The International Dyslexia Association defines Dyslexia as:

A specific learning disability that is neurological in origin.  It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities.  These difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom instruction.  Secondary consequences may include problems in reading comprehension, and reduced reading experience that can impede the growth of vocabulary and background knowledge.

It can be difficult for parents of Dyslexic children to understand their child’s experience in the classroom. Dyslexia affects children both neurologically and socially, and can be a major obstacle in practicing reading and learning. Maryanne Wolf, the Director of the Center for Dyslexia, Diverse Learners, and Social Justice at UCLA, is the author of Proust and the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading Brain. In Proust and the Squid, Wolf describes how and why humans learned to read. A cultural as well as a neurological phenomenon, according to Wolf, reading is actually a recent development in human’s evolutionary history.

Alternating the scientific and historical chapters with ones that chronicle how an individual child learns how to read, Wolf shows how the brain has evolved over millennia thanks to reading. Looking forward to the technological future, Wolf highlights the potential changes and negative affects that might be caused by online reading as our brains continue to evolve. Evolutionally speaking, reading gives us “the gift of time” to look beyond the page and think about a more layered understanding of the text on the page in front of us. Is deep and layered reading possible if it’s done on a screen?

As the Director of the Center for Reading and Language Research, Wolf works with many families whose children suffer from Dyslexia. Her research, some of which is discussed in the book, leads her to conclude that “our brains were never wired to read.” Once this is accepted, presumably people – teachers, parents, administrators – will be more knowledgeable and understanding of those who suffer from Dyslexia. Thinking about reading as a recent evolutionary advantage can potentially change the stigma against those who have difficulty learning to read and learning to learn. Proust and the Squid, without detailing how to make these cultural changes, makes evident this necessity.

More books about Dyslexia:

The Dyslexic Advantage, by Dr. Brock L. Eide and Dr. Fernette F. Eide

My Dyslexia by Philip Schultz

The Secret Life of the Dyslexic Child: How She thinks. How He Feels. How They Can Succeed by Robert Frank and Kathryn E. Livingston

Overcoming Dyslexia: A New and Complete Science-Based Program for Reading Problems at Any Level by Sally Shaywitz

Great video about Dyslexia:

Written by: Editorial Team, My Learning Springboard, Inc.

Preventing Academic Failure, or PAF, is a multisensory, Orton-Gillingham based reading intervention program that integrates reading, writing, and spelling. PAF was developed by Phyllis Bertin, Director of Reading at the Windward Teacher Training Institute, and Eileen Perlman, former Director of the Reading Initiative at The Churchill School and Center. The principles and practices of PAF are incredibly beneficial to students with dyslexia and language-based learning disabilities as well as younger students learning to read. The specific goals of the program, or intervention, are to give students the tools to read cohesively, write fluidly, and spell with ease. PAF was designed for classroom instruction but can be modified for private tutoring. While it is not a scripted program and strict set of rules, it is a carefully designed scope and sequence with specific methodologies and materials.

PAF explicitly and systematically teaches alphabetic principle, higher-level word analysis skills and comprehension strategies. The goal is to instruct with minimal frustration and maximum success for teachers and students alike, leading to mastery and enhanced self-esteem for each participating student. This multisensory approach is evidence-based practice and proven to support the struggling reader. There are explicit phonics lessons, an instructional scope and sequence, oral reading exercises, repeated readings, decoding, and integration of comprehension, writing, and spelling strategies. By taking each of these components into consideration and systematically planning instruction, struggling readers, writers, and spellers will begin to feel successful and excited about reading and writing. PAF includes an instructional approach to handwriting and encourages students to use Skywriting as a kinesthetic reinforcement.

A master teacher differentiates each lesson in his or her classroom or private tutoring sessions. The PAF program supports teachers in delivering differentiated lessons by incorporating multisensory practices. The multisensory approach is one that accesses the visual, auditory, and kinesthetic strengths of students within each lesson, providing them with three modalities to approach the literacy task at hand.

Written by: Editorial Team, My Learning Springboard, Inc.