Innehållsförteckning för May 2022 från Dystinct Magazine

Tell us a bit about yourself. I am 24 years old. I am from the Rhondda Valleys in South Wales, and I currently work as a casting assistant for a supporting artist agency. I studied Drama and Theatre Arts at the University of Birmingham and graduated in 2020. I was at the University of Birmingham when I found out that I had dyslexia and dyscalculia. What were some of your struggles at school and university? Academically I struggled with my spelling, grammar, and mispronouncing words. My speed with reading was very slow in English. I always thought that I struggled with spelling and grammar more than my friends during my school years. Despite finding out I was dyslexic later in life, I actually loved English, which is why I think…

If a child needs a pair of glasses to see the board at school, is wearing glasses cheating? If a child needs a wheelchair to access a building, do we say, “Sorry, this wheelchair gives you an unfair advantage. You need to access the building the same way as everyone else.” Of course not! And yet, when a student uses Assistive Technology (AT) to access grade-level content, we often hear people say the use of AT tools is “cheating.” AT is “any item, piece of equipment, software program, or product system that is used to increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of persons with disabilities” (ATIA, 2022). AT is the vehicle in which the student gains access to grade-level content. Just as glasses allow a student to read the…

Heather Groce from Spiceland, Indiana, is a seasoned dyslexia advocate. Two of her three children are dyslexic. Her daughter Erin who was featured in the May 2021 issue of the Dystinct Magazine, was instrumental in adding the definition of the term dyslexia into the Indiana State Educational Law. In the past year, Heather has been working with the Henry County Indiana Salvation Army to establish a wholesome program for struggling readers called Set Apart. I caught up with Heather again to learn more about her program and how she is making a difference to the children in her town. Tell us a little bit about your background. I worked as a nurse for years before I had a kid with dyslexia, and then I became Orton-Gillingham (OG) trained to help…

BENEFITS OF BILINGUALISM STRUCTURED LITERACY IN SECOND LANGUAGE PROGRAMS THE SIMPLE VIEW OF READING DECODABLE TEXTS IN SECOND LANGUAGE PROGRAMS EQUITY, INCLUSION, AND BILINGUALISM CONCLUSION As a second language program teacher, I am regularly asked the simple yet complex question, "Can children with dyslexia be successful in a bilingual program?" The following article aims to provide parents, caregivers, and educators with the insight they need to make informed decisions for their child’s bilingual education. I also share the research and instructional strategies that support students who struggle to read and write in a second language. These strategies are based on my knowledge of the Science of Reading, specialized reading training in the Orton-Gillingham approach to reading instruction, and over 20 years of classroom experience teaching all students to read and…

Illustrator Ava Jones Age 10 ADHD & SPD Portland, Oregon, USA Ava Jones is a fun, helpful, adventurous, artistic, and cheerful girl. She loves to read and do art at the library. She also enjoys writing books. When Ava grows up, she wants to be a librarian. She wants to be a librarian because of the calm environment and her love for books. Illustrator Bella Brook Age 11 Dyslexia & ADHD Sydney, Australia Bella is 11 years old and lives in Sydney, Australia. Her favourite things in the world are horses, her dog Tess, and she loves to play oztag. Illustrator Charlie Brummet Age 11 Dyslexia Portland, Oregon, USA Charlie is a very good artist. He likes to draws with a pencil and eraser (black and white). He loves the outdoors and…

When Girl Scout Cadette Mariana Gillen had to come up with a project for her Silver Award, she chose a cause close to her heart - dyslexia. Mariana created and distributed M.A.R.I Kits, which contained some of the best carefully curated tools that helped her with her struggles in the hope that it would benefit other children going through the same journey as her. When asked what M.A.R.I represents, the 15-year-old shares that M.A.R.I stands for Making Awesome Reading Improvement. "I know how lucky I am to have had access to these simple tools. I want to give that opportunity to other young learners who may be having some of the same challenges that I had. I know having dyslexia can be very hard, especially for children just learning how…

WORK SMARTER, NOT HARDER.ALLEN F. MORGENSTERN Back in the 1930s, industrial engineer Allen F. Morgenstern coined the nowfamous phrase, “Work smarter, not harder.” Morgenstern had his eye on a puzzling problem: why doesn’t a person’s hard work always produce consistent results? And he was right—it just doesn’t make sense when a person or a team of people works diligently and consistently, yet the results are less than a situation requires. Long story short, Morgenstern came up with a simplification program to optimize productivity by focusing on the most efficient use of a person’s efforts. He taught workers to “work smarter.” What does all this have to do with living with dyslexia or other sensory processing issues? Quite a bit, actually. All dyslexic learners have to work very hard all the…

OUR STORY Activate is a progressive microschool based out of Portland, Oregon, specializing in innovative dyslexia supports. At Activate, we serve both neurodivergent and neurotypical students in 3rd-5th grade. In 2022-2023, we will add 2nd grade, move into a larger space, hire another teacher, and increase enrollment from 13 to 20 students. Our goal is to promote creativity, curiosity, and independence because learning is optimized when these three characteristics are fostered. We do this through an effective balance of self-directed and teacher-directed learning. I began my teaching career as a special education teacher in the Portland Public School (PPS) district. I quickly learned that my masters program didn't adequately prepare me to be an effective literacy teacher, so I pursued Orton Gillingham training. OG is a phonics-based multisensory reading intervention.…

When beliefs, values, and assumptions lie below the surface and are not illuminated by the light of inquiry, the system defaults to established patterns and predictable outcomes.Garmston & Wellman This quote from renowned adaptive organization scholars Robert Garmston and Bruce Wellman speaks to the need for shared responsibility, understanding, and empowerment in any organization seeking to adapt, grow, and respond to the ever-changing landscape. In education, where we see initiatives come and go, we need to harness these shared sensibilities to ensure our work is proactive, productive, and sustained. In literacy, particularly in the area of dyslexia, the call for improved practices – at every level – is resounding as we work to better prepare educators and better serve learners. What are Working Agreements? The work we are doing requires…