A Response to How the Special Needs Brain Learns and The Education of Dyslexic Children from Childhood to Young Adulthood

After reading How the Special Needs Brain Learns by David A. Sousa and The Education of Dyslexic Children from Childhood to Young Adulthood by S. Shaywitz, Morris and B. Saywitz it was obvious (and saddening) the implications that learning difficulties, such as dyslexia, can play on a child and their ability to learn.  I found that both articles described the cognitive workings of dyslexia very clearly, especially for me, who can find some of the technical language difficult to navigate.  They are certainly articles that I will file away, in case I am approached by a parent or colleague in the future who wants to know a little more about the topic, as I think they are easy to understand even for people who don’t have a lot of experience with the topic.

One quote that really stuck out at me while reading the Sousa article was found of page 19.

After some brief research (as I was using my 3G because I still don’t have power or internet as I write this), I found dozens of apps that help children develop phonemic awareness.  I realize that this is only one aspect of the reading process that children can need help developing; however, as a former primary teacher, I recognize it as an extremely important one.  A link to a website I found is listed below.  A few of the top rated apps included, Endless Alphabet, Reading Raven, OZ Phonics, ABC Genius and ABC Reading.  I am excited to check them out in more detail when I am back on the grid.
LINK TO PHONICS APPS.

Another thing that I kept coming to mind while reading the Sousa article was my time spent as an ESL teacher.  I always admired my young students tenacity with the English language, as it’s complexity was often something I had trouble explaining.  I often wonder now if I had of had access to these technologies what that could have meant for those students.  It also makes me excited knowing the challenges that some of my upcoming students face next year, and that I can use some of these apps with in the classroom with them.

Lastly, I just wanted to mention the importance of addressing reading challenges for children at a young age.  As an elementary teacher this can often be a challenge, as the burdens of resource teachers are often immense.  I know that Shaywitz, Morris and Saywitz mentioned it as being a key component of success for students with dyslexia (and I completely agree); however, often students who are not succeeding in programs like Early Literacy can be dropped from caseloads for that reason, and often left with fewer resource periods at a young age.  I guess this simply highlights the importance of classroom teachers having the knowledge of how they can help in the classroom to support struggling readers, so students can continue to want to succeed and not become reluctant of the process.

A link to where to buy How the Special Needs Brain Learns can be found here.
A link to The Education of Dyslexic Children from Childhood to Young Adulthood can be found here.