the dyslexic reader 2009 - issue 52

7/23/2019 The Dyslexic Reader 2009 - Issue 52

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Raewyn Matheson and Tina Guy have large signs out

by their roadside mailboxes featuring their business names:

Dyslexia Help and Dyslexia Correction Services.

IN THIS ISSUE

News & Feature Articles

2009 North American Lecture Tour:Discover the Answer to Dyslexia . . . . . . . . 116 Amazing Days in New Zealand . . . . . . . . . 1Waiting for Recess . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12A Dozen Frequently Asked Questions . . . . . 14Lazy Readers Book Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16Adult Dyslexia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20Down the Education Memory Hole . . . . . . . 22A Caring Teacher Speaks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24Malfunction or Adaptation . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25Remembering Tim . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26Hang on a Minute . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27Mejor Prender Una Vela . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27Whats in a Name? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Regular Features

In the Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2Q&A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Famous Dyslexics Remember . . . . . . . . . . . .10New Davis Licensees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Davis Workshops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Sixteen Amazing Days in New Zealand

ur 16-day visit to New Zealand in early March

was a wonderful experience and a big success!

We especially enjoyed the DDA-Pacific Symposium

held March 6-8 in Christchurch, and the opportunity

to renew connections and meet New Zealand and

Australian Facilitators we had not met before. Thirty-fiveDavis Facilitators attended this exciting event. Gail

Hallinan gave an engaging presentation on Davis

Learning Strategies and Raewyn Matheson and Glenys

Knopp teamed up to present some excellent tips for

improving writing skills. Lots of discussion was devoted

to sharing successful marketing strategies. Among the

most intriguing of these strategies (to name just a few,

for there were many!):

Heidi Rose occasionally walks around Adelaide with

a big piece of chalk and writes www.dyslexia.com in

conspicuous places.

O

Dys lex ic Read er ~

THE

onald D. Davis, internationally best-selling author and

originator of Davis Dyslexia Correction, and Davis Math

Mastery, has recently launched a tour of North America! He

will be presenting a series of town-hall-style lectures titled

Discover the Answer to Dyslexia,providing parents, dyslexics, educators, andprofessionals in communities across the United States and Canada an informati

in-depth look at the GIFT that is dyslexia. Davis began his US/Canadian tour in

May, 2009 in the Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic United States and will make 5

additional trips to different regions of the continent during the course of the yea

Agenda:

Ron Davis fascinating story of overcoming his own severe dyslex

The background and development of Davis Dyslexia Correction

The dyslexic thinking and learning style why it is a gift!

How dyslexia develops and how it can be corrected.

Audience Q & A.

Booksigning. (continued on pag

DAVIS DYSLEXIA ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL ISSUES 2 & 3 2009VOLUME 52

by Alice & Ron Davis

Alice and Ron Davis at the Dyslexia Discovery Exhibit in Christch

(continued on page

2009 North American Lecture Tour:Discover the Answer to Dyslexia

R


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PAGE 2 THE DYSLEXIC READER

The Dyslexic Reader is published quarterly by Davis Dyslexia Association International (DDAI), 1601 Bayshore Hwy.,Suite 260, Burlingame, CA 94010 USA. Tel. +1 (650) 692-7141.OUR GOALS are to increase worldwide awareness about the positive aspects of dyslexia and related learning styles; andto present methods for improving literacy, education and academic success. We believe that all peoples abilities andtalents should be recognized and valued, and that learning problems can be corrected. EDITORIAL BOARD: Laura Zinkde Daz, Alice Davis & Abigail Marshall. DESIGN: Michael Troller. SUBSCRIPTIONS: one year $25 in US,add $5 in Canada; add $10 elsewhere. BACK ISSUES: send $8.00 to DDAI. SUBMISSIONS & LETTERS:We welcome letters, comments and articles. Mail to DDAI at the above address. VIA FAX: +1 (650) 692-7075VIA E-MAIL: [email protected] INTERNET: www.dyslexia.com

The opinions and views expressed in articles and letters are not necessarily those of DDAI. Davis, Dyslexia Correction, Davis Symbol Mastery, Davis

Orientation Counseling, Davis Math Mastery, Davis Autism Approach, Seed of Genius, and Davis Learning Strategies are trademarks of Ronald D. Davis.

Copyright 2009 by DDAI, unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved.

In the Mail:

I also must say that of all the books I

have read I have never before written to

an author to say how much I enjoyed a

book. I just loved your book so much -

and it helped me in such a way - I had

to contact you and tell you.

I am making my boyfriend read the

book too. And I also plan to tell my

friends and family about your book.

Thank you very much,

Alison

Dear Ronald D. Davis,I have found that a lot of dyslexic

children that I have taught (right up to

high school level in all the cases), had a

parent who was left handed.

In New Zealand, in the 1930's, a

child I know of was slapped for using

the left hand and called names by class-

mates and school teachers names such

as kaky handed, for example. Thischild became my mother.

Even I thought she was uneducated.

Her writing was very untidy, with badly

formed lettering, making it very hard to

read. And she was fully responsible for

putting a pencil in my right hand (I am

ambidextrous) because of all the

problems she encountered during her

school life.

I thank you very much for your

lecture last night in Dunedin, New

Zealand and say Well done! in getting

this information out to the public,

concerned individuals, parents, and

teachers.

Yours with gratitude.

Francis Ramsay

Dear Ronald D. Davis,Hello, my name is Alison. I just

finished reading your book The Gift of

Dyslexia and I thought it was

wonderful.

I also just found out that I am

dyslexic. I was reading a sign out loud

to my boyfriend and I had misread it.

He said, joking, Alison, youre so

dyslexic! At first I thought nothing

much about it, only that I was a bit

shocked he'd say that. I started to look

for information on-line and was a little

put off by all the references to yourchild. So what did I do? I went to

Wikipedia to find out what it was and I

realized I had dyslexia :-). I called my

dad and told him about it. He knew I

had it, just never told me!

I decided to look for reading

material on dyslexia at Borders.com.

For some reason your book kept

drawing my attention. I finally bought

it. When I read your Author's Note it

made me smile. I found your book so

interesting. I have never before enjoyeda non-fiction book as much as I have

enjoyed yours. The more I read, the

more I felt like someone was opening

my eyes to something that for so long

hadnt made sense. Finally someone

was saying Youre not stupid - you just

understand things a different way.

Your book also made me realize

how my dad helped me while I was

growing up - letting me be creative,

helping me to understand things in away

that would help me.


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THE DYSLEXIC READER PAGE 3

2009 North American Lecture Tour:Discover the Answer to Dyslexia

Each venue establishes its own

ticket price, varying from state to

state, and ranging from $5 to $10 perperson. Many venues offer a very

reasonable family rate and in many

locations attendees can obtain the

best price by pre-registering on-line

at http://dyslexia.com/lectures-rd.

The dates and locations for

Ronald DavisNorth American

lecture tour have been posted at

www.dyslexia.com, along with on-

line registration forms. You can view

a complete list of lecture sites, dates

and times, and register to attend as

many lectures as you wish from the

link on the Davis home page -

or by visiting http://dyslexia.com/

lectures-rd. For biographical

information on Ronald Davis, as

well as more information about the

lecture tour you can also visit

http://www.rondavislectures.com.

To get you started, heres a list

of lectures scheduled from June 15

through October 20, with locationsand the name and phone number

of a person you can contact for

additional information.

Already, the North American

Lecture Tour has been a great

success, and is rapidly raising

awareness of dyslexia and the Davis

Dyslexia Correction Program.

In early May Davis appeared in a

televised interview in West Virginia

(WSAZ, Channel 3, an NBC

affiliate). He did a phone-in radiointerview with Bill Edwards of

WTKS 1290 in the Savannah area

which aired on May 13, and was

interviewed on the Good Day

Atlanta television news program on

that same day! There have also been

many on-line and newspaper articles

covering the lectures.

2009 Lecture TourFeaturing International Best-selling Author, Ronald D. Davis

Dates Location Sponsor/Contact Phone

Jun 15, 2009 Alma, AR Rebecca Landes 479-997-1996

Jun 18, 2009 Tampa, FL Random Lee Garretson 813-956-0502

Jul 18, 2009 Irvine, CA Cyndi Coleman 949-388-1578Janet Confer 949-589-6394

Aug 10, 2009 Portland, OR Nichole Cates 586-801-0772

Aug 12, 2009 Ontario, OR Kathy Pozzi 541-881-6497 orRhonda Erstrom 541-881-7817

Aug 13, 2009 Boise, ID Rhonda Erstrom 541-881-7817 orKathy Pozzi 541-881-6497 orCarma Sutherland 208-313-6907

Aug 15, 2009 Rexburg, ID Carma Sutherland 208-313-6907

Aug 16, 2009 Bozeman, MT Learning Options 800-276-3138

Aug 18, 2009 Edmonton, Alberta Dyslexia Gifted 780-489-6225

Aug 19, 2009 Calgary, Alberta Rocky Point Academy 866-685-0067

Aug 22, 2009 Vancouver BC Dyslexia Vancouver 604-732-1516

Sept 10, 2009 Oakville, Ontario Mind Over Dyslexia 905-464-4798

Sept 12, 2009 Huntsville, Ontario Cheryl Wood 705-783-2763

Sept 14, 2009 Montreal, Quebec Dyslexiability, Inc. 514-815-7827

Sept 16, 2009 Moncton, NB Bernice Taylor 506-871-5674

Sept 17, 2009 Halifax NS Bernice Taylor 506-871-5674

Sept 19, 2009 Amesbury, MA Karen LoGiudice 978-337-7753

Sept 21, 2009 Mason, NH Michele Siegmann 603-878-6006

Sept 24, 2009 Montclair, NJ Lynn M. Chigounis 973-746-5037

Oct 3, 2009 Gardnerville, NV Barbara L. Clark 775-265-1188

Oct 14, 2009 Chicago, IL Kim Ainis 312-360-0805

Oct 16, 2009 Springfield, IL Susan Smarjesse 217-789-7323

Oct 17 & 18, 2009 Columbia, MO Cathy Cook 573-886-8917

Oct 20, 2009 Kansas City, MO Gretchen FitzGerald 816-806-8611

Oct 2009 Wausau, WI Anne Mataczynski 715-551-7144

Oct 2009 Mt. Pleasant, MI Michelle Wellman 989-772-3084

(continued from page 1)

(continued on page 23)


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A huge tire cover on Tinas SUV

bears her business name.

Rochelle Booth has a huge sign

on the back of her car that reads

Dyslexia Unlocked and Margot

Young has personalized license plates.

The DDA-Pacific Symposium was

also an opportunity to honor and give

special thanks to retiring Directors,

Milt Barlow and Catherine Churton,

for the tremendous work they have

done representing Davis in NewZealand and Australia over the last

seven years. Catherine is continuing

her work as a Davis Specialist and is

very excited about returning to

providing Davis Programs after a

seven-year break.


16 Amazing Days (continued from page 1)

The Symposium also gave us

occasion to welcome Shelley

McMeeken as the new Director of

DDA-Pacific. Our thanks to Shelley

for taking on this challenging work

we know shell be a great director!

We give extra special thanks

and acknowledgements to those

Facilitators who organized,

collaborated and sponsored Rons

six lectures all over New Zealand.

Together, they exemplified the very

best attributes of teamwork, and

extended extraordinary and generous

hospitality at every step of our tour.

Shelley McMeeken did an

extraordinary job handling the

administration and organization of the

entire Symposium and lecture tour. She

also took us on a gorgeous driving trip

from Christchurch to Dunedin, with

stunning and clear views of Lake

Tekapo and Lake Pukaki/ Mt.Cook.

AND, she drove us from Dunedin to

Queenstown, allowing us to experience

the beauty and grandeur of Otago.

Shelley also arranged two

newspaper interviews for Ron.

You can read these at:

http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/46

617/dyslexia-educator-give-lectures

http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/46

911/dyslexic-learner-spreads-his-

method-education

If that werent enough, Shelley

also became our personal tour guide

for a day in and around Queenstown.

Shelley and Alma Holden took us on a

Shotover River jetboat ride and

managed to keep Ron from bungee

jumping! (For a vicarious thrill, visit

http://shotoverjet.com/ )

Lorna Timms and her family took

such good personal care of us during

our 10-day stay in Christchurch. From

home-cooked meals, to spa facilities,

to a personal tour for Alice of her

long-awaited, first-time visit to see and

step in Rons bronzed shoes at theDyslexia Discovery Exhibit, to the

best New Zealand wines in the Timms

cellar, to constant airport and local taxi

service, Lorna was a constant and

amazingly attentive host, cheerful,

warm and full of grace from start to

finish. Many, many thanks to you

Lorna!

Rochelle Booth, Davis Facilitator in

Wanganui, New Zealand, uses her

car to spread the word about DDAI.

New Zealand Facilitators, Konstanca

Friedrich-Palzer of Marahau, and

Kirsteen Britten of Christchurch.

Davis Facilitators,

Tina Guy and

Glenys Knopp of

New Zealand relax

with Bets Gregory,

Davis Facilitator

from Sydney,

Australia

Alma Holden, and Ron and Alice Davis

try to stay dry during a Shotover River

Jetboat Ride near Queenstown


5/40

PAGE 5

Kirsteen Britten graciously hosted

the Symposium reception in her

spacious and unique home and garden.

Our sincerest thanks to you, Kirsteen!

Margot Young, her husbandMurray and her two sons Rogan and

Noah, and Ann Cook gave us a very

warm welcome to Auckland. The

full-house lecture turnout there of

280 people at Epsom Girls Grammar

Theatre was a great success!

Rochelle Booth and her familydrew close to 200 people to the lecture

in Wanganui and introduced us to

home-made Kiwi roast, which Alice,

at first, to Rochelle's immense

amusement, mistakenly took to be

roasted kiwi! (Its beef!) We were

especially touched to meet some Davis

Program clients and their families in

Wanganui, some of whom drove 4

hours to attend Rons lecture! Our

thanks to you, Rochelle!

Could this be Alice filling Rons shoes

at the Dyslexia Discovery exhibit in

Christchurch?

Another successful lecture at the

Epsom Girls Grammar Theater,

in Auckland

THE DYSLEXIC READER

Thank you also to the Facilitators

of Canterbury Dyslexia and their

families: Alison Syme, GlenysKnopp, Martine Falconer, Kirsteen

Britten, Lorna Timms, and Tania

McGrath, who organized the lecture

at Christchurch Boys High School.

Four hundred attended that talk!

Special thanks to Tania and her son,Jack, who escorted Ron to Wellington

for the TV3 Morning Show interview,

and brought Alice back a magic

scarf from Weta Cave.

Our thanks to Shelley McMeeken

Alma Holden, Wendy Haddon and

Colleen Morton who filled two

lectures in Dunedin (an audience

of over 300!) and Queenstown

(also nearly 300 attendees!).

Tina Guy, Konstanca Friederich-

Palzer and Sandra Hartnett and their

families also have our thanks for their

warm welcome to Nelson and the

successful lecture there attended byover 400 people. They also arranged

for Ron to be interviewed and his

lecture taped by Fresh FM Radio. The

radio website, freshfm.net, aired Rons

talk in Nelson in April and later

uploaded it to the website as a

download under the program name

Fresh Feature. Look for it!

We are looking forward to touring the

USA and Canada this year with equal

success and every bit as much fun!

Canterbury Dyslexia and Christchurch

Boys High School motto, Altiora

Peto, (I aim higher) greet attendees

at Ron Davis lecture.

Four hundred

filled the

auditorium

for Rons

talk at theChristchurch

Boys High School


6/40

Dyslexia and Math

Q: How does dyslexia affect children inmath and algebra?

A: Children with dyslexia have difficultyusing and understanding symbols and words,

especially the small function words of

language. The meanings of such words

usually cannot be easily pictured, and they

often have multiple meanings depending on

concepts. Children with dyslexia can alsohave difficulty understanding concepts such

as time, sequence and order.

With mathematics, this leads to confusion

both in comprehension of the symbols

commonly used in problems and equations,

and in making sense of word problems. For

example, if you ask a dyslexic child, How

many times does 4 go into 12? its possible

that he will only have heard and made sense

of the words four and twelve. The other

words how, many, times, does, go and into can all potentially cause confusion and

may be meaningless to him.

If a child is expected to read that sentence

on his own, he might also be confused by the

numerals - especially 12, since among

dyslexics there is a tendency to transpose

numbers. That is, to a dyslexic child, 12

may look the same as 21.

In algebra, the student might be instructed

to solve for the value of X, and the sameproblem might be written like this:

4 x X = 12

This is an improvement, since the child

has fewer words to make sense of. But it is

still meaningless if he doesnt know the

meaning of the symbols x and =. In

addition, the similarity in appearance

between the letter X (representing the

unknown value) and the sign for

multiplication (x) can create confusion.

And of course, the possibility of transposing

the numerals in 12 also remains.

Most dyslexic children have strong visual

and spatial reasoning skills, so they tend to

understand better when math concepts are

taught through manipulative or visual

strategies. For most, it would be easier if you

gave them 12 beads, instructing them to

divide them into 4 equal groups, and then tellyou how many groups they had. Even so,

their difficulties understanding concepts of

time and sequence can still be a problem.

This could be reflected in difficulty counting

or arranging the beads; it often turns out that

barriers encountered in higher math are

caused by difficulty applying very simple or

elementary concepts.

Because the root cause of the problem is a

lack of understanding of particular words,

symbols or concepts, each child has a

particular and unique set of challenges. Each,over time, will have learned to recognize

some words and symbols, or mastered certain

concepts, but not others. So each will have

areas that are personally difficult.

Clearly, the solution is to resolve the

underlying confusion by mastering all

necessary words and concepts. With the

Davis Dyslexia Correction and Davis Math

Mastery Programs, a Davis Facilitator can

offer a systematic approach to mastering

letters, numerals, symbols, function words,and the basic concepts fundamental to

mathematics.

A tutor, classroom teacher, or parent,

working with a child on a particular area, can

help by keeping in mind that very simple

misunderstandings over words and symbols

are often the root of the problem. That is,

often children cannot solve a problem simply

because they dont understand what theyre

being asked.

by Abigail Marshall

Most dyslexic childrenhave strong visual and

spatial reasoning skills, sothey tend to understand

better when math conceptsare taught through

manipulative or visualstrategies.

THE DYSLEXIC READER

Argentina

Silvana Ines RossiBuenos Aires+54 (114) 865 3898

Australia

Brenda BairdBrisbane+61 (07) 3299 3994

Sally BeulkeMelbourne+61 (03) 572 51752

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

Mary DavieCaringbah NSW+61 (02) 9524 3837

Jan GormanEastwood/Sydney+61 (02) 9804 1184

Bets GregoryGordon NSW+61 (4) 1401 3490

Gail HallinanDLS WorkshopPresenter-Mentor

Naremburn/Sydney

+61 (02) 9405 2800Barbara HoiMosman/Sydney+61 (02) 9968 1093

Eileen McCarthyManly/Sydney+61 (02) 9977 2061

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

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

Jocelyn PrintKalgoorlie-Boulder WA+62 (04) 5868 3830

John ReillyBerala/Sydney+61 (02) 9649 4299

Heidi RosePennington/Adelaide+61 (08) 8240 1834

Austria

Annette DietrichWien+43 (01) 888 90 25

Jacinta FennessyWien +43 (01) 774 98 22

Ina Barbara HallermannRiezlern +43 5517 20012

InternationalDavis Dyslexia

Correction

Providers

The Davis DyslexiaCorrection program is

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

(888) 805-7216 [Toll free] or(650) 692-7141 or visitwww.dyslexia.com/

providers.htm

PAGE 6


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PAGE 7THE DYSLEXIC READER

Austria (contd)

Marika KaufmannLochau +43 (05574) 446 98

Belgium

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

Hilde DuchesneBrasschaat+32 (0)3 653 1371

Inge Lanneau

Beernem+32 (050) 33 29 92

Peggy PoppeAntwerpen+32 (474) 50 23 32

Viki VandevenneBonheiden+32 (0473) 30 41 51

Chantal WyseurWaterloo+32 (486) 11 65 82

Brazil

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

BulgariaDaniela BonevaRuse +35 (988) 531 95 06

Canada

Wayne Aadelstone-HasselHalfmoon Bay, BC+1 (604) 741-0605

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

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

Paddy CarsonEdmonton/Alberta

+1 (780) 489-6225Kimberly DoyleDundalk, Ontario+1 (519) 923-5420

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sue HallWest Vancouver+1 (604) 921-1084

I Forgot

Q: First, I want to thank Mr. Davis for writing

The Gift of Dyslexia. I have finally been ableto get a glimpse of how my 10-year-old

thinks! We have been trying for 3 years to

understand how his mind works, and this

book opened all kinds of doors. My son was

diagnosed with mild dyslexia. Is forgetfulness

a sign of dyslexia? He will ask us questions

several times yet not remember the answer we

gave him 2 days or 5 minutes before.

A: For many dyslexics it can be very hard toremember information conveyed in words,

but they tend to have a strong memory for

visual images. So, for example, if you tell

your son to pick up his socks, three minutes

later he might forget that you asked him to do

that simple task. At the same time he might

have a very strong visual memory for real

world objects. For example, he might notice

right away if an item has been removed from

a shelf in his bedroom.

You can help your son with his memory

by trying to use words that have strong visual

connotations or encouraging him to visualize

things and give you feedback showing that he

has a picture in mind. For example, include

references to the color and size of objects

when giving instructions. Or, after you have

answered a question for your son, ask him

questions that will help him develop a mental

picture of the information.

A child might ask, Where do penguins

live? The answer, Antarctica, is simply a

word with no meaning, quickly forgotten.

But our answer could also be, Penguins live

in a vast land, covered with snow, called

Antarctica. Antarctica is at the South Pole of

the planet. Hearing this, the child creates a

mental picture of what Antarctica looks like

and where it is. If we encourage the child to

look at pictures in a book or on the internet,or ask questions like, What do you think a

penguin sees when it looks around? the

picture and word will become more firmly

established in the childs mind.

We use Davis Symbol Mastery (clay

modeling) to help dyslexic individuals

develop a clear mental picture for all the

small words of language. This process can

help with verbal memory. When a child has

difficulty remembering oral instructions, it

often is caused by small trigger words. If thechild doesnt have a picture for words like to

or on, hell quickly forget a set of

instructions that contained them.

The same procedure can be also applied

to learning new, more complex words and

vocabulary. For instance, in the above

example, if the child was having difficulty

remembering the name Antarctica, making

a clay model would be an easy and enjoyable

solution.

You can help your sonwith his memory by

trying to use words thathave strong visual

connotations.

?

Quotable Quotes

We all have different gifts, so we all have different

ways of saying to the world who we are.

Fred Rogers, educator and childrens TV host,

Mr. Rogers (1928-2003)


8/40


Canada (contd)

Dvorah HoffmanToronto+1 (416) 398-6779

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

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

Carol Livermore

Ottawa, Ontario+1 (800) 394-1535 [Toll Free]Helen McGilivrayOakville/Toronto+1 (905) 464-4798Susan Nikolic-VicenticNewmarket/Toronto+1 (905) 953-1716

Maureen OSullivanNewmarket, Ontario+1 (905) 853-3363

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

Sharon PermackThornhill, Ontario

+1 (905) 882-9292Ingrid PoupartCote St Luc, Quebec+1 (514) 543-1580

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

Kendra RodychSaskatoon/Saskatchewan+1 (306) 227-7484

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

Edwina StoneKitchener Ontario+1 (519) 584-0873

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

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

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

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

ChinaYvonne Wong Ho Hing

Hong Kong+852-7323-7702

Livia WongHong Kong+852-6398-3734

Colombia

Laura Zink de DazBogot+57 (1) 704-4399

Costa Rica

Maria Elena Guth BlancoSan Jose+506 296-4078

So Messy!

Q: My 9-year-old grandsontook the Davis training last

August and it has been

very helpful. When he and

his siblings visit me, the

children always comment

on how neat and tidy my house is, and howgood they feel here. This strongly contrasts

with the messiness they live with at home.

Their mother leaves clothes strewn on the

floor, and closets and desks are overflowing

with clutter. My guess is that the children

have learned that this is how they should be,

too, so their rooms are a total mess. Would

tidiness be helpful to a dyslexic?

A: When we work with dyslexic clients tohelp understand and establish order, a key

concept is that they need to establish their

own order. It is very important to the Davis

Program that we help our clients establish

internal control over their own lives and

learning. Understanding key concepts helps

them achieve this. With understanding, they

gain the ability to develop their own sense

of order, and to take responsibility for

establishing order in their own lives.

Among the concepts we believe are

important to learn are sequence, order, and

disorder. These concepts can be modeled in

clay. In Ron Davis second book, The Gift of

Learning, you can find more information

about the Davis approach called ConceptMastery and its use in establishing order. It is

a set of techniques we use when Davis clients

specifically ask for help in establishing order

or addressing ADHD, or sometimes when

they come back for a follow up program.

It is not something that would typically be

covered if your grandsons Davis Program

focused primarily on helping him with

reading skills, so it is likely that he has not

yet been introduced to these concepts

Its wonderful that your home provides a

good model for your grandchildren. It will

help provide them with a good mental picture

of what a very tidy home looks like. As your

grandchildren grow older, they may take

more initiative in their own home, keeping

their own rooms neater, and helping keep

common areas straightened up. But keep in

mind that in the end they will need to createtheir own standards.

You can help them when they visit you by

letting them take a role in helping you around

the house. When they are helping you put

things away, you might ask questions like,

Where should this jacket go? or Lets set

the table - where should we put the spoons?

This will help them think about the process

of creating order. That is often the piece that

is missing in the lives of people who seem

disorderly.

A More Comprehensive Choice

Q: How does Davis Dyslexia Correctioncompare to the Learning Breakthrough

program?

A: Learning Breakthrough, sometimes calledBalametrics, is a system of balance training

exercises geared to improving small and large

motor coordination and cross-lateral

movements. The child practices catching

tasks such as tossing beanbags while standing

on a special Belgaubalance board set on

rockers. The web site describing the program

explains, Balance therapy hinges on the

relationship between the vestibular system

(balance), the cerebellum and several other

key functional areas in the brain refining

the relationship (integration) between these

brain centers (via neuropathways).

The Davis Program also has a component

that addresses similar skills, but the Davis

approach is far more comprehensive than

Learning Breakthrough. We agree that

vestibular and cerebellar function is

important to learning and should be

addressed in any effective program for

dyslexia or ADHD. With a program that is

solely focused on these skills, it would be

reasonable to expect some improvement over

With understanding, theygain the ability to developtheir own sense of order,and to take responsibilityfor establishing order in

their own lives.


9/40


Costa Rica (contd)

Marcela RodriguezAlajuela+506 442-8090

CyprusAlexis MouzourisLimassol+357 25 382 090

Denmark

Moniek GevenBryrup+45 7575 7105

Ecuador

Ana Magdalena EspinVargasAmbato+593 (2) 854 281

Nora Cristina Garza DazAmbato+593 (3) 282 5998

Cristina Mariela LaraSalazarAmbato+ 593 (2) 854 281

Ins Gimena Paredes RosAmbato

+593 (2) 854 281 Estonia

Olga KnutTallinn+372-56-509-840

FinlandElisabeth HelenelundBorga +358 400 79 54 97

France

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

Corinne CouelleLyon+33 (628) 38 84 41

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

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

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

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

Germany/Deutschland

Theresia AdlerBannewitz

+49 (0351) 40 34 224Ellen EbertAmmern+49 (03601) 813-660

Gabriele DoetschBad Windsheim+49 (098 41) 688 18 18

Cornelia GarbeBerlin +49 (030) 61 65 91 25

Monika GrafStuttgart+ 49 (711) 538 0033

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

time. The Learning Breakthrough web site

seems to be consistent with this view. Their

web site states, Many people experience

improvements right away. However, lasting

improvements may take from 6 to 12 months

of daily use.

The Davis program exercises do not

require the use of any special or expensive

equipment. Rather we use commonly

available toys such as Koosh balls; theindividual might practice catching tossed

balls with alternate hands while standing on

one foot. Davis clients do the Koosh Ball

Exercise during the 5-day Davis Program,

and after the program continue to practice

daily at home for short periods. We do see

tremendous improvement over time with

these exercises, and have no doubt that any

program that helps a student with balance

and cross-lateral coordination would tend to

help mental function, with the best

improvement being seen if the exercises are

practiced regularly over time.

However, the Koosh ball exercises are

only a small part of the Davis Program and

can be taught in a matter of minutes. The

Davis Program also offers an array of

additional tools to improve attention focus

and to address perceptual awareness.

Likewise, our clients learn to use specific

tools to address reading deficits or other

learning challenges. Davis includes severalspecific mental focusing techniques that are

easily learned and result in immediate and

rapid improvement in balance and

perception.

Thus, the Davis program addresses

multiple aspects of learning within one

comprehensive program, including:

attention focus & orienting

balance & coordination

visual perceptual issues

auditory perceptual issues

sequencing and visual tracking issuesin reading

techniques for improving word

recognition skills in reading

techniques for building

reading fluency

strategies for improved reading

comprehension

If a client came to a Davis provider with a

problem other than reading, such as ADHD or

math, the program would include tools geared

specifically to address those issues.

Additionally, Davis Facilitators work closely

with the client to tailor the program to the

student's individual needs. That is one reason

for the very rapid and dramatic progress often

seen in the one-week program. The Facilitator

is able to devote time to areas where the

individual's need is greatest, and guide the

person toward specifically meeting their

learning goals.

Learning Breakthrough advertisesa home kit on their web site at

www.learningbreakthrough.com and there

does not seem to be anything inconsistent

with using their kit in conjunction with a

Davis Program. For most students this

probably would be unnecessary duplication,

given the similarity of the coordination

exercises. However, a child with particular

difficulty with physical coordination, bodily

awareness, or sensory integration might

benefit from the extra, complementary

activity. A homeschooler might elect to

incorporate both programs into a childs day,

especially if also working with siblings who

do not seem to need the other elements of a

Davis Program. Kits and materials purchased

from the Davis web site (www.dyslexia.com)

could still be used as the primary way to

introduce reading skills or overcome reading

barriers. We would still recommend

continuing the Koosh ball practice with any

Davis client, simply because that is the

approach we are most familiar with.

Davis includes severalspecific mental focusing

techniques that are easilylearned and result inimmediate and rapid

improvement in balanceand perception.


10/40


Germany/Deutschland(contd)

Das Legasthenie InstitutIoannis TzivanakisSpecialist TrainerWorkshop PresenterDDA-DACH DirectorBerlin+49 (030) 66 30 63 17

Christine HeinrichSchwb Gmnd

+49 (0717) 118 29 74Sonja HeinrichSupervisor-SpecialistDDA-DACH DirectorGarbsen/Hannover+49 (040) 25 17 86 23

Kirsten HohageNrnberg+49 (0911) 54 85 234Ingrid HuthBerlin +49 (030) 28 38 78 71

Mechtild HyllaKassel +49 (0561) 602 78 20

Rita JarrarMnchen+49 (089) 821 20 30

Inge Koch-GassmannBuggingen+49 (07631) 23 29

Angelika KohnSteinheim-Kleinbottwar+49 (07148) 66 08

Marianne KranzerKnigsfeld+49 (07725) 72 26

Anneliese Kunz-DanhauserRosenheim+49 (08031) 632 29

Sabine La DueStuttgart+49 711 47 91 000

Jutta MeissnerStuttgart+49 (711) 882 2106

Gundula PatzlaffStuttgart+49 (0711) 23 64 86 0

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

Angela PrzemusShnebeck+49 (3928) 845 159

Colette ReimannLandshut+49 (0871) 770 994

Ursula Rittler

Stuttgart+49 (0711) 47 18 50

Phoebe SchafschetzyHamburg+49 (040) 392 589

Margarethe Schlauch-AgostiniVolklingen+49 (0689) 844 10 40

Gabriela ScholterSupervisor-SpecialistAutism Facilitator-CoachStuttgart+49 (0711) 578 28 33

Harrison Ford

Google Harrison Ford and the word dyslexia and youll discover that thishighly sought-after actors dyslexia is well known. Born and schooled inChicago and Park Ridge, Illinois, he was picked on by bullies all through his

school years. Ford describes himself as a late bloomer and didnt beginstudying drama until college. He began his career working for Columbia

pictures and later moved to Universal Studios. He wasnt happy with the jobs they offered, soto support his family he became a professional carpenter. His first break-through role was inAmerican Graffiti, in 1973. In 1975 he won the role of Han Solo in Star Wars. From 1977 to1983 Ford appeared in the top ten highest grossing movies up to that time. He is well knownfor his performances in the Star Wars films, and as Indiana Jones in theRaiders of the Lost Arkseries of movies. Ford also starred in two Tom Clancy films, Witness, The Fugitive, and the culclassic,Blade Runner. Ford is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the richest actor alivetoday. Although he has been one of the most successful actors of his generation, he has so farreceived only one Oscar nomination (Best Actor, Witness). However, in 2000 he received a LifAchievement Award from the American Film Institute.

Alyssa Milano

Actress and singer, Alyssa Jayne Milano was born in New York City and grewup on Staten Island. She began her career at age eight when she won a part fora national tour ofAnnie. By eleven, shed won her first major role on the TVshow Whos the Boss? More recently, she starred as Phoebe Halliwell in thesupernatural series Charmed. In 2004, Milano commented on her learning

difficulties due to dyslexia: I stumbled over words while reading from teleprompters. Sir JohnGielgud, whom I worked with on The Canterville Ghost years ago, gave me great advice.When I asked how he memorized his monologues, he said, I write them down. I use thatmethod to this day. It not only familiarizes me with the words, it makes them my own. Today,in addition to her work on television, Milano also has a line of fashions, called Touch.

John Lennon

John Lennon was born in 1940 in Liverpool, England, in the middle of aGerman air raid during World War II. During much of his childhood andadolescence he lived with his aunt and uncle, Mimi and George Smith. Theyencouraged him to read, solve crossword puzzles, write and draw. In highschool, Lennon was known euphemistically as a happy-go-lucky student, an

he liked to mimick his teachers. He failed all his high school exit exams but with help from hishigh school principal enrolled in the Liverpool College of Art. Since he was often disruptive,

making fun of his teachers, many rejected him as a student. When he failed one of his annualexams Lennon dropped out of college. Much later in life he understood that his poor spelling,and tendency to change words into others that sounded similar, was an indication that he wasdyslexic. Still, when he was fifteen he wrote a comic strip book called The Daily Howl. Hebecame interested in music in his late teens, and its the rare person who doesnt know Lennonmostly as one of the original founders of The Beatles. In 1964 he published In His Own Write,and the following yearA Spaniard in the Works. Lennon was a controversial and difficultfigure, but no one denies he was a prolific artist, writing nearly 100 songs on his own andcollaborating on hundreds more with fellow Beatle, Paul McCartney, and later with his wife,Yoko Ono. He died in 1980, when Mark David Chapman shot him outside an apartmentbuilding in New York City.

Famous Dyslexics Remember


11/40



Sylvia SchurakGarlipp+49 (0) 39 32 44 82

Carmen StappenbacherGundelsheim+49 (0951) 917 19 10

Beate TiletzekWaldkraiburg+49 (08638) 88 17 89

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

Greece

Evagelia Apostolopoulou-Armaos

Patras +30 (261) 062 21 22Zoe Deliakidou

Thessaloniki+30 2310 434510or +30 6934 662438Theano PanagiotopoulouAthens+30 (21) 111 953 50

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

Iceland

slaug sgeirsdttirMosfellsbaer+354 861-2537Gigja BaldursdottirReykjavik+354 562 2840

Sigrn Jnina BaldursdttirSnaefellsbae+354 586 8180

Gudrn BenediktsdttirHafnarfirdi+354 545 0103 or+354 822 0910

Gudbjrg EmilsdttirDLS MentorKpavogur+354 554 3452

Hlmfridur GudmundsdttirGardabae +354 895-0252

Sigurborg SvalaGudmundsdttirMosfellsbaer+354 867 1928Ingibjrg IngolfsdttirMosfellsbaer+354 899-2747

Sigrn JensdttirMosfellsbaer+354 897 4437

Valgerdur JnsdttirDLS MentorKpavogur+354 863 2005

Sturla KristjanssonDLS MentorHafnarfjordur+354 862 0872

The Gift of DyslexiaAvailable In Yet Another Language!

The Korean edition of The Gift of Dyslexia is now on sale.This groundbreaking book is now available in 19 languages!

American and Greek Brazilian PortugueseBritish English Hebrew Russian

Croatian Icelandic SerbianDanish Japanese SwedishGerman Italian Slovenian, and nowSpanish Dutch Korean!French Polish

Korea is a civilization (formerly a single nation), and geographic area composed of twosovereign states, North Korea and South Korea. The two Koreas are located on the KoreanPeninsula in East Asia. To the northwest lies China, and to the northeast, Russia. The Koreasare separated from Japan to the east by the Korea Strait.

North and South Korea have been separate countries since 1948. South Korea is a capitalisticdemocracy, member of the United Nations and a major world economy. You may have heardof some South Korean brand names Samsung (my cell phone!), LG Electronics, andHyundai. The capital city is Seoul and the current President is Lee Myung-Bak.

North Korea is a communist country which follows a particular form of communism Juche based on an ideology of self reliance. The capital city is Pyongyang. The current leader isKim-Jong-Il, who became Eternal President of theRepublic in April of 1993. Starting in 2002, NorthKorea began experimenting with capitalism in limitedareas of the country. Currently, China and South Koreaare North Koreas main trading partners.

At this time there are no Licensed Davis Facilitators inKorea. But now that The Gift of Dyslexia is availablein Korean, perhaps one day soon there will be!

Breaking News:The Gift of Dyslexia in Chinese Coming in June 2009!

Stop the presses!

The Gift of Dyslexia is coming out indifferent languages so fast, its hard for aneditor to keep up! Now this amazing book is

also available in Chinese, bringing to 20 thenumber of languages in which it is available!

Livia Wong, Davis Facilitator in Hong Kong, China says:

It has always been a myth that there are no dyslexics among the Chinese populationbecause the characters of Chinese writing are diagrammatic. Realizing that dyslexics arepicture thinkers who have problems with two-dimensional symbols, it is not difficult tounderstand that dyslexia would also exist among the Chinese, since the characters areclearly two-dimensional symbols. The Davis Dyslexia Correction Program wasintroduced for Chinese language in 2002. The success of that implementation wasimmediately evident. We hope that this newest version of The Gift of Dyslexia willshine new lights on over 1 billion Chinese dyslexics.


12/40



Jon Einar HaraldssonLambi

Akureyri +354 867 1875

sta OlafsdttirVopnafjordur+354 473-1164Thorbjrg SigurdardttirReykjavk+354 698 7213

Kolbeinn SigurjonssonMosfellsbaer+354 566 6664Hugrn SvavarsdttirMosfellsbr+354 698-6465

Margret ThorarinsdottirSelfoss +354 486 1188

India

Kalpita PatelRajkot, Gujarat+91 (281) 244 2071

Carol Ann RodriguesMumbai+91 (22) 2667 3649 or

+91 (22) 2665 0174 Ireland

Veronica BaylyDublin+353 (86) 226 354

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

Israel

Luba Alibash

Ramat Hasharon/Tel Aviv+972 (052) 272 9532

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

Judith SchwarczDDA-Israel DirectorSupervisor-SpecialistRaanana/Tel Aviv+972 (09) 772 9888

Italy

Stefania BrunoNuoro, Sardinia+39 (388) 933 2486

Antonella DeriuNuoro, Sardinia

+32 059 32 96Elisa De FeliceRoma+39 (06) 507 3570Piera Angiola MaglioliOcchieppo Inferiore/Biella+39 (015) 259 3080

Sabina MansuttiTricesimo Udine+39 (349) 272 0307

Alessandro TaiocchiSettimo Milanese+39 (333) 443 7368

Silvia WalterBagno a Ripoli Florence+39 (055) 621 0541

By an anonymous parent and teacher

Last issue, we celebrated our newest

Davis Learning Strategies School in Elbert,

Colorado. This week we share the contrast of

a sad kindergarten described by an

anonymous mom and teacher. What a pitythat teachers and parents dont feel safe to

put their names to their observations...

Now that my son is in kindergarten, I

understand how bad reading instruction can

be. It isnt just the scripted, phonics-based

reading program, but the attitudes toward

teaching children to read and write that

developed at my sons school after a few

years using that kind of program.

ALL my son has done in kindergarten this

year is sit at his desk and fill out worksheets.

Language Arts is taught to the whole class

all students do the same work regardless of

what individual needs the children might

have. Even when they rotate groups, students

literally to go from one worksheet group to

another. By now, they are also expected to

have memorized about 32 high frequency

words and read decodables. Although this

is just kindergarten, there is no understanding

or acceptance of the fact that some children

in the class might not be ready for those

academic activities. Parent volunteers tell me

that students who are struggling just cry or

withdraw.

My son happens to be ahead in reading.

When he comes home from school he loves

to read dinosaur books. He uses reading

strategies and monitors for meaning. He

draws pictures of cars, dinosaurs or pirates

and writes about his pictures. At the

beginning of kindergarten I was thrilled to

see him start to use vowels consistently when

he wrote. What a big developmental leap! I

told his teacher, thinking wed discuss how

exciting it was. But she looked at me like I

was crazy. After a while I understood that

she didnt know or care, because the children

in my sons class never write anything. There

is no celebration of childrens writing and norecognition of the great variation in literacy

readiness at that age.

My sons homework is always worksheets

(some are test practice with bubbles to fill

in!). He also brings home decodable reading

program books and promptly hands them to

his three-year-old brother, saying, Heres a

book for you, Eric. And he tells me, Mom,

look at this book. It says Matt sat. He sat

here. Isnt that ridiculous mom? Then he

pulls outFox on the Job, re-reads the chapterwhere Fox gets a job at a haunted house, and

laughs with Eric about the story.

What are all these worksheets and boring

decodable books teaching my son about

school? When I ask him how he likes school

he says, I just get through it until recess.

Sometimes it takes a really long time to get

to recess, but its the best part of school. He

sits at his desk, colors pictures that start with

/w/ (even though thats really inappropriate

for him) and waits for the recess bell to ring.

It seems kindergarten is no longer a place

to learn about yourself and others, listen to

stories, do shared reading, sing, draw, write

at your own level, make art, do hands-on

learning, or learn about things in your world

with a teacher who has passion, and

understands that the children in her class

work at different levels. Now its only about

following a scripted program and meeting

standards.

Kindergarteners love to

draw a picture and writesomething about it, or

dictate something for anadult to write. Theyrenaturally curious about

everything and passionateabout learning.

W A I T I N G F O R R E C E S S


13/40


Italy (contd)

Rafaella ZingerleCorvara In Badia+39 (0471) 836 959

Kenya

Josephine NaikuniNairobi+254 (20) 604 347

Manisha ShahNairobi

+254 (0) 721 492 217Kimberly SwallowNairobi+ 254 (20) 712 0472

Lebanon

Samar Riad SaabBeirut +961 3 700 206

Malaysia

Hilary CraigKuala Lumpur+60 (36) 201 55 95

Mexico

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

Cathy Caldern de la BarcaDavis Workshop PresenterMxico D.F.+52 (55) 5540-7205

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

Bertha Figueroa YllanaJurez+52 (656) 325-0285

Mara Silvia Flores SalinasDDA DirectorSupervisorSpecialistGarza Garca Monterrey NL+52 (81) 8378 61 75

Laura Lammoglia

Tampico, Tamaulipas+52 (833) 213 4126

Alejandra Garcia MedinaHuixquilucan+52 (55) 1085 5608l

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

Lucero Palafox de MartinVeracruz+52 (229) 935 1302

Lydia Gloria VargasGarza Garca Monterrey NL+52 (81) 8242 0666

Lourdes Zepeda SolorzanoCancn

+52 (998) 577 30 90 Netherlands

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

Manja BloemendalDen Haag+31 (70) 345 5252

Ineke BlomDorpstraat+31 (020) 436-1484

Lot BlomUtrecht +31 (030) 271 0005

Lieneke CharpentierNieuwegein+31 (030) 60 41 539

At parent/teacher conferences last fall, I

met parents who left their meeting in shock,

as I did. Apparently, assessment is no longer

about understanding the instructional level of

a child so you can provide what he needs in

order to learn. Now assessment is just a list

of the standards your child is supposed to

meet. My sons teacher went over his report

card telling me how he did on all the

assessments. He can supply rhyming words

(2 out of 3), he was able to identify the

letters, he could only count up to 20 - Ill holdhim accountable to count to 30 by spring...

I wanted to tell her, Ill be holding YOU

accountable to TEACH him by spring!

After talking with parents who have

children in other grades, I realized that at my

sons school the purpose of assessment is not

to inform instruction. I expected to hear the

teacher say something like, This is what Ive

observed and seen on assessments, and this is

how I will change my teaching to meet your

childs needs. Instead, I got a meaninglesslaundry list of things my child is supposed to

know or do. And hed better learn them from

whole-class instruction, or hell be in trouble.

I wanted to ask the teacher, Do you know

why you want him to supply rhyming words?

Why thats important? My impression is that

the teacher never asks herself, Whats the

purpose of this? What does this really tell me

about this child? How should this affect the

way Im teaching? I know teachers used to

think about such things, but today, all of thatprofessionalism seems to have been lost.

Apparently today its enough to just agree

that students must meet the standards,

regardless of whether we understand their

purpose.

The day I observed my sons class, I

came home depressed. How do the students

deal with the boredom? That day, if they

finished their worksheet early they were just

expected to sit with nothing to do. No one

had favorite books to read. Ive worked as a

literacy coach in kindergarten. Each student

had a book bag. Some had books with a

picture and one word, mom, friend, or

teacher. Others had books with one sentence

on a page. Others were reading books at the

early first grade level. Regardless of their

level, all of them could come to me and

proudly show what they were reading or

writing. Kindergarteners love to draw a

picture and write something about it, or

dictate something for an adult to write.

Theyre naturally curious about everything

and passionate about learning. My sons

kindergarten doesnt have an ounce of

passion in it. There is nothing in that room

that comes from the children nothing

showing whats important to them, what

they want to learn about, what theyrecurious about, what they love.

Last week I walked the halls of the

school, looking for evidence that something

interesting was going on somewhere inside

its walls. Every hallway bulletin board in the

school had commercially produced

worksheets stapled to it. I guess thats what

you can get when your school buys a

scripted, phonics-based reading program.

Editors note: Its not hard to contrastthe above with aDavis Learning Strategies

kindergarten. There, children make alphabet

letters and basic words with clay. They

practice self-regulation of their learning

state, tossing and catching Koosh Balls

balanced on one foot. They close their eyes

for a couple seconds to focusso they can

pay attention in a relaxed mental state and

best of all, THEY LEARN!

What are all theworksheets and boring

decodable books teachingmy son about school?


14/40

THE DYSLEXIC READERPAGE 14

Netherlands (contd)

Hester CnossenVeghel+31 (495) 641 920Dorothea de GierDen Haag+31 (6) 22 33 98 40Anja Derksen-MerkenHeel+31 (06) 17 38 34 45Mine de RanitzDriebergen

+31 (0343) 521 348Christien De SmitDLS MentorSluis +31 (0117) 461 963

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

Jolien FokkensBeilen+31 (0593) 540 141

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

Jola GeldermansBeverwijk+31 (0251) 210 607

Perola GoncalvesMara Hoop+31 (06) 33 79 63 44Jan GubbelsMaastricht+31 (043) 36 39 999

Maril HeijenLandgraaf+31 6 34 928 983

Judith HolzapfelDeventer+31 (0570) 619 553

Mia JenniskensEindhoven+31 (040) 245 9458

Trudy JolingLaren+31 (035) 531 00 66Marie KoopmanBilthoven+31 (030) 228 4014

Carry KulingHeemstede+31 (0235) 287 782

Edith Kweekel-GldiSoest +31 (035) 601 0611

Imelda LamakerHilversum+31 (035) 621 7309

Irma LammersBoxtel +31 (411) 68 56 83

Yvie Leenaars-de Roo

Bavel +31 (0161) 433 449Sjan MelsenArnhem+31 (026) 442 69 98

Cinda MustersAmsterdam+31 (20) 330-78 08

Bert NeeleMelick+31 (61) 259 8802

Marianne OosterbaanZeist +31 (030) 691 7309

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

1. Do you do dyslexia testing?Davis Dyslexia Association International

does not provide testing services directly todyslexic individuals. Rather, we provide

training to professionals in our methods, and

provide families with referrals to licensed

Davis Program Facilitators. They focus on

providing meaningful help to dyslexic

individuals. That includes screening

techniques that are specific to our program. In

other words, all our providers can provide

consultation and screening that will help

individuals better understand their own

learning needs, and to determine whether they

are likely to benefit from the Davis Program.This is not the same as full diagnostic testing

and will not result in an official diagnosis.

One reason that Davis Facilitators do not

focus on diagnostic testing is that it simply is

not necessary to our work. We can help many

with our program, whether or not they are

formally diagnosed with dyslexia or any other

impediment to learning. And a Davis

Facilitator can very quickly and efficiently

evaluate prospective clients to determinewhether they will do well with our program.

The full cost of a Davis Program is less than

what some people pay out of pocket for

comprehensive testing, so it is often more

effective for individuals with limited financial

resources to focus on working on the solution

to their problem, rather than expending time

and resources looking for an outside

definition of the problem.

2. How and where was the DavisProgram developed?

The program was developed by Ronald D.Davis in 1981 in Burlingame, California. The

screening we use was developed over time,

based on experience. DDAI has trained and

licensed Davis Facilitators to provide the

program since 1996.

3. What does the term dyslexiamean to the Davis DyslexiaAssociation?

There is no generally accepted definition

of dyslexia nor commonly accepted battery ofassessments for it. To us, the word dyslexia is

a generalized term referring to individuals

with a wide variety of symptoms. Dyslexic

individuals tend to think in pictures, rather

than words, and they use different mental

pathways in reading and writing. Their

different thinking and learning style typically

leads to early frustration in school and

difficulty learning to read with traditional

phonics instruction. This, in turn, can lead to

a cycle of frustration and confusion that leadsto compulsive solutions and adds to their

difficulties.

4. What kinds of tests do you usein assessment?

The initial screening tool we use is called

the Davis Perceptual Ability Assessment,

which we now use primarily as a guide to

understanding how best to structure a

program for our clients. We can help potential

clients no matter what the result of thisassessment, but depending on that result, we

would choose somewhat differing techniques

to work with them. Our assessment also

focuses on having a consultation and

interview to ascertain the individuals own

self-perception of strengths and weaknesses,

as well as motivation to improve academic

performance and conquer any learning

difficulties.

A Dozen Frequently Asked Questionsabout AssessmentAbigail Marshall, DDAI Director of Internet Information Services

Dyslexic individualstend to think in

pictures, rather thanwords, and they use

different mentalpathways in reading

and writing.


15/40


Netherlands (contd)

Petra Pouw-LegneDLS Nederlands DirectorDLS Mentor-PresenterBeek +31 (046) 437 4907

Karin RietbergHolten +31 (548) 364 286

Lydia Rogowski WijnbergHelmond+31 (0492) 513 169

Hanneke Schoemaker

Wageningen+31 (0317) 412 437

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

Silvia Jolanda SikkemaDrachten+31 (0512) 538 815

Suzan SintemaartensdijkAkersloot+31 (25) 131-26 62

Marja SteijgerAmstel+31 (020) 496 52 53

Robin TempleSpecialist Trainer

Workshop PresenterMaria Hoop+31 (0475) 302 203

Romina TorozUtrecht+31 (61) 280-1821

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

Marieke UiterwijkLeiden+31 (06) 45 911 913

Mieke van DeldenLeek+31 (059) 4514985

Carly van den Akker

Schijndel/Einhoven+31 (06) 15 20 81 73

Agnes van denHomberg-Jacobs

America Limburg+31 (077) 464 23 22

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

Annemarie van HofUtrecht +31 (030) 65 86 700

Jacqueline van RijswijckVenray +31 (0478) 58 73 98

Lia VermeulenHuizen +31 (062) 3671530

Mary Verspaget

Almere+31 6 53 797 197

Christien VosTolbert +31 (0594) 511 607Lucie Wauben-CrutsDLS MentorElsloo+31 (046) 437 0329

Gerda Witte-KuijsHeerhugowaard+31 (072) 571 3163-

Elisabeth Weterings-GaaikemaAl Harkstede+ 31 (623) 045 369

5. What do you charge for testing?Davis Facilitators set their own fees, and

generally the charge for screening and

consultation is very modest. This typically

may range from a free evaluation to a charge

of about $150 in the US. Some Davis

Facilitators will apply the evaluation to their

program fee, if the individual decides to

continue with a Davis Program. Some Davis

Facilitators are qualified to provide additional

evaluation services and may set their feesaccordingly. But these additional services

would not be directly related to our program

and would be clearly specified.

6. How long does assessment take?This varies. Normally, an initial evaluation

and consultation takes 1-2 hours.

7. Do you meet with the clientswhen the testing is done to explainthe results?

Yes, but again, Davis Facilitators do little

or no testing. When the potential client is a

child, parents are involved in part of the

screening process. As part of that parental

session the Davis Facilitator explains the

results of the screening, provides information

about the Davis Program, and answers

questions about how the program will address

the clients needs.

8. Will you be able to refer us to anappropriate and qualified tutor?And how do you know the tutor isqualified?

Because our screening is specific to the

Davis Program, a client would typically

receive services from the same Davis

Facilitator who provided the assessment.

Davis Facilitators have all completed a

rigorous training program leading to licensing.

A searchable directory of licensed Davis

Facilitators world wide is available on our

web site, at www.dyslexia.com.

9. Is a written report provided?And what might it include?

Davis Facilitators follow their own practices

about providing written reports. If a writtenreport is provided, it is most likely to be

focused on outlining factors related to Davis

Program services and their benefit to the

potential client.

10. If my child has dyslexia, willyour recommendations section bewritten with legal terminologythat will make it easy to get a

504 Plan?An evaluation by a Davis Facilitator wouldnot generally qualify a child for a 504 Plan. If

a formal plan is important to a family, we

would recommend getting an independent

evaluation BEFORE a Davis Program,

because once a child has completed the Davis

Program, their level of improvement may

make it more difficult to document areas of

difficulty, even though they might still benefit

from various accommodations. In other

words, the child may not test as poorly as

they would have prior to the program.

11. Will you talk with my childsteacher(s) and explain the results?

Davis Facilitators are happy to talk or meet

with teachers of children who have completed

the Davis Program to offer suggestions for

post-program support, or to provide support

training to a resource teacher who may be

working with the child on program follow-up.

Usually there would be no charge for such

services it would be considered part of the

process of helping the family put post-

program support in place.

12. Can you provide me with a listof references from the parents ofchildren you have worked with?

Individual Davis Facilitators are happy to

provide references. Many post testimonials

from satisfied clients on their websites.

Davis Facilitators haveall completed a rigorous

training programleading to licensing.


16/40


New Zealand

Rochelle BoothWanganui+64 (027) 306-6743

Kirsteen BrittenChristchurch+64 (3) 348 1665

Vivienne CarsonAuckland+64 (09) 520-3270

Catherine ChurtonSupervisor-Specialist

Auckland+64 (09) 815 8626

Jennifer ChurtonAuckland+64 (09) 360 494

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

Melanie CurryChristchurch+64 (03) 322-1726

Martine FalconerChristchurch+64 (03) 383-1988

Konstanca Friedrich-PalzerMotueka/Nelson

+64 (03) 527 8060Tina GuyNelson+64 (03) 547 4958

Wendy HaddonMosgiel+64 (03) 489-8572

Sandra HartnettAppleby+64 (03) 544 2362

Alma HoldenAlexandra+64 (027) 485-6798

Glenys KnoppDarfield+64 (03) 317-9072

Raewyn MathesonDLS MentorInglewood+64 (027) 411-8350

Tania McGrathChristchurch+64 (03) 322 41 73

Shelley McMeekenDDA DirectorDunedin+64 0274 399 020

Colleen MortonGore +64 (03) 208 6308

Alison SymeDarfield +64 (03) 318-8480Lorna TimmsDavis Autism Trainer

Christchurch+64 (03) 363 9358Margot YoungAuckland+64 (0) 9 638 3627

Panama

Amy HomsanyPanama City+507 (6) 671-1244

Philippines

Imelda CasugaBaguio City+63 (744) 42 29 01

Time to share more recommendations from Danny Brassell of The LazyReaders Book Club. These are great reads for reluctant readers or those

who dont have much time for reading.

Danny knows were not lazy, just busy or in need of information andencouragement. At his website, www.lazyreaders.com, you can findDannys picks, updated monthly, as well as archives of past selections

by month, reading level, and page count. If you purchase books atAmazon.com through links at the Lazy Readerswebsite, Bookends(www.bookends.org) will receive a donation. Bookendsis a nonprofitorganization devoted to increasing childrens access to books.

Danny comments on each book he recommends, and I include those

comments below. He always organizes the books into categories: AD,for adults; YA, for young adults; and CH, for childrens books, and usuallyposts about 10 recommendations per month, three or four per category.

At the website, you can subscribe (its free!) and receive his monthlybook list by email, just as I do!

Good stuff from The LazyReaders Book Club

A Field Guide to Monstersby Johan OlanderPublisher: Marshall Cavendish Corp/Ccb(August 2007)Young Adult, 64 pages

ISBN-10: 0761453598ISBN-13: 978-0761453598Olander, a world-famous monstrologist,shares his insights with readers on a varietyof googly-eyed wart floppers, shadow-casters, toe-eaters and other creatures. Abook to be enjoyed by all ages, it isparticularly popular with fifth-grade boys.

Imaginary Enemyby Julie GonzalezPublisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers(March 2008)Young Adult, 256 pages

ISBN-10: 0385735529ISBN-13: 978-0385735520Many children grow up with an imaginaryfriend. Slacker teen, Jane White, on the otherhand, creates an imaginary enemy that she canblame all of her problems on. Nothing is everJanes fault (sounds like a typical Americanteen, yes?), so when Janes imaginary friendwrites her back, silliness - sure to bring asmile to your face - ensues.

By Laura Zink de Daz, Davis Facilitator, Bogot, Colombia


17/40


Poland

Agnieszka ubkowskaWarsaw+48 (22) 658-2237

Portugal

Catarina do PassoLisboa+35 (121) 781-6090

Cristina Rocha VieiraCoimbra+35 (123) 943 7732

Sofia Vassalo SantosLisboa+35 (191) 911-2565

Cristina Maria VieiraLisboa+35 (191) 921 4808

Republic of Singapore

Phaik Sue ChinSingapore +65 6773 4070

Constance ChuaSingapore +65 6873 3873

South Africa

Sharon GerkenDurban+27 (82) 82 85 180

Spain

Silvia Mara SabatsRodrigo

Madrid +34 (091) 636 31 44

Switzerland/CH

Tinka Altwegg-Scheffmacher

St. Gallen+41 (071) 222 07 79

Monika AmreinZurich +41 (01) 341 8264

Regula Bacchetta-Bischofberger

Horw/Luzern+41 (041) 340 2136

Priska BaumgartnerWettingen+41 (056) 426 28 88Renate Blum-MullerFull-Reuenthal+41 (56) 246-18 66

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

Vicki BrignoliLumino+41 (091) 829 05 36

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

Brigitta DnkiRafz+ 41 (079) 318-8300

Susi FasslerSt. Gallen+41 (071) 244 5754

Ursula FischbacherOrpund+41 (032) 355 23 26

Mieke FriederichsReinach+41 (061) 712 42 06

Heidi Gander-BelzDLS Presenter-MentorFehraltorf/Zurich+41 (44) 948 14 10

The Truth About Horses, Friends &My Life as a Cowardby Sarah P. GibsonPublisher: Marshall Cavendish Corp/Ccb(October 2008)Young Adult, 146 pagesISBN-10: 0761454594ISBN-13: 978-0761454595What a wonderful book with quirkycharacters. Your youngsters will breezethrough this set of tales from a small island

town in Maine. A great read aloud for allages, and the book reminds me a lot of TomBodetts End of the Road. Glin Dibleysillustrations are an added treat, the wayQuentin Blakes drawings add to RoaldDahls books.

The Ten Most Phenomenal Athletesby David SuchanekPublisher: Children's Press (CT)(December 2007)Children, 48 pagesISBN-10: 1554484758ISBN-13: 978-1554484751

Let me just say that I LOVE this book, and Iknow that most boys who have any interestin sports (which includes most boys), as wellas many girls, will love it too. Great facts,great pictures and best of all the bookdoes not just judge athletes solely for theirmerits on the field but looks at their exploitsoff the field, as well (translation: you wontfind any jerks in these pages). Part of a greatseries from Scholastic.

The Outfoxed Foxby Tim MyersPublisher: Marshall Cavendish Children'sBooksChildren, 28 pagesISBN-10: 0761453563ISBN-13: 978-0761453567When a young fox offers an idea to stop ahunter from trapping foxes, an elder brushesthe idea aside as being too simple. But laterthe elder fox learns that there is something to

be said for simplicity. A simple tale thatyounger students appreciate for its messagethat all ideas should be considered,regardless of who they come from.

Bad to the Boneby Lucy NolanPublisher: Marshall Cavendish Corp/Ccb;(November 2008)Children, 53 pagesISBN-10: 076145439XISBN-13: 978-0761454397

Another in the delightful series about twodogs, Down Girl and Sit. Down Girl narratesher adventures with Sit as they deal withobedience school and proffer importantadvice like cats and squirrels aredangerous and dogs need attention.Kids get a giggle, and they especiallyenjoy Mike Reeds illustrations.


18/40

More selections fromThe Lazy Readers Book Club


The Quiz Lifeby Marina KhidekelPublisher: Delacorte Books forYoung Readers (January 8, 2008)Young Adult, 224 pagesISBN-10: 0375842632ISBN-13: 978-0375842634I confess that I love taking teenie-bopperquizzes, as they provide me with some of myfavorite interactive exercises to attractstudents attention. This book is filled withquizzes geared for teenage girls looking forwhat guys want. In reality a good teacher canadapt these quizzes for use as icebreakerswith students.

Alvin Ho: Allergic to Girls, School,and Other Scary Thingsby Lenore LookPublisher: YearlingYoung Adult, 192 pages

ISBN-10: 0375849300ISBN-13: 978-0375849305Really meant for fourth and fifth graders,Alvin Ho is entertaining to all ages, as hefreaks out about everything. He is a shysecond grader who becomes the loudsuperhero Firecracker Man at home. Aquick, enjoyable read with fun illustrationsfrom LeUyen Pham and one of the mostentertaining glossaries I have everencountered.

Emako Blueby Brenda WoodsPublisher: PutnamYoung Adult, 128 pagesISBN-10: 0142404187ISBN-13: 978-0142404188I very rarely use the word poignant,but Ithink that is the best description of thisimportant inner-city tale. True, I used toteach in inner-city Los Angeles, so I foundthe book particularly powerful for mypeeps (translation: my people). Woods issuch a wonderful storyteller, though, that Ithink it would be pretty difficult for anyoneto finish this book with dry eyes.

Ladybug Girl andBumblebee Boyby David Soman & Jackie DavisPublisher: Dial (March 5, 2009)Children, 40 pages

ISBN-10: 0803733399ISBN-13: 978-0803733398The sequel to the popularLadybug Girl, thisfun book follows Lulu as she encountersSam on the playground. Both seem to likethe opposite of one another until Lulusuggests her Ladybug Girl game, whichallows them to save the playground fromhairy monsters and mean robots. Lots of funto read aloud with little ones.

Switzerland/CH (contd)

Katharina GrenacherBern+41(31) 382 00 29

Elisabeth GutGrut +41 (044) 932 3242

Ursula Hirzel EglerStfa +41 (01) 926 2895

Christa JaegerRiehen

+41 (061) 641 4667Consuelo LangLumino+41 (091) 829 05 36

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

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

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

Verena Luisa MoserRiken +41 (076) 346 93 34

Maya MuraroStfa +41 (079) 704 03 07

Vronique PfeifferZrich +41 (01) 342 22 61

Elisabeth RabergerEffretikon+41 (052) 343 62 34

Therese Rice-SchumacherUster/Zurich+41 (052) 267 5154

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

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

Doris Rubli-HuberSt. Gallen+41 (071) 245 56 90Benita RuckliSigigen +41 (041) 495 04 09or (079) 719 31 18Lotti SalivisbergBasel+41 (061) 263 33 44Sonja SartorWinterthur+41 (052) 242 41 70

Marianne SchutzZofinger+41 (62) 752 8281

Andreas Villain

Zrich +41 (076) 371 84 32Catherine WarnerGeneva+41 (022) 321 70 42

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

United Arab Emirates

Linda RademanDubai+9714 348 1687


19/40

To readwithout reflecting

is like eating

without

digesting.

Edmund Burke,

British politician

and writer


A Fuzzy-Fast Blur:Poems About Petsby Laura Purdie SalasPublisher: Capstone Press(September 1, 2008)Children, 24 pagesISBN-10: 1429617047

ISBN-13: 978-1429617048I want to encourage parents and teachersto utilize poetry as a way of enhancingstudents reading abilities. Combinepoetry and pets and you get two greatmotivators that are sure to intereststudents in reading. Besides having avariety of great poems about differentkinds of pets, this book uses severaldifferent styles of poetry, from acrosticsto cinquains.

Hieroglyphsby Kremena Spengler

Publisher: Capstone Press(September 1, 2008)Children, 24 pagesISBN-10: 1429619171ISBN-13: 978-1429619172Great introduction to the history ofpicture writing and how to crackdifferent writing codes. Also providessome fun writing activities for kids.

United Kingdom

Joy Allan-BakerLondon+44 (0798) 413 1436

Kim BalaskasWestcliff on Sea, Essex+ 44 (0) 8000 272657

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

Sarah Dixon

East Horsley, Surrey+44 (01483) 283 088

Susan DuguidLondon+44 (020) 8878 9652

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

Christine EastKingsbridge, Devon+44 (01548) 856 045

Hilary FarmerOxford, Oxon

+44 (0118) 9464 892Nichola Farnum MALondon+44 (020) 8977 6699

Jacqueline Ann FlisherHungerford Berks+44 (0) 8000 272657

Maureen FloridoHarleston, Norfolk+44 (01379) 853 810

Carol ForsterGloucester+44 (1452) 331 573

Achsa GriffithsSandwich, Kent+44 (01304) 611 650

Axel GudmundssonLondon+44 (020) 8341-7703

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

Karen HautzLondon+44 (0207) 228-2947

Annemette Hoegh-BanksBerkhamsted, Herts+44 1442 872185

Phyllida HowlettHaverfordwest,Pembrokeshire+44 (01437) 766 806

Angela JamesReading, Berkshire+44 (0118) 947 6545

Liz JollyFareham, Hants+44 (01329) 235 420

Lisa KloossLondon+44 (0208) 960 9406

Sara KramerWimbledon/London+44 (0208) 946 4308

Marilyn LaneRedhill +44 (0173) 776-9049

The Importance ofReading for Pleasure

Studies tell us that those who read more

for pleasure read better, write better,

have larger vocabularies, spell better, and

have better control of complex grammar.

In addition, those who read more have

more subject matter knowledge in a wide

variety of subjects as well as more

knowledge of the world. Those students

who are well-prepared for the demanding

reading assignments of middle and high

school are those who have done wide

pleasure reading, not those who have

studied more vocabulary, grammar,

and reading strategies.

Dr. Stephen Krashen, Professor Emeritus,

University of Southern California,in a comment posted at:

http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2009/05/

01/31literacy.h28.html?tkn=XVUFxbue%2B

h9gYeNnkT2cODlnvvViJNX5i65j&print=1

Dr. Krashen is an award-

winning linguist and

education researcher, who

has published more than

350 papers and books

contributing to the fields

of second language

acquisition, bilingual

education and reading.

Quotable Quotes

More selections fromThe Lazy Readers Book Club


20/40


ccording to US government statistics,

about 25,000,000 Americans (or one in ten)are functionally illiterate. Much of this

illiteracy is credited to dyslexia or one of its

many variations, such as ADD, dysgraphia

(difficulty in the ability to write) or

dyscalculia (difficulty in learning or

comprehending mathematics).

In her book, Upside-Down Brilliance,

Dr. Linda Silverman states that about two

thirds of our entire US population use a

visual-spatial learning style or picturethinking, at least some of the time. About a

quarter of us use picture thinking most of the

time. Does that make you wonder how many

of the adults you work with may actually

possess a dyslexic learning style? Here are

some basic abilities all dyslexics share:

They can utilize the brainsability to alter and createperceptions.

They are highly aware ofthe environment.

They are more curious thanthe average person.

They think more often inpictures than in words.

They are highly intuitiveand insightful.

They think and perceivemulti-dimensionally, using

all the senses.

They can experience thoughtas reality.

They have vivid imaginations.

After reading this list you may wonder

just what this looks like in the everyday

environment.

Some dyslexics make small

compensations for their learning and thinkingstyle. For instance, they may prefer to wear

slip-on shoes, because they find tying

shoelaces tedious and ineffective. Others

make accommodations by avoiding

altogether activities they find challenging,

such as reading or writing.

Some dyslexics may seem rude when you

discuss certain subjects with them. In fact,

the subject may simply be too emotionally

charged, making it difficult for them to talk

about it.

Although you may usually communicate

verbally with your customers, you may find

that some feel the need to see what youdiscussed with them in writing. This allows

them further and more accurate processing of

the matters discussed. When speaking over

the phone, consider writing down exactly

what your clients request and reading it back

to them. This may help put them at ease,

assuring them that their requests have been

clearly understood.

Some picture thinkers prefer multi-

tasking. They might doodle on paper and

check the messages on their phone, all while

still listening to you. Take time to notice how

they work, and dont assume a multi-tasker

isnt paying attention to you!

When speaking over the phone,consider writing down exactly

what your clients request andreading it back to them.

Adult Dyslexia: Working Betterwith Customers and Co-WorkersBy Cathy Cook, Davis Facilitator in Columbia, Missouri

United Kingdom (contd)

Isabel MartinCrowborough East Sussex+44 (0) 8000 272657

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

Shilpa PatelEaling, London+44 (0) 8000 272657

Fionna PilgrimKeighley, West Yorkshire+44 (1535) 661 801

Maxine PiperCarterton, Oxon+44 (01993) 840 291

Elenica Nina PitoskaLondon+44 (020) 8451 4025

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

Pauline RoylePoulton-le-Fylde, Lancs+44 (0125) 389 987

Rosemary SavinsonLondon +44 (0208) 316-1973

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

Nigel SharpIsle of Wight+44 (01227) 731 756

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

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

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

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

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

The Learning PeopleMargarita WhiteheadDDA DirectorRichard WhiteheadDDA DirectorDLS Presenter-Mentor

Fundamentals PresenterCanterbury, Kent+44 (01227) 738 972

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

United States

AlabamaLisa SprattHuntsville+1 (256) 426-4066

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

A


21/40

Unlocking the Power of DyslexiaA brief look at the life of Ronald Davis and the impact of his remarkable discoveries. DVD: $8.00 (Run time: 15 minutes)The Davis Dyslexia Correction ProgramThis documentary film provides an excellent overview of Facilitators at work with Davis clients,explains how dyslexics thinkand perceive, what causes dyslexia, and what occurs during and after a Davis Program. DVD: $8.00 (Run time: 18 minutesDavis Dyslexia Correction Orientation ProceduresThis detailed instructional DVD provides demonstrations of each of the Davis procedures for assessment and orientationdescribed in The Gift of Dyslexiaand The Gift of Learning. These methods help focus attention, eliminate perceptual confu-sion, improve physical coordination, and control energy levels. DVD: $85.00

Davis Symbol Mastery and Reading ExercisesFeatures 27 examples of Facilitators and clients using theDavis Symbol Mastery Kit and practicing the Davis Reading Exercises. Included are mastering the alphabet, punctuationmarks, pronunciation, and words; and reading exercises to build visual tracking and whole word recognition skills, and toimprove reading fluency and comprehension. (This DVD is included with Davis Symbol Mastery Kit) DVD: $85.00

Dyslexia - The Gift

This documentary introduces the concepts and methodin The Gift of Dyslexia. Viewers of all ages will find t

interviews and animated sequences highly informative

and entertaining.

Gift of DyslexiaAudio CD SetThis 4 CD set contains fullnarration of The Gift of Dyslexia,read by author Ron Davis.

Video or DVD $39.95

4-CD Set $39.95

ReadOn Interactive SoftwareA comprehensive learning tool, designed to assist people of allages learn to read or overcome reading problems associated withdyslexia.

the dyslexic reader 2009 - issue 52

Documents