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 j93EmjG09407; Mon, 3 Oct 2005 10:48:45 -0400 (EDT) Date: Mon, 3 Oct 2005 10:48:45 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <LOBBICLOAFKBEPDBHIAJIEEKGBAA.l.cuttler@comcast.net> 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: "Lucille Cuttler" <l.cuttler@comcast.net> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-ld@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-LD:4920] Re: LD and intensive phonics X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook IMO, Build 9.0.6604 (9.0.2911.0) Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; Status: O Content-Length: 9315 Lines: 285 Let's put it this way, John. Forget the label dyslexia. Get over that term "dyslexia". Consider only how to help someone who's tried other "remedies" that didn't do the job. Just use teaching methods that work with the worst case scenario of anyone who wants to learn to read. We know how to do it: Explicit direct multisensory instruction - allowing plenty of time. Go as fast as you can, as slow as you must. And of course be sensitive to learning styles and also be as creative as you can. But all good teachers do that. Compare the method to weight lifting - incremental repetitions. Not everyone can lift 100 lbs. the first time, but coaching and practice can get you there. One step at a time, but with a good coach. Lucille Cuttler -----Original Message----- From: nifl-ld@nifl.gov [mailto:nifl-ld@nifl.gov]On Behalf Of John Nissen Sent: Sunday, October 02, 2005 5:08 PM To: Multiple recipients of list Subject: [NIFL-LD:4916] Re: LD and intensive phonics Hi Anita, I looked up "Overcoming Dyslexia" on Google, and got this Q and A with Sally Shaywitz from SchwabLearning.org http://www.schwablearning.org/articles.asp?r=718&g=1 [quote] Q: How can you distinguish between a child who is struggling to read because of dyslexia and one who has difficulties because of some other problem (i.e., a different learning disability or an emotional problem)? A: The hallmark of dyslexia is an unexpected reading difficulty in a child who seems to have all the equipment (intelligence, verbal skills, motivation) necessary to become a reader. [end quote] Thus Sally Shaywitz is promoting the dyslexia myth that there is a difference between dyslexics and other poor readers, due to mismatch of reading ability and intelligence (etc.). The Channel 4 spells out this myth. People have reading difficulties regardless of intelligence. So dyslexia needs to be defined in some other way. See http://www.channel4.com/news/microsites/D/dyslexia_myth/dyslexia.html Cheers, John ----- Original Message ----- From: "Anita Landoll" <amlandoll@yahoo.com> To: "Multiple recipients of list" <nifl-ld@literacy.nifl.gov> Sent: Sunday, October 02, 2005 9:21 PM Subject: [NIFL-LD:4915] Re: LD and intensive phonics > Hi, > > The book, OVERCOMING DYSLEXIA, by Sally Shaywitz, MD, > goes into much detail about MRI studies and reading. > Also, a professor at Wake Forest U is doing research > on the audio-visual problems... I think she has found > that there is a time disconnect there, for dyslexic > readers. > > Anita www.learntoreadnow.com > > --- John Nissen <jn@cloudworld.co.uk> wrote: > >> >> Hello Lucille, >> >> I have looked at the IDA site you recommend, and >> their FAQ does seem to >> embody conventional wisdom about dyslexia. >> >> But there are some issues that are a bit clouded >> over. I suspect that it is >> important for IDA to concur with the idea of the >> dyslexic person as a >> basically intelligent person who is liable to >> underachieve unless given >> special help. I absolutely sympathise with this >> idea, because both my >> eldest (Oliver) and youngest (Clara) of three >> children have been diagnosed >> as dyslexic and received help in their education, >> with extra time in exams. >> >> However there is no evidence that so-called >> dyslexics are any different from >> other poor readers and spellers, as regards the >> difficulties they have in >> reading in writing, or in the effectiveness of >> remediation. This point was >> strongly made in a programme on Channel 4, >> provocatively called "The >> Dyslexia Myth", see >> > http://www.channel4.com/news/microsites/D/dyslexia_myth/. >> So I come back >> to one of my three questions that started this >> thread: "Is poor reading >> simply a result of poor teaching?" >> >> Last night I discussed this with my wife. She >> remembers Oliver's primary >> school teacher saying how difficult Oliver was to >> teach, because he didn't >> seem to be taking in the instruction in class, and >> not participating >> actively. This is a characteristic of Oliver - he >> finds it difficult to >> take in instructions. He also lacks a sense of the >> passage of time, and a >> certain organisational ability. It is a combination >> of these which makes it >> difficult for teachers to give adequate tuition, and >> which makes exams so >> difficult for him. >> >> This set me thinking. Perhaps Oliver's difficulty >> with reading and writing, >> for which he was branded "dyslexic", was a result of >> him not taking in the >> instruction, rather than poor teaching as such. >> Perhaps, if he had been >> given intensive one-to-one tuition, where the >> teacher made sure that he was >> taking in every step, he would be as good a reader >> and speller as the >> average child of his age and intelligence. And >> perhaps his neural pathways >> would have developed as for the average child. >> >> An alternative explanation, provided by the >> programme I mention above, is >> that reading problems most often arise from a audio >> processing disability or >> difficulty. See "View 2" in >> > http://www.channel4.com/news/microsites/D/dyslexia_myth/dyslexia.html. >> The >> past view was that dyslexia arose from a visual >> processing difficulty (hence >> the advocacy of tinted spectacles, etc.). This new >> explanation would >> suggest that to teach reading, one would need to >> concentrate on phonological >> awareness, as this is otherwise a block on >> successfully learning to read for >> up to 20% of children. I do not know whether this >> explanation could apply >> to Oliver. >> >> It seems to me vital that we find the correct >> explanation of dyslexia. The >> brain research clearly shows that there are marked >> differences in how people >> read - because different parts of the brain are in >> play. We need to >> establish whether the observed differences are cause >> or effect: the cause of >> differences in reading ability, or the effect of the >> way the people were >> taught. My hypothesis is that they are effect. It >> could be tested by fMRI >> on the Clackmannanshire kids. If they have all >> developed the pathways used >> by good readers, then we have: >> >> 1. evidence that dyslexia arises from inadequate >> teaching; >> 2. a new tool for diagnosis of reading problems; >> 3. a new tool to establish the effectiveness of >> teaching methods; >> 4. proof beyond reasonable doubt of the >> effectiveness of synthetic phonics >> in the teaching of reading. >> >> Cheers, >> >> John >> >> >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: "Lucille Cuttler" <l.cuttler@comcast.net> >> To: "Multiple recipients of list" >> <nifl-ld@literacy.nifl.gov> >> Sent: Saturday, October 01, 2005 2:15 AM >> Subject: [NIFL-LD:4908] Re: LD and intensive phonics >> >> >> > The International Dyslexia Association is a >> reliable source for many >> > questions recently expressed - www.interdys.org >> Membership brings >> > professional journals, newsletters, and a chance >> to meet with other >> > professionals in your area. Techniques appropriate >> for severe dyslexics >> > can >> > certainly help anyone struggling with decoding and >> spelling. >> > >> > As a tutor with 20 years I have used structured, >> kinesthetic, explicit >> > direct instruction. I know it does the job. A >> tutor/teacher to be >> > effective >> > needs a well equipped tool box. Creative ways of >> teaching, reaching both >> > sides of the brain, work. >> > >> > Also, always keep in mind that the rate of >> learning varies. Students go >> > as >> > fast as they can but as slow as they must. >> Lucille Cuttler >> > >> > -----Original Message----- >> > From: nifl-ld@nifl.gov [mailto:nifl-ld@nifl.gov]On >> Behalf Of John Nissen >> > Sent: Friday, September 30, 2005 11:04 AM >> > To: Multiple recipients of list >> > Subject: [NIFL-LD:4906] Re: LD and intensive >> phonics >> > >> > >> > >> > Hello Aaron, >> > >> > Thank you for the references. I had a good read >> of the article on >> > Neurobiology, and it is very informative and well >> written. >> > >> > However I have some problems with it. From what I >> have seen, none of the >> > research on dyslexia has taken into account a key >> environmental factor - >> > how >> > the subjects had been taught to read. Moreover >> none of the researchers, >> > to >> > my knowledge, have looked at children who have >> been given intensive >> > phonics >> > training at the start of primary school, by either >> explicit phonics or >> > synthetic phonics. Perhaps the patterns of brain >> activation would be >> > different, if the subjects had been taught in a >> different way. In the >> > Clackmannanshire study, all the children were >> taught to read successfully >> > using synthetic phonics, and there was little or >> no "dyslexia" apparent. >> > And I have heard of reseach suggesting that the >> left brain can indeed by >> > "activated" to help people overcome reading >> problems. >> > >> > Therefore, I am suspicious when the article says >> that "dyslexia is a >> > persistent and chronic condition". It seems there >> might be effective >> > remediation that could activate the parts of the >> brain that are used by >> > normal readers. A key giveaway in the article is >> as follows: >> > >> > === message truncated ===
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