieneke CharpentierNieuwegein+31 (030) 60 41 539

Monique CommandeurUithoorn+31 (0297) 56 88 50

Mine de RanitzDriebergen+31 (0343) 521 348

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

Jan GubbelsMaastricht

Judith HolzapfelUtrecht+31 (030) 271 2814

Will HuntjensHorn+31 (0475) 589 238

Helen KapteinMiddleburg+31 118 64 37 73

Carry KulingHeemstede+31 (0235) 287 782

Drs. Marianne KusterAlkmaar+31 (072) 51 24 301

Edith Kweekel-GöldiSoest+31 (035) 601 0611

Imelda LamakerHilversum+31 (035) 621 7309

by Linda Johannes,New Hope Learning Centers’

Administrative Assistant

How many times have you heardphrases like, “Anything worth doing isworth doing right,” or “If at first you don’tsucceed, try, try again?” Meant as wordsof encouragement, they are ofteninterpreted as empty clichés used tofrustrate people. But whether heard asencouragements or clichés, they areprinciples that apply all too well toindividuals who have completed the DavisDyslexia Correction® Program.Perseverance IS the key. This is notsomething people normally like to hear. Iknow I would prefer to eat donuts and icecream and never have to step foot into agym again, but then reality must set in or abulging tummy will. The choice is mine.

With this in mind, let me share some ofthe New Hope Learning Center’s clientstories of success and perseverance. I hopethey will warm your heart and encourageyour spirit.

Kirsten – Completed the DavisDyslexia Correction® Program inNovember of 2001 at the age of 11. Momsays they use the clay all the time for herhomework. “It really helps Kirsten ‘get it’,especially when she is working on scienceand chemistry.” They have completed halfof the trigger words, even though it issometimes difficult with all the homeworkKirsten gets. When Kirsten seemsconfused about something Mom checks tomake sure she is on point and using hertools. At school, she is still in the specialeducation class, but the school told Momif she were a new student, Kirsten would

not qualify for the program. Kirsten is alsothe best reader in that program and has theoption to modify her homework, but haschosen not to do that. She is enjoyingschool and reading more, too. Kirsten hasbeen making some great choices thatpositively affect her life both today andfor the future. Great job, Kirsten!

Max – Completed the Davis DyslexiaCorrection Program in August 2001 at theage of 9. As a homeschooler, Max had theadvantage of making the follow-up workpart of his everyday routine. However, thatdidn’t mean he didn’t have to work hard.Max and Mom went right to it andcompleted half of his trigger words within6 months. He began to enjoy reading andwas handling chapter books with ease.Mom now uses the clay to help Maxmaster anything he is trying to learn andshe says that it makes all the difference inthe world. Max had struggled in the pastwith reading the children’s menu atrestaurants, but it’s not a problem for Maxanymore. Mom is always amazed thatwhen she works with Max how muchdifference the Davis methods make in hislearning. No matter how hard some dayshave been, Mom wouldn’t trade all thetime they’ve spent for the anything in theworld!

Kirsten and Max: Each is tempered bytheir own academic and life experiencesand in spite of individual adversity revealto all of us the many faces ofperseverance. New Hope Learning Centersand the Davis Dyslexia Correction®

Program may be bringing new hope to thedyslexic learner, but these perseveringdyslexics are bringing new hope toeveryone they encounter.

Perseverance is the key!!!

Improve Children's Reading Skills and Creative Talents

Designed Especially for K-3Teachers and Parents of

Children Ages 5-8Each Kit includes:• Sturdy Nylon Briefcase• Reusable Modeling Clay (2 lbs.)• Kindergarten & Grade One Manual or Grades Two

& Three Manual• Webster's Children's Dictionary (Hardcover) • Checking Your Grammar (Softcover) • Punctuation Marks & Styles Booklet• Two Koosh Balls• Letter Recognition Cards• Laminated Alphabet Strip (upper & lower case)• Stop Signs for Reading Chart

What is different in each Kit is the Manual. Theseinclude suggested curriculum, lesson plans, andactivities appropriate for each grade level and age.Teachers or home-schooling parents who teach multiplegrade level students may purchase a combination kit,containing both Manuals for $149.90. Previouspurchasers of the Davis Symbol Mastery Kit maypurchase either Manual separately for $29.95 each.

Recommended materials for classroomimplementation:• One Kit per teacher or aide• Four Koosh Balls per Classroom• Six Letter Recognition Card sets per classroom• One Alphabet Strip per student• Six Punctuation & Styles Booklets per Classroom• Six Dictionaries per Classroom• One Pound of modeling clay per student

ORDER FORMQty Item Price in US Dollars

Davis Learning Strategies® Teacher Kit__ K-1 __ Grades 2-3 (Check one) $119.95Davis Learning Strategies® Teacher Kit withboth Manuals $149.90Davis Learning Strategies® K-1 Teacher Kit Manual (sold separately only to previous purchasers of a full Teacher Kit or Davis Symbol Mastery Kit) $29.95Davis Learning Strategies® Grades 2-3 Teacher Kit Manual (sold separately only to previous purchasersof a full Teacher Kit or Davis Symbol Mastery Kit) $29.95Alphabet Strip $7.95Punctuation & Styles Booklet $9.95Letter Recognition Cards $9.95Pronunciation Key Cards $12.95Symbol Mastery Procedure Chart $1.95Stop Signs for Reading Chart $1.95Koosh Balls (2) $11.00Clay - 2 pounds $8.00Webster’s Children’s Dictionary (Hardcover) $16.95Checking Your Grammar (Softcover) $6.95DDAI Membership $50/year US$60/year non-US

(not including shipping charges)

Discount ScheduleQuantity Non-Member DDAI Member

0-5 0% 10%6-10 10% 15%11-20 15% 20%21-40 20% 25%

More than 40 25% 30%

TO ORDER:· By phone: Call 1-888-999-3324 toll-free

in the USA or Canada.· Fax this order form with your name,

shipping address, credit cardauthorization to +1 (650) 692-7075.We will add shipping and handlingcharges.

· E-mail your order toDDAorders@aol.com

UPS Shipping Charges will be added to all orders

Kit price: $119.95

with Kits

Werken aan zelfstandige - enbijvoeglijke naamwoorden(Work on Understanding Nouns andAdjectives)

Ik heb in mijn 3-4 klas gewerktaan dit onderwerp. Vooral omdat ikuit vorige rondjes heb ervaren dathet zelfstandig naamwoord nogwel aankomt. Maar met hetbijvoeglijk naamwoord hebben demeeste kinderen heel veelproblemen.

Ik begon met descheppingsverhalen en was totAdam gekomen. Ik vertelde datAdam alles een naam gaf.Vervolgens gaf ik de klas deopdracht zoveel mogelijk dieren teverzinnen, die je kan scheppen.Dat was heerlijk voor ze om tedoen. Een kind had er zelf 187gevonden, geweldig! Daarna moester een dier uitgezocht worden omdie vervolgens te boetseren in dewitte klei. Er verschenen hondjes,konijnen, dolfijnen enz.

De volgende dagen ging hetverhaal verder en kwam Eva, diealles wat Adam aanwees voorzagvan een eigenschap. De langeslang, de dikke kikker enz. Ikspeelde dit uit. Direct na hetverhaal zegt een van de 4e klassersdat ze hier een spel mee hadden

gedaan. De een was Adamgeweest, de andere Eva. Ikantwoord dat we dat de volgendedag gingen doen.

Zo gezegd zo gedaan. De heleklas speelt het spel. Daarna komtde opdracht om van het dier wat zegemaakt hebben, eerst in hunschrift,ook voor Eva te spelen enallerlei zinnetjes te schrijven. Alsvoorbeeld : een liggend paard, eendom konijn, een wit konijn eenschattig konijn enz.

Vervolgens moest er éénuitgezocht worden (dom, wit,schattig etc) en het paard dat ze alhadden gekleid moest detoevoeging krijgen, net zolang tothet paard het ook echt was. Hé, nuontstonden er problemen. Hoedeed je dat? Hoe kon je nu eenboze worm maken of een speelseschilpad, en dat schattige paard?Hoe deed je dat?

Er ontstond een gesprek,suggestisch kwamen uit allehoeken. Een jongen die de speelseschilpad had, wilde hem eerst opzijn rug leggen. Oh, zei ik dan ishet een omgerolde schilpad. Nee,dat klopte niet. “Dan laat ik hemmet zijn pootjes bewegen, hé, datkan ook niet”. “Je moet er wat bijmaken, raadde iemand hem aan.”“Ja, een balletje”. En zo gebeurdehet. Dit proces en het gesprek datvolgde is met heel veel kinderenzo ongeveer gegaan.

De volgende dag vroeg ik watze nu precies gedaan hadden of zedat niet ergens aan deed denken.Ze kwamen ermee dat hetboetseren net zo was als Godvaderhad gedaan, daarna waren ze eenbeetje Adam geweest en Eva. Datwas een heerlijke herkenning.

Ik vertelde dat de namen die

PAGE 11 THE DYSLEXIC READER

continued on page 14

Gebruik van de Davis® Leer Methode

Nelleke Remerie heeft in April2002 de workshop Davis® LeerMethoden gevolgd. Ze werkt opeen Vrije School in Zutphen. In hetkader van een opleiding voorRemedial Teacher, moest Nellekeeen scriptie schrijven. Ze is datgaan doen over het toepassen vande Davis® Leer Methode in haareigen 3-4 klas. Hieronder volgentwee hoofdstukken uit dezescriptie. Geïnteresseerden kunnenNelleke schrijven per e-mail:pjremerie@raketnet.nl

Nelleke Remerie attended theDavis Learning Strategies®

Workshop in April 2002. She worksat a school in Zutphen, Holland,and is studying to become aRemedial Teacher. When she hadto write a report for her studies,she decided to write about the useof Davis Learning Strategies in herown classroom of children 6–8-years-old). For the publication in“The Dyslexic Reader” she haschosen a chapter about nouns andadjectives and a second chapterabout “I” or the self-image. Thoseinterested can write to her at:pjremerie@raketnet.nl

Twee liggende paarden. Paard is het zelfstandige naamwoord en liggend het bijvoegelijkenaamwoord. (Two sleeping horses. Horses is the noun and sleeping is the adjective.)

PAGE 12 THE DYSLEXIC READER

Netherlands (cont.)

Tineke LeijhZutphen+32 (0575) 543 211

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

Karin MeijAmsterdam+31 (020) 679 9152

Sjan MelsenArnhem+31 264 42 69 98

Petra MoolhuizenMiddelaar+31 (024) 696 3530

Marianne OosterbaanZeist+31 (030) 691 7309

Ineke PijpGroningen+31 (050) 542 0817

Petra Pouw-LegêneBeek+31 (046) 437 4907

Lydia RogowskiHelmond+31 (0492) 513 169

Hanneke SchoemakerWageningen+31 (0317) 412 437

Sue Hillier-SmithBreukelen+31 (0346) 265 059

Tonny StorHeerhugowaard+31 (072) 571 6562

Karima P.A. TurkatteMaria Hoop/Roermond+31 (0475) 302 554

Monique UbachsZutphen+31 (0575) 541 625

Rieja van der ValkAlmelo+31 (0546) 067 537

Annemarie van HofUtrecht+31 (030) 252 3069

Drs. Marian J.A. vanLeeuwenWoudenberg+31 (033) 206 3506

Gerard van PoppelGouda+31 (0182) 535 265

Adam aan de dingen gaf zelfstandigenaamwoorden werden genoemd en dat deEva woorden bijvoeglijke naamwoordenwaren. Eva voegt iets toe. Dat dedenjullie ook. En stuk voor stuk kon ik deklas langs gaan om te vragen wat zemoeste toevoegen, moesten veranderenaan hun dier om als Eva te zijn.

Terugblik: Het waren goede,gemotiveerde en zeer verhelderendelessen. Kinderen hebben hun eigen beeldgemaakt, hun eigen zelfstandigheid en hetvervolgens verrijkt met. Iets bijgevoegdaan dit beeld. Ik denk dat de kinderen ermeer aan hebben dan alleen het verhaal,het uitspelen en het benoemen, zoals ikmeestal gewend was te doen. Ook ben ikheel benieuwd wat er gaat gebeuren alswe het over de lidwoorden krijgen. Ookdit zie ik al voor me. Maar ook metvoorzetsels en persoonlijkvoornaamwoorden is dit alles heel goedmogelijk.

Als afsluiting heb ik nog eenwoordsoortenboek gemaakt. Zie bijlageIII. Het werkte voor de kinderen als eensoort naslagwerk.

English Summary: Nelleke’s experienceis that children have difficulties withunderstanding the meaning of theadjective. The clay modeling helps thisunderstanding process. First the childrenmade a figure of the noun (horse, rabbit,etc.) and later on they added or enrichedthis figure with “the adjective”. Forinstance, the sleeping horses, the gayrabbit. Nelleke’s opinion is that theunderstanding is now on a deeper level,than when the children only talk about itor make an impersonation.

Het begrip ik, of je zelfbeeld(Self, “I”, or self-image)In de lessen die ikzelf van het voorjaar

gevolgd heb, moest ik ook een keer mijnik boetseren. Dit was heel apart, want jebent tegelijk eens goed aan het kijken hoede verhoudingen van je lichaam zijn. Water verder opvalt aan je of wat heelkenmerkend is voor je. Deze oefeningwordt door de Davis therapeuten ook welgedaan. Ik heb hem in mijn klas gebruiktvoor een sociaal –emotioneel proces.

Ik heb ze allemaal hun “ikken” latenboetseren. Dat was niet voor iedereen

even makkelijk. Maar als je de eerstevoorbeelden laat zien en bijvoorbeeld ietsover de bedachte uitvoeringen voor hethaar wat zegt dan komen er steeds meeropgang. Op het laatst staat dan zo’n heletafel vol. En onder het naar huis gaanwordt er nog even wat aan gefrutseld.Hier en daar komt er een poesje bij, ofeen dode cavia met de hond die het doodbeet.

De volgende dag loopt iedereen evennaar de tafel is er even mee bezig, iederzegt even zijn ik goede dag. Vervolgensheb ik ze gebruikt voor het benoemen inde kring van iets waar je bij jezelftevreden over bent. Dat is heel bijzonderom dan te horen wat er uit de groepkomt. “Ik ben heel blij met dat ik zomooi kan dansen, ik heb dan iets in mijnhoofd en dat wordt altijd mooi. Ik bentevreden over mijn ogen.” Dingen wordenherkend en op een goede manierontvangen.

Na een week kwam de volgendevraag. “Waar ben je nu niet zo tevredenover?”

Ook hier weer hele onroerende zakenals: driftig worden, een vader, dochterverhouding waar nooit ruzie was enwaarvan het meisje zegt eigenlijk tochlast van te hebben. Weer een ander meisjezit te denken, ze weet het eigenlijk niet.Naast mij zit een meisje en die zegt:”Ikweet het wel. “ “Ja, ik ook”, zeg ik. Maaruiteindelijk komt het meisje ermee dat zezich niet mooi vindt. “Hoe kan dat nu”,zegt er een “Ik vind jou heel mooi”. Enhet meisje naast mij zegt:”Ik dacht dat jeje astma zou noemen”. Waarop hetbewuste meisje zegt:”Nee, daar heb ikniet aan gedacht, dat hoort zo bij mij.”

Mooi hé zulke gesprekjes, netpareltjes. Het is voor de klas heerlijk zo

Werken aan zelfstandige . . .continued from page 11

continued on page 13

Drie kinderen hebben hun eigen “ik” uitgebeeld inklei. (Three children made a clay figure of “self”.)

PAGE 13 THE DYSLEXIC READER

Netherlands (cont.)

Willem Van UlsenGroningen+31 (050) 542 3941

Christa WiersmaDen Haag+31 (070) 355 3388

Koos WijnenAsten+31 (0493) 69 81 21

Gerda Witte-KuijsHeerhugowaard+31 (072) 571 3163

Karin Van WulfenBreda+31 076 514 4889

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

New Zealand

Raewyn MathesonInglewood+64 (027) 411 8350

Oman

Patricia Lynne HodgeMuscat+968 698 596

Republic of Singapore

Phaik Sue ChinSingapore+65 6773 4070

Ann ChuaSingapore+65 9843 1726

Constance ChuaSingapore+65 6873 3873

South Africa

Sara Louise KramerCapetown+27 (021) 794 5778

Spain

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

La Llave del DonSilvia María SabatésRodrigoMadrid+34 (091) 378 2331

Switzerland/CH

Tinka Altwegg-ScheffmacherVeronika BeelerSt. Gallen41 (071) 222 07 79

Monika AmreinZurich +41 (01) 341 8264

von Magdalena Vogel-Eichert, Bonn

Buchstaben sind Symbole für Laute, abernicht für Bilder. Erst wenn Buchstaben zuWörtern zusammengefügt sind und einenSinn, eine Bedeutung haben, ist damit auchein Bild verbunden*. Das heißt, Wörterrepräsentieren Bilder und Bedeutungen,Buchstaben repräsentieren die einzelnenLaute oder Lautverbindungen – jedenfallsim Prinzip. Denn natürlich gibt esAbweichungen durch oder imZusammenhang mit Rechtschreibregeln.

Wir haben es bei Buchstaben also zu tunmit1. dem Klang, dem Laut, der Aussprache(im Wort); Wahrnehmung über das Ohr, dasHören (auditiv),2. dem Buchstaben selbst, dem Aussehen,der Form; Wahrnehmung über das Auge,das Sehen (visuell),3. dem Namen des Buchstaben, der gehtüber das Ohr und erzeugt sogleich dasAussehen des Buchstaben vor demgeistigen Auge**.

Bei der Symbolbeherrschung derBuchstaben fehlt folgerichtig das Bild. Die“Bedeutung” des Buchstaben ist praktischder Laut bzw. die Lautverbindung.

Des Öfteren tauchte bei den Eltern dieFrage auf, ob nicht als Gedächtnisstütze fürdie Zuordnung der Laute und Buchstabendie Buchstaben in Bildform gestaltetwerden sollen (z.B. das R als wanderndesMännchen mit Rucksack), wie man es auchin Übungsheften zum spielerischen

Erlernen des Alphabets findet. Es ist möglich, dass die Kinder dadurch

eher desorientiert werden, als dass es ihnenhilft, oder dass es die Form einer altenLösung annimmt, ähnlich wie das ABC-Lied. Es reicht völlig aus, alle Unklarheitenund Auslöser zu beseitigen und inorientiertem Zustand die drei Elementeeinander zuzuordnen. Das geschieht bei derDavis-Methode immer mit allen Sinnen.Eine Unterstützung kann es aber sein, wenndie Kinder sich jeweils ein Wort suchen, indem der betreffende Laut vorkommt, sodasssie ihn auch noch einmal im Wort sprechenund somit hören. Es sollte darauf geachtetwerden, dass es 1) ein positives Wort ist, zudem es 2) auch ein eindeutiges Bild gibt,dass es also kein Auslösewort ist. ___________________________________

* Ausnahmen sind die bildlosen Wörter(bzw. individuell die Auslösewörter).** Das gilt, wenn die Zuordnung inorientiertem Zustand erfolgt ist und keineAuslöser mehr vorhanden sind.

English Summary: Associating letters withpictures is supposed to help dyslexics learnand remember their letters. Sometime, thismethod can lead to “old solutions” andconfusions about the real meaning ofletters. Davis Symbol Mastery opens thememory to record the sound of the letter,which is the true meaning of a letter. Thisarticle explains why the quite common wayto anchor letters through pictures is not thereal solution.

met elkaar in gesprek te komen.Natuurlijk kan dat zonder boetseren, maardit medium zorgt nog voor een anderediepgang. Je moet naar jezelf kijken. Jegaat vormen en verhouding leren zien.Dat het nog lang niet volmaakt is maakteigenlijk niet uit. Ze worden erwakkerder voor en zijn uiteindelijk ookmeer gericht op de klas. Nadat ze metzichzelf klaar zijn.

Als ik de oefening zou maken naar depersoonlijke voornaamwoorden kunnenze nog een keer een ik maken. En kunnendie kinderen die het toch nog wat lastig

vonden het nog eens oefenen. En kan jebijvoorbeeld met de Jij een van devriendjes laten boetseren. Dan moeten zenog eens goed naar elkaar kijken enkomen ze in een andere verhouding metelkaar te staan.

English Summary: Nelleke used themodeling of “self” mainly for the social-emotional process. Making figures in clayencouraged the process of watching oneselfcarefully bodily, but also about one’s owntalents and capabilities. Likes and dislikeswere discussed. After the exercise, childrenhelped each other more. There were intensediscussions and on a deeper level thanNelleke was used to.

Buchstaben und Bilder? (Letters and Pictures?)

Werken aan zelfstandige . . .continued from page 12

PAGE 14 THE DYSLEXIC READER

Switzerland/CH (cont.)

Lerninstitut BaselGerda Barakos-JegerBonny BeuretSpecialist TrainerAdv. Workshop PresenterDLS Workshop PresenterDDA - CH DirectorDenise GabrielSandra MoschtaghiJürg PeterSupervisor-SpecialistWorkshop PresenterMargrit ZahndBasel+41 (061) 272 24 00

Mieke Blommers-FriederichsBasel+41 (061) 378 9060

Vicki BrignoliLumino+41 (091) 829 05 36

Beatrice ContiWolfisberg+41 (062) 636 2146

Ursula FischbacherOrpund+41 (032) 355 23 26

Edith ForsterEttenhausen+41 (052) 365 45 54

Heidi Gander-BelzMonchaltorf+41 (01) 948 1410

Katharina GrenacherBern+41 (031) 382 00 29

Ursula HerrliAu/Wädenswil+41 (01) 781 13 35

Ursula Hirzel EglerStäfa+41 (01) 926 2895

Christa JaegerRiehen+41 (061) 641 4667

Susanne JekerOlten+41 (062) 296 45 30

Käthi KammWettswil a/A+41 (01) 700 16 33

Consuelo LangLumino+41 (091) 829 05 36

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

Renate LöffelBasserdorf+41 (01) 836 96 59

Margrit Niederhauser Liestal / Basel+41 (061) 921 47 12

von Magdalena Vogel-Eichert, Bonn

Man kann im Wesentlichen fünf Ursachenfür Desorientierung unterscheiden, wenn esum Buchstaben geht: die visuelle, die visuell-auditive, die auditive, die schreibpraktischeund die emotionale. DieseDesorientierungsmuster sind in derReihenfolge der (vermuteten) Häufigkeitaufgeführt. Im Einzelnen:

1. Das rein visuelle Desorientierungsmusterbesteht darin, dass eine Unklarheit oderVerwechslung über das Auge, den Sehsinn,auftritt.

Beispiel: Der Klient verwechselt das Eund das F oder das g und die 9, weil diejeweiligen Symbole ähnlich aussehen, eineähnliche Form haben.

Auch können die BuchstabenAssoziationen wecken zu Dingen, die ähnlichaussehen, z.B. erinnert das r mancheKlienten an Garderobenhaken.

2. Das visuell-auditive Muster liegt vor,wenn der Klient nicht weiß, wie einBuchstabe oder eine Buchstabenkombinationausgesprochen wird (z.B. das c, ch, st, q/qu),oder umgekehrt, wie ein Laut oder eineLautkombination geschrieben werden muss:z.B. gibt es für den Laut [f] drei verschiedeneSchreibungen, nämlich f, v und ph. Indiesem Bereich sind viele derRechtschreibprobleme anzusiedeln, wie auchdie Frage, ob man ein Wort mit h oder ohneschreibt. Oder ob “er bog” mit k oder ggeschrieben wird.

Hier geht es also um die Beziehungzwischen dem Laut (dem Klang), das heißtdem auditiven Bereich, und dem visuellenSymbol dafür.

3. Beim auditiven Desorientierungsmusterverwechselt der Klient Laute wie z.B. [o:]und [u:] oder [g] und [k]. Das heißt, dieDesorientierung erfolgt hier über das Ohr,den Hörsinn.

Hierzu gehört auch das nominelleDesorientierungsmuster: der Name desBuchstaben oder des Symbols löstDesorientierung aus. Zum Beispiel klingendie Buchstabennamen “c” und “z” rechtähnlich [tse:] und [ts t].

Oder der Name des Buchstaben g kannAssoziationen hervorrufen zu dem Wort“geh!”. Oder q zu “Kuh”.

4. Dieses Desorientierungsmuster kann mandas schreibpraktische nennen. Hierbei wirdDesorientierung meist durch bestimmteBewegungen beim Schreiben ausgelöst, z.B.durch Bögen oder diagonale Linien. Indiesem Fall handelt es sich nicht um einzelneBuchstaben, sondern um alle, für derenSchreibung diese Bewegung gebraucht wird.

5. Unter dem emotionalen Desorientierungs-muster sind vor allem negativeGefühlsverbindungen zu den Buchstaben zuverstehen. So kommt es vor, dass Klientendurch das b desorientiert werden, weil es einSymbol für das Wort “böse” und dieseswiederum ein Symbol für das Bösegeworden ist, was dem Klienten angetanwurde. Oder das U erinnert an das Wort“Unfall”, bei dem eine geliebte Personbeinahe gestorben wäre.

Nach meinen Erfahrungen tritt dasvisuelle Desorientierungsmuster amhäufigsten auf, das emotionale am seltensten.Im Prinzip sind alle Desorientierungsmusterbei jedem Klienten möglich, doch lassen sichmanche Klienten mehr visuell, andere lieberauditiv oder in Kombination desorientieren.

Während das emotionaleDesorientierungsmuster eher selten erscheint,tritt das schreibpraktische bei recht vielenKlienten auf, ist jedoch zunächst nachrangiggegenüber den visuell-auditiven Ursachen fürDesorientierung. (Achtung: Nicht jedeUnsicherheit in Bezug auf dieRechtschreibung ist auch eineDesorientierung!)

Es ist sinnvoll, die ersten drei Musterwegen der Häufigkeit auf jeden Fall alsMöglichkeit abzufragen, zumal manchmalzwei oder gar alle drei gleichzeitig an derDesorientierung beteiligt sind. Außerdemsind diese Arten der Desorientierung für dasLesen und das Schreiben von Bedeutung.

Erst wenn dann ein Buchstabe immernoch nicht mit stabiler Orientierunggesprochen oder geschrieben werden kann,kommen auch die vierte und / oder fünfteMöglichkeit in Frage und sollten behandeltwerden.

English Summary: In which ways can letterstrigger disorientation? The five mostcommon causes: visual, visual-auditory,auditory, in the area of mechanics of writing,and emotional, are described, with examplesthe author has encountered while helpingDavis Program clients master the Germanalphabet.

Desorientierungsmuster bei Buchstaben(Disorientation Examples with Letters)

PAGE 15 THE DYSLEXIC READER

Switzerland/CH (cont.)

Elisabeth RabergerBaden+41 (056) 209 17 76

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

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

Benita RuckliSigigen+41 495 2538

Elisabeth Rudolf von RohrOlten+41 (062) 293 46 66

Lotti Salivisberg Basel +41 (061) 263 33 44

Sonja SartorWinterthur+41 (052) 242 4015

Anne-Marie SchafflützelWädenswil-Au / Zurich+ 41 (01) 781 19 93

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

Helena StrohbachRüti+41 (055) 240 21 67

Claudia TavernaSent+41 (081) 864 9115

Andreas VillainZürich+41 (076) 371 84 32

Catherine WarnerGeneva+41 (022) 321 70 42

Iris WebberBäretswil/Zürich+41 (01) 939 2633

Esther WielandSils i.D./Pratval+41 (081) 651 30 22

United Kingdom

Catherine E. ArmstrongThame, Oxon+44 (01844) 212 419

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

Laurie ChallonerWinchester, Hampshire+44 (07763) 759 500

Susan DuguidLondon+44 (020) 8878 9652

by Hilary Farmer, Davis Facilitator in Oxford, UK

The inspiration for this came from RobinTemple. I remember him once saying tosomeone: “Why are you talking whenthere’s clay here?” This simple questionmade me think. I spent many years as ateacher, so when I became a Facilitator, Ihad to learn to “shut up.” I also had to learnto communicate effectively using adifferent style. My students are creative,imaginative and three-dimensional thinkers.They don’t relate well to words and morewords. So I learnt to ”talk with the clay.”

I suppose I had not realised how much Iuse the clay until talking to NicholaFarnum, a fellow Facilitator, aboutmodelling the story of compulsivesolutions. She suggested I write it up, sohere it is, along with other ways “tocommunicate with clay.”

When facilitating a programme, it isimportant that students understand about“compulsive solutions” and that dyslexiacorrection is more than mastering thesymbols that cause disorientation: it isletting go of old solutions. Towards the endof the programme, in order to demonstratethis, I often make a clay model of a personand give it a name. I show, in clay howCharlie, a dyslexic student is in school andhe makes mistakes. He doesn’t know why,he just seems to get things wrong. This isthreatening to him. To survive, he has tofind a way of dealing with it. He triessomething; he bursts into tears. The teacher,feeling guilty, backs off. That worked. Hedoes it next time and now it is anentrenched behaviour. No matter how hardhe tries, he always cries when he’s underpressure, the original reason long sinceforgotten. When I’m telling this story, Imove clay models around to show what ishappening. Then I change the model a bitand invent another character whosecompulsive solution is bad behaviour:better to be thought naughty than stupid! Ihave this character turning over the tableetc. In this way, I run through about six ofthe most common solutions, making sure Iinclude my student’s most obvious ones.Very often my student will be laughing andshouting: “That’s me!” or “My friend Bendoes that!” So then, with the clay we showhow to deal with these compulsivesolutions. Sometimes, at this point, I makea model of someone with a crutch. Then I

make another character who tells him tothrow it away, he doesn’t need it. I may sayto the student: “He’s used this crutch foryears, would you throw it away just likethat?” The student either says “No” or“Maybe.” So then I ask the student whetherhe can ever throw the crutch away. Thestudent will usually say that he will whenhe’s sure he won’t fall over. This of courseis a metaphor for a compulsive solution.

Also towards the end of the programme,you need to be sure that the student realiseshe does have to work on eliminatingtriggers after the end of the programme orhe/she will lose the ability to orientate. I dothat with clay too, unless the student hasfully grasped this already. I make a claymodel of a person. I make a symbol. I showthe person looking at the symbol andgetting disorientated and re-orientating. Ishow another symbol on top of the previousone and the same thing. Eventually the pileis high and the student is overwhelmedwith confusion he’s failed to deal with.He’s flat on his back and unable to re-orientate.

At the beginning of a programme, somestudents aren’t ready to launch straight intoorientation. The clay is a safe and enjoyablestarting place. I sometimes get the studentto model where they see themselves now inrelation to their main goal and where theywant to be. That gets us right into changeand into motivation: the energy involved inmaking the change, without using words. Itsets the whole programme onto the righttrack: change and learning (the two areinseparable) The model can stay in theroom all week and provide the focus andsomething to refer to. I can refer back to itand ask “What else do you need to achievethis?”

Also at the beginning of a programme, Iget the student to model his/her head

Talking with Clay

continued on page 16

PAGE 16 THE DYSLEXIC READER

United Kingdom (cont.)

Dyslexia Correction CentreGeorgina DunlopJane E.M. HeywoodAscot, Berkshire+44 (01344) 622 115

Christine EastKingsbridge, Devon+44 (01548) 856 045

Hilary FarmerOxford, Oxon44 (01865) 326 464

Nichola FarnumLondon+44 (0208) 977 6699

Carol ForsterGloucester+44 (01452) 331 573

Axel GudmundssonLondon +44 (020) 8341-7703

Anna MeadWinchester, Hampshire+44 (07951) 642 759

Keryn MiddletonBarking, Essex, +44 (0208) 507 9164

Fionna PilgrimKeighley, West Yorkshire +44 (01535) 609 797

Elenica Nina PitoskaLondon +44 (020) 8451 4025

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

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

Lin SewardSupervisor - SpecialistWinchester, Hampshire+44 (01962) 859 999

Judith ShawStourbridge, West Midlands+44 (01384) 440 980

Laura ShoneIlford, Essex+44 (020) 8924 5755

Lynne SmithBrighton, East Sussex+44 (07986) 546 468

Barbara TimminsSolihull+44 (015) 6477 2657

Drs. Renée van der VloodtReigate, Surrey+44 (01737) 240 116

Richard WhiteheadCranbrook, Kent+44 (01580) 713 094

looking at the cake or the pizza. Then wemodel a finger with something representingthe minds eye. We move the finger and theminds eye around the cake and talk abouthow we did this the first time we met. Thishas two advantages: it connects with aprevious experience, giving me somethingto build on and reminds the student of apleasurable discovery. (They alwaysremember it.) Next I talk about how theminds eye moves around (relating this tothe student’s particular problems, reading,spelling, etc.) and then we can discuss howit would be good to get the mind’s eye tostay still for certain activities. So, using theclay, the idea of orientation and why it ishelpful has been discussed. Next I show thestudent the process with the clay, invitingthem to put the lines in place, stage bystage as we go through the process. It isthen effortless to actually do the orientationprocedure because they have seen andmodelled the process. Now the student hasa model of orientation and this model canbe used for talking about “holding,” andabout “triggering” etc.

For some students, it’s helpful for themto model how they are feeling aboutsomething. The emotional barriers tolearning can be huge and they might needto communicate how hopeless they feelabout writing, for instance. I have also usedthe clay to communicate bullying issuesand explore possible alternative strategies.

Some students, with help can really takeoff with the clay. I have started students offwith subjects as diverse as modellingFrench verbs, understanding AdvancedLevel Chemistry, Physics and Sociology. Iremember the Sociology student. Hewanted to model the secularisation ofsociety. He knew more about this than Idid, but with his college notes, he puttogether clay models of each of the issues.At the end, he was high with theexcitement of it and said ”This is fantastic.It’s a three-dimensional mind map. I won’tforget this!” This is “talking with clay” andit is an articulate medium.

Whatever the student presents, whateverare the student’s questions, you can exploreand communicate with the clay. Clay cancommunicate beyond words because “apicture speaks a thousand words.”

Talking with clay . . .continued from page 15

I never read in school. Igot really bad grades--D'sand F's and C's in someclasses, and A's and B's inother classes. In thesecond week of the 11thgrade, I just quit. When Iwas in school, it was reallydifficult. Almost everything

I learned, I had to learn by listening. My reportcards always said that I was not living up tomy potential.

—Cher

Famous Dyslexics Remember

He told me that histeachers reported that. . . he was mentallyslow, unsociable, andadrift forever in hisfoolish dreams.

—Hans Albert Einstein,on his father, Albert Einstein

My teachers say I'maddled . . . my fatherthought I was stupid, andI almost decided I mustbe a dunce.

—Thomas Edison

I just barely got throughschool. The problem wasa learning disability, at atime when there wasnowhere to get help.—Bruce Jenner, Olympic

gold medalist

I, myself, was alwaysrecognized . . . as the "slowone" in the family. It wasquite true, and I knew it andaccepted it. Writing andspelling were always terriblydifficult for me. My letterswere without originality. Iwas . . . an extraordinarilybad speller and haveremained so until this day.

—Agatha Christie

PAGE 17 THE DYSLEXIC READER

United Kingdom (cont.)

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

United States

AlabamaPaula MoreheadBirmingham1 (205) 408-4420

ArizonaDr. Edith FritzPhoenix1 (602) 274-7738

Nancy KressGlendale/Phoenix1 (623) 203-1890

John F. Mertz, Jr.Tucson1 (877) 219-0613 (Toll Free)1 (520) 219-0613

Tamera P. RichardsonMesa/Phoenix1 (480) 664-9274

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

Janalee BealsOrange1 (877) 439-7539 (Toll Free) 1 (714) 547-4287

Janet ConferRancho SantaMargarita/San Clemente1 (949) 589-6394

Richard A. HarmelMarina Del Rey/Los Angeles1 (310) 823-8900

Jeannette MyersFallbrook/San Diego1 (760) 723-2989

Dwight UnderhillEl Cerrito/Berkeley1 (510) 559-7869

ColoradoKathy BaconLoveland/Boulder1 (970) 669-0170

Terry DeMeoLittleton/Denver1 (303) 850-7668

Crystal PunchEnglewood/Denver1 (303) 850-0581

by Vickie Kozuki-Ah YouDavis Facilitator in Hawaii

Jessika Lidfeldt's creation of "self" isabout mastering the alphabet.

Jessika is a 34-year-old Swedish native,who moved to Brazil at age 15 and haslived in Hawaii for 14 years. English is herthird spoken language. For the first time inher life she finally feels that she canconquer words when reading. She now hascontrol of the alphabet. Jessika used todislike the lower case letters. She modelsthose letters on herself; the alphabet hasbecome a part of her joyful self!

She used to describe her dyslexia as verysevere, saying it was "like being blind attimes." She would get stressedwhen reading and suffer fromconstant eye squinting. Afterthe third day of the DavisProgram, the eye squintingnearly disappeared. Jessikaalso had several nights ofrestful sleep, which wasunusual because she routinelywoke-up about five times inthe night. For most of her adultlife, she rarely felt refreshedfrom a good night's sleep -that's all changed for her.

Jessika almost didn't tell meabout this miraculous change,explaining that she didn't wantto jinx it since sleep is so

precious to her. Well, she has not beenjinxed! How wonderful that the DavisProgram provided her comfort whenreading, in addition to a feeling of peaceand well being.

Jessika’s New Self

Humor Corner

This picture shows that I amdefinitely allowing my clients tobe creative!Charlotte Foster, Davis Specialist in New Jersey

Appreciation isa wonderful thing;it makes what isexcellent in othersbelong to us aswell.

—Voltaire(1694-1778)

PAGE 18 THE DYSLEXIC READER

United States /Colorado (cont.)

Carol StrombergCollbran/Grand Junction1 (800) 290-7605 (Toll Free)1 (970) 487-0228

FloridaRandom (Randee)GarretsonLutz/Tampa/St. Petersburg1 (813) 956-0502

Dyslexia PlusAlice J. PrattDLS Workshop PresenterGwin PrattJacksonville1 (904) 389-9251

GeorgiaBill AllenMarietta/Atlanta1 (770) 594-1770

Scott TimmWoodstock/Atlanta1 (866) 255-9028 (Toll-Free)

HawaiiVickie Kozuki-Ah YouEwa Beach / Honolulu1 (808) 685-1122

Scott ShedkoHonolulu1 (808) 377-3177

IllinoisKim AinisChicago1 (312) 360-0805

IndianaJodi R. BaughCloverdale/Terre Haute1 (765) 526-2121

Myrna BurkholderGoshen/South Bend1 (574) 533-7455

IowaMary Kay FrasierDes Moines1 (515) 270-0280

KansasCarole CoulterOverland Park/Kansas City1 (913) 831-0388

LouisianaWendy Ware GilleyBaton Rouge1 (225) 751-8741

MichiganAnn MinkelSix Lakes/Grand Rapids1 (866) 330-3671 (Toll-Free)1 (989) 365-3176

Dean SchalowManistee1 (800) 794-3060 (Toll-Free)

MinnesotaCindy BauerPlymouth/Minneapolis1 (612) 483-3460

After the Davis program, should youcontinue with phonics instruction, as thiswill probably be taught in school?

Learning phonics and phonetic decodingskills is a primary level reading or pre-reading skill. A child over the age of 8 or 9should not need more instruction in phonicsafter the Davis program; emphasis onphonics may cause the child to regress orbecome confused, and in any event willtend to slow down reading.

Children from ages 5-7 should probablybe exposed to both phonetic sounding-outstrategies, and to the visual methods taughtwith Davis Learning Strategies. The teacheror parent should explain that these aredifferent tools to help learn to read, andthrough observation, help guide the child touse the combination of strategies that workbest for him.

Can teaching phonics intensively harm adyslexic child?

Most dyslexic children have difficultywith phonetic decoding, for a variety ofreasons. Some tend to have poor sequencingskills, so it is hard for them to retain theconcept of sounding out letters in sequence,and then transitioning from each letterhaving a unique sound to blendingconsonants. On the other hand, many havestrong logic skills, and the transition fromthe simple rules of phonics to phonemicawareness and learning the myriad ofexceptions to basic phonics can beconfusing. They tend to be global or whole-to-part learners, and have difficultyunderstanding a step-by-step process thatrequires them to work with parts orsegments of words rather than looking at thewhole word. They tend to think in picturesrather than words, so translating letters tothe sounds of words creates an additionalstep in the process of word recognition andunderstanding.

Brain scans of dyslexic children haveshown repeatedly that they tend to processthe sounds of words differently than non-dyslexic children. Because of this, it can beanticipated that learning to read by aphonetic approach will be slow and

laborious for most dyslexic children. It issomewhat similar to trying to force a left-handed child to write with the right hand. Inthe case of dyslexia, teaching phonics oftenamounts to forcing a visual thinker to learnto read with his ears rather than his eyes; anodd approach to dealing with a visualmedium like print.

Generally, if attempts are made to forceor pressure a child to read using strategiesthat are unnatural, it will create dyslexia inan at-risk or potentially dyslexic child, andwill worsen the symptoms of dyslexia in achild who is already struggling. The childwill become increasingly confused anddisoriented. Added repetition or practicewould tend to reinforce the confusion,frustration and sense of failure, as well asthe disorientation, rather than to help thechild actually learn to read. Once thispattern is set, the confusion becomesoverwhelming, and the child can disorienteven before attempting to read, perhaps assoon as seeing the teacher bring out thebook. At that point, reading instructionwould be impossible until the child is taughtstrategies to deal with the disorientation.

How can you know whether or not todiscontinue phonics instruction with adyslexic child?

The most significant sign that phonicsinstruction is not working is frustration. Ifthe child regularly shows sign of frustrationwith any method – such as anger, tears, orunwillingness to proceed — the attempts toteach by that approach should cease, andanother approach should be tried. Thebiggest mistake is to pursue a course relyingon repetition and drill with an unwillingchild. Most dyslexic children are very quickto grasp concepts that they easilyunderstand; if a child is slow to learn pre-reading or reading skills, it is a sure signthat the approach is not working.Intensifying the instruction will not help.

Some dyslexic children find it easy tolearn to work with phonics and enjoy wordpuzzles and games involving phonics. If thechild is relaxed and enjoying the activity,then it will not do any harm and the child isprobably learning. However, a common

by Abigail Marshall, DDAI Information Services Director

continued on page 19

PAGE 19 THE DYSLEXIC READER

United States /Minnesota (cont.)

Virginia BushmanCold Spring/St. Cloud1 (320)-685-7977

Cyndi DenesonSupervisor-Specialist Advanced WorkshopPresenterBloomington/Minneapolis1 (888) 890-5380 (Toll-Free)1 (952) 820-4673

MississippiMississippi Dyslexia Center M. Elizabeth CookNancy F. McClainVicksburg/Jackson1 (866) 632-2900 (Toll Free)1 (601) 636-2900

MissouriPatricia HenryKansas City1 (816) 361 6563

MontanaElsie JohnsonKalispell, MT(406) 257-8556

Linda Jo PriceBozeman1(406) 586-8218

Nancy SittonWhitefish1 (406) 863-9844

NebraskaShawn CarlsonLincoln1 (402) 420-1025

NevadaBarbara ClarkGardnerville/Carson City1 (775) 265-1188

New HampshireMichele SiegmannMason/Manchester/Boston1 (603) 878-6006

New JerseyNancy CimprichElmer/Philadelphia1 (856) 358-3102

Charlotte FosterSupervisor-SpecialistBernardsville/Newark1 (908) 766-5399

New YorkCarla C. NiessenClintondale/Poughkeepsie1 (845) 883-5766

Wendy RitchieHilton/Rochester1 (585) 233-4364

North CarolinaGerri W. CoxShallotte/Wilmington1 (910) 754-9559

Erin PrattAsheville1 (828) 231-2400

pattern seen in these types of children is thatthey will seem to do well in early primaryyears, but will get “stuck” and not be able totransition from decoding of words toreading fluency. At this point, these childrendo not need more phonics, but rather theyneed to learn the visual whole wordrecognition skills that will bridge the gapbetween sounding-out words andrecognizing and comprehending words bysight. Children like this often makeextremely rapid progress with Davismethods, as they already have goodfoundational skills for reading, and theDavis tools provide the missing link theyneed to become strong and competentreaders.

Should the child use phonics to decodewords while using the Davis Sweep-Sweep-Spell reading exercise?

The purpose of Sweep-Sweep-Spell isto build up letter-sequencing, letterrecognition, and whole word recognitionskills; and to learn to rely more on visualrecognition of words than sounding-outstrategies. Phonics should NOT be usedduring Sweep-Sweep-Spell, because thisundermines the skill-building purpose of theexercise. If the parent or tutor observes thechild resorting to phonetic strategies, thestudent should be gently reminded to spellout the word, rather than sounding-out. Ayoung child can simply be reminded that heis learning different tools for reading, andSweep-Sweep-Spell is the time to practicereading with his eyes without thinking aboutthe sounds of the letters.

Outside of formal instruction, if the childis reading on his own, the child simplyshould be encouraged to do what comesnaturally for him. There is no one bestmethod for reading, but each child has aindividual style and will become a goodreader when encouraged to develop that. Itmay ultimately be a combination of bothstrategies, and may vary depending on thesort of material the child is trying to read.

. Is it possible to use the Davis LearningStrategies Teacher Kit with students asyoung as age four?

Davis Learning Strategies methods werepiloted and developed beginning with

Kindergarten level children, age five. Someof the strategies, such as release, focusing,dial-setting, and clay modeling of shapes,may be developmentally appropriate for afour-year-old, but only if the four-year-oldis cognitively ready and has strongexpressive and receptive oral languageskills.

As a guideline for developmentallyappropriate education in language arts, Irecommend following the advice in thearticle by Davis Elkind at:http://www.educationnext.org/20012/8elkind.html, and his book, "The Hurried Child."

If a child has been through the DavisDyslexia Correction Program and readinghas improved, and she has strong listeningcomprehension skills, is it still necessary totackle the trigger words in clay? She doesnot seem to have a problem with oralcomprehension, it’s just the decoding ofsome of the trigger words. The SymbolMastery is going slowly and I’mwondering if it is really necessary?

Yes, it is necessary to do all the triggerwords in clay in order to get the fullbenefits of the Davis Program. Youmentioned that the child has difficulty“decoding” some trigger words—the childshould not be “decoding” these words at all,but should recognize them immediatelywhen encountered in print. The aim isknowledge, or mastery, not “decoding”.

If the child is reluctant to do themodeling, you can prioritize modeling thosewords that you have observed the child tohave difficulty with—or allow the child tohave a role in identifying which words sheneeds to model. As long as the child stillhas a problem with reading, it is crucial thatthe clay modeling of trigger words continue.

The fact that the child has good listeningcomprehension skills does not tell youwhether she has mastered the trigger wordsor is thinking with them. She just mighthave a greater tendency to trigger on wordsencountered in print, and be morecomfortable relying on other cues, such asbody language, to fill in the gaps in herunderstanding of trigger words during oralcommunications. If the words are still notmastered in print, they are still triggerswhile reading.

Q & A . . .continued from page 19

PAGE 20 THE DYSLEXIC READER

United States / NorthCarolina (cont.)

Elizabeth RatliffCary/Raleigh1 (919) 461-3948

North DakotaKaren NelsonBismarck1 (701) 222-0326

OhioLisa ThatcherMount Vernon/Columbus1 (740) 397-7060

OklahomaChristina MartinTulsa1 (866) 492-0700 (Toll Free)1 (918) 492-0700

PennsylvaniaMarcia MaustBerlin/Pittsburgh1 (814) 267-6694

South DakotaKim CarsonRedfield/Aberdeen1 (605) 472-0522

TexasSuccess Learning CenterRhonda ClemonsColleen MillslagleTyler/Dallas1 (866) 531-2446 (Toll Free)1 (903) 531-2446

Kellie BrownFt. Worth1 (877) 230-2622 (Toll Free)1 (817) 989-0783

Susan DickensLeander/Austin1 (512) 515-5591

Shannon LivermanSonora/San Antonio1 (915) 277-0895

Dorothy OwenSupervisor - SpecialistDallas1 (817) 919-6200

Laura WarrenLubbock1 (806) 771-7292

VirginiaDonna KouriRockville(804) 749-8791

Angela OdomMidlothian/Richmond1 (800) 652-8476PIN#3586 (Toll-Free)1 (804) 833-8858

WashingtonDyslexia Correction Centerof WashingtonMarilyn AndersonAleta ClarkAuburn/Tacoma1 (253) 854-9377

Petra Moolhuizen is a newfacilitator who trained withDDA-Nederland. As anexperienced international speedskater, she is convinced theDavis methods can help youngathletes to reach higher goals.

Leren Met Klei (Dutch for Learn With Clay), Avan Heumenstraat 12. 6587 BD, Middelaar,Nederland. +31 (024) 696 3530.info@lerenmetklei.nl

Linda Jo Price “After 25 yearsin the classroom, I feel veryfortunate to have discovered theDavis Program. Working frommy home, I am delighted to beusing and sharing this life-changing program with others.

I also enjoy my grandchildren, golfing, skiing,reading, and needle-crafting. DyslexiaAddressed, 32 Sir Arthur Drive, Bozeman, MT59718, USA. 1(406) 586-8218.lindajo49@msn.com

Goldie Gilad has a B.S.W inSocial Work and extensivetraining in Family Therapy. “Ihave worked in Mental Healthboth in inpatient and outpatientsettings. Although I enjoyed mywork, I wanted to stay home

and raise my children, which I did for 13 yearsand enjoyed immensely. An opportunity tointegrate my previous professional skillscombined with the pleasure I derive fromworking with people and see them discovertheir potential, led me to Davis with its holisticand applicable approach. It has also been aprivilege for me to be part of the first groupFacilitators in Israel.” 6 Mishol Hakela Street,Kfar Saba, 44535, Israel. +972-9-7651185.goldiegilad@hotmail.com

Edith Rotenberg has aBehavioral Science andEducation BA. She has been anArt Special Education teachersince 1986. She worked withretarded teenagers in Elwyn’sworkshop in Jerusalem and as a

Reiki therapist. She speaks English, Hebrew,Spanish and French. “I was looking for analternate way to help my ADHD son withoutthe use of medication. I attended Ron Davis’lecture in Ra’anana September 2000, then readthe book, The Gift of Dyslexia. At the end of thelecture I felt intuitively that this method would

open the doors. Now some 2 ½ years later, I amsure this is the perfect method, which willenhance students to reach their true potential.As a Davis Facilitator I now have theopportunity to enable children with Dyslexiaand ADHD the opportunity to integrate intomainstream education.” 46, Ha’alon Street,Oranit, 44813, Israel. +972-3-936 9268 or 52-569 923. cochavar@netvision.co.il

Sally Beulke “After teaching teenagers for 10years, I completed another degree specializingin Adult Literacy. While researching solutionsfor my dyslexic daughter, I found the Davisprogram in 1999 and sent my daughter to theUS. The changes in her were so profound that Ibecame determined to do the Facilitator trainingso others would not have to travel so far.During my training I finally had toacknowledge and correct my own dyslexia. It isa great joy for me to be working with thispowerful program and helping people who thinkthe same way as I do.” Victorian DyslexiaCorrection Centre, PO Box 676, Wangaratta,Victoria, 3676, Australia. +61 (03) 5727 3517.sallyddc@bigpond.com

Rita Von Bon has 30+ yearsexperience as an Educator andReading ImprovementSpecialist. “Like manyeducators, I was always lookingfor something else to reach thepeople who did not respond to

the usual methods. When I read The Gift ofDyslexia, I knew the search was over. Afterstudying the book and completing certificationfor providing the Davis Dyslexia CorrectionProgram, as well as taking the Basic TeacherWorkshop, I am convinced this is the mostprofound, significant breakthrough in educationin 30 years! Ron Davis’ work doesn’t just helpwith reading, writing, and arithmetic, ADDtendencies, etc.- —it changes lives—theclient’s, the family’s lives, and yes, theFacilitator’s life too! I am proud to join thisgroup of people who are able to offer peoplewith the “Gift” real solutions and successwithout stress. This summer when I return tothe United States from Okinawa, I will beoffering these life-changing programs onPensacola Beach, better know as Paradise. Whatbetter place to work on genuine solutions toyour problems or difficulties than on the beach?And when people find real answers for theirlives, they can then focus on their “Gifts,” nottheir difficulties. Isn’t that true Paradise? That iswhy our company is called Paradise Learning

Newly Licensed Davis Facilitators, Specialists and Workshop Presenters Congratulations and welcome to our growing international family of Davis providers!

PAGE 21 THE DYSLEXIC READER

United States /Washington (cont.)

Meadowbrook EducationalServicesDorothy BennettJackie BlackRenie Royce SmithSpokane & Everett1 (800) 371-6028 (Toll-Free)1 (509) 443-1737or (425) 252-8488

Marlene E. EasleyBellingham1 (360) 714-9619

Dyslexia Mastery CenterCarol HernDLS Workshop PresenterMary Ethel KelloggDLS Workshop PresenterSpokane1 (509) 363-1771

Jo Del JensenOak Harbor/Anacortes/Seattle1 (360) 679-9390

Rebecca LueraFall City/Seattle1 (800) 818-9056 (Toll-Free)1 (425) 222-4163

Sharon PolsterBainbridge Island/Seattle1 (206) 780-8199

Ruth Ann YoungbergBellingham1 (360) 671-9858

West VirginiaGale LongElkview/Charleston1 (888) 517-7830 (Toll Free)1 (304) 965-7400

WisconsinNew Hope LearningCenters, Inc.Darlene BishopMargaret Hayes Milwaukee1 (888) 890-5380 (Toll Free)1 (414) 774-4586

This Directory is current as

of April 30, 2003. It issubject to change.

Between newsletter issues,new Facilitators are added,

and occasionally, somebecome inactive. Howeverthe Davis Providers list at

www.dyslexia.com isalways up to date.

Unlimited Services or (PLUS). See you inParadise!” PSC 80 Box 16496, APO, AP 96367-0067. +81-98-936-9144. jvonbon@nirai.ne.jp

Etya Chesler “As a bigbeliever in giving students ofall ages the feeling of certaintyand in defining things in asimple and clear way, I foundthe Davis Methods suitable tomy holistic approach. My

educational experience includes teaching andbeing Headmistress of Kibbutz Yizreel School,parents training (PET), and managingenrichment centers for children and adults. I ama certified Healer and EMF therapist. I wasasked to help organize Ron’s lecture tour toIsrael in 2000. I got ‘hooked’ and since then Ihave translated all the Davis Manuals andWorkshop into Hebrew, and helped at the DDA-Israel. My vision is to introduce the K-3program into the Israeli educational system.” 6,Dor Street (PO Box 1053), Kochav-Yair, 44864,Israel. +972 (53) 561 155. chesler-1@bezeqint.net

Vickie Kozuki-Ah You is astepmother of four young adultsand two grandchildren. For twodecades she has worked in theadvertising industry as an ArtDirector. Although Vickieenjoyed her career in

advertising, she found what truly fulfilled herwas the process of leading others to glowingsuccess. She feels fortunate to have found anoutlet that allows her to help people who have avariety of learning styles, challenges andtalents. The Davis technique enables her torefine her professional skills and knowledgefrom her advertising background and applythem to this new life-enriching occupation.“The Davis tools empower individuals toembrace life opportunities never thoughtpossible - physically, mentally and spiritually. Istill marvel at the transformation and self-confidence I have seen from clients aged 8 to52. The Davis Program is an enlighteningresource that unlocks the barriers to learning.”Dyslexia Unlocked, 91-1164 Keaalii Place, EwaBeach, Hawaii, USA 96706. (808) 685-1122.vkay@hawaii.rr.com

Lucero Palafox studied Special Education atUniversidad de las America, A.C. where shespecialized in Auditory and Speech Therapy.Lucero plans to provide the Davis programfrom her private practice in Veracruz. Ave.Martin A. Pinzón #457, Fracc. Reforma, Ver,Veracruz, 91919, México. +52 (022) 99 351302.lucero@grupo-iai.com.mx

Liesbeth Berger-Laming isthe mother of four children,three of whom are gifted withdyslexia. For many years sheworked in Holland as exerciseand puppet play therapist. Sheis fluent in Dutch and German.

She provides Davis Programs from her homeoffice. Indigo Beratung, Seerosenstr. 15, D-70563 Stuttgart-Vaihingen, Germany. +49 (711) 782 3115. Liesbethberger@web.de

Sandra Gorozpe Bárbara has been workingfor four years as a therapist. She has workedwith children with attention problems andhyperactivity, and provided family andindividual psychological therapy. Her centeralso offers parenting courses. Centro deInvestigación Psicoterapeutica, Av.Constituyentes #29, Ote. Col. Observatoria,Querétaro, Mexico. +52 (01442) 220 52 48.sandra_gorozpe@hotmail.com

New Davis Specialist:

CatherineChurton, DDA-Australia Directoris pictured herewith fellow DDA-AustraliaDirector, Milt

Barlow and New Zealand Facilitator, RaewynMatheson. Catherine traveled many times toDDAI in California during 2002 and 2003 tocomplete her Specialist training. She looksforward to training many more Facilitators inAustralia and New Zealand. DDA-Australia, 18Bullecourt Ave., South Mosman, Sydney NSW2088 Australia. +61 (02) 9968 2678.australia@dyslexia.com

The Davis Facilitator training program requiresapproximately 400 hours of course work.

The Davis Specialist program requiresextensive experience providing Davis

programs and an additional 260 hours oftraining. Specialists and Facilitators are subject

to annual re-licensing based upon casereview and adherence to the DDAI Standards

of Practice.

Davis Learning Strategies School Mentors andWorkshop Presenters are experienced

teachers and trainers who have had two-three years of specialized training and

experience mentoring classroom teachers ofchildren ages 5 - 9 years old.

For information about training or a fulldirectory of Davis providers, see

www.dyslexia.com/affil.htm,or call +1 (650) 692-7141

or toll-free in the US at 1-888-805-7216.

Davis Learning Strategies give K-3teachers immediately usable and effectivetools that: • Tap the creative learning process in all children.• Significantly improve language arts skills without

paper/pencil and worksheets.• Efficiently and effectively teach reading and pre-

reading skills to multiple learning styles.• Quickly and easily give children self-management

skills for paying attention and staying on task.• Make classroom and behavior management easy

and positive.• Children find fun, engaging, and motivating. • Can be flexibly applied in a variety of school and

learning activities.

Improve Your Primary Classroom Reading & Classroom Management SkillsWith the Davis Learning Strategies® Basic Teacher Workshop

2003 DATES & LOCATIONSJune 23-26, 2003 San Francisco, CaliforniaJuly 14-17, 2003 Madison, Wisconsin

July 21-24 Redfield, South DakotaAugust 18-21, 2003 Toronto, Canada

Call 1-888-805-7216 for US RegistrationCall 1 (905) 844-4144 for Canada Registration

Call 1 (888) 890-5380 for Wisconsin RegistrationCall 1 (605) 472-0522 for So. Dakota Registration

Three Academic Units Available - US only

Feedback from Teachers

"In theforefront ofwhat I likedmost washow easilythe Davisstrategies fitinto manyareas of Kindergarten curriculum. It relieved me of apaper-pencil approach and gave me a hands-on,kinesthetic approach. It also helped develop the littlefinger muscles for being able to move on to coordinatepaper-pencil activities. Assigning each child a storagebox for creating the alphabet over time also fit andaccomplished the development of ownership,responsibility, and a sense a pride in all the children. Ibelieve all Kindergarten children would benefit fromDavis Learning Strategies."

—LB, Kindergarten Teacher, Mission San JoseElementary School, Fremont, California

"It has helped me become more aware and sensitive tothe needs of my students. My students are very receptiveand amaze me how quickly they pick it up. I have manychildren who are ADD and ADHD. This system helps mereconnect with them. I have small groups for shortperiods of time and this helps us to get down to businessquickly."

—DG, Elementary Spec. Ed. Resource, Sequoia CharterSchool, Mesa, Arizona

"There has been a remarkable improvement in reading,writing, spelling and math progress with my students.Growth in self-confidence is tremendous. These studentshave been given practical skills that equal success."

—DD, Elementary Teacher,Greater Vancouver Distance

Education School, Canada

Research BasedThe workshop

represents the results ofsix years of researchand development inseveral K-3 elementaryclassrooms by anexperienced teacher,Sharon Pfeiffer. InAugust, 2001, aresearch paper detailing the effects of these strategies on firstgrade word recognition and gifted education placement waspublished in Reading Improvement, a peer-reviewed journal.Davis Learning Strategies are based on methods developed byRonald D. Davis.

Davis Learning StrategiesWith Davis Focusing Skills™, a series of exercises which

use imagination and coordination, children can easily developthe self directed ability to be physically and mentally focusedon the learning task at hand.

Through Davis Symbol Mastery®, children master thealphabet, punctuation marks, and basic sight words with asimple, easy and fun alternative to pencil-paper activities anddrill exercises.

Davis Reading Exercises provide a fun and cooperativemethod for increasing word recognition and readingcomprehension skills. This reading method can be used alone oras a supplement to a current reading program.

With these Davis Learning Strategies, children become wellprepared for a successful first four years of schooling and for alifetime of learning!

Visit the newly designed

www.davislearn.comwebsite at:

Come Learn andEXPERIENCE

the Davis DyslexiaCorrection

procedures!

DAY ONEBackground and Development of the Davis DyslexiaCorrection® Procedures· Research and discovery. The “gifts” of dyslexia. Anatomy and

developmental stages of a learning disability. Overview of thesteps for dyslexia correction.

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

DAY TWODavis Orientation Counseling Procedures (methods tocontrol, monitor and turn off perceptual distortions)· What is Orientation? Demonstration and Practice SessionRelease Procedure (method for alleviating stress andheadaches)Alignment (an alternative to Orientation Counseling)· What is Alignment? How is it used? Group DemonstrationDial-Setting Procedure (a method for controlling ADDsymptoms)

DAY THREEOrientation Review Procedure (a method for checkingorientation 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 adjusting orientationusing balance)Symbol Mastery Exercises for Words· Demonstrations, Group Exercises and Practice SessionsImplementing the Davis Procedures

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

Workshop Outline

Fundamentals of Davis Dyslexia Correction® Workshopbased on the best-selling book The Gift of Dyslexia by Ronald D. Davis

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

8-11 July 2003Presenter: Cyndi Deneson Language: EnglishLocation: Burlingame, California Contact: training@dyslexia.com Phone: +1 (888) 805-7216

13-16 August 2003Presenter: Cyndi DenesonLanguage: English with translationLocation: IcelandContact: axel@dislexic.comPhone: +44 (020) 8341-7703

5 Sept 2003 - 8 Sept 2003Presenter: Bonny BeuretLanguage: EnglishLocation: Sydney, AustraliaContact: australia@dyslexia.comPhone: +61 (02) 9968 2678

10-13 September 2003Presenter: Cyndi DenesonLanguage: English with translationLocation: IcelandContact: axel@dislexic.comPhone: +44 (020) 8341-7703

13-16 September 2003 Presenter: Bonny Beuret Language: GermanLocation: Basel, Switzerland Contact: ch@dyslexia.com Phone: +41 (061) 273 81 85

1-4 October 2003Presenter: Robin Temple &Siegerdina Mandema Language: EnglishLocation: Addington, Kent, UKContact: DavisUK@dyslexia.com Phone: +44 (08700) 132 945

2-5 October 2003Presenter: Ioannis TzivanakisLangauge: GermanLocation: Kassel, GermanyContact: germany@dyslexia.comPhone: +49 (040) 25 17 86 22

8-11 December 2003Presenter: Gerry GrantLanguage: EnglishLocation: Kichener, Ontario,CanadaContact: ggrant@dyslexia.caPhone: +1 (800) 981-6433 Toll-Free or (519) 746-8422

12-15 Jan 2004Presenter: Cyndi DenesonLanguage: EnglishLocation: Burlingame, CaliforniaContact: training@dyslexia.comPhone: +1 (888) 805-7216

31 Jan - 3 Feb 2004Presenter: Bonny BeuretLanguage: English/FrenchLocation: Geneva, SwitzerlandContact: ch@dyslexia.comPhone: +41 (061) 273 81 85

7-10 Feb 2004Presenter: Robin Temple &Siegerdina MandemaLanguage: EnglishLocation: Addington, Kent, UKContact: DavisUK@dyslexia.comPhone: +44 (08700) 132 945

22-25 April 2004Presenter: Bonny BeuretLanguage: GermanLocation: Basel, SwitzerlandContact: ch@dyslexia.comPhone: +41 (061) 273 81 85

2003 - 2004 WORKSHOP SCHEDULE

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

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

PRESORTEDSTANDARD

U.S. POSTAGE

BURLINGAME, CAPERMIT NO.14

~

DDA-Australia18 Bullecourt Ave.South MosmanSydney NSW 2088AUSTRALIATel: + 61 2 9968 2678Fax: +61 2 9968 2059E-mail: australia@dyslexia.com

DDA-CHFreie Strasse 81CH 4001 Basel,SWITZERLANDTel: +41 (061) 273 81 85 Fax: +41 (061) 272 42 41e-mail: ch@dyslexia.com

DDA-DeutschlandConventstrasse 14D-22089 HamburgGERMANYTel: +49 (040) 25 17 86 22 Fax: +49 (040) 25 17 86 24E-mail: germany@dyslexia.com

DDA-Israel20 Ha’shahafim St.Ra’anana 43724ISRAELTel: +972 (053) 693 384Fax: +972 (09) 772-9889E-mail: Israel@dyslexia.com

DDA- MéxicoPrivada Fuentes #110, esq. con Ricardo MargaínColonia Santa EngraciaGarza García - Monterrey, 66220Nuevo León MÉXICOTel/Fax: +52 (81) 8335-9435 or +52 (81) 8356-8389E-mail: mexico@dyslexia.com

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

DDAI-US1601 Bayshore Highway, Ste 245Burlingame, CA 94010Tel: 1-888-805-7216 Fax: +1 (650) 692-7075E:mail: ddai@dyslexia.com

Based on the best-selling bookThe Gift of Dyslexia by Ronald D. DavisThis 4-day workshop is an introduction to the basictheories, principles and application of all the proceduresdescribed in The Gift of Dyslexia . Training is done with acombination of lectures, demonstrations, group practice,and question and answer sessions. Attendance is limited toensure the highest quality 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 ateaching, home school, tutoring, or therapeutic setting.

See page 23 for more workshop details.

2003 - 2004 International ScheduleCalifornia United States July 8-11, 2003

Iceland Aug 13-16, 2003Sydney Australia Sept 5-8, 2003

Iceland Sept 10-13, 2003Basel Switzerland Sept 13-16, 2003Kent UK Oct 1-4, 2003Kassel Germany Oct 2-5, 2003Ontario Canada Dec 8-11, 2003California United States Jan 12-15, 2004Geneva Switzerland Jan 31-Feb 3, 2004Kent UK Feb 7-10, 2004Basel Switzerland Apr 22-25, 2004

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• $975 per person plus $95 materials fee• $925 for DDAI members or groups of two or more

plus $95 materials fee• $975 if paid in full 60 days in advance incl. materials• Advance registration and $200 deposit required• Includes manual, one-year DDAI membership,

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

For a fulldescription of theDavis Facilitator

CertificationProgram, ask for

our booklet.