The Dyslexic Reader 2011 - Issue 59

THE DYSLEXIC READER PAGE 1

Dys lex ic Read er• • • ˜´ ´VOLUME 59 ISSUE 3 & 4 • 2011DAVIS DYSLEXIA ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL

The

By Esther Sloyer

It was the words. The small, simple red letters formed by straight lines and funny curves drove my ten-year-old mind crazy. I could sound them out and say them normally, but the sentence didn’t make sense. Where You’re the Doctor was what I read on my Operation board game. I sat there by my closet door, staring at the words. I repeated them over and over

IN THIS ISSUE

News & Feature Articles The Davis Program: A Discovery of “Self” ....1, 3Healing for Mother and Daughter .............1, 3A Change of Heart ..................................4, 5A ‘Moving’ Story ......................................5, 6 More Evidence Davis is ‘Just Good Teaching’ .... 7The Armchair of Dreams .............................. 8Lunacy ........................................................ 9In The News ......................................... 10,11What The World Needs Now ................. 15,16 Talent vs. Effort .................................... 17,18 Weaning Education Off Textbooks ............. 22 Asher’s Laws ....................................... 23, 24Regular FeaturesIn the Mail .................................................. 2Q&A .....................................................12-14 Lazy Reader Book Club......................... 19-21Famous Dyslexics Remember ..................... 25 New Davis Licensees ............................26, 27 Davis Workshops ..................................30, 31

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again, trying to picture the meaning. I could see a doctor, but the rest of the words were blank – I couldn’t find pictures for where, you’re, and the. At that age, it didn’t occur to me that my siblings already knew what it meant; I just assumed they were adult words. However, the older I got, the more I realized that I was expected to know what those words meant. Every year since that day, I would pull the box out and reread the sentence again, hoping that since I was a year older, I’d understand it. I never did. It frustrated me that I had to think so hard about a tagline! Apparently, it wasn’t just the game box

The Davis Program: A Discovery of “Self”

By Mary Sloyer

My daughter was bright. I knew that. Her inquisitive mind and cleverness were evident to most adults who interacted with her. Then why were there so many little things that kept troubling us when it came to her academic progress? The need to relearn mathematical concepts we had already covered and which she had previously mastered; the unusual syntax I heard in her speech; the spelling quirks in words she had previously learned, adding syllables or using crazy phonics; looking at me in confusion when I asked logical questions – all of these in the face of well-above-average standardized test scores year after year. We had been through so many difficult, frustrating sessions home schooling together.

that drove me nuts – it was everything else I read, heard, and wrote. I noticed I had a hard time understanding math, science, recalling books I’d read, and spelling. When I turned fourteen and was advancing into higher math and science, my Mom and I saw that I wasn’t improving, but instead falling behind in those two subjects. I was beyond frustrated and extremely depressed, wondering why no one could understand me. Concerned, and thinking at first I was lazy, or careless, Mom started doing some research on the computer and came across a site that listed almost all my symptoms. I was dyslexic.

I was beyond frustrated and extremely

depressed, wondering why no one could understand me.

Esther and her mom, Mary, enjoy a new relationship since Esther underwent a Davis Dyslexia Correction Program.

Healing for Mother and Daughter

THE DYSLEXIC READERPAGE 2

The Dyslexic Reader is published quarterly by Davis Dyslexia Association International (DDAI)1601 Bayshore Hwy., Suite 260, Burlingame, CA 94010 USA. Tel. +1 (650) 692-7141. OUR GOALS are to increase worldwide awareness about the positive aspects of dyslexia and related learning styles; and to present methods for improving literacy, education and academic success. We believe that all people’s abilities and talents should be recognized and valued, and that learning problems can be corrected. EDITORIAL BOARD: Laura Zink de Díaz, Alice Davis & Abigail Marshall. DESIGN: Michael Troller. SUBSCRIPTIONS: one year $25 in US, add $5 in Canada; add $10 elsewhere. BACK ISSUES: send $8.00 to DDAI. SUBMISSIONS & LETTERS: We welcome letters, comments and articles. Mail to DDAI at the above address. VIA FAX: +1 (650) 692-7075 VIA E-MAIL: [email protected] INTERNET: www.dyslexia.com

The opinions and views expressed in articles and letters are not necessarily those of DDAI. Davis®, Davis Dyslexia Correction®, Davis Symbol Mastery®, Davis Orientation Counseling®, Davis Math Mastery®, Davis Autism Approach®, Seed of Genius®, and Davis Learning Strategies® are trademarks of Ronald D. Davis. Copyright © 2011 by DDAI, unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved.

In The Mail

Like A Light Turned On Dear DDAI, Sixteen years ago my oldest daughter was diagnosed with dyslexia. I knew she had it two years earlier, but the schools said her reading and writing where "normal" for her age. Still, I could tell she was special. I read The Gift of Dyslexia and learned or realized that I'm also dyslexic. It was like a light was turned on for me. (No really, I saw a light bulb go on in my head!). I was one of the unknown number who learned to compensate and went unrecognized as dyslexic. To this day my family jokes that I can't spell my way out of a paper bag. (Spell check is my friend!)

Over the years I have shared your book with several families, even bought copies to give people. Today I shared it again. It has helped my family and countless others. Thank you for sharing your story and knowledge and improving the lives of dyslexics everywhere!

Jeannette L. Roman, CMSgt

We’re so grateful that we found the Davis approach and that Sam had the opportunity to do a Davis Program with you!

Tatiana H., Colombia

P.S. – Sam is taking first semester final exams now and we're very pleased with his scores so far. To date, he's gotten 100% on all his exams, and they're not easy: some of them are 6 to 8 pages long! We're just delighted!

After Davis, A High Achiever! Dear Laura, I just wanted to let you know how happy we are to see such positive changes in Sam’s school work. His attitude has improved significantly. He’s more attentive in class, his concentration has improved and his scores on his most recent tests were 100% and 90%. I have been surprised to see that he does his math homework by himself now, with considerable ease. His teacher sends home daily scores on general performance. Sam used to get 1s and 2s out of 4 possible. Lately he’s getting 3s and 4s. And as far as I’m concerned, it’s a real feat to wrest a 4 out of that teacher, so we’re feeling very proud of Sam!


That year, Mom called Jean Moser, a Davis Facilitator in Winston-Salem, NC, who helps people like me adapt to school. The technique she uses is called the Davis Dyslexia Correction Program. It uses tools such as soft clay, intense visual skills, and a visual point that students can use to help them gain their focus.

I went through the program and learned more about myself than I’d ever known. It was a relief and a life-changing experience for me. I finally knew who I was and why I did certain things. Reading became easier after building dozens of sight words in clay, and my reading comprehension was improving. The most important and dramatic change was my relationship with my mom. It relieved so much stress, anxiety, anger and confusion to know that she knew why I was like I was. Knowing that my mom could understand me made working with her so much more relaxing. After the first couple of days in the program, I decided to check to see if the method was really working. I went to my closet, pulled out that old Operation game and looked down at the corner, where those hideous red words were. I read it. My eyes widened, my heart started thumping, and a smile came over to my face. Finally, after so many years, I knew what that sentence meant. I was the doctor! When I finished the program, I used the Davis tools I had learned, applying them to science and math. I was amazed – I understood so much! Those little words – if, and, it, that – I now knew what they were trying to tell me! I could see the sentence in my head, instead of funny curvy lines that drove me insane. The Davis Program did more than help me with my academics, it revealed who I was as a person and strengthened my relationship with my family. v

Discovery (continued from page 1)

“”

It relieved so much stress, anxiety, anger and confusion to know

that she knew why I was like I was.

The day I looked at the Davis Dyslexia website, reviewed the assessment tool for dyslexia, and realized that my child had the gift of dyslexia, I almost wept with relief – it all made sense for the first time. I immediately shared the Davis assessment tool with my daughter, and she, too, was amazed as she quickly read through the assessment. “I’m reading about me!” she exclaimed.My daughter subsequently went through the Davis Dyslexia Correction Program, learning much about herself and her gifts in the process. She faithfully completed her trigger word clay-building, regularly uses her Davis tools to assist in her studies, and continues to use clay as needed to help her with difficult concepts. Much was accomplished through the

Program and since, as she continues to implement the Davis strategies, into her high school years. However, the greatest thing that I treasure from our experience is our healing as mother and daughter. Learning

about the gift of dyslexia, the reasons for the glitches, and the truth about avoidance (as opposed to laziness) in her approach to her studies, transformed our relationship dramatically.Understanding her amazing gifts in art and graphic editing

in the context of the gift has liberated both of us from frustration and fear, and given us hope as we work together toward the goal of helping my daughter become everything she’s meant to be. I am so proud of her! v

“

”

The day I looked at the Davis Dyslexia

website, reviewed the assessment tool

for dyslexia, and realized that my child had the gift

of dyslexia, I almost wept with relief…

Healing (continued from page 1)

Humor CornerThe early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.

Who is General Failure and why is he reading my hard disk?

What happens if you get scared half to death twice?

Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.

The sooner you fall behind, the more time you'll have to catch up.

42.7 percent of all statistics are made up on the spot.

I went to a bookstore and asked the saleswoman, "Where's the self-help section?" She said if she told me, it would defeat the purpose.

Why do they put Braille on the drive-through bank machines?


A Change of HeartBy Cathy Cook, Davis Facilitator in Columbia, MO, USA

Passion is what led me to become a licensed Davis Facilitator – passion for the children at the schools where I taught, passion for my own family – including my children and grandchildren – and for those I haven’t even met! To describe this

is not easy because at some point passion, compassion, edification and more have become rolled into one. And with each new person I’m blessed to work with my passion takes on yet a different dimension.I meet people through many sorts of situations – networking opportunities, during consultations and assessments, and in business and personal settings. I learn more about them as we work together and as I get to know their families. I’ve had endless opportunities to meet people in all walks of life, of all ages, from lots of countries, with varying abilities, talents and needs. Many truly become more than clients: they’re dear friends. With every family that I come to know, I learn something that’s eye-opening, whether it’s a new revelation about myself or a new understanding of my business or just an interesting person. Sometimes those I meet make a significant impact on my life. That was the case with Hugh Smith and his family. My husband, Chris, first introduced me to the Smith family through Hugh’s wife, Rebecca. Chris and Rebecca work for the same organization here in Columbia, Missouri. We ran into Hugh and Rebecca at church on Sunday mornings and out and about in the community. I always had an inkling that there was more to this friendship, something beyond outward appearances.

Soon I learned that the Smiths’ young son, Wyatt, was having significant problems in school. To make matters worse his teachers didn’t seem to understand that Wyatt was a hands-on-learner who needed tools different from those that worked well with most of the other kids in his class. Rebecca was at a loss as to how to deal with this. We had several conversations and exchanged numerous emails and text messages about Wyatt. For about four years Rebecca did her best to navigate the school system on Wyatt’s behalf with the information we discussed. In the end our goal was to have Wyatt complete a Davis Dyslexia Correction Program. But Hugh saw no reason for his son to do a ‘correction’ program. I guess you could say this was a classic case of what I’ve heard educators sometimes casually call the ‘oak tree-acorn syndrome,’ because the difficulties Wyatt was experiencing didn’t differ very much from those his father experienced. Hugh didn’t want to talk about his son’s symptoms indicating a learning difference, but his reticence was deeper than just talk. For him, discussing his son came dangerously close to touching on what he perceived as his own shortcomings. In all fairness I have to say Hugh was not alone. This is common for many of us. The truth is that Hugh did in fact have difficulties with things like focusing and reading, but he also had a great talent for carpentry and woodworking. It took the diagnosis of a life-threatening illness to change Hugh’s resistance to discussing help for Wyatt.

Cancer changes many things and strikes fear in our hearts. Cancer claimed the life of Hugh Smith a year ago in October of 2010. Yes, it took Hugh’s physical life but at the same time it made possible a change of heart. Hugh’s diagnosis quickly led to the first rounds of chemotherapy. There was a reprieve from the disease as he entered remission. But as the disease progressed a significant change began to take place in his views. Hugh made one of the most radical transformations in his spiritual journey that I have ever witnessed. His faith soared in the face of this devastating diagnosis, and opened his eyes to the possibility that Davis tools could positively impact his son’s life. I have to say that I cannot think of anyone who so strongly voiced his love for the things that were important to him as I saw and heard Hugh Smith do during his final days here on earth.

As it turned out Hugh didn’t have much time left, but he made the most of that time as he quickly grew to accept his own dyslexia. Once there, he was ready to allow his son to experience the Davis Dyslexia Correction Program.

Ron and Wyatt meet in Columbia, Missouri during the Gift of Dyslexia Tour of 2009“

”From Hugh I learned

about struggle and endurance, but mostly I learned about faith,

hope and love.

“”

…discussing his son came dangerously close to touching on what he perceived as his own

shortcomings…


While Wyatt and I worked together navigating through the Davis Dyslexia Correction Program, Hugh and Wyatt navigated through the work at home using those same tools. After Wyatt’s program he and Hugh continued creating concepts and words in clay. They did the Koosh® ball and focusing exercises together. Instead of fighting his learning difference Hugh now chose to let his particular way of learning shine. What Wyatt typed out one day on the ancient typewriter he loved using in my workroom says it all: “Did you know that I am a gifted person, not an outcast?” In the fall of 2009 Ron and Alice Davis visited us in Columbia over a long weekend, as part of their US Tour. On Saturday afternoon Ron gave a lecture on The Gift of Dyslexia and Hugh attended. As Ron stood at the back and began to greet attendees I looked up to a scene that’s emblazoned in my memory.At the back of the room, sitting atop a stool by a small round table sat Ron Davis intently engaged in a conversation with Hugh standing close by. From my perspective they looked like long-lost friends. There was a bond between the creator of the methods that have changed so many people’s lives and this man who had come to hear more. That weekend two years ago was filled with memories and experiences I will cherish for a lifetime but the image of Hugh and Ron is one of the best. Two great men came together that day. As I said at the beginning, I learn significant things from the clients I work with. From Hugh I learned about struggle and endurance, but mostly I learned about faith, hope and love. While Hugh’s faith was strengthened through his experience with cancer, knowing him has made me a different person. And although he is gone from this earth, Hugh left his wife and son the passion of his faith and his perseverance in learning. v

“”

Did you know that I am a gifted person,

not an outcast?

A ‘Moving’ Story By Elizabeth Currie Shier, Davis Facilitator and Autism Facilitator/Coach in Oakville, Ontario, Canada

Most people will only hear of the Davis Orientation Counseling Procedure when a Davis Facilitator tells them about it as part of an assessment or Davis Program. So imagine my surprise when I answered my office phone a few months ago and was greeted by a warm voice inquiring if I provided Orientation Counseling.

I was quite surprised, but quickly determined that this warm and wonderful woman, Julia, was quite serious. She had been suffering from very severe motion sickness for over 10 years. She was no longer able to take part in or even observe most things that require motion. Julia had difficulty doing anything, other than walking, without becoming overwhelmed with nausea. She had consulted many professionals in and outside of the medical profession and had almost given up hope when a neuro-specialist in Toronto suggested she find a Davis Facilitator and try Orientation Counseling. With an upcoming flight to Florida for a family get-away on the horizon, Julia decided to try Davis.

When I met with her, I found out more about Julia’s level of disability. Many everyday things caused her great discomfort, illness, and anxiety. For example, she was unable to be a passenger in a car, unable to rock in a rocking chair, unable to read, unable to play the guitar and unable to watch her daughter dance. The things she missed most were activities with her girls and husband – swimming, dancing, jogging, etc. Whenever she forced herself to do one of the activities that triggered her motion sickness, the symptoms would last well beyond the time she was actually engaged in the activity. For example, flying in a plane left her very, very ill for at least two days. Driving a car for more than 45 minutes meant she couldn’t eat for a day, and reading or playing the piano made her sick for the rest of the day. Julia’s life was a carefully orchestrated schedule of events to ensure that her level of illness wasn’t overwhelming. So many times she had to say, “No, I can’t…” to invitations. For example, she couldn’t drive her daughter to an outing because it was on the same day as her own birthday party and she knew if she drove, she would be sick for the celebration.

“”

She had been suffering from very severe motion sickness

for over 10 years.

“

”

…she was able to use an orientation point to control her mind’s

eye, use an energy dial to control her level of anxiety and use

release to feel calm.

(continued on the next page)


“”

when she does have symptoms, she is able to recover much more

quickly and return to her usual activities

A Moving Story (continued from page 5)

Although Julia isn’t dyslexic, she was able to use an orientation point to control her mind’s eye, use an energy dial to control her level of anxiety and use release to feel calm. She also mastered the 3 parts of self – body, mind, and life-force, and spent quite a bit of time exploring how they are separate and distinct as well as intertwined. Separating them in her identity allowed her to prevent the mental anxiety caused by prior experiences from affecting her body in future, similar situations. She also mastered “change” (meaning something becoming something else) by depicting herself going from being sick and emotional on a plane, to being happy and using her Davis tools on the plane. She carried that picture on the plane with her and referred to it often. After the first session, Julia used her tools on the flight to Florida. Although it wasn’t easy, it was less horrific than it had ever been before and Julia was able to eat food the same day of the flight – something previously unheard of. While on vacation, Julia had plenty of time to

practice using her tools and was very happy to be able to swim without illness for the first time in years. When she returned from the trip, she beamed as she described swimming under the water with her girls and being able to take part in the family fun. Since that first flight with her tools, Julia and I have met a few more times and uncovered many triggers. Julia has slowly and steadily challenged herself to try using the tools in more and more situations. She is able to jog for 20 minutes, watch her daughter dance and her husband play hockey, exercise with her girls, drive a car for considerably longer distances, read and dance with virtually no symptoms. She reports that

when she does have symptoms, she is able to recover much more quickly and return to her usual activities. She also reports feeling generally more well and that she has much more energy as her body deals less and less with unpleasant symptoms. In Julia’s last session with me, she mastered “I” (the person who is speaking) because she had developed a negative idea of that word. She felt that it was always followed by “can’t”. She said that she was so disabled by her motion sickness that she had nothing to say and no experiences to talk about. She felt that everyone else around her was doing interesting things while she had trouble even watching others be active. But, with her Davis tools, she had found her voice again. So Julia’s clay model of “I” shows her talking about herself singing – she has found her voice. Next she decided to model “can” (is able to). She made a model of herself jogging. When she put them together on the table, there was a peace and calm about her that I hadn’t observed before. Thank you, Ron Davis, for allowing Julia to step back into life! v

Quotable QuotesI walk slowly, but I never walk backward. Abraham Lincoln (1809 – 1865), 16th president of the United States

If you can give your son or daughter only one gift, let it be enthusiasm. Bruce Barton (1886 – July 5, 1967), American author, advertising executive and US House of Representatives from New York from 1937 to 1940

If there is no struggle, there is no progress. Frederick Douglass (1818 – 1895), American abolitionist, author and statesman

Intelligence is the ability to adapt to change.Stephen Hawking, British theoretical physicist and cosmologist

The things we hate about ourselves aren't more real than the things we like about ourselves.Ellen Goodman, Pulitzer prize winning columnist, author, speaker, and commentator

Fear paralyzes; curiosity empowers. Be more interested than afraid. Patricia Alexander, American educational psychologist


More Evidence that Davis is ‘Just Good Teaching’By Laura Zink de Diaz, Davis Facilitator, Bogotá Colombia

Wake Forest University has posted on its website the six essential principles of learning, recommended in the National Research Council study, How People Learn.

Principle 1: Deep learning physically changes the brain. Learners must actively engage with new information via multiple senses. Passive reading - such as reading textbooks - focuses on a single sense, so it is unlikely to initiate deep learning. The Davis Program is multi-sensory. Our use of plasticine clay is a tactile activity; the Koosh® ball exercise is a kinesthetic activity; and visualizing the Orientation Point is a spatial activity. Creating Alignment involves both the tactile and visual imagination. Auditory Orientation involves both listening with imagination, and balance. The reading exercises, Spell Reading and Sweep-Sweep-Spell, both involve adding small physical movements to the process of reading as well as visualizing the Orientation Point or creating Alignment. And Symbol Mastery takes the reading of words and definitions to a higher level, by requiring students to communicate verbally, coordinate with their helper, and use their imagination and creativity to build a deeper and more personally meaningful understanding of words and concepts. Multiple aspects of the Davis Program fulfill Principle 1. v

Principle 2: New information is difficult to learn unless it builds on and connects to prior knowledge. A majority of students are concrete learners who prefer an example or scenario, followed by an explanation - the why. Most textbooks establish theories and principles before providing examples. Many Davis Program activities ask the student to connect to their prior knowledge. The Davis reading exercise, Picture at Punctuation, connects readers to their own prior knowledge when they take note of the mental imagery forming as they read and describe to another person. This also gives readers an opportunity to engage in conversations about what they see, what the helper sees, and how their experience relates to the text. When our clients do Symbol Mastery with words and concepts, they relate their own experience and understanding to the concepts being mastered. In fact, all of the clay models our clients create in order to master new material, are the result of the client combining new information with their experience, imagination and creativity. Multiple aspects of the Davis Program fulfil Principle 2.

Principle 3: Each learner constructs their own conceptual understanding by a different path. With print texts, students must follow the logical progression set by the text’s authors. Symbol Mastery is precisely a process by which clients construct their own conceptual understanding, depending on their own imagination and creativity

to express their understanding in three dimensions. The Davis Program is the embodiment of Principle 3.

Principle 4: Frequent informal feedback promotes deeper and more accurate learning. I would suggest that the entire five days of the Davis Program with its emphasis on reducing stress and eliminating frustration, is a form of informal feedback, and we can

see the results after those five stress-free days, in the great strides our clients make! The Davis Program makes excellent use of Principle 4.

Principle 5: Conscious awareness of one‘s own learning process improves the outcome. Becoming consciously aware of how they learn is precisely what our clients do during their Davis Program. They come to understand their talents, the habits that have been holding them back, and new strategies more appropriate to their learning style, that free them to improve their learning and performance. Conscious awareness – Principle 5 – is at the core of the Davis Program.

Principle 6: Learning is reinforced when students work and learn collaboratively. For most students reading is solitary; they do not compare what they have learned from reading assignments with their peers. Although each Davis Program is individualized, our clients work collaboratively with their facilitators and later, with their support persons during the follow-up period. One of the benefits my clients and their families often report after completing the Davis Program, is that they no longer fear participating in class, instead they become leaders in class discussions and organizers of class activities. Many students who had not before worked well with others, become great collaborators after their Davis Program. The Davis Program enables students to implement Principle 6.

It’s wonderful to see once again that research not specific to the Davis Dyslexia Correction Program demonstrates that the Davis philosophy is absolutely in line with the best educational practices revealed by research!

Reference: Research principles support new learning concept, Wake Forest University, April 20, 2011. You can read the original article at: http://news.wfu.edu/2011/04/20/research-principles-support-new-learning-concept/For more information on the study itself:How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School.Publisher: The National Academy of Sciences (2000) ISBN 0-309-07036-8 (pbk.)Available on-line at: http://www.nap.edu/ v

“

”

…research not specific to the Davis Dyslexia Correction Program

once again demonstrates that the Davis philosophy

is absolutely in line with the best educational

practices revealed by research.

“”

Each learner constructs their own conceptual

understanding by a different path.


The Armchair of DreamsBy Laura Zink de Díaz, Davis Facilitator in Bogotá, Colombia

Johana V. is a university student who works at my accountant’s office. Until she decided she needed a Davis Dyslexia Correction Program, I only knew her as a pleasant-voiced young woman who called each month to let me know it was time to send in all my business receipts so the accountant could calculate my monthly taxes. Then one day, she also asked for an assessment. “Of course,” I replied. “Let’s get you an appointment…” When Johana arrived on the day of her assessment I learned much more about her. She’d always had difficulty with some subjects at school, but she was a hard worker, always determined to learn. She didn’t get much support at home, but nonetheless made her way successfully through primary and high school, and hoped she would do well on the high-stakes ICFES test Colombian students must take at the end of high school. If you do well enough on that test, you can study at the National University for such a low price, it’s nearly free. Johana wasn’t going to get any financial help with college from her family. They believe even now, years later, that, as a girl, what she ought to do is find a husband and start a family, stop wasting time studying. No, if she was to get a college education and establish a career, she would need to earn admission to the National University. Unfortunately, one of Johana’s long-time challenges had always been test anxiety. She studied and studied, and at home seemed to know it all perfectly. But when she sat down to take a test, words utterly failed her. Time after time she’d disappointed herself and her teachers, failing tests she and they were certain she’d ace. It had happened so many times, and it happened again with the ICFES. So, no admission to the National University.

Johana was disappointed, but not deterred. She refused to give up on her dream of a college education, so she got a job, scrimped and saved until, several years later, she could finally afford the tuition for one semester at a private university. She applied herself as never before and loved every minute of every class. She was certain she was learning so much, did well during class... and yet failed several classes in which she KNEW she’d mastered the material. She still froze at the sight of a test paper, and simply could not show on paper what she’d learned. Professors were sympathetic. From her performance in class, they knew her ability and her determination. But unless she could pass the tests, there was nothing they could do to help her. So Johana went back to work, began

saving pesos again, and when she heard that I am a Davis Dyslexia Correction Facilitator, she felt a flutter of hope. Last month Johana came for her Davis Program. We worked hardest

on tools to build her confidence and help her deal with test anxiety and other kinds of stress. She took to the Davis tools with energy and immediate ownership. By the time she completed her program she felt infinitely more optimistic about her ability to use her tools to good advantage. And

“”

She’d always had difficulty with some subjects at school, but she was a hard

worker, always determined to learn.

she was enthusiastic about using them at her job in my accountant’s office too! Johana’s long-term goal is to continue working to save enough to go back to school and try again. If she can just get through a semester with good grades, she can try once more to get admitted to the National University, where the tuition will be so low that she won’t have to take a break after every semester and spend a year or two saving before she can afford to continue her studies. I wish the point of this little article were to announce her success, but it’s too soon. It will take a long time for Johana to save enough to go back to college. Once she does, I’m sure she’ll make her dream come true, because I’ve rarely met anyone with as much determination and sticktoitiveness as Johana. But no, for now, I simply want to show you a model she made, el sillón de los sueños, the armchair of dreams. It’s so evocative and touching, I had to share it. The armchair of dreams is Johana’s Create-A-Word model. It’s what she hopes to achieve some day, after she’s finished college. It is working at a decent salary in a professional career: a tranquil place where she can sit high up, surrounded by green – instead of the brick and concrete din of the city – and read, read about everything, read to her heart’s content. v


LunacyBy Laura Zink de DiazDavis Facilitator in Bogotá, Colombia

The Washington Post blog, The Answer Sheet (A School Survival Guide for Parents – and Everyone Else) by Valerie Strauss, is a great source of information about education reform. Last July she published an article by Michigan kindergarten teacher, Nancy Creech, that gives us concrete data about the crazy lengths to which teachers are now required to go to give and record the results of standardized tests. Keep in mind as you read the following statistics, that Ms. Creech works with 5-year-old children. Ms. Creech states, “I now have to give a total of about 27,000 check marks or grades for my class of 25 students per year. This is not counting the stars, stickers or smiley faces I put on their work each day.” She then goes on to list the assessments she must administer:

• The Michigan Literacy Progress Profile (MLPP) assessed 4 times per year with the results written on a check sheet. The specific items are: 26 letters, 26 sounds, 28 letters (two forms of ‘a’ and ‘g’), 22 questions related to concepts of print, 16 items on rhyme supply and identification. This requires a total of 12,300 check marks (118 check marks, 4 times per year = 472 x 25 children). Ms. Creech must also record these results on something called the Data Director, a computer program to manage data for educators. Some of these data are combined, but ultimately she records 11,250 discreet scores for this same assessment in this program.

• The district also requires a 15 question Kindergarten math test. Ms. Creech must fill in Scantron-type bubbles for the 15 answers for her 25 children. That’s: 375 bubbles, 3 times per year, or a total of 1,125 bubbles filled in.

• Kindergarteners also take a writing test, scores from which must be recorded on the Data Director. For this Ms. Creech

uses a four-point rubric sheet. And a test page. This test is given 4 times a year. The calculation is too confusing for me to reproduce here, but the total number of scores recorded adds up to another 1,000.

• Of course, she must also enter scores into her grade book 3 times per year for each of her 25 kids, in the following skill areas: retell, colors, connections, sorting/classifying, patterning, more/less/equal, shapes, counting to 100, and matching quantity to written number. These nine skills result in another 675 scores to record. (Keep in mind, she’s telling us how many marks or scores she must record. Imagine how much time it takes out of class learning activities to listen to 25 five-year-olds attempt to count to 100!)

• Kindergarteners must also take the Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA). Ms. Creech states that, “sometimes determining the level at which to assess requires that 2 or 3 reading samples be attempted. A level is to be recorded as well as a fluency and comprehension rubric number.” Add another 75 scores to the list.

• Teachers must record these levels on report cards, so add another 75 marks (25 scores, three times per year…). Teachers are also required to “analyze the DRAs to see if the children are using the syntactic, semantic, graphophonemic or pragmatic cueing systems.”

Ms. Creech makes a good case. “If on average I have the children 5 hours per day (on days we have a prep and lunch), times 180 days, we have the students 54,000 minutes per year. Recording more than 27,500 scores and checks in a year, we would be doing a check mark every two minutes of every hour of every day for district required assessments. When do we have time for a word of encouragement? When do we

have time to give a sticker or a smiley face? When do we

go to the bathroom? When do

we teach?” Ms. Creech

doesn’t object to assessing her students. What she does object to is spending

so much time on

assessments that actually

don’t tell her anything useful about

her students’ learning.

I agree with her, as I suspect would most parents. I’m surprised that by the end of each year she hasn’t changed her name to Ms. Screech! Spending this much time on standardized testing of 5-year-olds, is nothing short of lunacy.

You’ll find the most recent of Valerie Strauss’ blog postings: www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet.

You can read Ms. Creech’s entire article at: http://tinyurl.com/42gjsa6 v


In the NewsBy Laura Zink de Diaz, Davis Facilitator, Bogotá, Colombia

The State of America’s Children, 2011 According to The State of America’s Children 2011, a report issued last month by the Children's Defense Fund, the impact of the recession on children's well-being has been catastrophic. Here are a few of the findings:

• The number of children living in poverty has increased by four million since 2000, and the number of children who fell into poverty between 2008 and 2009 was the largest single-year increase ever recorded.

• The number of homeless children in public schools increased 41 percent between the 2006-7 and 2008-9 school years.

• In 2009, an average of 15.6 million children received food stamps monthly, a 65 percent increase over 10 years.

• A majority of children in all racial groups and 79 percent or more of black and Hispanic children in public schools cannot read or do math at grade level in the fourth, eighth or 12th grades.

• The annual cost of center-based child care for a 4-year-old is more than the annual in-state tuition at a public four-year college in 33 states and the District of Columbia.

ADHD Diagnoses Apparently on the Increase

In August, USA Today reported that the result of a recent study by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found that from 2007 to 2009, an average of 9 percent of children between the age of 5 and 17 years, were diagnosed with ADHD. This statistic is an increase of 2 percent over the period from 1998 to 2000. The study also found that rates of ADHD among white, black and some Hispanic groups of Americans are now comparable. According to Dr. Lara J. Akinbami, a medical officer with the National Center for Health Statistics, “We don't have the data to say for certain what explains these patterns, but I would caution against concluding that what we have here is a real increase in the occurrence of this condition … this is probably about better screening, rather than a real increase, and that means we may continue to see this pattern unfold.” The National Institutes of Health considers ADHD the most common behavioral disorder among children. The hyperactivity and impulsivity of children with symptoms of the condition can affect their ability to stay focused, and may create problems with learning and behavior in traditional classroom settings. Somewhat more common among boys, the rate of ADHD rose from about 10 percent for the period between 1998 and 2000, to over 12 percent between 2007 and 2009. The rate for girls over the same period rose from 4 percent to between 5 and 6 percent. The findings also suggest that ADHD rates among families living below the poverty line and those with incomes less than twice the poverty line are slightly higher than average, at 10 and 11 percent respectively. Ten years ago in the United States ADHD was more often seen in the southern region. This study suggests that the Midwest is seeing an increase in the diagnosis as well.

Dr. Akinbami commented, “Even if we're not exactly clear on what accounts for the rise in ADHD, on a population level the increase of this condition really signals a challenge for the education system and the health care system … it's clearly something for public policy experts to be concerned about.” I can say that in my own practice, in the last year I have seen a significant increase in clients with symptoms of ADHD. Many of them are seeking a way to control their symptoms without medication, something they are definitely able to do with the Davis Tools. You can find more information on ADHD at the U.S. National Institutes of Health: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0002518/

Math Disability Linked to Problem Relating Quantities to Numerals

The October 24, 2011 issue of Science Daily reports that a study supported by the National Institutes of Health suggests that by fifth grade kindergarteners who start school unable to associate small quantities of items with the printed numerals representing those quantities, are more likely than their peers to be diagnosed with a math learning disability. Such children displayed other factors that correlate with this type of disability, such as difficulty recalling solutions to


simple addition problems, distractibility, and difficulty understanding that complex math problems can be broken down into smaller steps or problems that can be solved one by one. Although these children didn’t catch up to their peers in learning number facts or adding sets of items and numerals together, by fifth grade they did catch up in the use of counting to solve problems. The researchers tested 177 students at twelve public schools in Columbia, Missouri from kindergarten through fifth grade, measuring several factors: • math achievement • reading ability • intelligence and general cognitive ability • paying attention in class • working memory, the ability to hold one idea or concept in mind while switching between tasks • an understanding of numbers and their relation to each other • understanding of the number line • aptitude for solving simple and complex addition problems The study wasn’t designed to show cause and effect. As a result, the results don’t indicate whether the factors they identified caused the learning disability or were linked to other, unidentified factors. “The search for factors underlying difficulty learning mathematics is extremely important,” said Kathy Mann Koepke, Ph.D., of NIH's Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). “Once we identify such factors, the hope is that we can modify them through appropriate teaching methods to help people who have difficulty learning and using math. Math skills are important for higher education and for entry into many higher paying technical fields,” she said. “Math skills have many health implications. For example, many American adults lack even the basic math skills necessary to estimate the appropriate number of calories in their diets or to calculate the time intervals at which to take their medications.”

Mary K. Hoard, Ph.D., Lara Nugent, Drew H. Bailey and David C. Geary, Ph.D., all of the University of Missouri, Columbia carried out the study. Their findings were published in the Journal of Educational Psychology. You can read the full article at: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111024165553.htm

“”

Just because we learn differently, that

does not mean that we are not incredibly smart human beings.

Henry Winkler with British Ambassador, Sir Nigel Sheinwald and his Order of the British Empire.

Henry Winkler, the Fonz in Happy Days, appointed OBE

The Dyslexic Reader has featured Henry Winkler a number of times, in articles and in the Famous Dyslexics Remember section. Once again, Mr. Winkler deserves comment. As most of our readers know, although Henry Winkler shot to fame playing The Fonz in the classic sitcom Happy Days, these days, he is also known as the author of the Hank Zipzer children's books, which feature a young dyslexic protagonist. Many of the stories are based on Mr. Winkler's own childhood struggles in school, and the bullying he experienced. Henry Winkler has spent the last two years touring schools in the United Kingdom talking about dyslexia, and has said that visiting schools in the UK is “one of his favorite things to do.” When he visits a school Mr. Winkler tells students, “School was unbelievably hard for me. Teachers didn't know what dyslexia was at that time. So I was labeled a troublemaker. I was told I was stupid, lazy and not living up to my potential most of my life. And, when you're younger and you're told that, you believe it. It's part of your self image. Just because we learn differently, that does not mean that we are not incredibly smart human beings.” On the television show, BBC Breakfast, he commented “I walk into the classroom and ask if anybody has trouble in school and maybe one or two people raise their

hands. By the time I've read to them from Hank Zipzer... everybody wants to be dyslexic.” Clearly, his work in schools has brought him attention from on high.

Recently Mr. Winkler was awarded an honorary OBE – Order of the British Empire – in recognition of his work on dyslexia. British ambassador, Sir

Nigel Sheinwald, presented the OBE to Mr. Winkler during a ceremony at the British Embassy in Washington, DC. Sir Nigel stated, “Through [Henry Winkler], thousands of young people have seen a role model and an inspiration for overcoming their learning challenges.” The honor was unexpected and somewhat overwhelming to Mr. Winkler. He posted a photograph of himself with the medal on Twitter with the following message: “Here I am with my OBE pinned on. Very honored, very proud...” He has also been quoted as saying during the ceremony, “Receiving this honour is a very humbling experience. My goal when I started working with children was never to bring accolades on myself, but instead to change how people think about those around them for whom learning is a struggle. I am flattered to have had my work recognized in this manner, and hope to continue showing kids that their learning difficulty isn't a disability.” Way to go, Fonzie! v


Whole Word Q: Does the Davis Dyslexia Correction Program teach whole word identification?

A: Yes it does. Davis uses a multisensory approach to provide whole word mastery, involving simultaneous study of the three parts of every word: what it looks like, what it sounds like, and what it means. The Davis “trigger” word list overlaps significantly with the Dolch list of high-frequency words.

Tools For Spelling Q: Can the Davis approach help with spelling, other than sight words?

A: Davis provides specific tools and exercises that will help with spelling all words, over time. These include techniques to ensure that the child is accurately perceiving the letters and their sequence, and reading exercises that reinforce sequencing of letters, as well as dictionary skills. All of the Davis techniques can be used for study of any word list that has to be learned for school. However, because of the inconsistency of English spelling, improvement will take time, especially for words with irregular or unusual spelling, or homophones. After the Davis Program, a child will be able to study, learn and remember new spelling words as the need arises.

Davis Reading Q: What parts of reading instruction are worked on during a Davis Dyslexia Correction Program?

A: Davis Facilitators focus primarily on word recognition, vocabulary skills, fluency and comprehension. The Davis Program also includes an element of phonemic awareness, as the Facilitator will work with the child to make sure that the child can accurately hear the difference between the various sounds of language. If the child does have difficulty with hearing or distinguishing specific sounds, the Facilitator will work with the child specifically on those sounds. The Davis Program does not include instruction on traditional phonetic decoding skills (such as segmenting & blending), but includes learning to use the pronunciation key in a dictionary. We do this because we want to give the child a consistent, reliable way of determining the pronunciation of any word. It’s important to keep in mind that most Davis clients are children age 8 and over who may already have received several years of tutoring focused on phonetic skills, yet are still struggling with reading. We often see kids who already know how to use phonics to decode words, but still read very slowly and fail to recognize familiar words. They end up having to sound out the same words over and over again, and of course, they struggle with irregularly spelled words. Our goal is to give them a new set of tools that will help them become capable and confident readers.

Frustrated? Take A Break! Q: I have a nearly 7-year-old daughter diagnosed last fall with “characteristics strongly suggestive of dyslexia.” We came upon the Davis Method and it makes sense to us. We ordered the Young Learner Kit for our daughter, and she has spent 3 weeks making the capital letters. But she’s becoming resistant to making the letters unless she can form them on top of the card, using it as a template. She is extremely bright and manipulates with tantrums. We spent 3 days

by Abigail Marshall

“ It’s important to keep in mind that most Davis clients

are children age 8 and over who may already have received several

years of tutoring focused on phonetic skills,

yet are still struggling with reading. ”

“”

if a child is resistant, the solution is

ALWAYS to take a break

InternationalDavis Dyslexia

Correction®

Providers

The Davis Dyslexia Correction program is

now available from more than 450 Facilitators

around the world. For updates, call:

(888) 805-7216 Toll free or (650) 692-7141 or visit

dyslexia.com/providers.htm

v Argentina

Silvana Ines RossiBuenos Aires+54 (114) 865 3898

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coaxing her to make the Z. Are we going too fast, or doing something wrong? How can we get her to cooperate?

A: With Davis, if a child is resistant, the solution is ALWAYS to take a break. Have you done work with release, focusing, dial-setting and the Koosh balls? If your daughter wants to make the letters using the cards as a template, perhaps the best approach is to let her do that with all the letters until she feels more confident. Buy some extra clay so that you can let her keep the letters she has made rather than re-molding them, and after she has a complete set she can set them out in order. If she has molded the letters on top of the template, they are still her letters, made with her own hands. It's possible that there are visual-perceptual issues that make it difficult for her to simply use the printed version as a model. You may find the information on this page helpful: The Cause of Dyslexia: Anatomy of a Learning Disability (http://www.dyslexia.com/library/anatomy.htm). If your daughter is having temper tantrums, she is probably at around item #8 on the list: (“Emotional reactions bring about a condition of frustration.”) You can't reasonably expect her to model her letters, or gain any benefit from it, when she’s in an emotionally agitated state. So before you can continue with modeling letters, you will need to ensure that she has a firm grasp of how to use release and focusing. If your daughter is still resistant to working with you, you may have to take some time off and wait until she is more willing.

A New Way To Focus Q: I just recently learned that most of my 13 year-old son’s learning problems have been due to dyslexia. Having read The Gift of Dyslexia I purchased a Davis Symbol Mastery kit. After watching the DVD on the Orientation Counseling Procedure, I feel like this procedure is odd. I want to do whatever I can to help my son, but I’ve watched the DVD twice and haven’t had the courage to try the procedure with my son yet because it just seems so strange. Is this because I’m not dyslexic? Will the Orientation Counseling make more sense to my son because he is dyslexic?

A: Many times over the years of educating your son you may have experienced trying to teach your son something that seemed so self-evident to you, but your son really struggled to fully understand it. This will be the opposite. Your son is very likely to say that it’s easy for him, but


it's harder for you to understand. That’s because you’ll be using your son's learning strengths, the things he does easily and naturally, not your own. Try to just follow the script. What is actually happening is that you will be teaching your son a way to refocus whenever he gets confused or disoriented. It’s a very efficient way for him to 'get in the zone' for accurate perception and learning. (This excellent answer was provided by “Kanga” at the Davis discussion board at http://www.dyslexiatalk.com/cgi-bin/show.cgi?3/207691.)

It Takes As Long As It TakesQ: I live in Sri Lanka where there are currently no trained Davis Facilitators. My son is less than 7 years old. He shows signs of ADHD. I think I should do the Alignment Procedure with him, as well as the Dial, Symbol and Concept Mastery, and the procedure for Establishing Order. Should the Alignment Procedure be carried out just once? Should Symbol and Concept Mastery and the procedure for establish order be repeated, or should I just remind him and guide him after the initial session?

A: You will only do the procedure (with the full instructions) to establish Alignment one time, but your son will use his Alignment tool again and again. Once he has learned the procedure, then you will always help or guide him to do Release and Alignment throughout the day. You may develop a non-verbal signal for this. For example, “Release” is often signaled by the parent or helper simply letting out a sigh of release himself. Or you can say, “let's do release together” and let out a sigh. Over time it should become natural for your son to do this on his own, but he will need frequent, gentle reminders at first.

“

”

There’s no need to rush… with a

young child it’s far more important to

take whatever time is needed to fully

master each concept

v Belgium

Ann Devloo-DelvaVeurne +32 (058) 31 63 52

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Wayne Aadelstone-Hassel Halfmoon Bay+1 (604) 741-0605

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With the energy Dial, you will need to do a lot of reminding and guiding, usually in a questioning fashion. You will not need to repeat the procedure that establishes his Dial. Your son will know what the Dial means, but you will frequently help him draw attention to his Dial setting. You will also want to encourage him to observe others around him to get a sense of where their “dials” are set and to match his to theirs. There is an interesting article about practicing this skill with pets on page 3 of Issue 24 of The Dyslexic Reader. You can find it on line at http://www.scribd.com/doc/2938088/ The-Dyslexic-Reader-2001-Issue-24. Over time, your son’s use of his Dial will become habit, but at first it should be more like a game you and he play whenever the opportunity arises, simply to get in the habit of observing his own energy level, and the energy levels of others around him. Once you’ve made a model with Symbol Mastery and/or Concept Mastery, that model does not need to be repeated. The point of mastery is that the person has learned the symbol or concept in such a way that it has become a part of himself. There may be occasions when you will feel it’s necessary for your son to redo a specific model, if some confusion arises. This generally means that your son didn't quite master things the first time around. In other words, you or he made a mistake the first time. But mistakes happen to everyone and the solution is simple -- you simply redo the part that was missed and move on. The Establishing Order exercise is also done only once. Afterwards, the child has the tool and will be able to establish order in his life on his own. But it’s very likely that your son will not be ready for that stage until he is somewhat older (perhaps age 8 or 9). You may reach a point where you discover that the concepts normally done in Concept Mastery are too difficult for a 7 year-old child to understand. That’s not a problem. It simply means that you’ll stop for a while, wait a few weeks or months to see when he is ready, and in the meantime you can continue to explore and reinforce other Davis tools and lessons. Keep in mind that if your son isn’t quite ready for certain concepts, at 7 years old, that’s more a matter of maturity than symptomatic of ADHD. He’s still a very young child. Over time he will become more sophisticated in his understanding of his world. For now, your goal should be to go as far as you can with the concepts, and introduce new and more advanced concepts as he appears to reach readiness. There’s no need to rush the process; with a young child it’s far more important to take whatever time is needed to fully master each concept in turn. v

Two Kinds of Intelligence

By Rumi

There are two kinds of intelligence: one acquired,

as a child in school memorizes facts and concepts

from books and from what the teacher says,

collecting information from the traditional sciences

as well as from the new sciences.

With such intelligence you rise in the world.

You get ranked ahead or behind others

in regard to your competence in retaining

information. You stroll with this intelligence

in and out of fields of knowledge, getting always more

marks on your preserving tablets.

There is another kind of tablet, one

already completed and preserved inside you.

A spring overflowing its springbox. A freshness

in the center of the chest. This other intelligence

does not turn yellow or stagnate. It's fluid,

and it doesn't move from outside to inside

through conduits of plumbing-learning.

This second knowing is a fountainhead

from within you, moving out.

Rumi was Persian poet, jurist, theologian and Sufi mystic who lived from 1207 to 1273.

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Mary Ann KettlewellLondon, Ontario+1 (519) 652-0252

Colleen MaloneNewmarket Ontario+ 1 (905) 252-7426

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Yvonne Wong Ho Hing Autism Facilitator-CoachHong Kong +852-6302-5630

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What The World Needs Now, is a Few More Hiccups By Laura Zink de Díaz, Davis Facilitator, Bogotá, Colombia

He told me that his teachers reported that... he was mentally slow, unsociable, and adrift forever in his foolish dreams. – Hans Albert Einstein, on his father, Albert Einstein

I recently watched the movie, How to Train Your Dragon. It’s based on a children’s book of the same name, written by Cressida Cowell. It fits neatly into a genre we often see produced for children, usually enjoyed equally by adults. Little boy (or girl) is somehow different from others his age. Kids don’t understand him, tease him, perhaps even bully him. Parents don’t ‘get’ him either, and despair that he’ll ever ‘find his way.’ But the child has a particular kind of smarts, and one way or another, eventually manages to show everyone that, different or not, he’s worthy of respect, even admiration. In How to Train Your Dragon, Hiccup, the protagonist, is the son of a Viking chief. He’s just about the only person in his village who’s scrawny, rather than big and muscular, and he’s totally inept at fighting the dragons that frequently attack his people. But Hiccup is observant and full of ideas. He knows he’s not strong enough to fight bodily, so he designs contraptions he hopes will give him the upper hand. Sure enough, with one of his crazy contraptions, during a dragon attack he downs a Night Fury, the most mysterious and dangerous of all the dragons his people must defend against. But when he has the Night Fury at his mercy, he just can’t bring himself to kill it. Instead, he rescues and then trains Toothless (who actually has plenty of very sharp teeth). In the process, Hiccup not only learns how to work with all kinds of dragons, but discovers that the dragons are not truly the enemies of the Vikings. In the end, Hiccup saves all dragons from slavery, and puts an end to the enmity between them and all humans.

I thoroughly enjoyed this film. I enjoy most films (and books) that reveal apparently weak or disadvantaged characters to have inner strength and hidden talents. Probably the first such film I ever saw was Walt Disney’s Dumbo, produced in 1941, although it came to my town in the late 1950s. But there have been many more, including a good number of characters from the Harry Potter series. As a Davis Facilitator I find it appealing that Hollywood continues to make films like these, because it’s a truism that we find strength, goodness and intelligence in unlikely places, that people are more than they appear to be on the surface, and that society occasionally needs to be reminded that those who are different often have as much or more to contribute as those who ‘fit in.’ This is a longstanding current in children’s literature. It fits nicely with our

national tendency to believe in the importance of individuality, and our respect for the ‘maverick.’ It’s such a prevalent value that it’s not unusual to find examples from real life in the public interest section of newspapers, and even occasionally on the nightly television news. As I was musing about

the movie the other day, I realized that there’s a real disconnect between this cultural value, and what’s been happening in public education over the last ten years. With every passing year, the powers that be force schools to standardize curriculum, and impose more and more high stakes testing on children, at ever younger ages. Standardization is precisely what you want in a widget factory. In a factory, it is of course, important to know what processes create a perfect product, and standardize them in order to assure that the lowest possible number of defective items are produced. McDonalds and most fast food outlets are also geniuses at standardization. I’ve visited McDonalds all over the US, in Costa Rica, Colombia, Ecuador, and Russia. The food never varies. It is exactly the same everywhere.

I admit, when you’re abroad, there’s some comfort in knowing exactly what a meal is going to taste like. But it’s also somewhat creepy to realize that no matter where on earth you are, there’s simply no variation in McDonalds’ fare, that it is virtually unaffected by the culture around it! One

“

”

…society occasionally needs to be reminded

that those who are different often have as much or more to contribute as those

who ‘fit in’.

“

”

Standardized tests… expect that all kids…

will be able to demonstrate that they possess exactly

the same knowledge, at the same level of

mastery, in the same grade.


v Germany (continued)

Angela Przemus Shönebeck +49 (3928) 845 159

Markus RauchFreiburg +49 (761) 290 8146

Colette ReimannLandshut +49 (0871) 770 994

Brigitte ReinhardtOffenberg +49 (78109) 919 268

Ursula RittlerStuttgart +49 (0711) 47 18 50

Christiane RosendahlDortmund +49 0(231) 75 81 53 02

Phoebe SchafschetzyHamburg +49 (040) 392 589

Margarethe Schlauch-Agostini Volklingen +49 (0689) 844 10 40

Gabriela ScholterSupervisor-SpecialistAutism Facilitator-CoachAutism Training SupervisorStuttgart +49 (0711) 578 28 33

Sylvia SchurakGarlipp +49 (0) 39 32 44 82

Carmen Stappenbacher Gundelsheim +49 (0951) 917 19 10

Beate Tiletzek Waldkraiburg+49 (08638) 88 17 89

Andrea ToloczykiHavixbeck/Münster+49 (02507) 57 04 84

Ioannis TzivanakisSpecialist TrainerWorkshop PresenterDDA-DACH DirectorBerlin +49 (030) 66 30 63 17

Ulrike von Kutzleben-HausenDeisslingen+49 (07420) 33 46

Gabriele WirtzStuttgart +49 (711) 55 17 18

Elvira WoelkiMindelheim +33 (6) 37 40 49 67

v Greece

Evagelia Apostolopoulou- ArmaosPatras +30 (261) 062 21 22

Zoe DeliakidouThessaloniki +30 (231) 054 0008 or +30 6934 662438

Theano PanagiotopoulouAthens +30 (21) 111 953 50

Irma Vierstra-VourvachakisRethymnon/Crete+30 283105 8201 or 69766 40292

v Iceland

Áslaug ÁsgeirsdóttirMosfellsbaer+354 861-2537

Gigja BaldursdottirReykjavik +354 562 2840

Sigrún Jónina BaldursdóttirSnaefellsbae+354 586 8180

Gudrún BenediktsdóttirHafnarfirdi+354 545 0103 or +354 822 0910

Gudbjörg EmilsdóttirDLS MentorKópavogur+354 554 3452

Hólmfridur GudmundsdóttirGardabae +354 895-0252

has to wonder, do human beings play any role in the production of such food? A standardized curriculum in schools is one that assumes that all kids can and should learn the same things, to the same level of mastery, at the same point in their education. Standardized tests are based on the same notion, and expect that all kids who have been properly taught will be able to demonstrate that they possess exactly the same knowledge, at the same level of mastery, in the same grade. In some states, children who don’t score high enough on standardized grade-level tests are held back to repeat the grade they’ve just completed, because the omniscient computerized test scoring program knows they don’t possess sufficient information to be successful later in the next step of their educational career. Anyone who has more than one child knows all this is foolishness. Not even children in the same family have the same talents, learn the same things in the same order, to the same degree of mastery. If it isn’t true in the small unit of a family, how can we expect it to be true of an entire classroom of children, much less, of millions of children in schools all over the country? The standardistas reply is usually that standards exist to guide and improve instruction, not to punish children. But the real effects are not only that teachers have gradually lost the power to make decisions about instruction, but that individual children are indeed penalized if their performance on tests falls outside ‘acceptable’ norms. I suspect even rabid standardizers would admit that children are a tad more complicated than widgets. So how did we reach a point in our country when – at least in school – we’ve begun to ignore a basic belief in the individual that’s so prevalent in our literature and culture? How is it that in so many of the stories our culture tells, we can recognize that even the scrawny kid, behind his peers in strength, or intellectual prowess, has something useful to contribute? How is it possible for us to hold to the notion that ‘weird kids’ may actually be the innovators of tomorrow, yet simultaneously embrace the idea that we should hold back kids who aren’t precisely on track with how some anonymous publisher sitting at a

computer in the far-away office of some testing company defines ‘on track’? Back when I was a teacher, I was fortunate to have chosen to teach elective subjects (foreign languages) that usually get little attention from the standardizing bullies in education; and at my school for many years, we held to a more generous philosophy, even in core areas, understanding that our students were varied individuals with their own goals and interests, that seldom meshed precisely with those of their adult guides. We often

taught students whose only motivation to drag themselves into school each day was the chance to see friends, a particularly beloved teacher, or study a particular subject, (usually one of the electives, the kind that don’t count enough to be tested rigorously and therefore, are always on the chopping block in times of budgetary distress). These days many such kids are pushed out of school, because their test scores may pull down the overall average of the school, which can then face sanctions. It’s a good thing Hiccup doesn’t live in such a world. It’s too bad ANY children do. I guess it’s a good thing that we Davis Facilitators are around to offer some of today’s Hiccups tools to help them survive and ultimately thrive. Because if there’s anything the world needs to help us solve the myriad problems facing us today – in the environment, the economy, our politics, our culture in general – it’s fewer kids who absorb mass-produced education without questioning its content, and a lot more divergent thinkers! I suspect we’ll find most of them among the standardized test failures, the scrawny and clumsy, the supposedly slow, unsociable, adrift forever in their foolish dreams, the unrecognized but brilliant kids like Hiccup... and Albert Einstein. v

“

”

How is it possible for us to hold to the notion

that ‘weird kids’ may actually be the

innovators of tomorrow, yet simultaneously

embrace the idea that we should hold back

kids who aren’t precisely on track with how some

anonymous publisher sitting at a computer in

a far-away office of some testing company defines

‘on track’?

Unlocking the Power of DyslexiaA brief look at the life of Ronald Davis and the impact of his remarkable discoveries. DVD: $8.00 (Run time: 15 minutes)

The Davis Dyslexia Correction Program This documentary film provides an excellent overview of Facilitators at work with Davis clients,explains how dyslexics thinkand perceive, what causes dyslexia, and what occurs during and after a Davis Program. DVD: $8.00 (Run time: 18 minutes)

Davis Dyslexia Correction Orientation ProceduresThis detailed instructional DVD provides demonstrations of each of the Davis® procedures for assessment and orientationdescribed in The Gift of Dyslexia and The Gift of Learning. These methods help focus attention, eliminate perceptual confusion, improve physical coordination, and control energy levels. DVD: $85.00

Davis Symbol Mastery and Reading ExercisesFeatures 27 examples of Facilitators and clients using the Davis Symbol Mastery Kit and practicing the Davis ReadingExercises. Included are mastering the alphabet, punctuation marks, pronunciation, and words; and reading exercises to build visual tracking and whole word recognition skills, and to improve reading fluency and comprehension. (This DVD is included with Davis Symbol Mastery Kit) DVD: $85.00

Dyslexia – The Gift

This documentary introduces

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Viewers of all ages will find

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I Can Do It – The Confidence to LearnTeachers, parents, school administrators, andstudents speak about the many benefits ofusing Davis Learning Strategies at ValeElementary School in Oregon.

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DVD/Audio CD/Software

Davis Symbol Mastery KitContains everything needed to do

Davis Symbol Mastery: A manual in checklist

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Davis Young Learner Kit for Home-UseProvides parents with the

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Davis Dyslexia Association BookstoreBooks & Tools for Doing it on Your Own

NEW!The Gift of Dyslexia:Why Some of theSmartest People Can’t Read and HowThey Can Learn (Revised and Updated 2010 edition)

$15.95 Softcover

Features a new Foreword by Dr. Linda Silverman and two new chapters on Davis methods for correcting Dyslexia.

Davis Symbol Mastery Deluxe KitProvides additional materials for

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address disorientation, build attention

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the regular Symbol Mastery Kit plus:

• The Gift of Dyslexia-Classic Edition

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• Two Koosh Balls

Deluxe Kit $219.95

The Gift of Learningby Ronald D. Davis, Eldon M. Braun

Expands the Davis Methodswith theories and correctionprocedures that address the three basic areas oflearning disability other thanreading, which children andadults experience.

Softcover $13.95 $15.95

KID’S CORNERCharlie’s Challenge

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This richly illustrated story offersa positive view and encouragingnews for youngsters struggling inschool. Geared to ages 5-9.

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Strong-Willed Child or Dreamer?

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A must for parents ofchildren who areimaginative,sensitive,moody, stubborn, andcompassionate.Softcover $4.99 $12.99

You Don’t Have to be Dyslexic

by Dr. Joan Smith

Case histories illustrate auseful and easy-to-usecollection of assessmentmethods, skill-buildingexercises, and learningstrategies geared to thedyslexic learning style.

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Attention Deficit Disorder:A Different Perception

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Explores the benefits of an ‘A.D.D.’ mind, andprovides good reasons for ‘distractable’ people to celebrate their creativethinking style.

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Smart But Stuck: WhatEvery Therapist Needs to Know About LearningDisabilities and ImprisonedIntelligence

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The Right Mind: Making Sense of theHemispheres

Explores how our brainhemispheres worktogether to make senseof language andaccomplish other tasks.


Beyond ADD: Hunting forReasons in the Past &Present

by Thom Hartmann

Explore a variety of theories as to why ADD has become so prevalent in modernsociety, and solutions relatedto many of the theories.


El Don de la Dislexia

The Gift of Dyslexiain Spanish. Newly revisedwith additional chapters,illustrations and photographs.Published in Spain by Editex

Softcover $28.95

THE DYSLEXIC READERSUPPLEMENT PAGE A2

Everything Parent’s GuideTo Children With Dyslexia:All You Need To Ensure

Your Child’s Success

by Abigail Marshall

A “must read” for every parent

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Softcover $13.45 $14.95

The Secret Life of theDyslexic Child: How SheThinks, How He Feels, How They Can Succeed

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Full of gentle advice and

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Softcover $10.50 $14.95

BOOKS FOR CREATIVE LEARNING

Bumperly Bumper Bee by Michael D. DavisA beautifully illustrated story of a bee with challenges, whose talents help him prevail. A great tale of tolerance, understanding,friendship and achievementfor ages 4 - 8.$12.75 Hardcover

The Myth of the ADD Child

by Thomas Armstrong, Ph.D.

Essential for any parent of anactive child. Detailed profilesof behavior patterns are keyedto suggested strategies forgetting each child on track,without drugs or coercion.


Ten Things Every Child With Autism Wishes You Knewby Ellen Notbohm

A must have for parents to read and share. Provides the insight needed to better understand, love and support an autistic family memberSoftcover $10.50 $14.95

Born on a Blue Day by Daniel Tammet

First-person account of living with synesthesia

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Homework Without Tears: A Parent’sGuide for Motivating Children to doHomework and to Succeed in School?by Lee Canter & Lee Hausner, Ph.D.

Detailed, step-by-step approach to turning theresponsibility of homework over to your children.Hardcover $9.95 $13.95

Barron’s Mathematics Study Dictionaryby Frank Tapson

Comprehensive definitions and explanations of

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Softcover $14.99

Yes You Can! Help Your Kid Succeed in Math Even if You Think You Can’tby Jean Bullard & Louise Oborne

Advice for parents and strategies for overcoming

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Softcover $18.00

THE DYSLEXIC READER SUPPLEMENT PAGE A3

Ultimate Visual Dictionaryby Dorling Kindersley Publishing(672 pages)Hardcover $32.00 $39.95

Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools You Should Know About Even If You’re Not a Straight-A Student by Loren Pope Softcover $4.99 $14.00

Math Dictionary

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REFERENCE BOOKS MATH BOOKS

AUTISM BOOKS

The Everything Parents Guideto Children with Autism:Know What to Expect, Findthe Help You Need, and GetThrough the Day

by Adelle Jameson Tilton

Softcover: $13.45 $14.95

From finding support groups toplanning for their child's future, this book pro-vides parents with all the information they needto ensure that their child's – and their families’ –needs are met.

A Parents Guide toAsperger Syndrome & High FunctioningAutism by Sally Ozonoff, Geraldine

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An indispensable guide packed with real-life success stories, practical problem-solving ideas, and matter-of-fact advice.

UnderstandingControversial TherapiesFor Children withAutism, ADD and OtherLearning Disabilities

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Gabby's Wordspeller by Diane FrankHow do you find a word in the dictionaryif you have no idea how to spell it? Withthis book! Lets you look up words by theirphonetic spelling to find its correctspelling.$25.95 Softcover

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DAVIS DYSLEXIA MATERIALSUnlocking the Power of Dyslexia DVD . . . . . . . . . . $8.00Davis Dyslexia Correction Program DVD . . . . . . . . .$8.00Davis Orientation Procedures DVD. . . . . . . . . . . . . $85.00Symbol Mastery & Reading Exercises DVD . . . . . . $85.00I Can Do It—The Confidence to Learn DVD . . . . . . .$9.00The Gift of Dyslexia 2010 Edition . . .. . . . . . . . . . . $15.95The Gift of Learning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $13.95Dyslexia- the Gift DVD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $39.95Gift of Dyslexia Audio CD Set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $29.95Symbol Mastery Kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$139.95Symbol Mastery Deluxe Kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$219.95Gift of Dyslexia - Spanish Edition . . . . . . . . . . . . .$28.95

OTHER BOOKS FOR REFERENCE & LEARNINGADD: A Different Perception . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$9.95Barron’s Math Dictionary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$14.99Beyond ADD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$12.95Born on a Blue Day . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$14.00Bumperly Bumper Bee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$15.95 Charlie’s Challenge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$14.95Checking Your Grammar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$8.99Colleges That Change Lives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$14.00Everything Parent’s Guide To Autism . . . . . . . . . . .$14.95Everything Parent’s Guide To Dyslexia . . . . . . . . . .$14.95Gabby's Wordspeller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$25.95Homework Without Tears . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$13.95Math Dictionary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$14.95 Math On Hand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$23.00 Myth of the ADD Child . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$15.00Parents Guide to Asperger Autism . . . . . . . . . . . .$18.95Ten Things Every Child With Autism Wishes . . . . . . .$14.95The Right Mind . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$12.00The Secret Life of The Dyslexic Child . . . . . . . . . . . . .$14.95Smart But Stuck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$19.95Strong-Willed Child or Dreamer? . . . . . . . . . . . . .$12.99Ultimate Visual Dictionary . . . . . . . . . . . . $39.95Understanding Controversial Therapies . . . . . . . . . . .$19.95Webster’s New World Children’s Dictionary . . . . . .$19.95Yes You Can! Help Your Kid Succeed in Math . . . .$18.00You Don’t Have to Be Dyslexic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$19.95

OTHER ITEMSYoung Learner Kit for Home Use . . . . . . . . . . . . .$129.95

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v Iceland (continued)

Sigurborg Svala Gudmundsdóttir Mosfellsbaer+(354) 867-1928

Ingibjörg IngolfsdóttirMosfellsbaer +354 899-2747

Sigrún JensdóttirMosfellsbaer +354 897 4437

Valgerdur JónsdóttirKópavogur +354 863 2005

Sturla KristjanssonHafnarfjordur+354 862 0872

Jon Einar Haraldsson LambiAkureyri +354 867 1875

Ásta OlafsdóttirVopnafjordur+354 473-1164

Thorbjörg SigurdardóttirReykjavík +354 698 7213

Kolbeinn SigurjonssonMosfellsbaer+354 566 6664

Hugrún SvavarsdóttirMosfellsbær+354 698-6465

v India

Veera GuptaNew Delhi+91 (11) 986 828 0240

Kalpita PatelRajkot, Gujarat +91 (281) 244 2071

Carol Ann RodriguesMumbai+91 (22) 2667 3649 or+91 (22) 2665 0174

v Ireland

Veronica BaylyDublin +353 (86) 226 354

Anne Marie Beggs Old Portmarnock+353 (86) 239-1545

Paula HoranMullingar +353 44 934 1613

Sister Antoinette KeelanDublin +353 (01) 884 4996

v Israel

Angela FrenkelBeer Sheva+972 (52) 655 8485

Goldie GiladKfar Saba/Tel Aviv+972 (09) 765 1185

Judith SchwarczRa’anana/Tel Aviv+972 (09) 772 9888

v Italy

Stefania BrunoNuoro, Sardinia+39 (388) 933 2486

Elisa De FeliceRoma +39 (06) 507 3570

Antonella DeriuNuoro, Sardinia+32 059 32 96

Piera Angiola MaglioliOcchieppo Inferiore/Biella+39 (015) 259 3080

Talent vs. EffortThe Words That Could Unlock Your Child by Matthew SyedReviewed by Laura Zink de DíazDavis Facilitator in Bogotá, Colombia

Many years ago, I had a quiet and unassuming student in my Spanish class called Mike. Blond, tall, and slender, Mike wasn’t my top student, but he was a very good one. He took three years of Spanish, so we got to know one another pretty well. During his third year he was in the first period class, and every day we all listened to the school announcements over the public address system before we turned our attention to Spanish. One day, towards the end of the school year, the principal’s voice came over the PA, and announced the names of a number of graduating seniors who’d achieved a perfect 4.0 average, straight As, during their last year at our school. Mike was one of those named, and we all applauded for him. Later, chatting with him, he said, “I know I’m not as smart as some of the others on that list. For many of them, it’s really easy to get the top grades. Not for me. I get good grades because I work harder than anyone I know at this school.” My own thought at the time was that that level of self-knowledge in an 18-year-old, combined with such insight about what it takes to achieve, probably indicated that Mike was indeed, among the smartest – it just depends on what you consider smarts. I was reminded of Mike the other day, reading an essay, posted at the BBC website titled, The Words That Could Unlock Your Child, by Matthew Syed. Mr. Syed is the author of Bounce: The Myth of Talent and the Power of Practice. At one time he was the top ranked table tennis player in England. He won the Men's Singles at the Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships three times (in 1997, 2000 and 2001), and he also competed for Great Britain in two Olympic Games. Matthew Syed knows a little something about practice and hard work! The gist of his essay at the BBC website is that we make a mistake when we praise our children for their talent, saying things like,

“You learned that so quickly, you're so smart!”

“Look at that drawing. Are you the next Picasso or what?” or

“You're so brilliant - you passed that exam without really studying!” His point is that although when we praise a child’s talent, we think we’re building his self confidence, in fact, we’re orienting the child to a fixed mindset that suggests that “intelligence is of primary importance rather than the effort through which intelligence can be transformed.” This is problematic because although for years

we’ve operated on the assumption that excellence is rooted in talent, in fact, many studies show that the best students, regardless of subject matter, learn no faster than those who perform at lower academic levels. Hour for hour, the best and the rest improve at almost identical rates. The principal difference is that the top students

practice more. And often, according to Syed, those children who appear to have a particular gift or talent, have actually received considerable support and additional instruction and practice at home from highly motivated parents. I always look to my own experience when I read something like this, and Mike came to mind immediately, because he is the only student of mine who ever expressed the possibility that his intense studying contributed to his academic success more than his innate intelligence. This idea is also consistent with our understanding that intelligence isn’t static, that most people’s IQ rises with age and experience. And it also made me recall that my own “talent” for languages was based on numerous advantages in my home. We lived abroad when I was ten, where I learned to speak Greek; and again when I was 12, at which point I began to study French. I’d almost



forgotten that I had a French tutor two afternoons a week after my high school let out for the day. I got the chance to study Spanish in Mexico, and later in Colombia. My father finagled a chance for me to audit college level classes in Spanish while I was a senior in high school. It’s true that I loved ALL of it, so I was motivated to work hard at the languages I studied. I wanted to speak them as well as I spoke English. Everyone always said, “That Laura sure has a talent for languages.” In fact, what I had was far more exposure, practice, support (and fun!) than most people ever get studying a language! Of course, I’d like to think I also had talent. But Syed points out that there have been studies to examine the question of the fixed talent mindset versus the growth mindset. Some results he cites:

• Computer studies students received lessons on the importance of the growth mindset. It resulted in a dramatic improvement in test scores after a six-week intervention.

• Students at Stanford University were encouraged towards the growth mindset in a workshop. At the end of term, these students had earned significantly higher grade point averages than the control group.

And we do see young students in schools for whom a particular subject, say mathematics, is difficult, who simply say, “I’m no good at math.” They do the minimum they can get away with because they assume that if they were naturally talented in that area, it would be easy. I know whereof I speak, for I was one of those kids! For me languages were fun and easy, but math was hard. I grew up convinced that I had no talent for math, that my talents lay elsewhere and I should stay away from any career involving numbers. It wasn’t until decades later, running a $1.2 million departmental budget in a small school district, that I realized talent had nothing to do with my math issues – I’d simply convinced myself that if numbers challenged me, I was

‘no good’ at math and should turn my attention to something else. (And no, I never once screwed up that budget…) For Syed, the talent mindset destroys motivation: why even try if you believe you have no talent? He takes us back to the three examples of talent-oriented praise he mentioned at the start of his essay, to show us the subliminal messages lurking in the background:

“If I don't learn something quickly, I'm not smart.” (My own specialty…)

“I shouldn't try drawing anything hard or they'll see I'm no Picasso.”

“I'd better quit studying or they won't think I'm brilliant.”

On the other hand, the growth mindset gives us all hope and motivation to strive, because it tells us that regardless of innate talent, with effort we will improve. So Syed’s advice is to “praise effort, never talent… teach kids to see challenges as learning opportunities rather than threats; and … emphasize how abilities can be transformed.” I think he’s right, and there are studies supporting his point of view. One famous one is the 1998 study by Claudia Mueller and Carol Dweck, Effects of Intelligence and Effort Praise. They found that among children who were consistently praised for their smarts, rather than their effort, when faced with a significantly more difficult task that they failed at, the kids “displayed less task persistence, less task enjoyment, more low-ability attributions, and worse task performance than children praised for effort.” Mueller and Dweck concluded that such children assume that if they have to work hard at something, they’re not smart. Praising kids for their intelligence, causes them to focus on grades, rather than on the learning process itself. And recent studies of the brain indicate that our abilities and knowledge are determined more by how effective our learning process is, than by our IQ. Ultimately, this means that anyone can learn if our focus is on our learning process, the work, and our effort. It’s not that our children don’t have talents. We all do, and we all also have challenges. But by changing the focus of our praise, perhaps we can make the difference between a child who perseveres, like Mike, and one who gives up as quickly as I did (at least on everything math-related).

You can read all of Matthew Syed’s essay at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/mobile/magazine-13128701 v

v Italy (continued)

Sabina MansuttiTricesimo Udine+39 (349) 272 0307

Eugenie ScharesLiberta

Alessandro TaiocchiSettimo Milanese +39 (333) 443 7368

Silvia WalterFirenze +39 (055) 22 86 481

Rafaella ZingerleCorvara In Badia+39 (0471) 836 959

v Jamaica

Leslie DahlSt. Ann +876 457-1350

v Kenya

Alia Qamar Abbas Nairobi

Manisha ShahNairobi+254 (0) 721 492 217

v Lebanon

Samar Riad SaabBeirut +961 3 700 206

v Luxembourg Nadine RoederLuxembourg+352 691 30 0296

v Malaysia

Hilary CraigKuala Lumpur+60 (36) 201 55 95

v Mexico

Silvia B. Arana GarcíaMexico, D.F. +52 (55) 5540-7205

Cathy Calderón de la Barca Davis Workshop Presenter México D.F.+52 (55) 5540-7205

María Silvia Flores SalinasDDA DirectorSupervisor – SpecialistGarza García Monterrey NL+52 (81) 8378 61 75

Alejandra Garcia MedinaZapopan+52 (33) 13 71 29 75

Hilda Fabiola Herrera CantuCuliacan, Sinaloa +52 81 6677 15 01 19

Laura LammogliaTampico, Tamaulipas +52 (833) 213 4126

Maria Cristina Lopez-Araiza GonzalezMéxico, D.F.+52 (55) 5536 5889

Ana Menéndez Porrero Puebla+52 (222) 750 76 42

Lucero Palafox de MartinAutism Facilitator/CoachVeracruz+52 (229) 935 1302

Lydia Gloria VargasGarza García Monterrey NL+52 (81) 8242 0666

Mauro Salvador Villagomez Santana Celaya Guanajuato+52 (461) 614 9892 Lourdes Zepeda Solorzano Cancun, Quintana Roo+988 (99) 8577 3090


Each month I receive an email from Danny Brassell, founder of The Lazy Readers’ Book Club. It contains a list of books he recommends for reluctant readers or for those who just don’t have time for much reading. (He knows we’re not lazy, just busy or in need of encouragement!) Danny’s recommendations are always organized into categories: AD, for adults; YA, for young adults; CH, for children’s books. He always lists a page count and some brief comments, as below. Danny usually posts about 10 recommendations per month, three or four per category. Here’s a sampling of Danny’s most recent recommendations in all three categories. You can read more recommendations at the Lazy Readers’ website, www.lazyreaders.com. There you’ll find Danny’s picks, updated monthly, and archives of past selections by month, reading level, and page count – enough recommendations for a lifetime of reading! You can also sign up for monthly book alerts, while you’re browsing. If you purchase books at Amazon.com through links at the Lazy Readers’ website, Bookends (www.bookends.org) will receive a donation. (Bookends is a nonprofit organization devoted to increasing children’s access to books, as well as community service awareness.)

Recent Recommendations from The Lazy Reader Book Club By Danny Brassell and Laura Zink de Diaz, Davis Facilitator in Bogotá Colombia

Human.4By Mike A. Lancaster Young Adult240 pagesPublisher: EgmontUSA (March 8, 2011)ISBN-10: 1606840991ISBN-13: 978-1606840993

So you’re trying to find a book for your teenage boy? Science Fiction is not everyone’s cup of tea, but this story seems to grab the boys (and girls). A hypnotized teen wakes up to find he is obsolete. Suspenseful throughout!


v Netherlands

Liesbeth Berg-SchagenVleuten +31 (030) 604-9601

Lloyd Christopher BlakeRotterdam+31 (10) 262 1664

Manja BloemendalDen Haag +31 (70) 345 5252

Ineke BlomDorpstraat+31 (020) 436-1484

Lot BlomUtrecht +31 (030) 271 0005

Trudy BorstBest (Near Eindhoven)+31 (0499) 471 198

Doreth BroeninkNieuw-Vennep+31 (252) 680 667

Lieneke CharpentierNieuwegein+31 (030) 60 41 539

Hester CnossenVeghel +31 (495) 641 920

Anja Derksen-MerkenHeel +31 (06) 17 38 34 45

Aline de BruijnSliedrecht+31 (18) 441 5341

Judith de HaanHeiloo (Near Alkmaar)+31 (63) 078 6483

Mine de RanitzDriebergen+31 (0343) 521 348

Christien De SmitSluis +31 (0117) 461 963

Marijke Eelkman Rooda-BosGouda +31 (0182) 517-316

Jolien FokkensBeilen +31 (0593) 540 141

Ina GausSantpoort-Zuid+31 (023) 538-3927

Jola GeldermansBeverwijk+31 (0251) 210 607

Perola GoncalvesMaría Hoop+31 (06) 33 79 63 44

Jan GubbelsMaastricht+31 (043) 36 39 999

Maril HeijenLandgraaf+31 (6) 4965 1754

Judith HolzapfelDeventer +31 (0570) 619 553

Mia JenniskensEindhoven+31 (040) 245 9458

Trudy JolingLaren +31 (035) 531 00 66

Marie KoopmanBilthoven+31 (030) 228 4014

Carry KulingHeemstede+31 (0235) 287 782

Edith Kweekel-GöldiSoest +31 (035) 601 0611

Imelda LamakerHilversum+31 (035) 621 7309

Irma LammersBoxtel +31 (411) 68 56 83

Sjan MelsenArnhem +31 (026) 442 69 98


v Netherlands

Cinda MustersAmsterdam +31 (20) 330-78 08

Bert NeeleMelick +31 (61) 259 8802

Marianne OosterbaanZeist +31 (030) 691 7309

Fleur van de Polder-PatonSchiedam+31 (010) 471 58 67

Guido Peerboom Eijsden / Maastricht+31 (62) 155 2959

Petra Pouw-LegêneDLS Nederlands Director DLS Mentor-Trainer Mentor-Presenter Beek +31 (046) 437 4907

Karin RietbergHolten +31 (548) 364 286

Lydia Rogowski WijnbergHelmond +31 (0492) 513 169

Hanneke SchoemakerWageningen+31 (0317) 412 437

Ilse SchreuderAalzum/Dokkum +31 (051) 922-0315

Silvia Jolanda SikkemaDLS MentorDrachten +31 (0512) 538 815

Suzan SintemaartensdijkAkersloot +31 (25) 131-26 62

Marja SteijgerAmstel +31 (020) 496 52 53

Robin TempleSpecialist TrainerWorkshop PresenterDDA DirectorMaria Hoop +31 (0475) 302 203

Kirsten TheeuwenEibergen +31 (545) 286 828

Romina TorozUtrecht +31 (61) 280-1821

Marieke UiterwijkLeiden +31 (06) 45 911 913

Mieke van DeldenLeek +31 (059) 4514985

Agnes van den Homberg-JacobsAmerica Limburg+31 (077) 464 23 22

Annette van der BaanAmsterdam+31 (020) 420-5501

Annemarie van HofUtrecht +31 (030) 65 86 700

Hilde van WestrhenenDelft +31 (610) 681 605

Mieke VerhallenMierlo +31 (492) 43 05 04

Lia VermeulenHuizen +31 (062) 3671530

Mary VerspagetAlmere +31 6 53 797 197

Christien VosAutism Facilitator/CoachTolbert +31 (0594) 511 607

Gerda Witte-KuijsHeerhugowaard+31 (072) 571 3163

Elisabeth Weterings-GaaikemaAl Harkstede+ 31 (623) 045 369

Bystanderby James PrellerYoung Adult256 pagesPublisher: Square Fish; Reprint edition (May 10, 2011)ISBN-10: 031254796XISBN-13: 978-0312547967Bystander is probably one of the best-written books I have ever read about bullying. This book will haunt you and prompt an important discussion among your middle school students.

Judy Moody Was in a Moodby Megan McDonaldYoung Adult176 pagesPublisher: Candlewick; Reissue edition (January 26, 2010)ISBN-10: 0763648493ISBN-13: 978-0763648497

I just realized that I had never included Judy Moody on a previous list, and I thought since a Judy Moody film opened in June of this year, now is a good time to get kids interested in her books. I love this one, in particular, as it includes wonderful artwork by Peter Reynolds, one of my favorite illustrators.

13 Wordsby Lemony Snicket (Maira Kalman, Illustrator)Children40 pagesPublisher: HarperCollins (October 5, 2010)ISBN-10: 0061664650ISBN-13: 978-0061664656

I love letting people know about books that bring words to life, and Lemony Snicket has made that task easy. Along with Maira Kalman’s gorgeous illustrations, this book mirrors Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events by misleading readers into thinking they’re in for a sad tale, only to find a happy ending. Magnificent!

13 Art Mysteries Children Should Knowby Angela WenzelChildren48 pagesPublisher: Prestel USA (June 1, 2011)ISBN-10: 3791370448ISBN-13: 978-3791370446

From 13 Sculptures Children Should Know to 13 Buildings Children Should Know, Wenzel has created a wonderful niche. She’s filling in the gap left at schools where budget cuts mean art education gets short shrift. This latest entry will entice your students to ask more questions about art. A fabulous series!


Me…Janeby Patrick McDonnellChildren40 pagesPublisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (April 5, 2011)ISBN-10: 0316045462ISBN-13: 978-0316045469

McDonnell is a gifted author and illustrator, and I wholeheartedly recommend all of his books for space on your shelves. This delightful book introduces all ages to naturalist Jane Goodall, and includes wonderful illustrations and tidbits about her life with chimpanzees.

Brodie and the Yeti: The True Tale of Two Little Dogsby Dennis Robert KomickChildren34 pagesPublisher: BATY Publishing (Sept 1, 2009)ISBN-10: 0982446306ISBN-13: 978-0982446300

There are lots of “dog” books out there, but not many about the power of adopting unwanted dogs. This is a story that can be used by teachers and parents to address kindness to animals and the power of pet adoption (child adoption, too – for that matter).

Press Hereby Herve TulletChildren56 pagesPublisher: Chronicle Books (March 30, 2011)ISBN-10: 0811879542ISBN-13: 978-0811879545

Who needs an iPhone when you have this book? Tullet cleverly entices children to press “buttons” and see what happens. Kids are always engaged with this book.

Theodore Boone: The Abductionby John GrishamYoung Adult256 pagesPublisher: Dutton Juvenile; First Edition (June 6, 2011)ISBN-10: 0525425578ISBN-13: 978-0525425571

I try not to publicize well-established authors, since I know they need no help selling books. However, John Grisham is precious to me, as he got me interested in reading for fun. I read all of his paperbacks when I lived in Spain (there were only three then: A Time to Kill, The Firm and The Pelican Brief). His books set me on the path to reading lots of other authors. What a treat it is that he has written this Theodore Boone series, as now Grisham can attract a younger audience to his wonderful legal suspense thrillers.

v New Zealand

Rochelle BoothWanganui +64 (027) 306-6743

Kirsteen Britten Autism Facilitator/CoachChristchurch +64 (3) 348 1665

Vivienne CarsonAuckland +64 (09) 520-3270

Catherine ChurtonSupervisor-SpecialistAuckland +64 (09) 360 7377

Maria CopsonDunedin +64 (03) 479 0510

Ann CookWarkworth/Auckland+64 (0) 9 422 0042

Melanie CurryChristchurch +64 (03) 322-1726

Angi EdwardsWhakatane+64 (7) 308 6682

Martine FalconerChristchurch+64 (03) 383-1988

Konstanca Friedrich-PalzerMotueka/Nelson+64 (03) 527 8060

Tina GuyAutism Facilitator/CoachNelson +64 (03) 547 4958

Wendy HaddonMosgiel +64 (03) 489-8572

Sandra HartnettWellington +64 (4) 499 5658

Alma Holden Autism Facilitator/CoachAlexandra+64 (027) 485-6798

Glenys KnoppDarfield +64 (03) 317-9072

Leila MartinHawera Taranaki+64 (027) 721-3273

Raewyn MathesonDLS Mentor Inglewood+64 (027) 411-8350

Tania McGrathChristchurch +64 (03) 322 41 73

Shelley McMeekenDDA DirectorAutism Facilitator-CoachAutism Training Supervisor Dunedin +64 0274 399 020

Linda McNaughten Dannevirke+64 (6) 374 1575

Colleen MortonGore +64 (03) 208 6308

Wendy PersonHastings +64 (06) 870 4243

Janet PirieRaumati Beach Wellington+ 64 (04) 298 1626

Alison SymeDarfield +64 (03) 318-8480

Lorna TimmsDavis Autism Trainer Supervisor-SpecialistChristchurch +64 (03) 363 9358

Margot YoungAuckland +64 (09) 416 1230


v Norway

Heida Karen VidarsdottirStavanger+47 958 03 822

Ragnhild SlettevoldSkjaerhalden

v Peru

Judith Zapata PrangeLima +51 (964) 381 889

v Philippines

Freddie TanSan Juan, Metro Manila+63 (2) 725 7137

v Poland

Agnieszka £ubkowska Warsaw +48 (46) 855 77 02

v Portugal

Sofia Vassalo SantosLisboa +35 (191) 911-2565

Cristina Maria Rubianes VieiraLisboa +35 (191) 921 48 07

v Republic of Singapore

Phaik Sue ChinSingapore +65 6773 4070

Constance ChuaSingapore +65 6873 3873

v Russia

Mira AshushMoscow972-3-6350973

Luba NiazovMoscow+972 (54) 476 6203 (Israel)

Kalina PotyakMoscow+ 972 (52) 257 2783

v Scotland

Paul Francis WrightForres, Scotland+44 (077) 9684 0762

v Serbia

Jelena RadosavljevicKraljevo+381 (063) 76-28-792

v South Africa

Sharon GerkenSalt Rock+27 (82) 828 5180

Axel GudmundssonFundamentals Workshop PresenterWestern Cape+27 (021) 783 2722

v Switzerland/CH

Tinka Altwegg-ScheffmacherSt. Gallen+41 (071) 222 07 79

Monika AmreinZurich +41 (01) 341 8264

Regula Bacchetta-BischofbergerHorw/Luzern +41 (041) 340 2136

Priska Baumgartner Wettingen +41 (056) 426 28 88

Renate Blum-MullerFull-Reuenthal +41 (56) 246-18 66

Michelle BonardiCastel S. Pietro, Ticino+41 (091) 630 23 41

Weaning Education Off TextbooksBy Laura Zink de DíazDavis Facilitator in Bogotá, Colombia

According to an article by Alicia Roberts of Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, three professors are changing the way they teach in order to better support their students. Senior Lecturer in Biology, Dan Johnson, Associate Professor of Physics, Jed Macosko and Assistant Professor of Education, Kristin Redington Bennett, are using a $249,000 grant to fund a research project that eliminates textbooks from their prime position in education, and allows students to tailor their studies to their learning style. “Students don’t read textbooks – study after study has shown that,” said Professor Johnson. “And even if a student completes a reading assignment, the text doesn’t promote deep understanding and long-term retention. It facilitates memorization. So why are we still using them?” Excellent question! The two-year project is designed to support various different learning styles as well as students with learning difficulties like dyslexia. These students often struggle with the traditional lecture/reading model of university education. Instead, using iPads and other kinds of emerging technology, students can access many sources of information. The researchers expect that increasing the variety of easily accessible supplemental information will improve students’ understanding and motivation. There has been much talk in educational circles about switching to e-textbooks, but these researchers realize that technology by itself doesn’t improve student learning. They have something more complex in mind. They’ve organized the information for each course into 40 or 50 interconnected “learning nodes” that contain everything a textbook would, plus additional material and self assessments. These nodes allow students to explore multiple sources about the concepts they’re studying. “Take the example of how mitosis works,” Johnson says. “It’s a fundamental piece of knowledge for anyone taking Introduction to Biology, but the average student walks out of college still not understanding it because all they’re expected to do is read about it then take a test.” For students involved in the project, a basic text for the course is supplemented with multimedia, embedded quizzes as comprehension checks, and the ability for students to post questions to their professor and to other students.

Both students and teachers can also write and post additional nodes. Last year, the 19 students in Professor Macosko’s first year course wrote 130 new nodes in one semester. In other words, the students were generating knowledge sources for their own use and for future students to access as well. This interactivity and autonomy is motivating to students, and is far more engaging than reading assigned textbook chapters. “Think of a textbook,” says Macosko, “it’s too long, has lots of text, and gives few opportunities to check your thinking. When you read a textbook, you don’t often ask the question, ‘Why should I know this?’ It’s our very nature to learn by questioning.”

Reference: Learning: No longer a textbook case - Professors pioneer new way of teaching, By Alicia Roberts Office of Communications and External Relations, Wake Forest University, April 19, 2011You can read the original article at:http://news.wfu.edu/2011/04/29/successful-learning-engaged-students-it%E2%80%99s-no-longer-a-textbook-case/ v

Why reading alone doesn’t work for learning and retaining new concepts

Adapted from: http://news.wfu.edu/2011/04/20/why-reading-alone-doesn%e2%80%99t-work-for-learning-and-retaining-new-concepts

• Typically, textbook chapters are too long, and overtax attention. Many are also uninteresting. This problem has been reported at both the secondary and college level.

• Under 50% of students actually read their textbooks regularly. Only about 55% do if they have to turn in homework based on the text.

• Students frequently attempt to learn by rereading the text multiple times. But research has found that re-reading does not significantly increase recall, regardless of general reading comprehension skills.

• Reading is cognitively intensive. Student may focus so much on getting at the facts in what they’ve read that they don’t think about ways they might improve their retention.

• Reading shorter selections that deal with a specific question or learning goal are easier to learn and recall, yet most texts are made up of long, broadly focused narratives.

• Students who read without testing their knowledge periodically make smaller learning gains than students who pause frequently to assess their understanding.


v Switzerland (continued)

Brigitta DünkiRafz + 41 (079) 318-8300

Susi Fassler St. Gallen +41 (071) 244 5754

Ursula FischbacherOrpund +41 (032) 355 23 26

Hortensia FlorinZurich +41 (079) 914 4124

Antoinette FluckigerMohlin + 41 (61) 854 4760

Heidi Gander-BelzFehraltorf/Zurich+41 (44) 948 14 10

Katharina GrenacherBern +41(31) 382 00 29

Doris Rubli HuberSt. Gallen +41 (071) 245 5690

Christa JaegerRiehen +41 (061) 643 2326

Consuelo LangLumino +41 (091) 829 05 36

Claudia LendiSt. Gallen +41 (071) 288 41 85

Beatrice LeutertStein am Rhein +41 (052) 232 03 83

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Yvonne Meili Reinach +41 (61) 422 16 06

Maya MuraroStäfa +41 (079) 704 03 07 Christine NoisetChavannes +41 (21) 634 3510

Véronique PfeifferZürich +41 (01) 342 22 61

Hilary RhodesAntagnes – Ollon + 41 (24) 495 8703

Regine Roth-GloorMohlin/Basel+41 (061) 851 2685

Benita RuckliRuswil +41 (041) 495 04 09 or (079) 719 31 18

Lotti Salivisberg Basel +41 (061) 263 33 44

Sonja SartorWinterthur +41 (052) 242 41 70

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Andreas VillainZürich +41 (076) 371 84 32

Margit ZahndGerolfingen+41 (079) 256 86 65 or (032) 396 19 20

Judith Zapata PrangeBasel +51 964 382 889

Claudia Ziegler-Fessler Hamikon (Near Zurich)+41 (041) 917 1315


Asher’s Laws on Language Learning and TeachingBy Laura Zink de Díaz, Davis Facilitator in Bogotá Colombia

Dr. James J. Asher is the originator of Total Physical Response (TPR), an innovative way to learn another language through actions. I’ve known Dr. Asher since the late 1980s, when I attended a conference for teachers featuring his ideas about language teaching and learning. Dr. Asher was the very first researcher I ever met who emphasized the importance of making learning fun for both students and teachers. His research helped me - and continues to help thousands of language teachers across the world - to design lessons that motivate learners of all ages, and to make learning another language fun and almost effortless. In my own teaching I quickly learned that Asher’s comprehension-first principle of language learning, helped all my students enjoy learning, and made success accessible to all, including kids who had been diagnosed with learning challenges and placed in Special Education classes.

Recently Dr. Asher sent me a copy of a speech he gave in July of 2010 to several hundred language instructors in Project Coach, sponsored by the International Forum on Language Teaching. He organized his talk around a number of Asher’s Laws. These are ideas he considers essential for learning in the 21st century. Many of them fit very comfortably with the philosophy we espouse as Davis Facilitators. During the 20th century an important goal in schools was that we all learn to speak another language. We didn’t reach that goal, and Asher believes this failure is in part due to the fact that most language educators assumed that fluency in a language begins with speaking. Asher believes that the reverse is true: once we begin to speak, language learning has already taken place. The more language we understand on a listening-comprehension level, the more speech we can produce. So Asher’s first law is that in the 21st century, a reasonable goal would be that we learn multiple languages!

Hard to imagine? From Dr. Asher’s point of view this isn’t unachievable. Today we have a much greater understanding of how the hemispheres of the brain work and we can put that understanding to work to make language learning easier and more fun than ever before.

Many researchers, including Dr. Asher understand that high school is too late to start learning another language. By that age most students have great difficulty developing good pronunciation in a second language. Dr. Asher’s next law is that we should start learning another language before puberty, because young children have the best ability to acquire native-like pronunciation. Another of Asher’s goals for the 21st century is for us to figure out how to enable even adults to acquire excellent pronunciation. (Once we learn to teach adults better pronunciation, we won’t have nearly so much trouble understanding customer support agents, on the phone from VERY distant places…) Traditional language instruction (Listen and repeat after me, memorize this dialog, conjugate this verb…) plays to the left hemisphere of the brain. Asher says, “My research shows that the best chance for long-term retention of anything, including mathematical concepts, is to get it in the first exposure. Each repetition indicates that the left brain is resisting the intake of the information. The left brain is erasing the information as fast as it comes in. You may have experienced this in ‘cramming for a test.’ This is a ‘sledge-hammer’ strategy with repetition, repetition, repetition, until your brain says, “Ok. I give up! I can’t take anymore. I’m tired. I’ll retain the information until this test is over and then I will erase it.” When we present information in a fun and interesting – even better, a surprising – context, our brains enjoy the novelty, and tend to remember. Repeating endless exercises, conjugating verbs and memorizing dialogs we know we’ll never use, these are strategies our brains find boring, and resist. So our teaching strategies should strive to introduce surprise, novelty and plenty of fun, so that students recall as much as possible from the very first input.

“

”

Asher’s comprehension-first principle of

language learning, helped all my students

enjoy learning, and made success accessible to all.

“

”

When we present information in a fun

and interesting – even better, a surprising – context, our brains

enjoy the novelty, and tend to remember.


v United Arab Emirates

Linda RademanDubai +9714 348 1687

v United Kingdom

Joy Allan-BakerLondon +44 (0757) 821 8959

Nicky Bennett-BaggsGt. Gaddesden, Herts+44 (01442) 252 517

Lisa Cartwright London +44 (0773) 890-6500

Sarah DixonRanmore Common, Surrey +44 (01483) 283 088

Susan DuguidLondon+44 (020) 8878 9652

Dyslexia Correction CentreGeorgina DunlopAutism Facilitator/Coach Jane E.M. HeywoodAutism Facilitator/Coach DLS Mentor & PresenterAscot, Berkshire+44 (01344) 622 115

Christine EastKingsbridge, Devon+44 (01548) 856 045

Nichola Farnum MALondon +44 (020) 8977 6699

Jacqueline Ann FlisherHungerford Berks+44 (0) 8000 272657

Maureen FloridoHarleston, Norfolk+44 (01379) 853 810

Carol ForsterGloucester +44 (1452) 331 573

Ines Graefin GroteGreat Yarmouth Norfolk+ 44 (1493) 393 208

Achsa GriffithsSandwich, Kent +44 (01304) 611 650

Tessa Halliwell Autism Facilitator/Coach Tugby Leicestershire+44 (0116) 259 8068

Karen HautzLondon +44 (0207) 228-2947

Annemette Hoegh-BanksBerkhamsted, Herts+44 1442 872185

Phyllida Howlett Autism Facilitator/Coach Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire +44 (01437) 766 806

Angela JamesReading, Berkshire+44 (0118) 947 6545

Liz JollyFareham, Hants+44 (01329) 235 420

Sara KramerLondon +44 (02035) 652 222

Marilyn LaneRedhill +44 (0173) 776-9049

Isabel MartinCrowborough, East Sussex+44 (01892) 667 323

Most Americans enter their first foreign language classroom already convinced that they can’t and won’t learn another language. I’ve met many Americans who take it as a badge of honor that they ‘took four years of [insert language] and can’t remember a single word’. Asher considers that teachers only have about five minutes at the beginning of the year to prove to their students that they can indeed learn the language they’ve signed up for. Do that, he says, and you’ll have them with you the whole year – in my experience, for several years! TPR is a teaching tool that allows students to realize in just minutes that “Wow. I understand everything she is saying in Chinese! …I think I can actually learn this language.” With TPR the teacher acts out everything she says, which makes her speech immediately comprehensible. Within a few minutes, students are copying her actions and relating their movement to the sounds of the language. Add a few props, and pretty soon, everyone is having great fun and understanding absolutely everything they hear. Dr. Asher would like to see certain words disappear from teaching vocabulary. One is the word method, because it implies a formula, and formulaic teaching gets boring very quickly. Once your students’ brains go into boredom mode, they stop letting new information in. Another word: translate, because language always involves context and because so many words in every language have multiple meanings and uses. Context, tone, and intention determine meaning, and some things simply can’t be expressed the same way in different languages. (When a Spanish speaker hears an English speaker say “John has two left feet,” he’s likely to think the poor man was born with a horrible physical defect!) Memorize is another word Dr. Asher considers worthy of banishment. Memorizing vocabulary, dialogs or conjugations focuses on the slow-motion learning of the left brain, rather than the faster, active learning of the right. There are some things more advanced students find useful to memorize, but early learning needs to focus more on internalization than memorization. What you merely memorize disappears after a time. What you internalize becomes a part of you.

(This is what we do in Davis Symbol Mastery, for example, actively creating something and mastering it without memorization.) Dr. Asher recommends that teachers organize their instruction around student goals. He’s particularly suspicious of teacher goals, like covering a particular chapter by a particular date in the school year. Asher says, “I find the word “cover” interesting. An alternate meaning is “hide.” Certainly the target language is hidden somewhere in [the textbook’s] chapters… why should covering chapters in one book, followed by covering chapters in another… be fascinating to students? Why should grammar be fascinating to students? Grammar is like one’s body: it works best when we are unaware it is working.” Student goals tend to relate to the real world, to their lives. Like, how to order breakfast, direct a taxi driver to your hotel, or how to have a conversation with that cute boy over there. Students are motivated when what they’re learning relates to their lives and their interests. Isn’t that true of all of us? One of my favorites among Asher’s laws states that there’s nothing sacred about the language you’re studying, so you should use it to laugh and have fun. Dr. Asher suggests encouraging students to experiment outside of class, talking, joking with one another, making up crazy, silly conversations in the language they’re learning. I agree, and living in español for the last five years, I suspect I’ve learned more by ‘doodling’ with the language, than I have from the well meaning efforts of those who want to correct me when I make a mistake. Dr. Asher strikes a contrast between repetitive practice before learning, and practice after learning. He states, “For maximum gain, there should be no repetitions before learning. Learning should happen in the first exposure, but after learning, the more we play with the language, the steeper the learning curve for fluency in understanding the subtle blending and truncating of words in the target language.” For example, practice at the right level will let you recognize that when someone asks, “Whashurname?” they’re actually saying what you learned in class as, “What-is-your-name?”

You can download the original article, A New Note About TPR, by clicking the link under the title Nine Laws for 21st Century Language Learners at www.tpr-world.com. You can find more articles on Stress-Free Language Learning and Stress-Free Math Learning by clicking the green link, TPR Articles, at www.tpr-world.com v

“”

What you merely memorize disappears

after a time. What you internalize becomes a

part of you.


v United Kingdom (continued)

Stuart ParsonsLowton/Warrington, Cheshire+44 (07754) 534 740

Fionna PilgrimKeighley, West Yorkshire +44 (1535) 661 801

Maxine PiperCarterton, Oxon+44 (01993) 840 291

Elenica Nina PitoskaLondon +44 (020) 8451 4025

Ian RichardsonLonghope Gloucestershire+44 (01452) 830 056

Pauline RoylePoulton-le-Fylde, Lancs+44 (0125) 389 987

Janice ScholesLiversedge, West Yorkshire+44 (0) 8000 272657

Caroline SmithMoggerhanger Bedfordshire+44 (01767) 640 430

Judith ShawSupervisor-SpecialistSt. Leonards on Sea/Hastings, East Sussex +44 (01424) 447 077

Elizabeth Shepherd Crowborough, East Sussex +44 (0189) 266-1052

Drs. Renée van der VloodtSupervisor-SpecialistReigate, Surrey+44 (01737) 240 116

Frank WalkerWest Kirby Wirral+44 (0151) 625 6705

Evelyn WhiteWalton-on-Thames, Surrey+44 (01932) 243 083

The Blueberry CenterMargarita Viktorovna WhiteheadDDA DirectorRichard WhiteheadDDA DirectorDLS Presenter-MentorFundamentals Presenter+44 (0)1684 574072 Great Malvern, Worcestershire+44 (8000) 27 26 57 (Toll Free)

v United States

Alabama

Lisa SprattHuntsville +1 (256) 426-4066

Arizona

Dr. Edith FritzPhoenix +1 (602) 274-7738

Nancy KressGlendale +1 (480) 544-5031

John MertzTucson +1 (520) 797-0201

Arkansas

Rebecca LandesMulberry/Fort Smith +1 (479) 997-1996

California

Cyndi Cantillon-ColemanLadera Ranch/Irvine+1 (949) 364-5606

Reading Research CouncilDyslexia Correction CenterRay Davis Autism Facilitator/CoachRonald D. Davis, FounderBurlingame/San Francisco+1 (800) 729-8990 (Toll-Free)+1 (650) 692-8990

Anette FullerWalnut Creek +1 (925) 639-7846

Famous Dyslexics Remember

Tony Bennett Tony Bennett is an American musician and singer specializing in popular music, standards, show tunes, and jazz. During World War II he served in the US Army in Europe. His experiences during the war turned him into a patriot and pacifist. After the war, Bennett turned his attention to his career as a singer, and signed a contract with Columbia Records. He first shot to the top of the charts with Because of You in 1951. But his signature song, I Left My Heart in San Francisco, came in 1962. The advent of the rock music era put a dent in his career that lasted many years, as Bennett is a ‘crooner’, a style that nearly disappeared in the 1970s and 1980s. But Bennett staged quite a comeback in the late 1980s and 1990s, recording gold albums again. Although he kept his musical style intact, the MTV Generation discovered his sound and grew to love it. Even today he is still a popular recording and concert performer, receiving critical praise and selling over 50 million recordings worldwide in the course of his career. Bennett recalls, “I’ve always had a bit of dyslexia, so it’s very hard for me to read proficiently. It’s very difficult. My eyes bounce, so it’s difficult for me to follow musically that way. I have to do it instinctively and intuitively. I just have to work a lot slower...” Slow or not, Bennett has won fifteen Grammy Awards, two Emmy Awards, been named an NEA Jazz Master and is a Kennedy Center Honoree!

JewelJewel Kilcher, professionally known as Jewel, is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer, actress and poet. “Mostly, having dyslexia made me feel like I would never be interested in life again,” the singer is quoted as saying on famousdyslexicpeople.com. “I used to love reading when I was little, and then it became difficult and I didn’t understand why. I thought, what a bummer; my passion all drained out of me. So when I found out I had dyslexia it was like, oh, that’s what it was.” Jewel’s mother was always very supportive of her and encouraged her to follow her dreams. She certainly has done that! Her debut album, Pieces of You, released in 1995, became one of the best-selling debut albums of all time, going platinum 15 times. Since then Jewel has continued making music in many genres with wide public appeal. She’s received four Grammy Award nominations and has sold over 27 million albums worldwide. And as of May, 2011 Jewel is also the co-host, and a judge, on the reality show Platinum Hit, a songwriting competition on the cable network, Bravo.

Vince VaughnVincent Anthony “Vince” Vaughn is an American actor, screenwriter, producer and comedian. Vaughn grew up in Buffalo Grove, Illinois, where he played football, baseball and wrestled, although he considers that he was unathletic and “very average” in high school. He got his first taste of musical theater at a young age and decided to become an actor in 1987. He began acting, winning minor television roles before gaining wider recognition with the 1996 movie Swingers. Since that time he has appeared in a number of movies, including The Lost World: Jurassic Park, Old School, Starsky & Hutch, Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, and Wedding Crashers. Vaughn has always been inspired by his mother’s experiences. “I saw her overcome stuff, and I thought if you worked hard at something you’d give yourself a chance,” he says. According to Contact Music Vaughn is grateful for his dyslexia because, although he was not a very good student in high school, having to overcome his learning disability taught him perseverance, which in turn is a skill that has always helped him with his career. v


California (continued)

Angela GonzalesRiverside +1 (951) 710-9616

Richard A. HarmelMarina Del Rey/Los Angeles+1 (310) 823-8900

David HirstRiverside +1 (909) 241-6079

Suzanne Kisly-CoburnManhattan Beach+1 (310) 947-2662

Nicole NicholsPlacentia +1 (949) 873-2008

Cheryl RodriguesSan Jose +1 (408) 966-7813

David Carlos RosenSan Rafael +1 (415) 479-1700

Dee Weldon WhiteLexie White StrainSunnyvale +1 (650) 388-6808

Colorado

Janet ConferLittleton +1 (720) 425-7585

Annie GarciaWheat Ridge/Denver+1 (303) 423-3397

Crystal Punch - DLS MentorCentennial/Denver +1 (303) 850-0581

Kristi ThompsonDLS Presenter-MentorWalsh +1 (719) 324-9256

Florida

Random (Randee) GarretsonLutz/Tampa/St. Petersburg+1 (813) 956-0502

Tina KirbyNavarre +1 (850) 218-5956

Rita Von BonNavarre +1 (850) 934-1389

Georgia

Lesa HallPooler/Savannah+1 (912) 330-8577

Martha PayneSuwanee +1 (404) 886-2720

Scott TimmWoodstock/Atlanta+1 (866) 255-9028 (Toll-Free)

Hawaii

Vickie Kozuki-Ah You Autism Facilitator/CoachEwa Beach/Honolulu+1 (808) 664-9608

Idaho

Carma SutherlandRexburg +1 (208) 356-3944

Illinois

Kim AinisChicago +1 (312) 360-0805

Susan SmarjesseSpringfield +1 (217) 789-7323

Indiana

Myrna BurkholderGoshen/South Bend+1 (574) 533-7455

Newly Licensed Davis FacilitatorsNewly Licensed Davis Facilitators

Veera Gupta “I am a qualified teacher and student counselor. I have been practicing educational policy-making and implementing at NUEPA and CBSE, Delhi India. I have more than two decades of experience in the field of education.” C-330 Yojana Vihar, New Delhi, India 110092. +91 (011) 986 828 0240. [email protected].

Claudine Clergeat “Teaching mathematics at the junior high level, I often had students with learning difficulties. I looked for ways to help them and took several different trainings. When I came upon The Gift of Dyslexia and the Davis Dyslexia Correction Program, I felt they went to the root of the problem. The children helped by this approach are given the keys to success rather than just a way to compensate and ‘get by.’” 19 Allée du Bois Heude, 91800 Brundy, France. +33 (067) 869 7996. [email protected].

Kathryn Kovac“Like most Facilitators, I became inspired and got involved with the Davis Program as a result of a loved one going through the program. I look forward to many magical moments as a Davis Facilitator and to counting myself among so many elite and outstanding Davis Facilitators and Specialists.” Step Forward. 4315 Sterlington Road, Monroe, LA 71203. +1 (318) 789-8976. [email protected].

Hilde van Westrhenen “A few years ago I heard from an enthusiastic Davis Facilitator about the Davis Method. I thought this could be the solution for so many learning problems at school, without using medicine and endless repeating (I work at a primary school). So I started the training to become a Davis

Facilitator. It was an eye-opener for me to discover, during the training, that I also am a picture thinker. So I also learned a lot about myself.” inBalans voor heeldenkers. Azielaan 236 Delft, Netherlands 2622JN. +31 610 681 605. [email protected].

Lloyd Blake “Learning Support Rotterdam offers a full array of learning support services for students and adults. Mr. Blake, the principal, is a licensed Davis Facilitator with over 30 years of educational experience dealing with reading diagnosis and remediation, special needs and learning support. Mr. Blake also has earned a lifetime secondary high school teaching credential and a lifetime reading specialist credential. He currently provides learning support half-time at a fully accredited international secondary school.” Learning Support Rotterdam. Bellamystraat 46, 3027RJ, Rotterdam, Netherlands. +31 (10) 262-1664. [email protected].

Amanda Du Toit “As is the case with many Facilitators, I came across Davis while looking for help for my eldest daughter, who is dyslexic. I was so impressed by the program that I talked about it with any and everybody! My passion for Davis was so apparent that many people asked me to work with their children. But I had other plans for my life at the time. Then, in 2009 an unexpected opportunity came up and we relocated to Australia. As a result of this big change in my life, I reviewed my options and decided to follow my passion for Davis after all. I began training in July 2010 in Christchurch, New Zealand and have never looked back. I’ve met many wonderful people along my training journey and learned so much from them all. Now I’m excited to become a part of the worldwide group of Davis Facilitators and begin touching peple’s lives in such a positive and rewarding way.” Dyslexia Matters. 24 Lightwood Way, Beaumont Hills, NSW 2155, Australia. +61 (405) 565 338. [email protected].

Kirsten Theeuwen “My name is Kirsten Theeuwen. I just started as a certified Davis counselor, building my own practice named “GoedgeSien” which means “Well Seen.” I was born, raised and live now in a rural area in eastern Netherlands. I’ve always liked to work with people and build relationships. I get inspired when people grow and take pleasure in their life. I want people to flourish. I worked for 25 years as a teacher in primary school. Now, for the first time I have a clear picture of the root of the problems that many people struggle with. And I have tools to help people develop the skills they need to handle their problems. I love it when people find their own way of learning, are able to focus and make positive changes in their lives.” GoedgeSien. Pagenkamp 2, 7152KN, Eibergen, Netherlands. +31 (545) 286 828 or +31 (06) 5360 9527. [email protected].

Ines Graefin Grote “I’m an experienced KS2 teacher, working with young people with learning difficulties. I was introduced to the Davis Method in 1998 when my son’s life was transformed by the Davis Program. Since then, I have trained as a facilitator to help others gain the confidence to reach their potential. Often this can happen in a matter of weeks. The Davis Dyslexia Correction Program is unique in that it provides the tools to overcome reading difficulties and also tackles writing issues, maths problems and attention deficit.” Bluddles Farm, East Somerton, Great Yarmouth UK NR29 4DU.+44 (778) 599 1590. [email protected].

Janet Pirie “I am a registered preschool, primary and secondary teacher. During my career I have worked extensively in both gifted and Montessori education. I run a programme at Kenakera Primary School for dyslexic students and also take on private students.” Dyslexic Kids (and Grown-Ups). 51 Wharemauku Rd. Raumati Beach, Wellington New Zealand 5032. +64 (04) 298 1626. [email protected].

A special welcome to all our new Facilitators! A warm welcome to our first Facilitator from Jamaica!


C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S !

Iowa

Mary Kay FrasierDes Moines +1 (515) 270-0280

Louisiana

Kathryn KovacMonroe+1 (318) 789-8976 Massachussetts

Karen LoGiudiceFundamentals Workshop Presenter, Autism Facilitator/CoachAmesbury +1 (978) 337-7753

Carolyn TylerFairhaven +1 (508) 997-4642

Michigan

Molly Scoby Greenville +1 (231) 250-7260

Kathleen McNallyNear Ann Arbor, Kalamazoo +1 (517) 796-5429

Sandra McPhallGrandville/Grand Rapids+1 (616) 534-1385

Cinda Osterman, M. Ed.Charlotte +1 (517) 652-5156

Dean SchalowManistee+1 (800) 794-3060 (Toll-Free)+1 (231) 250-7260

Minnesota

Cyndi DenesonSupervisor-Specialist Edina/Minneapolis+1 (888) 890-5380 (Toll-Free)+1 (952) 820-4673

Missouri

Clark BrownRoach +1 (573) 552-5772

Cathy CookColumbia +1 (573) 819-6010 or 886-8917

Montana

Elsie JohnsonManhatten +1 (406) 282-7416

Nebraska

Elaine ThoendelChambers+1 (402) 482-5709

Nevada

Barbara ClarkReno +1 (775) 265-1188

New Hampshire

Glenna GiveansAutism Facilitator/CoachLebanon+ 1 (603) 863-7877

Michele SiegmannMason/Manchester/Boston+1 (603) 878-6006

New Jersey

Lynn ChigounisMontclair +1 (973) 746-5037

New York

Lisa AndersonSeneca Falls +1 (315) 576-3812

Wendy RitchieByron +1 (585) 233-4364

Patti Godwin “During my 20-year career as an educator, I’ve witnessed how children who do not have the tools to progress academically, struggle with low self-esteem and are inappropriately labeled as slow or lazy learners. Davis has given me the knowledge and the tools to help

individuals discover the gifts within them and accomplish their goals. I am excited to provide hope to those that struggle with reading, math and attention issues.” 1117 S. Dewey Avenue, Bartlesville, OK 74003. +1 (918) 232-0462. [email protected].

Carole L. Ford, Ph.D., M.A., B.Ed. “As an elementary school teacher and teacher of teachers, my goal has been to help all learners maximize their potential. As a Davis Facilitator, I look forward to continuing this quest by empowering learners to control their perceptions to enable learning.” ReSet. 11874 Elliot Way, Ladysmith, BC Canada V9G 1K7. +1 (250)245-8412. [email protected].

Leslie Dahl “My specialty is developing individualized learning programs that provide positive and effective intervention for specific learning needs. I’m an educator with more than 40 years of experience in a variety of classroom and learning environments.” Landmark Academy and Learning Clinic. Box 181, Laughlands P.O., St. Ann, Jamaica. +876 457-1350 or +876 459-4917. [email protected].

Brenda Davies “I look forward to helping those with dyslexia find their true potential.” New View Learning. Box 695, Rosedale Station, Alberta T0J 2V0, Canada. +1 (403) 823-6680. [email protected].

Janell Warkentin “At On Point Tutoring we specialize in the correction of dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyspraxia, challenges with math, ADD. and ADHD. We help learners unlock their gift and the power of their learning style. Adults and children are welcome.” On Point Tutoring. P.O. Box 1009, Christmas Valley, OR 97641. +1 (541) 647-0847. [email protected].

Caroline Smith “I spent many years teaching children diagnosed with dyslexia, avidly reading every new book on the subject and attending a huge number of training courses. It is only since training to be a Davis Dyslexia Corrrection Facilitator that I have finally found a rational and successful answer to the enigmas of dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia and ADHD! I have been privileged to work with many exceptionally talented visual learners who even after years of traditional teaching still find reading, writing and spelling incredibly difficult. With the emphasis in schools on phonics, phonics and yet more phonics, many children are failing to acquire a basic sight vocabulary! Ron Davis has provided us with a unique way to tackle the root causes of their difficulties. I would love to see the Davis techniques adopted in every school. Please look on the various websites for more information or give me a call.” 53a Bedford Road, Moggerhanger, Bedfordshire MK44 3RS, UK. +44 (017167) 640 430. [email protected] or [email protected].

Newly Licensed Davis FacilitatorsNewly Licensed Davis Facilitators

Shelley McMeeken, of Dunedin, New Zealand, is already the Director of DDA-Pacific, and an Autism Facilitator/Coach and Training Supervisor. Now she's also a Davis Supervisor-Specialist! Congratulations, Shelley!

Larry Smith, Jr. of Calgary, Alberta completed his Davis Advanced Workshop Presenter training! Congratulations, Larry!

Davis Facilitator Axel Gudmundsson has completed the coursework and training to become a full-fledged Gift of Dyslexia Fundamentals Workshop Presenter. Now, in addition to his work as a Facilitator, he'll be working in South Africa presenting the fundamentals of the Davis Method to many others! Congratulations, Axel!


North Carolina

Gerri W. CoxDLS Presenter-MentorShallotte/Wilmington+1 (910) 754-9559

Ruth MillsPineville/Charlotte+1 (704) 541-1733

Jean MoserWinston-Salem+1 (336) 830-2390

Ohio

Lorraine CharbonneauMason/Cincinnati/Dayton+1 (513) 850-1895

Oklahoma

Patti GodwinBartlesville +1 (918) 232-0462

Ashley GriceTulsa +1 (918) 779-7351

Rhonda LacyClinton +1 (580) 323-7323

Linda WrightDuncan +1 (580) 641-1056

Oregon

Nicki CatesPortland +1 (586) 801-0772

Rhonda ErstromVale +1 (541) 881-7817

Melissa SlominskiTigard / Portland+1 (503) 957-2998

Janell WarkentinChristmas Valley+1 (541) 647-0841

Pennsylvania

Marcia MaustAutism Facilitator/Coach Autism Training SupervisorBerlin/Pittsburgh+1 (814) 267-5765

South Carolina

Angela KeiferGreenville+1 (864) 420-1627

South Dakota

Kim CarsonDLS Presenter-MentorBrookings/Sioux Falls +1 (605) 692-1785

Texas

Kellie Antrim-BrownFt. Worth+1 (817) 989-0783

Success Learning CenterRhonda BrownDLS Presenter-MentorColleen MillslagleDLS Presenter-MentorTyler/Dallas+1 (866) 531-2446 (Toll Free)+1 (903) 531-2446

Shari ChuHelotes/San Antonio +1 (210) 414-0116

Jodie HarberCedar Park+1 (512) 918-9247

Lori JohnsonBoerne/San Antonio+1 (210) 843-8161

Casey Linwick-RouzerSugar Land/Houston+1 (832) 724-0492

Frances Adaleen MakinGreenville/DFW +1 (903) 268-1394

Paula Marshburn Tyler+1 (903) 570-3427

The Davis Autism Approach Facilitator/Coach Training Program is available to experienced and licensed Davis Facilitators. It requires an additional 200-250 hours of specialized training and field work to become licensed to work with autistic individuals and their families.

Davis Learning Strategies Mentors and Workshop Presenters are experienced teachers and trainers with 2-3 years of specialized training and experience mentoring classroom teachers of children 5-9 years of age.

The Davis Facilitator Training Program consists of eleven training steps, and requires 450 hours of workshop attendance, practice meetings, and supervised field work. The Davis Specialist Training Program requires extensive experience providing Davis programs and an additional 260 hours of training. Specialists and Facilitators are subject to annual re-licensing based upon case review and adherence to the DDAI Standards of Practice.

For more information about training and a full directory of Davis providers, visit: www.dyslexia.com/licensing.htm or www.dyslexia.com/providers.htm or call +1 (650) 692-7141 or +1 (888) 805-7216 toll-free in the USA.

Davis Training Programs

Kirsteen Britten - New ZealandElizabeth Currie Shier - CanadaCathy Dodge Smith - CanadaCornelia Garbe - GermanyGlenna Giveans - USAMonika Graf - GermanyTina Guy - New ZealandJane Heywood - UKBarbara Hoi - Australia

Alma Holden - New ZealandPhyllida Howlett - UKVickie Kozuki - USAKaren LoGiudice - USALucero Palafox - MexicoChristien Vos - NetherlandsKim Willson-Rymer - CanadaLivia Wong - China

Special congratulations to the following Davis Facilitators who are now licensed as Davis Autism Facilitator/Coaches!


Based on the Davis Dyslexia Correction methods, this Kit enables parents of children, ages 5-7, to home-teach and help young learners to:• focus attention• control energy levels• improve eye-hand coordination• learn the alphabet• learn basic punctuation• develop and strengthen pre-reading and basic reading skills• prevent the potential of a learning problem• improve sight word recognition and comprehension• establish life-long “how-to-learn” skills.

The Davis Methods for Young LearnersDavis Focusing Strategies provide children with the self-directed ability to be physically and mentally focused on the learning task at hand.

Davis Symbol Mastery enables children to master the alphabet letters, punctuation marks and basic sight words with a simple, easy and fun alternative to pencil-paper activities and drill.

Davis Reading Exercises improve accuracy with word recognition and comprehension.

The Kit is priced at $129.95 (Shipping and Handling will be added)To purchase a kit, use our secure on-line ordering at: www.dyslexia.com/bookstoreor call our toll-free number: 1 (888) 999-3324

Note: For older children (ages 8 and up), we recommend the Davis Symbol Mastery Kit.

The Kit includes: • Instruction Manual • Sturdy nylon briefcase • Reusable modeling clay (2 pounds) • Clay cutter • Webster’s Children’s Dictionary (hardcover) • Punctuation Marks & Styles Booklet • Two Koosh Balls • Letter Recognition Cards • Laminated Alphabet Strip • Stop Signs for Reading Chart

Young Learner Kit for Home-Use

Texas (continued)

Donna NorthcuttIrving +1 (214) 315-3698

Dorothy OwenSupervisor-Specialist Autism Facilitator/CoachDallas/Ft. Worth+1 (888) 392-1134 (Toll Free)+1 (817) 919-6200

Edward OwenDallas/Ft. Worth+1 (888) 392-1134 (Toll Free)+1 (817) 919-6200

Susan Stark OwenDallas/Ft. Worth+1 (888) 392-1134 (Toll Free)+1 (817) 919-6200 Laura WarrenDLS Workshop Presenter-MentorLubbock +1 (806) 790-7292

Virginia

Angela OdomDLS Presenter-MentorMidlothian/Richmond+1 (804) 833-8858

Jamie Worley Blackburg +1 (540) 552-0603

Washington

Aleta ClarkAuburn/Tacoma +1 (253) 854-9377

Renie Royce SmithSpokane & Everett+1-800-371-6028 (Toll-Free)+1 (509) 443-1737

West Virginia

Allison BoggessCulloden +1 (888) 517-7830

Gale LongAutism Facilitator-Coach Autism Training SupervisorElkview/Charleston+1 (888) 517-7830 (Toll Free)+1 (304) 965-7400

Wisconsin

New Hope Learning Centers, Inc.Darlene BishopMilwaukee+1 (888) 890-5380 (Toll Free)+1 (262) 255-3900

Anne MataczynskiAutism Facilitator/CoachWausau +1 (715) 551-7144

Marla Verdone Janesville+1 (800) 753-8147 (Toll Free)

v Uruguay

Marcela PiffarettiMontevideo+598 (2) 600-6326

This Directory is current

as of December 1st, 2011.

It is subject to change.

Between newsletter issues,

new Facilitators are added,

and occasionally, some

become inactive. However,

the Davis Providers list at

www.dyslexia.com

is always up to date.


Basic Workshop for Primary Teachers

Teachers, would you like to…• Improve the reading skills of all the children in your class regardless of their learning style?• Manage your classroom more effectively?• Prevent the onset of learning disabilities?• Use research-based methods that are flexible and easily fit into and enhance any existing curriculum? This two-day workshop provides Primary Teachers (K-3) with unique and innovative strategies for improving reading instruction and classroom management, and equips young learners with proven life long skills in “how to learn.”

Instruction includes:• Theory and Reasoning for each Strategy.• Video demonstrations of each Strategy and classroom implementation suggestions.• Supervised experiential practice on each Strategy.• Q&A and discussion about each Strategy.

Materials include:• Detailed Manual with suggested year-long guides, black-line masters, and numerous tips for each implementing each Strategy in various curriculum activities. • DVD demonstrating each classroom Strategy. • Teacher Kit: alphabet strip, letter recognition cards, clay, cutter, dictionary and two Koosh® balls. (Classroom materials sold separately)

Workshop hours: 9am-4pm with one hour lunch break.Cost: $595 per person (US only) Academic Units or CEUs (US and Canada only)Two Quarter Units are available through California State University. Cost is $78 per unit, plus $35 administrative fee. A written assignment, which can be completed before and during the workshop, is required.

Would you like to bring a DLS workshop to your school/area? Call 1 (888) 805-7216, and ask for Paula McCarthy.

2012 DATES & LOCATIONS

Date Location Telephone

Mar 8-9 Tyler, TX +1 (903) 531-2446

Mar 19-20 Richmond, VA +1 (804) 833-8858

May 3-4 Tyler, TX +1 (903) 531-2446

June 14-15 Shallotte, NC +1 (910) 754-9559

June 14-15 Tyler, TX +1 (903) 531-2446

June 19-20 Denver, CO +1 (719) 324-9256

June 28-29 San Diego, CA +1 (903) 531-2446

July 12-13 Amarillo, TX +1 (806) 790-7291

July 24-25 Brookings, SD +1 (605) 692-1785

Aug 2-3 Shallotte, NC +1 (910) 754-9559

Aug 2-3 Tyler, TX +1 (903) 531-2446

Sept 20 Springfield, MA +1 (903) 531-2446

Oct 19-20 Tyler, TX +1 (903) 531-2446

Nov 15-16 Richmond, VA +1 (804) 833-8858

For more details, visit www.davislearn.com

“In the forefront of what I liked most was how easily the Davis strategies fit into many areas of Kindergarten curriculum. It relieved me of a paper-pencil approach and gave me a hands-on, kinesthetic approach. It helped develop the little finger muscles to move on to coordinate paper-pencil activities. Creating the alphabet over time also accomplished the development of ownership, responsibility, and a sense a pride in all the children. I believe all Kindergarten children would benefit from Davis Learning Strategies.” –LB, Kindergarten Teacher, Mission San Jose Elementary School, Fremont, California


The Gift of Dyslexia WorkshopRead the book?Take the next step in helping others correct dyslexia. Attend this workshop!

DAY ONEBackground and Development of the Davis Dyslexia Correction® Procedures• Research and discovery. The “gifts” of dyslexia. Anatomy and developmental stages of a learning disability. Overview of the steps for dyslexia correction.Davis Perceptual Ability Assessment (a screening for dyslexic learning styles)• Demonstration and Practice SessionSymptoms Profile Interview (used to assess symptoms, strengths and weaknesses; set goals; establish motivation)• Demonstration and Practice Session

WORKSHOP OUTLINE

2012 WORKSHOP SCHEDULE

For updated workshop schedules visit: www.dyslexia.com/train.htm

DAY THREEOrientation Review Procedure (a method for checking orientation skills)• Demonstration & Practice SessionDavis Symbol Mastery® (the key to correcting dyslexia)• What is Symbol Mastery? Why clay?Mastering Basic Language Symbols• Demonstrations and Group ExercisesReading Improvement Exercises• Spell-Reading. Sweep-Sweep-Spell. Picture-at-Punctuation

DAY TWODavis Orientation Counseling Procedures (methods to control, monitor and turn off perceptual distortions)• What is Orientation? Demonstration & Practice SessionRelease Procedure (method to alleviate stress, headaches)Alignment (an alternative to Orientation Counseling)• What is Alignment? How is it used? Group DemonstrationDial-Setting Procedure (a method for controlling energy levels)

DenmarkMarch 28 - 31Silkeborg (near Aarhus)Presenter: Robin TempleLanguage: English/DanishTelephone: +49 (0)40 2517 8622Email: [email protected]

Mexico February 3 - 6 GuadalajaraPresenter: Cathy CalderonLanguage: SpanishTelephone: +52 (81) 8335 9435Email: [email protected]

Netherlands February 17 - 19March 5 - 7Day 4: late MarchLoenen aan de Vecht (near Amsterdam)Presenter: Robin Temple Language: English/DutchTelephone: +31 (475) 520 433Email: [email protected]

New Zealand April 17 - 20 DunedinPresenter: Lorna TimmsLanguage: EnglishTelephone: +64 (3) 477 0056Email: [email protected]

United StatesMarch 14-17Burlingame/San Francisco, CALanguage: EnglishTelephone: +1 (888) 805-7216Email: [email protected]

July 9 - 12Burlingame/ San Francisco, CALanguage: EnglishTelephone: +1 (888) 805-7216Email: [email protected]

October 8 - 11Burlingame, CA Language: EnglishTelephone: +1 (888) 805-7216Email: [email protected]

To register for US workshops call toll free 1 (888) 805-7216, or visit www.dyslexia.com/event.htm

Materials included with workshop

DAY FOURFine-Tuning Procedure (checking and adjusting orientation using balance)Symbol Mastery Exercises for Words• Demonstrations• Group Exercises• Practice Sessions Implementing the Davis Procedures


Come learn and experience the Davis Dyslexia Correction procedures first hand!This 4-day workshop is an introduction to the basic theories, principles and application of all the procedures described in The Gift of Dyslexia. Training is done with a combination of lectures, demonstrations, group practice, and question and answer sessions. Attendance is limited to ensure the highest quality of training.Who should attend:• Reading Specialists & Tutors• Parents & Homeschoolers• Resource Specialists• Educational Therapists• Occupational Therapists• Speech/Language TherapistsParticipants will learn:• How the Davis procedures were developed• How to assess for the “gift of dyslexia.”• How to help dyslexics eliminate mistakes and focus attention.• The Davis Symbol Mastery tools for mastering reading.• How to incorporate and use proven methods for improving reading, spelling, and motor coordination into a teaching, home school, tutoring, or therapeutic setting.See page 31 for more workshop details.

DDAI-Int’l, Canada & USA1601 Bayshore Highway, Ste 260Burlingame, CA 94010Tel: 1-888-805-7216 Fax: 1 (650) 692-7075E-mail: [email protected]

DDA-Latin AmericaCalzada del Valle #400 Local 8Colonia del ValleGarza García, Monterrey Nuevo LeónMéxico, CP 66220Tel: 52 (81) 8335-9435Email: [email protected]

DDA-NederlandJacques Schreursstraat 256074 CR Melick NEDERLANDTel: 31 (475) 520 433E-mail: [email protected]

DDA-DACHDeutschland-Austria-Switzerland Wandsbecker Chausee 132D-22089 Hamburg

GERMANYTel: 49 (040) 25 17 86 22 Fax: 49 (040) 25 17 86 24E-mail: [email protected]

SWITZERLANDTel: 41 (061) 273 81 85E-MAIL: [email protected]

DDA-UKDavis Learning Foundation47-49 Church StreetGreat MalvernWorcestershire WR14 2AATel: +44 (0) 330 011 0680E-mail: [email protected]

DDA-Pacific295 Rattray Street Dunedin, New Zealand 9016Tel: 64 (0274) 399 020 Fax: 0064 3 456 2028 Email: [email protected]

Enrollment limited v Classes fill Early v Call 1 (888) 805-7216 or 1 (650) 692-7141For updated workshop schedules visit http://www.dyslexia.com/train.htm

For a full description of the Davis Facilitator Certification Program, ask for our booklet.

For a detailed brochure on enrollment, prices, group rates, discounts, location, and further information, contact the DDA in your country.

The Gift of Dyslexia Workshop

2012 INTERNATIONAL SCHEDULE

USA Workshop Information Questions?Toll Free: 1 (888) 805-7216Email: [email protected]

The Dys•lex •́ic Read•́er1601 Old Bayshore Highway, Suite 260Burlingame, CA 94010

CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED

PRESORTEDSTANDARD

U.S. POSTAGEPAID

BURLINGAME, CAPERMIT NO.14

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USA Workshop Fees • $1175 per person• Academic units and CEUs available

CALL 1 (888) 805-7216 for special discounts and early bird rates!

February 3 - 6 Guadalajara Mexico

February 17 - 19 Loenen aan de Vecht Netherlands

March 5 - 7 Loenen aan de Vecht Netherlands

March 14 - 17 Burlingame, CA USA

March 28 - 31 Silkeborg Denmark

April 17 - 20 Dunedin New Zealand

July 9 - 12 Burlingame, CA USA

October 8 - 11 Burlingame, CA USA

Documents

The Dyslexic Reader 2011 - Issue 59