Return-Path: <nifl-family@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id h5UDlLC15657; Mon, 30 Jun 2003 09:47:21 -0400 (EDT) Date: Mon, 30 Jun 2003 09:47:21 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <p05100301bb25ec67e26d@[67.31.32.101]> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-family@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-family@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-family@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: Gail Spangenberg <gspangenberg@caalusa.org> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-family@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-FAMILY:1598] Re: From: Thomas Sticht Overcoming Dyslexia X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" ; format="flowed" Status: O Content-Length: 7925 Lines: 152 > Colleagues, This posting on overcoming dyslexia prompts me to ask if an individual on my staff (at another organization I direct) may be dyslexic and how to deal with it. She is a lovely Hispanic woman, mid-to late 30s, was born in this country, is bright, dedicated, hard-working, with plenty of strong qualities that make her good at her job. But she has a very serious problem in one area that is important to the organization: her oral and written command of English,and I've begun to wonder if her problem might be explained, in part, by dyslexia. She inverts first names and last names on a regular basis, can't spell correctly on a consistent basis, can't compose grammatically correct sentences, and constantly uses incorrect grammar in her speech. Since we are dealing with hundreds of parents all the time, and communicating with the public daily, the language problem is serious. By mutual agreement, we correct her whenever we hear her using incorrect grammar, but this makes no difference, reallly. Apparently, her daughter (whose English is fine) and her boy friend both constantly urge her to take a course or some program that will help her. I have told her that as a condition of continued employment, she must take some course and that we will pay for it. And I have searched out some of the adult literacy programs in NYC. However, I am at a loss as to what program would really be suitable for her, or how to go about getting her need assessed. We want very much to keep her because, as I say, she has some wonderful, positive qualities and actually likes her job (a plus these days). And she does a wonderful job in many ways. Any suggestions would be welcome. Thanks. Gail Spangenberg > Overcoming Dyslexia >> >> Currently the U. S. government has a policy of having programs for >> children and adult reading instruction use scientific, evidence-based >> methods of teaching reading. >> >> Sally Shaywitz, M.D., was a member of the Reading Research Working >> Group that helped pull together the information about scientific, >> evidence-based adult reading instruction currently being disseminated >> on the National Institute for Literacy (www.nifl.gov) Partnership For >> Reading web site. She has just recently had published a new book >> entitled Overcoming >> Dyslexia: A New and Complete Science-Based Program for Reading >> Problems at Any Level (Alfred A. Knopf, 2003 - US$25.95). In the book >> she reviews the history of dyslexia, she summarizes research on >> reading, including some of the new research on magnetic resonance >> imaging that shows which parts of the brain are most active during >> reading for both normal and dyslexic readers, and she offers a >> considerable amount of advice about how to go about helping dyslexics, >> both children and adults, overcome their reading problems. >> >> Repeatedly Shaywitz is careful to point out that her work and that of >> others cited in the book about reading is based on scientific >> evidence, and she is careful to acknowledge the support of the >> National Institute for Child Health and Human Development over the >> years and she notes that "For the past two decades I have been blessed >> by having G. Reid Lyon at my side as my guide and companion. His >> leadership created the modern study of reading and reading disability, >> and his uncommon vision forged the science and public policy together >> as a seamless and natural whole. I am grateful most of all for all his >> friendship and unfailing support; he has been like a brother to me." >> This is an interesting acknowledgement of a long time relationship >> with a government sponsor of research. >> >> While I found the book chock full of interesting history and >> scientific research on the brain and reading, and I would recommend it >> for that alone, what has impressed me the most are the recommendations >> for practice, that is, for teaching dyslexics to read and to overcome > > their reading problems. Of most interest to me is that these >> recommendations now have a history that are, for the most part more >> than 30, 40, 50 or more years old and have little or nothing to do >> with the "modern study of reading and reading disability" as defined >> above. >> >> For instance, in reviewing programs suitable for dyslexic students >> Shaywitz refers to programs referred to ".generically as >> Orton-Gillingham (after Dr. Samuel Orton and his associate, Anna >> Gillingham, an approach developed as a tutorial program for struggling >> readers."(p. 266). These programs have their origins in the 1920's and >> 30's. Among programs she reviews are the Wilson Reading System, Spell >> Read P.A.T (Phonemic Analysis Training), Lindamood Phoneme Sequencing >> Program (L:iPS), and similar programs that, like Orton -Gillingham, >> are ".highly structured and systematic, tries to engage all the senses >> in learning about letters and sounds., and typically is taught >> one-to-one or in small groups." >> >> In short, there appears to me to be a considerable gap between the >> scientific research on reading and dyslexia that Shaywitz reviews, and >> which does help to better understand the processes and brain systems >> involved in reading, and the instructional programs that are discussed >> to help dyslexics overcome their problems. The latter approaches have >> been known and used for decades by those trained well in the teaching >> of reading. So rather than leading to innovations in the teaching of >> reading for struggling readers, the contemporary research seems to be >> more confirmatory of what has long been known as useful practice. >> >> Shaywitz also recommends what reading specialists have previously >> referred to as an "active reading strategy" and says, "I like to >> divide reading comprehension activities into three parts: those you >> can do before opening the book, those that are most helpful as the >> child reads, and those that help him organize his thoughts and sum the >> events of the story after he finishes reading." (p. 241) This is, of >> course, a modification of Robinson's 1941 SQ3R study skills method in >> which before reading one surveys the text and raises questions about >> what it may deal with (this mobilizes prior knowledge), then reads and >> during reading recites in ones own words what the meaning of what is >> being read is, and then reviews afterwards to firmly set in mind what >> has been read. >> >> Though the recommendations that Shaywitz gives for helping dyslexics >> read are mostly based on earlier decades of research and study of the >> reading process, they are tried and true methods of dealing with >> difficult reading problems and she treats topics of vocabulary >> learning, fluency, and comprehension very well, with a style of >> writing that relates to the reader on a personal basis. She also >> gives many good pointers for how parents and adults can seek help for >> their own or their children's reading difficulties. >> >> While Shaywitz provides a very brief and misleading representation of >> "whole language" in support of her approach to "scientific, >> evidence-based" reading instruction (pp. 202-203), the book will >> nonetheless return its cost for those who want to better understand >> reading, reading difficulties, dyslexia, good instruction, and access >> to help for struggling and /or dyslexic learners. >> >> >> Tom Sticht >> Tsticht@aznet.net > >Noemi Aguilar >National Center for Family Literacy >325 West Main Street, Suite 300 >Louisville, KY 40202-4237 > >Phone: 502/584-1133 ext 168 >Fax: 502/584-0172 >E-mail: naguilar@famlit.org > > > -- Gail Spangenberg President Council for Advancement of Adult Literacy 1221 Avenue of the Americas - 50th Floor New York, NY 10020 212-512-2362, fax 212-512-2610
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