American Dyslexia Association

Tag: dyslexia

The Easy Reading Card – Easier Reading System!

Reading is the key to success. Anyone who reads well and who understands what has been read automatically learns the rules of correct spelling.

Precise, accurate reading is a prerequisite for writing and learning. The specific design for children of the Easy Reading Card makes reading easy and fun.

Scientific studies have shown that a majority of individuals that exhibit reading problems are affected by subjective visual perception. When reading, the visual channels have to work precisely timed together so that there is no overlap of visual information.

Science has proven the positive effects of the influences of colors while reading. Especially the color blue leads to a phasic activity of the channels, which leads to an increase in reading achievement, reading comprehension and reading speed. The color thus supports the sub-processes of the visual sensors.

Teachers from around the world are already using the Easy Reading Card when working with children.

Watch the Easy Reading Card in action:

More info: www.easy-reading-card.com

Order here: www.dyslexics.com

04/30/2020
Making the Impossible Possible with Homeschooling

For many dyslexic children the one-size-fits-all approach of traditional classrooms doesn’t work and can leave them feeling frustrated, singled out and upset. This experience can affect the whole family and you may be left feeling helpless with little choice.

Homeschooling is an increasingly viable option for many families. While the idea may initially seem daunting, you can tap into your child’s strengths to aid their learning and best of all, the whole process is led by them. At home they can learn at a pace to suit them and in an environment they are comfortable with. If a new concept requires several different approaches before it’s really embedded in their mind, then you have the time and space to enable that creativity. You can also explore a wide range of technology to support their learning that isn’t permitted in mainstream schools. Homeschooling is flexible and that’s key.

Kailash’s son Innes has dyslexia and homeschools with Wolsey Hall Oxford: “Homeschooling with Wolsey Hall has been fantastic for Innes. With Wolsey designing the yearly study plan, Innes has been able to tailor his schedule of work to accommodate his dyslexia. He immerses himself in a subject for days at a time, finishes an assignment and then moves on to the next topic. This pattern of working is very effective for Innes, as his short term memory is not very good – the knowledge is placed in his long term memory, giving him a very high retention rate.”

For many dyslexic students their low self-esteem is also a major issue. The nurturing approach of homeschooling builds this up, giving them the confidence to try new things without the ridicule of their peers should they fail.

Becoming your child’s home educator can feel overwhelming at the start, but many parents use a combination of approaches. From finding free resources on the internet and borrowing library books to meeting up with local homeschooling groups who often organize activities and trips. Online forums are a great resource for answering tricky questions, and the many Facebook groups offer a network of support from families in a similar boat.

While homeschooling often means one parent losing their potential income, many families run home-based businesses alongside home educating. You could also sign up for some homeschooling courses online, where your child will have their own tutor and learning support. At Wolsey Hall Oxford, we help parents to identify the best ways they can support their child in order to unlock their potential. We pride ourselves on the learning support we offer students and their families including a mentoring service and development of personal learning plans. Your Student Progress Manager is with you every step of the way to answer your queries, and your tutor will follow the pace set by your child.

Alfie, who has dyslexia, has been homeschooling for the past three years. Last year, he achieved four IGCSEs and is now studying another four IGCSEs this year. His mum, Helen explains why it works for them: “I can honestly say that Wolsey Hall was a fantastic choice for us. We really like the structure that Wolsey provides, the assignment schedule, and the online facility. Michaela, our Student Progress Manager, has been brilliant, always there to offer support and advice. I think what has been excellent for Alfie is the structure of the learning.”

Wolsey Hall Oxford offers a wide range of courses from Age 7 Primary right through to Secondary, IGCSE, and A Level. For more information about our Cambridge-accredited school and how we support children with additional needs such as dyslexia, visit: www.wolseyhalloxford.org.uk

Homeschooling a child with dyslexia works best when you understand how the learning difference actually works. Parents who want that grounding can take an online dyslexia certification for homeschooling parents and learn the AFS method at their own pace.

06/19/2019
KAZ – SEN/Dyslexia Typing Software
If individuals with dyslexia are equipped with the correct tools, they stand a far greater chance of reaching their full potential.

Trials and feedback from special needs teachers across the world have proven that touch typing and using a computer are formidable and even life-changing tools that open doors for individuals with dyslexia, as they present a new and powerful medium for learning and communicating – introducing them to a new, accessible academic world they can cope with and even excel in!

The disturbances experienced by dyslexics make writing and producing a piece of work extremely challenging. The level of concentration and effort involved can be exhausting and can affect the overall structure and quality of a piece of work.

The skill of typing can help eliminate many of these challenges and frustrations, and early acquisition familiarizes users with the keyboard, allowing them to fully appreciate the tools available to them through typing and using a computer.

When typing:
- The need for neat handwriting is no longer a priority.
- Errors can be easily edited/corrected without messy crossings out, resulting in neat and presentable work.
- Spell checkers highlight mistakes and offer alternatives.
- Reassurance with the above automatically boosts confidence – promoting experimentation with vocabulary and spelling, and allows concentration to be focused on content.
- Quick and accurate typing can reduce the amount of time spent on a piece of work and often increases the amount of work produced.
- Physical dexterity is enhanced, helping with handwriting skills.
- Reading, spelling, and vocabulary are ingrained in memory – with ‘muscle memory’, spellings become a series of finger movements and patterns on a keyboard, reducing the likelihood of transposing or misspelling words.
- The working memory is not overloaded. Students can work at their own pace in a non-linear fashion, where they can process their thoughts first and structure them later.
KAZ’s NEW SEN/Dyslexia typing software was developed with advice and guidance from the British Dyslexia Research Trust.

Incorporating a multi-sensory approach throughout and available with US and UK accents and keyboards, it teaches typing skills whilst minimizing disturbances related to visual stress, by means of a unique ‘Preference Screen’ – tailoring the course to individual’s needs.

Preferences include:-
- A choice of colored background/filter screens – for reducing white screen glare.
- A choice of 2 specific research-based background/filter colors – for steadying letter movement and blurring.
- A choice of dyslexic friendly typefaces – for ease of reading.
- A choice of font colour – for contrast from background screen colour.
- A choice of font size – for optimum visibility, comfort and to minimize fusing and crowding of letters.
- A choice of Keyboard for optimum visibility comfort.
Once the user has selected their preferences and can read the sample text comfortably, these options are applied throughout the course, ensuring the learning experience is a comfortable and enjoyable one. No other typing tutor works in this way.

The program uses a unique and proven ‘accelerated learning’ teaching method. Incorporating both ‘muscle memory’ and ‘brain balance’, it engages the major senses of sight, sound, and touch simultaneously, radically enhancing memory retention and recall, which is why it is so effective.

Using specific combinations and progressions of just 11 words in 5 scientifically structured phrases, the method trains the fingers on both hands to work symmetrically and simultaneously – a direct result of both hemispheres of the brain working at the same time – ‘brain balance’.

With repetition, reading, spelling, and vocabulary are ingrained to memory and with ‘muscle memory’ spellings become a series of finger movements and patterns on a keyboard, reducing the likelihood of transposing and misspelling words.

The Course is presented in a structured but light-hearted manner to make learning fun and enjoyable. It solely focuses on teaching typing and does not include gaming or try to teach typing with other subjects, as research has proven that this splits concentration and may overload the ‘working memory’.

The program offers both spoken and written instruction and includes ‘speaking keys’ covering the a-z keys. It is delivered in 5 short modules, in order to hold interest and concentration, and once again, avoid overloading the working memory. The student is allowed to progress at their own pace, acquiring the skill and gaining speed and accuracy without even realizing it. Additionally, a visual of the keyboard is always on the screen, encouraging the user to look up at the screen and not down at their fingers (so there is no need to cover hands or keyboard).

The combination of KAZ’s unique ‘Preference Screen’ and its proven accelerated learning teaching method delivers a simple, yet dynamic course.

The software is suitable for ages 6+ and is available in ‘Junior’, ‘Adult’ and ‘Corporate’, editions – Online, as a Download, or via SCORM for LMS.

Since launch, it has received wonderful reviews and is now promoted by the British Dyslexia Association and many SEN resellers across the world.

www.kaz-type.com
03/09/2018
Approaches to Dyslexia Training

by IFDDA.org

I. INTRODUCTION

The phenomenon of dyslexia is often referred to as a “learning disability”. However, these exceptional individuals just have different sensory perceptions due to genetic dispositions (Galaburda, LoTurco, Ramus, Fitch, & Rosen, 2006). Their different sensory perceptions cause them to view and experience our world differently, which can lead to significant accomplishments in arts, sports, and science – just not in reading and writing. Many researchers of different disciplines have dealt with this topic, mainly on how to address the reading and spelling issues that dyslexics have and how to render assistance. The approaches to research in dyslexia are as diverse as the various methods of training. What is needed is a comprehensive approach to dyslexia training that addresses all elements that cause the affected individuals’ problems to deliver faster and longer-lasting improvements.

The different sensory perceptions of a dyslexic person cause his or her attention to diminish when confronted with symbols, like letters. The results are errors while reading and writing. The logical consequence is that dyslexics require assistance in all three areas: improvement of sensory perceptions, as well as enhancement of the attention span while reading and spelling, and last, but not least, practicing reading and spelling. Training techniques for dyslexics and research about such, however, tend to focus on only one (or at most two) of the three mentioned areas. Multiple studies have already proven the benefits of sensory perception training (Bonacina, Cancer, Lanzi, Lorusso, & Antonietti, 2015; Flaugnacco et al., 2015; Fraga González et al., 2015; Gori & Facoetti, 2014; Habib et al., 2016; Ikeshita-Yamazoe & Miyao, 2016; Wang et al., 2014). Other research focused on the advantageous role of attention training (Franceschini et al., 2015; Heim, Pape-Neumann, Van Ermingen-Marbach, Brinkhaus, & Grande, 2015; Valdois et al., 2015), while other scientific inquiries concentrated on increased practicing of the basic academic skills of reading and spelling (Law & Cupples, 2015; McArthur et al., 2015).

Nevertheless, there is one approach to dyslexia training, which incorporates all three elements and, therefore, promises superior results: the so-called “AFS-Method” (A=attention, F=function/sensory perception, S=symptom). This method is open source and not a commercial program, and has been practiced by dyslexia specialists for the past 20 years in over 50 countries worldwide in different languages with much success. Kopp-Duller and Pailer-Duller (2011) conducted a long-term qualitative study investigating the effectiveness of the AFS-Method, which showed that 85% of test subjects were able to improve their reading and spelling abilities. Other researchers have also reported on the uniqueness of the AFS-Method in contrast to other standard practices for rendering assistance to dyslexics (Ablinger, 2006; Halfarová & Cigánková, 2006; Karli, 2006; Levski, 2011; Mészáros, 2011, Szimmuck, 2014; Zachbauer, 2011). A central key point of training in the AFS-Method is the concept of teaching word using multiple senses called word formulations, which was confirmed as beneficial by Aylward and Berninger from the University of Washington (Schwarz; 2004).

Further research, specifically quantitative in nature, should be conducted on the distinctive AFS-training method to generate quantifiable and tangible results so the method gains more acceptance in the dyslexia community and thus more affected individuals would be able to benefit from it. If more educators knew how to support dyslexic children successfully, fewer children would struggle at school and ultimately would be able to remain in school longer and receive a better education as a result.

II. CAUSE OF DYSLEXIA

Dyslexia is a hereditary condition that causes different sensory perceptions (Galaburda et al., 2006). Dyslexic individuals see, hear, and experience the world differently from non-dyslexics. This can have an upside because dyslexics are often talented in areas like technology, art, music, and sports – just not in reading and writing. The different sensory perceptions cause the dyslexics’ attention to diminish when confronted with the abstract concept of letters. This lack of attention results in errors while reading, writing, and spelling, and in turn in poor academic performance in language studies (Kopp-Duller, 2012).

Some research focuses on the aspect of auditory processes during reading, spelling, or writing: Bonacina et al. (2015) said that dyslexia stems from difficulties in auditory information processing, which results in impaired phonological awareness. Gori and Facoetti (2014) also agree that dyslexia is an auditory-phonological processing deficit, while Franceschini et al. (2015) said that dyslexics exhibit weak linguistic-phonological processing. Other researchers put the emphasis on the visual aspect: Wang et al. (2014) concluded that dyslexic individuals have an issue with their visual perceptual processing.

The bottom line is that dyslexia is a multisensory integration deficit (Fraga González et al., 2015). Dyslexic children have a unique way of processing information which results in a unique behavior during the learning process (Kopp-Duller & Pailer-Duller, 2011). No manifestation of dyslexia is alike because not every dyslexic person’s sensory perceptions are affected in the same way. Some children exhibit difficulty in visual processing, others with auditory, and again others in spatial perception. This is the precise reason not every training program to better the effects to dyslexia works on any child. The training efforts always need to be individualized to reach faster improvements without frustrating the child in the process.

III. ELEMENTS OF DYSLEXIA TRAINING

The approaches to dyslexia training are as diverse as the approaches to research on dyslexia. Researchers from a spectrum of disciplines have made it their duty to explore this complex subject and ways how to deal with it. Neurologists focus on processes in the brain of dyslexics to better understand the problem this phenomenon causes during reading and spelling (Heim et al., 2015). Geneticists view the issue from a hereditary standpoint (Galaburda et al., 2006). Psychologists focus on diagnosing dyslexia using intelligence tests although these tests were not designed for this purpose (Habib et al., 2016). At last but not least, pedagogues discuss how to help affected children more effectively (Berninger et al., 2008).

The success of various training programs has been well documented in countless studies, as demonstrated in the following subsections. Noticeably, training techniques tend to focus only on one aspect of the causation of dyslexia: training of attention, training of sensory perceptions, or training of symptoms, while the scientific evidence of the success of sensory perception training dominates. The question remains about what happens if dyslexia training is conducted using an individualized approach that covers all areas that cause the dyslexic child’s problems.

A. Training of Attention

The thoughts of a dyslexic person tend to wander, especially when they are confronted with the task of reading and writing. Dyslexic children reject these tasks because they cannot perform them well and would rather be doing something else. So they might act out and give the impression of being hyperactive. The wrong conclusion is often drawn from this behavior, that the child is hyperactive and, consequently, cannot read and write. However, the opposite is the case: The child cannot read and write, which causes him or her to misbehave. An important part of dyslexia training, therefore, is the focusing of attention. The goal of attention exercises is to give the affected individual the tools to focus his or her thoughts on the task at hand, which automatically yields positive results in reading and spelling (Kopp-Duller, 2012).

Various training techniques can be used to bring forth the desired outcome of focusing a child’s attention. Franceschini et al. (2015) used action video games in their study to increase the attention span in children with dyslexia. Heim et al. (2015) showed that the training of visual attention improves reading abilities. Another study where the training of visual attention improved reading abilities was conducted by Valdois et al. (2015). Breteler, Arns, Peters, Giepmans, and Verhoeven (2010) used qEEG-based neurofeedback training to increase the attention span, where the subject learned to self-regulate and thus improve brain activities, and subsequently were able to reduce reading and spelling deficits. Research by Kast, Baschera, Gross, Jäncke, and Meyer (2011) revealed that phonological awareness exercises increased the focusing of the test subjects on the task at hand.

B. Training of Sensory Perceptions

As already discussed, dyslexics exhibit deficits in sensory perceptions, so-called functions. Logic and practice dictate that only with functioning sensory perceptions is a smooth learning process possible. The training and, therefore, improvement of these sensory perceptions leads to automatically better performances in reading and spelling, as the presented evidence from multiple studies will demonstrate. Training can focus on visual, auditory, or spatial sensory perceptions, while it is vital to find out in which areas the child has difficulty before starting with the sensory perception training (Kopp-Duller & Pailer-Duller, 2011).

Fraga González et al. (2015) disclosed that training of letter-speech sound mapping led to substantial reading gains in dyslexic test subjects. Ikeshita-Yamazoe & Miyao (2016) used a specifically for dyslexics designed visual training tool for learning symbols, where test subjects were able to give 83% correct responses after two months in post-tests, compared to the traditional teaching method, where no correct answers were given. The overall concept of perceptual learning led to improvements in visual attention and reading in research by Gori and Facoetti (2014).

Furthermore, Balido-Dean, Kupczynski, and Fedynich (2011), Berninger et al. (2008), in addition to Kast et al. (2011) showed that multi-sensory training using letters has positive effects on the reading and spelling abilities of dyslexic children. But even sensory perception training without the use of symbols leads to improvement of reading and spelling skills in a study by Burger, Kastenhuber, and Loidl (2001).

A new approach to sensory perception training is the use of music. Training of basic musical rhythm perception skills had a positive impact on reading speed and accuracy in a study performed by Bonacina et al. (2015). Likewise, Flaugnacco et al. (2015) used music training to improve phonological awareness and reading skills in children with dyslexia. Habib et al. (2016) specifically used the concept of cognitivo-musical training to yield improvements in auditory attention and reading.

C. Training of Symptoms

Another part of dyslexia training is the improvement of reading and writing skills and, therefore, the eradication of errors while reading and spelling. This is achieved through practicing these basic academic skills. In the end, even for dyslexic children, reading and spelling can only be learned through reading and spelling (Kopp-Duller, 2012). A lack of recent investigations in this area demonstrates that the scientific community of dyslexic research has reached the consensus that dyslexia needs to be addressed on the multi-sensory level. Nonetheless, Law and Cupples (2015) found that the increased practice of reading led to improvement of real-world reading for dyslexic children. Likewise, McArthur et al. (2015) showed that practicing sight word and phonics reading leads to improvement in reading.

IV. A COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH

Kopp-Duller (1997), through her extensive experience in working with children who struggle in school, found that the classic method of increased practice of reading and spelling did not bring forth the desired improvement when dealing with dyslexic children. The reason for this is the sensory perceptions that are not well developed in dyslexics. These need to be activated and formed to facilitate a smooth process of learning to read and write. An altered approach to helping children who struggle with reading and spelling due to dyslexia was needed that took into account all the things that cause dyslexic children to make mistakes when reading and spelling: inattention while reading and spelling, different sensory perceptions, and errors in reading and writing.

A. The AFS-Method

The result was the A(=attention)F(=functions)S(=method)-Method. This method is considered comprehensive or holistic because it offers training in all areas where dyslexic children struggle and where improvement measures should focus. The AFS-Method is also considered open because it only provides the framework for dyslexia training and allows the trainer to incorporate any program, tool, or resource that can help the child. Individuality is essential in dyslexia training since every child has his or her unique difficulties and, thus, the training needs to cater to these individual problems (Kopp-Duller, 2012).

The AFS-Method consists of three parts: Every training session should start with an attention exercise, so the child learns to focus their thoughts on the reading and spelling task. This is followed by exercises for sharpening sensory perceptions. Not every child has issues in the same perception areas. Therefore, it is critical that an assessment takes place before training starts to find out which sensory perceptions need work. Last but not least, dyslexic children also need to practice reading, spelling, and writing (Kopp-Duller & Pailer-Duller, 2011).

Kopp-Duller (1997) also came up with the concept of so-called word formulations to integrate into symptom training. The practice of core academic skills should also be conducted by activating the senses. Word formulations involve exercises that teach children about word picture (letters make up words, what do the letters look like, etc.), word sound (letters have sounds and these sounds together form a word, etc.), and word meaning (every word has one or multiple applications, how can the word be used in a sentence, etc.). Elizabeth Aylward and Virginia Berninger from the University of Washington, as reported by Schwarz (2004), found in their research that words are not just words but that they are stored in the human brain by using neural circuits to code words in three forms. They found that the most effective way to teach dyslexic children is by showing them explicitly how letters, sounds, and meaning are interrelated.

It is also worth mentioning that the AFS-Method is not a commercial program but is open source, unlike most training programs for dyslexia. The AFS-Method can be practiced by teachers, parents, and other professionals alike. Practice has shown that greater success in training is achieved if children see a specialist once a week for a training session, and additionally, that 10-20 minutes daily at home with their parents (Kopp-Duller & Pailer-Duller, 2011).

B. Evaluation of the AFS-Method

Certified dyslexia trainers in over 50 countries worldwide have been practicing the AFS-Method for over 20 years now with much success (Kopp-Duller & Pailer-Duller, 2011). International academics have discussed this distinctive approach to dyslexia training in various publications and papers and highlighted its uniqueness compared to other standard practices in the teaching of dyslexics (Ablinger, 2006; Halfarová & Cigánková, 2006; Karli, 2006; Levski, 2011; Mészáros, 2011; Szimmuck, 2014; Zachbauer, 2011). The overall consensus is that a variety of training programs for dyslexia work, but this method might bring better results because of its comprehensiveness.

In 2008, Kopp-Duller and Pailer-Duller published a long-term qualitative study on the effectiveness of the AFS-Method. Data for the study were gathered between 2001 and 2006, and 3,370 dyslexic test subjects (71% boys, 29% girls) between the ages of 7 and 14 years (1^st-4^th grade: 61%, 5^th-8^th grade: 39%) participated. The results showed that after being instructed using the AFS-Method, all children improved their reading and spelling skills, while 85% of the participants showed significant gains in their reading and spelling abilities. The improvements were not short-term but occurred continuously over the two-year observation period. After two years of instruction, the dyslexic children had caught up with their non-dyslexic classmates and were able to fulfill the requirements at school. Parents also reported in a survey that conducted in the course of the study that their children seemed more motivated to do their school work.

V. SUGGESTED RESEARCH AND RESULTING BENEFITS

New programs to help dyslexic children emerge almost daily on the market of teaching aids. Most of them probably work and help dyslexic children in some cases. Scientific inquiries tend to focus on exactly such tools that have a narrow focus and only address one issue at a time, be it attention issues, individual sensory perceptions, or new ways of how to practice reading, spelling, and writing. Continuing research, however, should focus on training approaches that offer a holistic concept to tackle the problem as a whole and not investigate what can help in a niche area of training for dyslexics.

A starting point for further research could be to conduct a quantitative study about the AFS-Method to generate quantifiable and tangible results. This might lead to a greater acceptance of this framework of dyslexia training among professionals and would promote the dissemination of dyslexia training techniques. The more educators practice this open-source method, the more children will benefit from it. Dyslexic children would be more motivated to stay in school if they had fewer failures because of inadequate teaching methods that do not cater to their needs and hence would be able to receive an adequate education. The implications for better qualifications when they enter the labor market go without saying.

VI. CONCLUSION

The scientific community agrees that dyslexia is a multi-sensory processing deficit that causes affected individuals to make errors while reading, spelling, and writing (Bonacina et al., 2015; Fraga González et al., 2015; Franceschini et al., 2015; Galaburda et al., 2006; Gori & Facoetti, 2014; Kopp-Duller, 2012; Kopp-Duller & Pailer-Duller, 2011; Wang et al., 2014). This is precisely why training approaches have to take into account that dyslexics have different sensory perceptions and what issues these different sensory perceptions cause: On the surface, only the symptoms are visible, namely the mistakes dyslexic children make while reading and writing. But the subject matter is more complex than that. The different sensory perceptions that dyslexic children exhibit cause them to be inattentive when they encounter letters because the concept is too abstract for them to grasp using traditional teaching methods. This inattentiveness ultimately results in erroneous reading and writing.

Many different training approaches for dyslexia yield positive results, as was extensively demonstrated in this paper. However, training tends to focus on only one area where the dyslexic student has difficulty. Some research centers on improving the attention span of dyslexic children to teach them to focus their thoughts better on reading and spelling tasks (Breteler et al., 2010; Franceschini et al., 2015; Heim et al., 2015; Kast et al., 2011; Valdois et al., 2015). Other research focuses on sharpening the sensory perceptions to guarantee a smoother process of learning to read and write (Balido-Dean et al., 2011; Berninger et al., 2008; Bonacina et al., 2015; Burger et al., 2001; Flaugnacco et al., 2015; Fraga González et al., 2015; Gori & Facoetti, 2014; Habib et al., 2016; Ikeshita-Yamazoe & Miyao, 2016; Kast et al., 2011; Wang et al., 2014). The last camp of dyslexia research focuses on increased practice of the basic academic skills of reading and spelling (Law & Cupples, 2015; McArthur et al., 2015), although the lack of evidence in this area is promising that the scientific community has realized that traditional teaching methods do not work for most dyslexics.

Because every manifestation of dyslexia is different, the logical implication must be that the procedure to improve symptoms of dyslexia needs to be adapted to match the dyslexic’s issues. The AFS-Method is the only training method that offers a solution to address all the areas the dyslexic child needs training in. Approaching the issue of dyslexia from a comprehensive angle seems more sensible in any case. The AFS-Method is considered not only holistic but also as open because it allows the trainer to incorporate any training program or tool in the individual areas of training: focusing of attention, sharpening of the sensory perceptions, and practicing of reading and spelling. But even the betterment of symptoms is done by using a multi-sensory concept called word formulations (Kopp-Duller, 1997). Aylward and Berninger from the University of Washington agree that words need to be taught to dyslexic children by explaining to them word picture, word sound, and word meaning (Schwarz, 2004).

The AFS-Method has been practiced worldwide for over 20 years now, and international research agrees on the advantages of the AFS-Method (Ablinger, 2006; Halfarová & Cigánková, 2006; Karli, 2006; Levski, 2011; Mészáros, 2011; Szimmuck, 2014; Zachbauer, 2011). Kopp-Duller and Pailer-Duller (2008) investigated the benefits of the AFS method in a qualitative study. While observing 3,370 test subjects with a confirmed diagnosis of dyslexia between the ages of 7 and 14 years over a period of two years, they found that 85% of participants showed significant gains in their reading and spelling abilities, motivation was improved, and the students were able to fulfill the requirements at school.

A good amount of research has already been conducted on the topic of dyslexia, and hopefully, researchers will continue to do so in the future to find new ways to help dyslexic individuals more effectively. However, further research into the ways on how to improve reading and spelling abilities of dyslexic children should focus on a comprehensive approach to training, like the AFS-Method. Addressing all areas where dyslexics need assistance delivers greater and longer-lasting results, as has already been found in qualitative research. But generating quantitative results about the success of the AFS-Method would prove to the education community a sophisticated way to help dyslexic students.

If scientific research can show ways on how to train dyslexic children in practice, educators, other professionals, and parents alike would be able to facilitate a training process that brings lasting improvements for affected children. The result would be more motivated students that are able to stay in school longer and received a better education. This would allow them to achieve ultimately greater things and hopefully, lead better lives.

Putting these approaches into practice takes structured training. The Dyslexia Trainer Certification Program teaches the AFS method in 48 self-paced online lessons and is open to teachers, learning specialists, and homeschooling parents, with no prior professional training required.

References

Ablinger, M. (2006). Frühkindliche motorische Entwicklungsdefizite und Rechtschreibschwäche. Salzburg, Austria: University of Salzburg.

Balido-Dean, L., Kupczynski, L., & Fedynich, L. (2011). An analysis of dyslexic students at the elementary level. Journal of Case Studies in Education, 2, 1-11. Retrieved from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1057186.pdf

Berninger, V., Winn, W., Stock, P., Abbott, R., Eschen, K., Lin, S., & Nagy, W. (2008). Tier 3 specialized writing instruction for students with dyslexia. Reading and Writing, 21(1-2), 95-129. doi:10.1007/s11145-007-9066-x

Bonacina, S., Cancer, A., Lanzi, P. L., Lorusso, M. L., & Antonietti, A. (2015). Improving reading skills in students with dyslexia: The efficacy of a sublexical training with rhythmic background. Frontiers In Psychology, 6(1510), 1-8. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01510

Breteler, M., Arns, M., Peters, S., Giepmans, I., & Verhoeven, L. (2010). Improvements in spelling after QEEG-based neurofeedback in dyslexia: A randomized controlled treatment study. Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback, 35(1), 5-11. doi:10.1007/s10484-009-9105-2

Burger, T., Kastenhuber, M., Loidl, K. (2001). Evaluationsstudie zum Einsatz von Lernsoftware bei Kindern mit Lese-Rechtschreibschwäche. Retrieved from http://www.legasthenie.at/eval/studie.html

Flaugnacco, E., Lopez, L., Terribili, C., Montico, M., Zoia, S., & Schön, D. (2015). Music training increases phonological awareness and reading skills in developmental dyslexia: A randomized control trial. PLoS ONE, 10(9), 1-17.

Fraga González, G., Žarić, G., Tijms, J., Bonte, M., Blomert, L., & van der Molen, M. W. (2015). A randomized controlled trial on the beneficial effects of training letter-speech sound integration on reading fluency in children with dyslexia. Plos One, 10(12), e0143914–e0143914. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0143914

Franceschini, S., Bertoni, S., Ronconi, L., Molteni, M., Gori, S., & Facoetti, A. (2015). “Shall we play a game?”: Improving reading through action video games in developmental dyslexia. Current Developmental Disorders Reports, 2(4), 318-329. doi:10.1007/s40474-015-0064-4

Gori, S., & Facoetti, A. (2014). Perceptual learning as a possible new approach for remediation and prevention of developmental dyslexia. Vision Research, 99(1), 78-87. doi:10.1016/j.visres.2013.11.011

Galaburda, A. M., LoTurco, J., Ramus, F., Fitch, R. H., & Rosen, G. D. (2006). From genes to behavior in developmental dyslexia. Nature Neuroscience, 9(10), 1213-1217. doi:10.1038/nn1772

Habib, M., Lardy, C., Desiles, T., Commeiras, C., Chobert, J., & Besson, M. (2016). Music and dyslexia: A new musical training method to improve reading and related disorders. Frontiers in Psychology, 1-15. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00026

Halfarová, L., & Cigánková, S. (2007). Dyslexie u dospělých a výuka cizího jazyka (Dyslexia in young adults in foreign languages). Ostrava, Czech Republic: Technical University of Ostrava.

Heim, S., Pape-Neumann, J., Van Ermingen-Marbach, M., Brinkhaus, M., & Grande, M. (2015). Shared vs. specific brain activation changes in dyslexia after training of phonology, attention, or reading. Brain Structure & Function, 220(4), 2191-2207. doi:10.1007/s00429-014-0784-y

Ikeshita-Yamazoe, H., & Miyao, M. (2016). A visual training tool for teaching kanji to children with developmental dyslexia. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 29(1), 88-102. doi:10.1080/09588221.2014.889716

Kast, M., Baschera, G., Gross, M., Jäncke, L., & Meyer, M. (2011). Computer-based learning of spelling skills in children with and without dyslexia. Annals of Dyslexia, 61(2), 177-200.
doi:10.1007/s11881-011-0052-2

Karli, D. (2006). Dyslexia in theory and practice. Klagenfurt, Austria: University of Klagenfurt.

Kopp-Duller, A. (1997). Der legasthene Mensch (1st ed.). Klagenfurt, Austria: KLL-Verlag.

Kopp-Duller, A. (2012). Legasthenie – Training nach der AFS-Methode (4th ed.). Klagenfurt, Austria: KLL-Verlag.

Kopp-Duller, A. & Pailer-Duller, L. (2008). Legasthenie – Dyskalkulie !? (1st ed.). Klagenfurt, Austria: KLL-Verlag.

Kopp-Duller, A., & Pailer-Duller, L. (2011). Dyslexia – Dyscalculia !? Osprey, FL: Dyslexia Research Center USA.

Law, C., & Cupples, L. (2015). Thinking outside the boxes: Using current reading models to assess and treat developmental surface dyslexia. Neuropsychological Rehabilitation, 1–47. doi: 10.1080/09602011.2015.1064453

Levski, V. (2011). Discovering and supporting dyslexia in the early years. Bulgaria, Cyprus, Italy, Romania, Slovenia, Sweden, Turkey: Education and Culture, European Commission, Socrates Comenius.

McArthur, G., Castles, A., Kohnen, S., Larsen, L., Jones, K., Anandakumar, T., & Banales, E. (2015). Sight word and phonics training in children with dyslexia. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 48(4), 391-407. doi:10.1177/0022219413504996

Mészáros, S. (2011). Dyslexia, as Austrian teachers see it. Budapest, Hungary: Eötvös Loránd University.

Schwarz, J. (2004, February 12). Children must learn relationship among spoken, visual, meaning of word forms. University of Washington Today. Retrieved from http://www.washington.edu/news/

Szimmuck, K. (2014). Interventionsmethoden für Legasthenie. Welche zentralen pädagogischen Interventionsmethoden gibt es für Kinder mit Legasthenie? Ein Vergleich. Hamburg, Germany: University of Hamburg.

Valdois, S., Peyrin, C., Lassus-Sangosse, D., Lallier, M., Démonet, J.-F., & Kandel, S. (2014). Research report: Dyslexia in a French–Spanish bilingual girl: Behavioural and neural modulations following a visual attention span intervention. Cortex, 53, 120–145. doi:10.1016/j.cortex.2013.11.006

Wang, Z., Cheng-Lai, A., Song, Y., Cutting, L., Jiang, Y., Lin, O., . . . Zhou, X. (2014). A perceptual learning deficit in Chinese developmental dyslexia as revealed by visual texture discrimination training. Dyslexia (Chichester, England), 20(3), 280-296. doi:10.1002/dys.1475

Zachbauer, P. (2011). Dyslexia and high talent – When two phenomena collide. Salzburg, Austria: University of Salzburg.

04/07/2016
Wisconsin Institute for Learning Disabilities/Dyslexia endorses special paperback edition of The Hypnotist

“As a dyslexic, the typeface used in the special paperback edition of this book [OpenDyslexicAlta] assisted me with the tracking issues I have and made this a much more positive reading experience. The Hypnotist is a ‘must read,’ dyslexic or not.” Ervin Carpenter, Executive Director of WILDD

When Tom Lassiter hypnotized his friend Amanda Wilcox, the last thing he thought she would reveal was an abduction and murder that took place 25 years earlier. But who were the murderers, and why did Amanda and Tom have them to fear now?

“A great story from a new author . . . entertaining and fresh, even fascinating at times.” Lee Ashford for Readers’ Favorite

When, on an afternoon outing in Bayou Vermillion, Lafayette, LA, Amanda Wilcox has her fortune read by Madam Zu-Zu, she and her friend, Tom Lassiter, never thought it would lead to her having a nightmare in which she dreamed she was being choked to death. Under hypnosis, Amanda reveals to Tom that she once was a woman named Kyla Decker, who disappeared 25 years earlier after being stopped by a policeman while driving home early one morning after partying with her girlfriends. An Internet search reveals the name of another woman, Cindi Lathrop, who disappeared some years after Decker under similar circumstances. As Amanda’s and Tom’s relationship blossoms, the teenagers uncover evidence linking a former Lafayette, LA, policeman and a funeral home employee to the abductions, men who they suspect murdered the two women. But then, in what appears to be a real-life enactment of what the fortune teller told Amanda, Amanda and Tom find their lives threatened by one of the two men they think was responsible for the murders committed 25 years earlier. Can the teenagers survive, knowing the last of the five tarot cards read to Amanda by Madam Zu-Zu was Death? The only way to learn the answer to that question is to read The Hypnotist.

Available in Kindle and two paperback editions (Georgia and OpenDyslexicAlta fonts).

Available on Amazon: The Hypnotist: Special Edition for Readers With Dyslexia

01/21/2016
A message from Tomos Roberts, Author of “The Horse Lord” and “Rose’s Story”

I was diagnosed with dyslexia at age 7. It was my mother who noticed it to start off with, as I had been able to get past my lack of reading by memorizing books from people reading them to me. The big issue at this time was reading, which I found incredibly hard, and that meant my writing was reams behind my classmates.

This all came to a head with my mum sending me to go and see a specialist teacher on the weekends, who helped me start to untangle the strange symbols into letters, and then into words, but by this time, I was far behind my friends in my writing. The good news was that as soon as I understood the letters I could read the words, in some fashion, and from there I started to fully grasp the English language and catapulted forwards with my reading, going from the worst in my class to one of the best readers – all in the space of a year or two and kindling a new found love of books that remains to this day. Sad to say, though, I wasn’t out of the woods; in fact, this is where the real issue with my dyslexia started.

Now I could read, articulate myself as well as the best of them, and had no real downside to my reading, so no obvious outward expression of my dyslexia until I started to write, and it was there I really showed how severe I had it. The fact was that most teachers, classmates, and the like couldn’t understand anything I wrote, so I stopped writing and did the bare minimum of notes in class, which was fine due to my ability to memorize things fairly well. I could still cope in class, but writing each year became more and more of an issue as the assessments got longer and longer, and my ability to string a coherent sentence together got weaker and weaker, resulting in the need for a scribe for my GCSE and A-levels. An issue that was slightly embarrassing at the time. But because I was good verbally and my recall was fine, I was able to sit for my exams, which I passed, and then I went to university. During my exam years I had stopped having specialist support lessons and help from teachers to try and improve my writing because of the severity of my writing meant that I had reached a point where the staff of the school I was at, as well as the staff at my university, didn’t know what to do me, being in the top 1% of dyslexic in the world. But although my writing structure could not improve, having a scribe in the exams allowed me to speak the answers, and as I could read and memorize things, this was fine. However, my lack of writing made it harder to really relate to people work-wise, as people couldn’t understand my emails, and most people find my text messages difficult to decipher!!

My biggest issue at university, which was almost a forewarning for my later life, was that the majority of people don’t understand dyslexia and definitely don’t understand that it comes at different levels. My dissertation brought down my overall final grade at university because my dissertation tutor had no idea how bad I was and assumed I was like the majority of dyslexics he had seen with a “mild case,” as he put it, but saying that I finished uni, got my degree in History, and set off to join the army. A job I had been working towards for five years, mainly because I had realized at 14, during my first job, that the inability to write coherent sentences without someone checking them puts a big black mark against getting a lot of jobs. So I got myself fit and had always been good at sports, and assumed my life would center on practical things outdoors – a career without writing. An idea I assume a lot of dyslexics have – to get me as far away from writing as possible. Anyway, as fate would have it, it was because of my dyslexia that the army failed me during my officer assessment. I actually have a letter from them acknowledging that my dyslexia is the problem, and as they don’t have to comply with discrimination laws, that was the end of the road for me.

A sting that took a long time to get over – I found it hard to accept that something I was born with would stop me from doing a career that I thought I was meant to do.

From this point on though, a very strange thing happened, I started writing, creative writing, maybe to help better myself or to prove to myself that I could, I don’t know but I started writing reams and reams of stuff and then landed on my series, Riders of the North, and I wrote all three books back to back; the two short stories and the main full novel story. It was at this time that some of my family and friends heard about what I was doing and wanted to read them, to which I hesitantly obliged. Strangely enough, they seemed to like them with comments like “that’s good,” “very visual,” “great battle scenes, very bloody” started coming back to me, followed by “You should try to get that published.”

Which leads me to here, probably the most severely dyslexic person you will meet who is an author with two books and a very small but still respectable audience, now trying to hit the big time and show the world that even if you are born with something that stops you from doing something, you still can. I shouldn’t be a writer. It’s crazy, if we bumped into each other in the street and you asked me to write down something for you, I probably couldn’t – or if I did, you wouldn’t understand it, but here I am with two books because of hard work and a good team around me. And it’s put me almost into a position that I believe I was born to occupy; writing my stories is something I really enjoy doing. It takes a lot of editing to get it to publication, but I want to show that with perseverance, it can be done. I have no contacts to make my route easy, no parent in publishing, no rich family to underwrite me, just a computer and a ton of hard work sprinkled with a bit of luck, and a heap load of dyslexia, which has made me so creative, something I now realize, and a good editor. So if you are dyslexic or know how hard dyslexia is to deal with, then please help me get my books out there to an even wider audience, and share them with your friends. If I can do it, anyone can, and I hope sharing my story will inspire others.

Kindle USA: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00O3JX8NK?tag=legasthenie0c-20
Kindle UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=tomos+roberts

Tomos Roberts

Tomos Roberts’ Website: https://ridersofthenorth.com/

08/28/2015
How to Inspire Students to Write By Linda Davis-Kyle

HOW TO INSPIRE STUDENTS TO WRITE
By Linda Davis-Kyle

As a youth, Lisa Shontea Nichols (b.d. May 18, 1966) endured from her speech teacher the words, “Miss Nichols, you should never speak in public,” and from her composition teacher, “Miss Nichols, you’re the weakest writer I ever met in my entire life.” 1

Rising above Denigrating Criticism

Yet, about three decades later, Lisa is a world-renowned transformational speaker who addresses audiences of 10,000 plus, and she is a bestselling author of six books with a seventh—Abundance Now: Amplify Your Life & Achieve Prosperity Today—ready for release at the time of this writing. As Lisa puts it, she “writes bestsellers, not books.” She is a co-author of Living Proof: Celebrating the Gifts That Came Wrapped in Sandpaper and the author of No Matter What! 9 Steps to Living the Life You Love and Unbreakable Spirit: Rise Above the Impossible. Not only is she a world-renowned speaker and bestselling author, but Lisa is also the founder and CEO of the multi-million dollar company Motivating the Masses, Inc.

Hearing Discouraging Comments May Be Quite Common

While aspiring writers can find a multitude of teachers and established writers making discouraging comments about and to youthful writers, I, as a contrarian on the matter, feel that it is important to encourage young learners to write as soon as they show any interest in writing. Some parents may see their very young children—who have enjoyed hearing stories read to them—sit with a notepad and draw wavy lines before the youngsters can read for themselves or even know the alphabet. When asked, “What are you doing?” they very well may say proudly, “I’m writing a story.” When such an action happens, parents I have known capitalize on that moment and encourage those efforts.

Appreciating Astute Parents, Grandparents, and Teachers

From the tiny bit I know from Richard Bandler, the great and wonderful co-creator of Neuro-Linguistic Programming, I suspect he would praise the parent or teacher who fosters the growth of thought in youngsters and their keen desire to put pencil to paper to write. Bandler likely would say that the words spoken are of supreme importance to young and mature alike who are inspired to write. To make it clear, neither Bandler nor I are talking about false praise. I’m referring to looking for and finding something good in the young writers’ compositions, theme papers, articles, stories, poems, songs, and books. Some careless comments can, in a sense, “hypnotize” and devalue the efforts of youthful writers.

Acknowledging the Impact of Positive Effort and Encouragement

Some who seem to tell youngsters they are not experienced enough to write, they have not seen enough of the world to write, they have no voice or style to write, may be wholly and completely correct in their assumption. I believe, though, that offering constructive criticism with thoughtful suggestions is totally welcome. Young writers learn to write by writing and being nurtured in their efforts. Giving harsh criticism can crush the spirit of some young writers. It is akin to pulling on a sprouting plant, uprooting it, and killing it before it has a chance to develop strong roots and flourish. Thoughtful communication and correction are to the students as water and sunlight are to the emerging sprouts. Why destroy enthusiasm in any eager writers—young or mature—who choose to share their talent with the world? Why try to stymy the love of a budding talent that needs only attention, direction, and their own devotion to their worthy goal?

Encouraging and Fostering the Love of Writing

One learns by taking lessons, by observing others doing their chosen activity, and by diving into the activity with passion. I prefer to encourage young writers. I say to young and mature writers alike that “no matter what anyone says to try to dissuade you or what anyone does to put obstacles in your path, keep studying and reading and working to improve your craft.”

Motivating with Encouraging Words from the Heart

Not all teachers are like Lisa’s. Encouragement can come from the hearts of caring teachers, parents, grandparents, and mentors. Reading and writing daily can keep would-be writers energized. Practicing step by step can help eager writers-in-the-making conquer obstacles that arise not only in writing but also in life. Adults who choose to be their mentors can guide and support teens to improve their writing through serious application of some fun ways of looking at writing. If your teens choose to continue to use some of the modest approaches to writing, such as warm-ups (which seasoned writers may or may not use) while exploring and learning more complicated techniques to polish their talents, all the while, who knows where their writing will lead them as they go forth into the world?

Looking Inside the Writing World of Some Teens

Had Jake Marcionette’s mother not encouraged Jake, he would not be a triumphant author with his published books, such as Just Jake #1 and Just Jake: Dog Eat Dog #2.
His mother “encouraged” him. Actually, he explains that she “forced” him to write an hour and a half each day. As a successfully published author, though, force is no longer part of the equation. Marcionette says he “loves writing” now.
Rachel Parent’s family encouraged Rachel with her passion to help bring the important anti-GMO message to her peers, her country, and the world. Had her parents not supported her efforts, Rachel would not have had the opportunity to meet with Canada’s Health Minister Rona Ambrose to speak her mind.

Books are one of our greatest treasures. Photo by Linda Davis-Kyle, Copyright © 2014.

Putting Writing Rules to Good Use

Sure. It’s good to have a handle on grammar and the parts of speech before one dives right in to write. The late Gary Provost says, “…you cannot write well without [the rules of grammar].”
And, as I say in The Busy English Teacher… “recognizing parts of speech and how writers put the words to work can contribute to great fun and relevant learning for eager scholars. An abundance of practice researching, reading, and noting spelling awaits them around every corner. When given a little nudge in the right direction to motivate them, teens may be amazed at their own power. Young learners can experience the joy of learning. They can stretch their thinking when given fun challenges and exciting opportunities to explore. They can accept challenges they have not even thought of accepting before if presented in a non-threatening and fun way.” by

Writing Even before Becoming Supersaturated in Rules

Making a bold effort to keep the joy of writing alive, some educators do not intrude on the creative process for quite some time. Montessori schools, with which I am familiar, maintain an initial hands-off policy and just let budding writers write. After the young learners are comfortable with their masterpieces, their teachers, known as guides, gently introduce patterns and rules of spelling and grammar while still managing not to stifle the creativity of the young writers. Some students may excel in spite of harsh criticism, or even because of it, as Lisa has. Nevertheless, some teachers may choose to nurture rather than negate the writing of young students to help them achieve their dreams. If they wish, teachers can leave a legacy of kindness. Their kindness can live to connect with the hearts of their students to help sustain their inner power long after the teachers have gone.

Sources

1 Nichols, Lisa. “Questions That Will Stir Your Soul,” YouTube ~ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JuKCwS8wmls 24:32.
2 ldk, The Writer’s Friend, p. 14.
3 Marcionette, Jake. http://www.cbsnews.com/news/thirteen-year-old-author-writes-own-success-story/
4 Provost, Gary. 100 Ways to Improve Your Writing. New York: Mentor, 1985, p. 107.
5 ldk, The Busy English Teacher’s Fun Activities & Exercises for Pre-Teens: Grammar Mind Maps, Fitness Games & More. Amazon Kindle Book.

About the Author

Linda Davis-Kyle, MA, has been published in North America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia in professional journals such as Modern Drama in Canada, Chem Matters in the USA, Jewish Affairs in the Republic of South Africa, and Studies in English Literature in Japan, and in magazines such as Common Ground in Canada and Green Farm Natural Health in the United Kingdom. She is also the author of “Exploring ‘Treasure Storehouses’ of the World,” found on the American Dyslexia Association website. Davis-Kyle’s Amazon Kindle book, The Busy English Teacher’s Fun Activities & Exercises for Pre-Teens, is the perfect time-saving gift for overworked educators. It is overflowing with fun learning exercises that nurture the minds, bodies, and spirits of young learners.

Find it on Amazon: Books by Linda Davis-Kyle

07/02/2015
TextProject – Free reading texts for teachers, students, tutors, and parents

TextProject is a website offering high-quality student texts and teacher guides, all of which are available for free download. Text for students, vocabulary lessons and lists, professional development modules and videos – TextProject provides a world of open-access resources for teachers, teacher educators, parents, tutors, and students.

Some examples of the resources you’ll find:

BeginningReads™

TextProject’s BeginningReads program supports teachers, parents, and tutors in helping children develop their reading skills. The goal of BeginningReads is to connect students’ oral language knowledge with written language. Ten levels (of 12 books each) are available. More information: click here.

FYI for kids

A collection of engaging and high-quality magazine articles designed to enhance the Common Core classroom’s reading repertoire. More information: click here.

SummerReads™

Students who don’t read much over the summer show a decline in reading performance from the end of one grade to the start of the next. Research shows that even reading 4 or 5 books over the summer helps to prevent the summer slump. SummerReads are accessible, engaging texts for at-risk readers… for FREE! And there are enough texts for an entire summer of reading. More information: click here.

But there is even more! Check it out here: Textproject.org

05/18/2015
Dinosaur perception training

Kids + dinosaurs = fun! Enjoy our new free no-prep printables with dinosaurs. Kids will have fun and train their visual and spatial perception, patterning, and counting up to 5.

Visual and spatial perception:

Patterning:

Counting till 5:

Download: Dinosaur perception training

You want even more dinosaurs? Check out this free online game: Dinosaur – Find the pairs! You can choose different levels. The game can be played in any browser on any computer, smartphone or tablet.

05/11/2015