Return-Path: <nifl-ld@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id g0E4Ec003591; Sun, 13 Jan 2002 23:14:38 -0500 (EST) Date: Sun, 13 Jan 2002 23:14:38 -0500 (EST) Message-Id: <5.1.0.14.2.20020113223732.00a49ec0@mail> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-ld@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-ld@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-ld@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: clifwillard <clifwillard@home.com> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-ld@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-LD:3826] RE: NIFL-LD:3810 NO Support for phonetic X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed X-Mailer: QUALCOMM Windows Eudora Version 5.1 Status: O Content-Length: 3482 Lines: 64 Dear Ellie, I wish more people in education knew this. There are also some good study materials on tape and CD. I have a GED. I dropped out of school in the 6th week of the 9th grade after having been in 13 different elementary schools. My 8th grade diploma had an asterisk by each subject. The asterisk at the bottom said, "Did not meet academic requirements." I have it hanging on my wall in my office. I secretly went to a tutor when I was 18 and asked him if he would tutor me for a while and then tell me if he thought I could go to college. He was not to tell anyone that I was there. He agreed. Every day he gave me part of a SAT exam and then we would talk about the answers. Eventually he told me that he saw no reason why I could not complete a college education. He did say that it would be difficult at first but that I could to it. I then told my parents that I wanted to go to college. They nearly fainted but said that if I could get in they would send me. I told them about the tutor and they were relieved. I quit my job and went to that tutor every day. I had several tutors. My history tutor was a history major at Yale, my math tutor was a math major at Yale, all my tutors were undergraduate students at Yale. The tutoring was all dialogue. They explained everything to me verbally. I did read but small amounts and them we would discuss what I read. I eventually took the GED and then the SAT and did well enough on both to be admitted to Boston University where I promptly flunked out. But I did get in!!! I now have two masters and would get a Ph., D. if I had the time. I would have to give up my practice and I am unwilling to do that. I did not know I had a reading disability until I was a Junior in college and it was an Art teacher who told me. I spent the next twenty years trying to understand reading disabilities. I have read much of the research and continue to read research all the time. Much of the research in Cognitive Psychology and the Neuropsychologists along with the neurologists pertains directly to reading disabilities though that is not the nature of the research. I have spent hundreds of hours with people of all ages with these disabilities and that experience has enabled me to further think about the nature of reading disabilities. The conclusions I have come to are supported in practice. The problem is that it works and works very well. People see it as giving up on people with reading disabilities. The opposite is true however. It frees them to benefit from their abilities and be successful academically and post academically. Students who use accommodations are completing their education. Too many are lost in tutoring programs and missing their education opportunity. In the end, they are passed by. It is so unnecessary. The power of Adult Education is enormous. It is a shame that those with the power keep it in a blanket of limitations. I appreciate your comments. Clif At 02:11 PM 1/13/02 -0500, you wrote: >Dear Clif, > >Your comments are always thought provoking. Thanks. > >In reference to the GED, if a student has been identified as reading >disabled, he/she can take an oral version of the GED. If students were in >special ed in school, then the records need to be located. If students have >never been identified, those students can get an assessment made, sometimes >through the local rehab service, but often it must be paid for out of pocket. > >Ellie
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