Dyslexia

Thanks – yes, that is the type of claim about Dyslexia that I want to believe (and don’t at the same time…) – but how does it explain the dysnomia and dyscalcula that is common of Dyslexics?  Those types of symptoms showed up before we started teaching reading….)

I started Delta (and Echo) reading with “Teach Your Child to Read in 10 minutes a Day” by Sydney Ledson.  There is information about in the book about how Dyslexia is caused by other methods of reading.  Now this method does teach explicetly to a certain point – then the child is expected to be able to continue larning from that point without more instruction.  It is supposed to teach up to about a Grade 2 level.   Delta did the entire book with me.  Then we went on to dong some Dick and Jane readers (maybe that was my mistake?)….  then I did another phonics program with him (from Tanglewood Education or something like that)  Then I Buddy Read Harry Potter with him.  Recently we did a portion of Reading Bears (which has pointed out to me that yes, he still has issues with basic stuff) – while doing AAAS….  and now someone is sending me Reading Reflex.  Oh, we did some “Progressive Phonics” in there somewhere too…..

Echo has done a similar path… “… 10 minutes a day”, then Dick and Jane readers.  then some of the Progressive Phonics…. and I’ve just left it where it is.  (So I shouldn’t be surprised that she isn’t progressing, I guess….)

Foxtrot, on the other hand, I used “Teach Your Child to read in 100 EZ lessons” – and she seems to be enjoying reading more than the others – choosing to read books on her own more often.  She has read to me (with some help) books like “Make Way for Ducklings” etc.

so – is the difference in reading abilities just because I used a different program…?  Did Delta get dyslexia because the program I used with him and Echo had issues – or because I then used Dick and Jane readers?  Or are the differences just because of their own capabilities?

Oh, and while I was pregnant with Delta, I was on 2 antidepressants that were considered “relatively safe” while pregnant and breastfeeding – and that are now considered not safe….  So – I have to wonder if that has been a factor…..

You’re welcome. 🙂 I hope it’s helpful.

[T]hat is the type of claim about Dyslexia that I want to believe (and don’t at the same time…) – but how does it explain the dysnomia and dyscalcula that is common of Dyslexics?  Those types of symptoms showed up before we started teaching reading….)

I’m no expert. However, here’s what “logically follows” in my head. It’s obvious that many people learn to read in spite of modern reading instruction. Some have no problems at all, and others have extreme problems, with functional illiteracy and dyslexia being the most extreme of poor results. I would argue that it’s simply how our brains are wired. These days, we all acknowledge that people learn differently. That’s one of the reasons the multi-sensory approach rocks so thoroughly. It not only gives children multiple paths in the brain to the information, it also insures that each child gets the information in the way he’s best wired to learn it.

So. Just like some children are super at math with very little instruction, some children are super at reading even with very little or improper instruction. Others, though, are not wired to pick this information up as easily. For them, improper instruction becomes a stumbling block, and sometimes a road block.

I’m not entirely sure what dysnomia and dyscalcula are. However, I could make the argument that these are symptoms  displayed by people who are more likely to become dyslexic with improper reading instruction.

To me, the biggest argument in favor of dyslexia being the result of improper reading instruction is the fact that proper reading instruction tends to reverse it.

Our world has changed so much. In the past hundred years, reading instruction has changed, but so has diet, pollution, light pollution, poisonous chemicals, etc. There’s too much that I can’t control, so I focus on using methods that were known to work in the past, and leaving the rest in the hands of God.

If it helps anybody I know of a lot of children that showed signs of dyslexia that were helped by teaching cursive first. Because the letters are made in the same perpetual motion its seems to pattern their brain right and they stop reversing any and all letters and numbers even. Spell to write and read has had good success with thier cursive first. and it helps with reading because it is a multi sensory approach. I very much like this program but I haven’t known anyone diagnosed with extreme dyslexia either.