• When using the white board, use coloured ink pens rather than black. This will help the dyslexic to read more easily from the board and reduce eye fatigue
• When you start a lesson, give students a list of bullet point on the subject they are learning (great revision notes)
• Remind the dyslexic student, it good to ask questions
• Never ask dyslexic student to read outloud in class
• When giving introduction for homework, give the dyslexic a list of how your want the work
• Give your dyslexic students how to instruction and example of styles of study skills
• Its important dyslexic learn how to work on their own, this give them self acceptance and they learn from their own experience. So giving special homework project to research a subject
• Watching videos help dyslexic learn, specially for English Literature classes. Even asking parents to rent the video and get the dyslexic to watch it over and over again.
• Asking the students to watch a youtube video or read a article for homework, ask them to make bullet points notes
• Be positive with the dyslexic, do show failure be say well done if their look like they are struggling.
• Use coloured pens, not write chalk or black ink pens, uses red, blue or green
• Give you student some bullet point notes on the topic you are teaching
• Ask students to write in bullet points
• Don't ask students to copy full sentences (make them short)
• Its best to teach on the board and give notes rather than asking the students to copy text onto paper
• Every 10 minutes give student 2 minutes rest, this allows the students to relax there mind and ready to start and refreshed

When you ask students to do a piece of work, give student example and explain what you want them to do. Having an example can help the student guide to success.

Dyslexia students find it difficult to do work because they struggle to write what they are thinking.

Yes important for students to learn to spell, but it is just as important that dyslexia are taught study skills. Simple techniques in study skills can help a dyslexic students improve their learning so much. Normally teachers expects students to know there skills, but teachers should also teach these techniques in their lessons.

If you are a parents. Its worth either teaching your dyslexia child yourself or even hiring a private teacher to go through these study skill areas.

Here are a list of study skills, dyslexia student should learn:-

• Note taking
• How to take notes in class
• How to take notes from a book
• How to take notes when watching a video
• Essay writing
• How set out a essay
• How to answer a essay question
• Report writing
• How to restructure a report
• Revision techniques
• How to rememeber information and add it to your long term member
• How to write easy to read notes
• Exams questions and techniques
• Understanding what a question is asking
• Understanding what an examiner is looking for in an answer (depending on the question score)
• Understand how to answer a question
• Planning work
• Understanding how to structure your work

You might think, students should already know these simple techniques about how to study, they have been studying for years. But most dyslexic student have either not learned them or forgotten them, so its important so relearn them. Study skills give student a restructure of how to learn.

When I was at college, I struggled with learning, but I started to use a laptop in class which help me to structure my work more easily but most important I also started to learn study skills. Understanding how to study is something all students should learn over and over.

Dyslexics need reminding of skills, as your students to keep the examples in a folder so they can always come back.

I remember one of my teachers, she knew I could do the work be always struggles to techniques so when giving homework she work explain the techniques and what she expected as a result. Also she taught me have a arrange my work in my work books. One approach I was taught was to have 3 work books for each class:-

•     classwork book
•     note book
•     homework book

Having the 3 books allowed me to organise my work better.

One of the biggest challenges you will face as the parent of a child with dyslexia is choosing a school. From preschool to high school, if you’re fortunate to have choice, there are things you can look for that will enhance your child’s learning experience. Following are some ideas to guide your choices. 

What I don’t recommend for children under the age of eight with dyslexic tendencies is any school where science is emphasized and art is missing from the curriculum. This left-brain academic approach before the age of eight is inappropriate for normal brain development and causes problems.

Preschool

Children should have plenty of opportunity to move and play on the ground and floor. At this age, touch and contact with the ground teaches your child proprioception, where she is in relationship to objects. She also learns where sounds are coming from and where objects are located in relationship to her body.

Elementary

Whether you choose public or private, look for a school that provides multisensory learning, which simply means using different senses while learning. Singing, clapping, and marching, especially in early school years, helps children learn more easily. We’ll start with two excellent private school choices.

Montessori Schools

Developed by Maria Montessori, an Italian physician and educator, these schools are based on the belief that children have an inner wisdom. With freedom and choice within a “prepared” Montessori environment, which includes multisensory learning, they will develop independence and balance. The schools typically go through sixth grade.

Waldorf Schools

Austrian Rudolph Steiner founded the Waldorf Schools, and Waldorf schools generally run from kindergarten through twelfth grade. The same teacher stays with a child for the first eight years. Children in the early years spend a lot of time outside to learn balance, visual accommodation and convergence (focusing from near to far), and how to get along with one another.  

Charter Schools

A charter school is publicly funded and typically governed by an organization under a contract with the state. They have more freedom in curriculum than most public schools. As of 2010, charter schools operate in forty states with well over a million students. Statistics vary widely about whether traditional or charter schools are better. The research designs vary so much, as do the governing organizations, that it’s difficult to make comparisons. If you’re considering a charter school, ask how the school is evaluated by the state.

Homeschooling

Some parents choose homeschooling, especially in the early elementary years, to protect their dyslexic children from bullying or name-calling. However, many parents are not suited for homeschooling. Some parents form co-ops and share teaching responsibilities or hire a former teacher for their children.

To foster socialization, many homeschooling organizations offer classes to ensure the children have social outlets. Often homeschooled children will go to a public or private school during their teenage years when peer relationships become more important.

Private Schools

Private schools rely on parent-paid tuition rather than public funding. Schools may be geared toward particular learning challenges such as dyslexia (which means of course, they believe dyslexia is a permanent condition!) or other special needs. Military-type boarding schools provide structure and systems that are helpful to some children. (This kind of military school is not to be confused with schools actually run by the military, such as the Air Force Academy.) College preparatory boarding schools prepare kids with dyslexia for rigorous academic universities.

Academies or Magnet Schools

Public schools may offer special schools known as “academies” or “magnet schools,” such as the Engineering Academy or the Theater Arts Magnet School. Vocational schools are usually for students who wish to learn a trade such as automotive technology or carpentry. Many dyslexic students excel at these schools because they play to their strengths.  

Children with dyslexia thrive in the right school environment but disappear in the wrong one. It may take a few attempts to find the perfect school for your child, but it is well worth the effort to find it. 

Dr. Phyllis Books, DC, is a teacher, doctor, grandmother, and developer of Books Neural Therapy™, a natural, non-drug intervention for children with dyslexia and other learning and behavior issues. Her clients call her a combination of a neurosurgeon, a psychiatrist, and Mother Teresa. Mostly, she loves sharing what she’s learned about kids, how they learn, and how they can feel good about themselves and be successful.

The Reptilian or Basic Brain

The basic brain learns best with ritual, routine, rhythm, and repetition. Nursery rhymes are a great way to install rhythmic patterns. Memorizing math facts while marching helps children who are kinesthetic learners. Playing any instrument tunes up the sense of rhythm. Scarily, many children today can’t clap their hands to a song.

Repetition is necessary to learn multiplication tables. Routine provides a sense of comfort. Rituals around holidays and family events create a feeling of safety. The reptilian brain needs to be quieted down and feel safe in order to learn.

If your child is scared, do what you can to make her feel cozy. If she had a bad day at school, bring out the warm milk and a blanket, put your arm around her, and sit down and be very present. Feeling that you aren’t too busy to notice unspoken needs and fears is worth more than any toy or therapy you could provide.

Limbic or Emotional Brain

This part of the brain is about connections. Music and writing stories involving other people are ways of connecting. It’s all about team play, play dates and role-plays, and learning how to get along with others. In Japanese preschools, teachers don’t intervene when children disagree. They let the children work things out themselves.

Yes, bullying has always been part of life, but the Internet is definitely escalating and depersonalizing the phenomenon. No adult supervision and no face-to-face contact allow children to be cruel and hurtful. Saying something to another person face to face takes much more courage than pushing the send button on an email.

Neocortex or Modern Brain

This is the thinking brain that loves puzzles, games, problem solving, Legos, model airplanes, and storytelling. Interestingly, both the limbic and reptilian brain deals with outdoor life, whereas the modern brain is comfortable indoors. When we spend hours indoors and in front of a computer are ways we can get lopsided, honoring one part of our brain at the expense of balance in our lives.

Your modern brain is the bridge to abstract concepts, geometry (spatial concepts), and a sense of wonder. The right brain flourishes by artistic expression. The left-brain loves mental challenges, such as decoding and mastering new material. Don’t allow that part of you to take over in your brain or your child’s. 

Dr. Phyllis Books, DC, is a teacher, doctor, grandmother, and developer of Books Neural Therapy™, a natural, non-drug intervention for children with dyslexia and other learning and behavior issues. Her clients call her a combination of a neurosurgeon, a psychiatrist, and Mother Teresa. Mostly, she loves sharing what she’s learned about kids, how they learn, and how they can feel good about themselves and be successful.

If your child hasn’t been diagnosed with dyslexia and you’re reading this, you may be wondering if it’s time to contact your doctor. You may have a feeling that he or she is dyslexic but aren’t positive. Perhaps you’re looking for answers.

Let’s look at some of the common clues that your child may be displaying at home or in school.

At home, does your child:

• Often misunderstand what you say, or ask you to repeat yourself?
• Seem to “zone out” and not hear big or important pieces of conversation?
• Seem reluctant to talk or give delayed or inappropriate responses?
• Have trouble learning how to tell time or remember numbers?
• Have trouble telling a story, even one she knows well?
• Have a hard time finding the right words when she’s talking?
• Use few adjectives or adverbs, or little to no descriptive language? 

In school, does your child: 

• Have problems understanding or remembering oral instructions?
• Have issues with background noise or distractions from other kids?
• Daydream or have trouble answering questions when called on?
• Have problems with phonics, reading, or spelling?
• Experience difficulty with math, especially word problems?
• Exhibit unexplained behavioral problems that worsen while she’s at school?

The above symptoms are classic dyslexia signs that often show up in school. Here are more clues that your child may be dyslexic:

Does your child have difficulty with:

• Telling right from left, east from west, north from south?
• Understanding directional signs?
• Getting lost easily, especially if he’s been there before, or having a poor sense of direction?
• Walking in an awkward way or running into things even though she tries to avoid them?
• Not being able to catch or throw a ball?
• Threading a needle or picking up small objects (poor fine motor skills)?
• Confusing addition and multiplication signs or the subtraction and division signs?
• Learning something one day but not knowing it later?
• Organizing his room or prioritizing tasks?

If your child has dyslexia, he or she may exhibit many of these signs, but the good news is that none of these conditions has to be permanent. Reversing dyslexia naturally is possible, and often the accompanying symptoms are reduced at the same time. When you look for a professional to help your child, be sure he or she looks at the entire child so that all the clues and symptoms are addressed. 

Dr. Phyllis Books, DC, is a teacher, doctor, grandmother, and developer of Books Neural Therapy™, a natural, non-drug intervention for children with dyslexia and other learning and behavior issues. Her clients call her a combination of a neurosurgeon, a psychiatrist, and Mother Teresa. Mostly, she loves sharing what she’s learned about kids, how they learn, and how they can feel good about themselves and be successful.

Dyslexia is commonly misunderstood, thanks to several long-standing myths. Many adults went to school before the education system even knew about dyslexia, and these common myths hinder their understanding—or the myths stop them from seeking treatment now for their children.

Let’s push three of the myths surrounding dyslexia out of the way and leave them behind.

MYTH 1:

Your child might grow out of being dyslexic or having other learning differences.

TRUTH: Medical doctors often give parents the pat answer of “he’ll grow out of it.” Meanwhile, you have lost precious time because learning starts long before school. If a child has many ear infections and starts walking before crawling, we know that learning is going to be affected.

Your child is too important to chance it. Instinctively, what does your gut tell you—do you think your son or daughter will grow out of this problem? Your gut instincts are much more accurate than what some “authority” might say. You are the expert on your child.  

MYTH 2:

Dyslexia runs in our family, so there’s nothing I can do about it.

TRUTH: One of the questions I often ask a client is to bring in baby pictures. Then, the next question is, who else in your family looks like you? Sharing the same physical characteristics indicate that the same learning problems are occurring for other family members.

Just because dyslexia can be hereditary doesn’t mean it’s not changeable. Far from it. Dyslexia can be reversed with gentle, drug free, non-invasive treatment.  

MYTH 3:

All children learn the same way.

TRUTH: The education and medical establishments are quick to label children as “learning disabled” without considering primary learning styles. Every child is different. Does he or she prefer to take in information by listening, seeing, or through movement and demonstration? From a personality standpoint, is the child an introvert (meaning he or she likes people but is equally comfortable alone) or an extrovert (needing people around)?

Knowing your child’s natural learning style can save headaches when trying to match up schools and teaching styles. A child who may appear to have learning difficulties will blossom if allowed to learn in his or her best way. All children want to do well, in my experience, but it can be extremely demoralizing to have to sit in a classroom for hours on end without ever being encouraged to do those things you are most naturally suited to doing. As adults, we can leave or find another job that is more suited to our talents. Sadly, our children don’t have those rights yet.

In the next blog, we’ll discuss three more myths about dyslexia and discover the truth behind them.

Dr. Phyllis Books, DC, is a teacher, doctor, grandmother, and developer of Books Neural Therapy™, a natural, non-drug intervention for children with dyslexia and other learning and behavior issues. Her clients call her a combination of a neurosurgeon, a psychiatrist, and Mother Teresa. Mostly, she loves sharing what she’s learned about kids, how they learn, and how they can feel good about themselves and be successful.

For many, dairy causes mucus problems such as runny noses, ear infections, and sinus headaches, an added burden on dyslexic children that makes learning and reading even more difficult. Other children are lactose intolerant. You do not need dairy from cattle for any reason whatsoever, and cow’s milk today is loaded with antibiotics and hormones that can disrupt the body and the brain. Later, food companies add additives and emulsifiers that are not good for you or your children.   

Any time you improve nutrition or reduce food allergies, you help any learning challenges because your child is more alert and energetic and can focus better in class and at home. Like wheat, milk has long caused allergy problems for children. Studies by Alexander Schauss in juvenile detention homes show that boys who are highly allergic to milk often drink over a gallon a day. When people are allergic to a food or ingredient, they exhibit two extremes in behavior: almost constant craving or total avoidance.  

You often see gluten free, casein free on food labels, and for good reason. Gluten, a protein found in wheat, and casein, a white, tasteless protein in cow’s milk, are both proteins that interfere with digestion in similar ways. The problem is that like gluten, casein is difficult to break down and can cross the blood-brain barrier from the intestines and into the brain. This is one example of the many brain problems that actually start in the gut. The good thing is that they are correctable, and when you correct them, you improve brain function.

I’m going to suggest that you and your family avoid all dairy, including cheese, for at least three weeks and see how you feel and whether any chronic health concerns clear up. Cheese is typically the one item I see the most resistance to eliminating, but if you’ll follow through and avoid it for three weeks, you might feel so good you won’t want to go back to it. The following alternatives are just as tasty as dairy and much better for you in many ways.

Dairy alternatives:

• Almond milk, rice milk, and coconut milk are all good milk substitutes. (You can even make your own easily and quickly by ordering Soyabella, which looks a bit like an electric coffeemaker. In a matter of minutes, it will convert raw nuts, rice, or beans into milk).
• You can find several types of non-dairy ice creams at your grocery store. Rice Dream makes a delectable ice cream, and coconut-based ice creams are simply scrumptious.
• Cheese substitutes are available, but you need to read the labels to avoid casein.
• Crushed macadamia nuts make a good substitute anywhere you might use shredded cheese. Macadamia nuts are very creamy in texture, and cashews work well. A good fat, such as avocado or macadamia nuts, gives you a similar mouth texture to cheese.

This change may seem daunting, but once you begin, you’ll wonder why you didn’t do this years ago. Once you find substitutes you like, you won’t miss dairy. The positive changes you’ll see in your dyslexic child’s behavior, cooperativeness, and attitude make eating better worth it. Don’t be surprised if people ask what you’re doing and beg you to help them do the same.

Dr. Phyllis Books, DC, is a teacher, doctor, grandmother, and developer of Books Neural Therapy™, a natural, non-drug intervention for children with dyslexia and other learning and behavior issues. Her clients call her a combination of a neurosurgeon, a psychiatrist, and Mother Teresa. Mostly, she loves sharing what she’s learned about kids, how they learn, and how they can feel good about themselves and be successful.

10% of the British population are dyslexic; 4% severely so (source: British Dyslexia Association).  Half a million people have chosen our Read&Write software to help with their dyslexia!

Read&Write GOLD is a smart toolbar which removes reading and writing barriers for those with literacy difficulties and dyslexia.  Texthelp’s award-winning software can be used in education, the workplace and at home to build confidence and enable users to work independently.

Read&Write GOLD is proven to develop: -

• Reading and writing skills
• Quality of work
• Attainment levels
• Confidence and self-esteem

“Read&Write has become an essential part of my daily life and vastly improved the speed and accuracy of my work along with enabling me to undertake tasks I would normally shy away from.”  Rahul Mulchandani, Private customer

Read&Write GOLD provides a unique set of tools and benefits: -

Help with Reading

Read&Write GOLD reads text aloud, highlighting each word as it is spoken, which helps with comprehension.  Paper documents can be scanned into a variety of formats, and read aloud using our listen to learn technology.  Screen tinting options are also available to assist with tracking and prevent screen glare.

Increased Comprehension

The picture and word dictionaries in Read&Write GOLD allow you to quickly and easily define words. The picture dictionary provides a visual image to identify the meaning of an unknown word, improving word recognition; and the word dictionary provides alternative words to help expand vocabulary.

Improved Accuracy of work

The verb checker provides verb tables for more than 1,500 verbs and helps you find the correct verb conjugation.  The word prediction tool also improves accuracy by suggesting words as you write.

Help with Writing

Read&Write GOLD solves complex spelling and homophone errors, including phonetic mistakes. Dictionary definitions are provided allowing you to learn from your errors whilst improving the quality of your work.

Improved Organisation

Read&Write GOLD has excellent study skills tools to assist with any research/projects.  The Fact Mapper is an easy way to get ideas down by quickly brainstorming them into a mind map.  The Fact Folder stores facts from various sources and can automatically produce a bibliography.

Flexible Learning

Read&Write GOLD promotes flexible learning by converting text into sound files, allowing you to access information on the move, on your MP3 player.

Download a FREE 30 day trial to see how Read&Write GOLD can support your reading and writing skills. 

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About Texthelp Ltd.

Texthelp has been developing award-winning literacy support software for over sixteen years.  Our goal is to enable those with dyslexia and learning difficulties to learn to read, write, study and communicate with ease and independence.

We do know why dyslexics can have slower reading and that is because of Eye Fatigue, a high percentage of dyslexics have Eye Fatigue. Eye Fatigue occures when the Cone cells within the eyes become stressed and when this happens, less messages get to the brain. 

To reduce Eye Fatigue you need a test that finds a special colour that reduces the stress within the Cone cells. Each person has a different colour but to reduce the stress you need colour overlays or coloured lenses in glasses.