Don't Get Hung Up on the "D-word"!

While the book,  Dyslexia Empowerment Plan, has significantly shaped  my philosophy of teaching and learning for all, I don't want readers of this blog to get hung up on the word Dyslexia.I have read the book with my ears twice, started an Evernote account with a binder devoted to information of interest to me, collected items for my toolkit, and started piloting the ideas with a student and a classroom at my school. It is my belief that strategies outlined in the book and this blog will benefit ALL learners, but particularly those who have been identified with a Specific Learning Disability (SLD). My plan is to flood the classroom with assistive technology with intent to make it mainstream, rather than an adaptation. Students identified with an SLD need to integrate their abilities into their lives and intervention is only one SMALL part of their plan. 

CREATE A "STORY"
For students who are not mainstream readers, those that read with their eyes, it is important to help them craft a story to share with others about their differences in the ability to learn. The focus should be on the fact that they are not broken, they simply learn in different ways.

Some people read with their ears or fingers rather than their eyes. So much emphasis is placed on eye reading in schools.

The crafting of the story is powerful for many reasons; it helps the learner understand how they learn best; boosts their self-confidence; and it educates others. The story should be concise, informative, and humorous. It takes time to develop and to practice, but it is worth the effort. I have witnessed it's efficacy several times already.

A sample:

"My name is Bonnie.  I have been identified as having Dyslexia. When I was younger, I used to ask to use the bathroom when I was supposed to eye read to teachers. I spent a lot of time in the washroom! Now I know that I read best with my ears! Books are waaaaaay more enjoyable!

This blog is still under construction. Please visit again in a few weeks, once I figure out what this blogging business is all about!

Here it goes! I am going to have a go at blogging; more to help me focus my beliefs and thinking and make connections with others about the process of learning for ALL people. I have chosen to call the blog "Read it with your Ears" because I have been lately inspired by an author and his book about making learning accessible for all. I plan to include anecdotes from my experience; add links for helpful tools; and recommend books to read.