Thursday, May 9, 2013

Thank you, Mrs, Musgraves

After I posted my blog about the mysterious IEP yesterday something occurred: I realized I've written my own share of mysterious IEPs.

I can hardly blame someone else for writing one of those so-called mysterious IEPs when as a special educator I've done it too. I remember a time or two reviewing old IEPs, for one reason or another, and I'd find something that would just cause me to scratch my head in amazement. With the advantage of time I now had a different view point.

This thought jumped in my mind and then bumped right out as another thought replaced it; I remembered hearing this week is Teacher Appreciation Week (T.A.W.) I remember those days of T.A.W. fondly. (Ask my husband, my Love Language is gifts.  I love words of appreciation and having accomplishments but, for some reason God gave me the Love Language of gifts!)

So I'm remembering IEPs, finding gifts in my school mailbox, special breakfasts and luncheons while teaching.... Then another thought bounced in; Judy Musgraves.

Judy Musgraves wasn't a special teacher I had growing up (I have several like Mrs. Soper [6th grade] and Miss Carol Reeves [3rd grade Sunday school].) But Judy Musgraves wasn't my teacher; in fact when I met Mrs. Musgraves she wasn't even a teacher.

Mrs. Musgraves was the principal at my kids' school when we moved to Missouri some twenty-five years ago. She was the one who gave my toddler a Little Golden Book, that we still have, and from time to time she advised me about things we were doing at the school.  But the reason Judy is truly special to me is because of what she did one day.

I had been reading with a child who was struggling with ADHD, reading, focusing and more (I was at the school all the time helping one way or another because I loved it...even though my background up to that point was in horticulture).

I can still recall the conversation as if it happened yesterday. It was the day that Mrs. Musgraves stopped me in the hall and said,

"Cathy, go down to Valerie's classroom."

"Why?" I asked standing there in the main hallway.

"Valerie has a sick child and she needs to go pick him up. Go down and fill in for her."

"WHAT? I'M NOT A TEACHER!" I protested, slamming on the conversation brakes because I already knew I was. Not. Teacher. Material!

"Don't you have a college degree?" she smoothly interjected.

"Yes." I hesitated.

"Well, a substitute only needs to have 60 hours of college credits: you qualify. 

A confused look must have come over my face because she added,

"You have a degree."

The look on her face was matter of fact and her voice was in charge, in control.

I went.

As a young child I remember thinking a time or two that I wanted to be a teacher when I grew up. My favorite aunt was a music teacher, my dad was a high school coach, a great aunt was a kindergarten teacher and it seemed I should follow in their footsteps.
Shyness overruled all reasoning, however, and caused me to think there was no possible way I could stand in front of a classroom of people every day and ... talk!

And that's probably what was going through my mind that day at Chance Elementary.

Substitute teaching in fourth grade began a career that day: a career that would go through many transformations and eventually become a passion for life. The door to a new world had been flung open in-spite of me.

So here's to the teachers out there who have touched the lives of their students. And to those like Judy Musgraves who take charge and lead the way, setting high standards for the rest of us to follow.

Thank you. 


Cathy is on Twitter @CoMoDyslexia and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/OnPointLearningCenter



Tuesday, May 7, 2013

It's a Mystery

It wasn't a science fiction thriller but I'll still call it a mystery.

One day an IEP (Individual Education Plan for special education) appeared at my office. All alone, by itself it managed to cause confusion!

The confusion wasn't about who the IEP was for, that was clearly documented at the beginning. We didn't wonder where the school was that this IEP came from: also clearly stated. We knew what grade the student was in, his address and date of birth. Soon a bigger problem sprang up!

I quickly flipped through the pages of the mysterious IEP and found this in the present level:

"Student says he can't focus.

This student has clearly stated that he cannot focus! Funny thing is nobody seems to be able to hear him!

Alright, maybe I should read through this one more time, I thought to myself. Maybe I'll find another clue.

Nothing.

But, the child had already laid out a treasure map for everyone. He'd clearly left an 'X marks the spot'! He needs to know how to focus! Even the person who wrote the present level included the child's thinking in the IEP, they must have thought this was important, yet no where does the IEP address focusing.

There are facts and figures, percentages and standard scores about tests, quotes for the number of words the child will read, all documented. However, nowhere are there instructions or a plan for how this child will receive help with focusing.

I'll bet the child isn't interested in scores or how many words per minute he reads, but if he knew how to focus everything might change!

I'm listening and those of you who read my blog are good listeners, too. But how do schools and teachers expect students to listen to them when they fail to listen to children just like this one?

Monday, April 22, 2013

Autism and the Seeds for Change

Functioning Fully in Life

Today I want to look at the concept of change. Change being ‘something becoming something else’. 

Change can be one of the biggest challenges for those with autism as we saw with the little girl in the 'broken cheeseburger' story. However it is an essential part of our daily life, which needs to be understood. Without having the basic understanding of change, there is no foundation to understand before/after/cause and effect and without that we find ourselves with the inability to plan and predict. 

Change is a natural law it is something that is around us all the time - it is happening all of the time, whether we are involved in it or not. Can you imagine how chaotic life would seem if you did not have an awareness of this concept? It would feel as if you were living in a random set of events of which you had no control over and no idea of what could happen next or why it happened. 

One of the earliest concepts we do in the Davis Autism Approach is to look at change quite simply being ‘something becoming something else’. For example: the burger was whole now it is cut into two pieces, the cup was full and now it is empty; the weather was fine and now it is raining. We explore these ideas by making them in plastalina clay giving a real life example on the table to talk about and explore. Then we can look at it in the environment. At this time we do not explore the how or why it happened, that comes later. Now we just look at change... you will be surprised how simple but powerful this concept can be.
For more information on functioning fully in life with autism go to www.davisautism.com

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Seeing with your imagination!

Where did the idea come from?
See the round pizza-like clay on the desk? It started there. The idea of seeing-thought that is!

My friend sliced a section from the bottom of the pizza then cut it into mini-slices, also on the desk.

At first glance I thought we were having a lesson in fractions. (and it definitely could have been!)

The creative sauce just kept flowing; he added piece, after triangular piece, to the central hunk of clay. In a flash, the former pizza-like shape transformed into a cartoon figure.

"Ever hear of Lilo and Stitch?" he asked before he was right back into his imaginative work.

As he shaped the clay a steady procession of figures paraded across my desk. Some existed only briefly before they were mashed-up, others stuck around for a radical transformation.


Hummm. What to make...I know!

See the ball of clay in my friend's hand? It didn't stay round for long!

To be clear, this wasn't a lesson in clay therapy.  We were actually working on the Davis Identity Program and were transitioning from the concept of Perception (what you see) to Thought (what you think).  Earlier we'd looked at things around us.  Sometimes we saw things the same way, sometimes differently--like the sky outside on the cloudy day.

Then the figures began.

"Where did you get your ideas for your figures? I asked"

"Some from cartoons. Some of them come from my imagination." he told me.

Stay tuned! Here's the beginning of thought!
From there I began to understand that the central idea for the characters came from more than one source. His ideas started with imaginary creatures from books, movies and cartoons but I also saw how he changed them in a flash to the next figure.

When I asked if these could all be part of the imagination, he said no.

"No. Once you make something for real, then it's not imagination anymore." he said.

And so I began to understand his idea of what real-imaginary-thought was as he worked the clay.

The line-up of characters across my desk that began with the frog were to showcase thought.  Next we'll add a model of self, with a thought-bubble showing just what he was thinking about but for now I want to leave it to your imagination to think about seeing-imagination.

For more information on the Davis Autism Approach go to:

www.onpointlearning.org
http://www.davisautism.com/what_daa.html

Monday, April 15, 2013

There's a price to pay when we force employees into roles that highlight their weaknesses.


"While we're busy trying to fix ourselves and others, we often minimize or completely overlook our most powerful asset--our strengths."

"Strengths are a person's innate talents, things they do well naturally. Every person has them, and when identified, nurtured and channeled appropriately, they can have a dramatic effect on job satisfaction and bottom-line performance."
"Indeed, research suggests that the most successful people start with a dominant talent and then add skills, knowledge and practice into the mix. In other words, we stand a greater chance of success if we build on our authentic selves--who we already are--beginning with our innate strengths."

"Perhaps even more significantly for employers, a powerful connection exists between employees' levels of engagement and the extent to which they maximize their strengths on the job." 

"But as BBN found out, there's a price to pay for trying to force employees into roles that highlight their weaknesses and don't play to their strengths."*

Yes, the selection above was written about business. But I ask you: doesn't it make sense to follow these same principles in education? If using your strengths translates directly to success in business wouldn't the concept of using our strengths in learning also apply? 

Do you know a visual-spatial learner? (We could also use the terms hands-on-learner, picture-thinker, dyslexic or dyslexic-like learner here as well.) 

Dyslexics have a magical talent, a mysterious power that can be launched at any given moment. But from minute to minute that talent may seem to disappear at will; seemingly vanishing into thin air! Their ability to read from a book that they truly love and are highly interest in can be wonderful, while at the same time they can barely lift the cover of a book they're not interest in. (Forget about asking them to read from the uninteresting book!)

If you've ever tried to teach a child who is a strong picture-thinker how to read you know exactly what I'm talking about! Picture thinkers can tell you word-for-word what they read when it's about their favorite subject. But the same person has no clue about what they read, when expected to read something that's not interesting to them.  

My husband reads any material -fiction or non-fiction- and reads it easily, when it's about something he loves, like computers...stuff I know nothing about. That's about it, though. Outside of that area he is basically a non-reader. 

Couldn't we say that the goal in educating someone is to provide them with an opportunity to be successful in life?  By giving someone the tools they need to continue acquiring necessary information wouldn't we be supporting their quest for self-sufficiency?

The other day I assessed a six year-old. He can write in cursive, mentally compute multiplication facts accurately and build Lego projects designed for children more than twice his age. He's six! Here's what his mother, Michelle, had to say: 

The theory is that the same dis-orientation that allows him to see in 3-D prevents him from reading & writing in 2-D.  The remedy is to re-orient the mind’s eye.  How complexly simple is that! As for my son, he gets to meet with Cathy to talk about his imagination and play with clay.  He thinks it’s kind of cool.

Simple. Yes, let's make it simple for picture-thinkers to learn how to read. 

Going back to the Forbes article, the last statement "...there's a price to pay for trying to force employees into roles that highlight their weaknesses and don't play to their strengths." 

This applies to learning as well.  Michelle nailed it when she said we'd talk about imagination, playing with clay, and that it is pretty cool!

*http://www.forbes.com/2011/04/27/employer-employee-focus-on-strengths-not-weaknesses.html
For more information on OnPoint Learning and the Davis methods go to http://onpointlearning.org/

Friday, April 12, 2013

"You're wasting my time," and 'Where's my swimming suit?'



Swimming suits, cake, dyslexia. They go together, right? YES! At least that's a recent discovery of mine!

I thought I was prepared for the assessment one day a while back. Little did I know that I would have to depend on the quiet, intuitive feeling I've learned to listen to, to save me. That feeling was the first thing that greeted me as I moved into the lobby to greet my client and his mother. 

I did the usual first-time-meeting thing, keeping in mind the words of former Davis Workshop Presenter Gerry Grant, to make sure you greet the child well, as I stepped into the lobby to welcome mother and child on this day.

I introduced myself and was about to give them the business center tour when...

"I want to go home. This is wasting my time."

...abruptly interrupted me. 

Up to this point my ability to understand my new friend's words had been a bit difficult, but "I want to go home, you're wasting my time" came through loud and clear!

"Okay, at least he's being honest" I thought to myself.  I flew into ad lib mode balancing humor and the intention to move on, and we did, move on that is! Humor won out, though, at that point. 

Once we were settled into my office I posed the question:

"If I handed you this pencil, which hand would you write with?" I asked.

"Both hands." he said. 

Not only were those words said with lots of emotion but he shot another "You're wasting my time" look at me. Out of the corner of my eye I could see his mom shake her head, indicating his statement wasn't correct.

"Thank you! Now, if you had your choice would you like to eat cake or pizza?" I next asked.

Another look flew at me! But happily he answered me with "chocolate cake WITH white icing."

Whew, saved by the cake!

The suggestion of cake with scrumptious fluffy, white icing caused both of us to have a lovely image of cake floating through our minds!

But the assessment? After all, this young man was here to be assessed for a Davis Dyslexia Correction Program. What would you expect at this point? If you guessed the assessment was a bit difficult I could see why you'd have that response.

What happened were things could not have gone better! As the assessment concluded I told him to keep his eyes closed as long as it felt comfortable. He did. When his eyes fluttered open a few minutes later he calmly looked around the room, carefully surveying the scene.

Gone was the 'let me out of here' agitated look.  Instead, the door to his imaginary world had been flung open and I was greeted with the feeling of a vivid world inside his imagination.

Instead of a person who couldn't wait to go home, before me now, was someone who couldn't wait to start working!  

I asked him questions like did he have a problem, was there something he wanted to get better at.... He went into detail explaining things he wanted help with --reading, math, focusing. But I had one more question: 

"Would you like to work with me?" 

I followed his eyes as my words sifted and shifted through his mind.  He paused. Silently he glanced upward, then casually to his right. He muttered and sputtered sounds that were not audibly understandable and with an awkward pause he said, 

"...um...no."

Case closed? I was quickly thinking about what direction to go when he calmly interjected-- 

"I didn't bring my swimming suit!" 

"Your swimming suit?" I asked, dumbfounded


"Yes, I don't want my mom to have to travel back and forth from our town. We need to stay at the hotel across the road and I didn't bring my swimming suit, so I won't be able to swim."

My goodness! 

What a transformation.  The masterful concepts of the Davis Perceptual Abilities assessment had not only magically fulfilled its job but had transformed this child into a cooperative soul. 

Now he was going to stay...but we have to have a swimming suit!

I remembered the intuitive thought that had quietly drifted into my mind as I'd first approached him in the lobby and knew that it had been right on. 

For more information look at www.dyslexia.com or www.onpointlearning.org  

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Dear Aunt Marge...deep into my mind, see I got a treasury...


I dive deep into my mind, see I got a treasury; That float through my head like a sweet melody...

Vincent van Gogh's drawing (to the left), on his book of drawings and paintings, sent a sweet melody to me recently when I decided to bring it home (it's been in storage at my dad's for years!)

...faces that are woven in the fabric of my consciousness...-Talib Kweli, Memories Live Lyrics

The person in the center of this picture has been forever woven into the fabric of my consciousness. She was, she is, and she forever will be my childhood hero -her name was Marjorie Phillips Greener; AKA: my Great Aunt Marge. Van Gogh's book was something she purchased at the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam. I know because she lovingly wrote these details inside the book, after her Temple University European tour in 1962.  The tour brought together Aunt Marge's love for music and her love of art as she toured the great museums, churches, art galleries and universities of Europe. 

When my decorating gene spontaneously revved up the other day, I flew into high gear with ideas for that van Gogh book. After I spun through a few pages I quickly landed on painting #94. Hmmm...Number 94 looked strangely familiar. Without hesitating, I cruised into the next room to find a print that hangs on my den wall. I didn't know exactly what I would find.  Were there similarities? 

Not only were there similarities between #94 and the picture on my wall, they were the same (with a color shading difference)!

Unbelievable! The picture back cover of a Reader's Digest that I'd saved for some 30 years had recently been designated to a glass frame in our den.  I'd saved it because -well, maybe it was the coloring, or the impressionist painting style, or because it caused a sweet melody to float through my mind? 

Over 50 years ago Aunt Marge bought that van Gogh book; about 30 years ago I found van Gogh's painting on the back of a magazine; today they've come together! 


#94 Peach-tree in bloom,
Arles, France, 1888.






Aunt Marge is still a superstar to me. To this day her laughter easily plays in my mind's ear. I can still sense her mannerisms and the cheerful you-who she'd whistle upon arrival

I still have an empty Elizabeth Arden lotion bottle of hers filled with pennies, a flute-a-fone she gave me, the memory of learning Do Re Mi forward and backward while helping her teach one day, and of singing lyrics from Rodgers and Hammerstein's musical The Sound of Music and Disney's Mary Poppins to her friends...but most cherished of all I have her sweet memories that float through my mind more often than you could even imagine.  

Marjorie Greener was music director and educator for a large school system, which she earned after getting a Master's Degree in Music Education from Northwestern and Western Illinois Universities. Impressive, especially for a woman in the 1950's and '60's but none of that really mattered to me. Aunt Marge earned my respect and honor through the love she unselfishly gave to so many. 

What *Sir Ken Robinson said recently brought all of Aunt Marge's work to mind...


I believe that the arts should be on an equal footing in schools with the sciences, humanities, languages and physical education....

So here's to the Aunt Marge's of this world who weave sweet memories and melodies into the fabrics of our lives and consciousness's.  And to all the great teachers, parents, aunts and uncles, moms and dads, grandmothers and grandfathers, sisters and brothers...who bring us their insight into this world through the arts, sciences, humanities, languages, physical education...


*Sir Ken Robinson, PhD, is one of the internationally recognized leaders in the development of education creativity and innovation. He has received numerous honorary degrees from universities, and many awards from cultural organizations and governments, all over the world. He was knighted in 2003 by Queen Elizabeth II for services to the Arts.

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

"ALL MY PICTURES SEEMED TO FADE TO BLACK AND WHITE"


*"DON'T LET THE SUN GO DOWN ON ME" 
My experience yesterday of the concept of experience was quite the experience. Vague, I know. 

Unique. Experience. 

Suddenly I found music painting an emotion for me. Like an impressionist artist at work forging nature, emotion, color, art and life all together as the brush strokes of art fall on the canvas. I tried the best I could to explain, but since we're each created differently, I can only tell you about my experience. I hope you'll understand. 

Walking {gingerly} back for chiropractic therapy today I noticed something {besides my back!} A painting. I must have passed down that hall for treatment dozens of times over, ah, years now!  

Anyway, the painting is a symbolic human spine floating horizontally. At first glimpse, out of the corner of my eye, all I could think of was a spiraling piano keyboard. Vertebrae replacing keys. Two hands hovering barely above the 'spine' ready to strike. It sung to me. I don't remember ever seeing the painting before, and I don't know why, but hey, I'm studying experience! And it was one!

Let me explain: other concepts proceed the Experience concept both in life and in the Davis program. I've had quite some time to think about this (both in life and in Davis programming!). But yesterday something changed. Music came into this process.

And Harmony.

Yes. Harmony. This post was supposed to be about something other than harmony. There were other things that were first on my mind to write about but suddenly it doesn't matter. Harmony seems to say it all.

Over the past few weeks the word harmony has played out in many conversations about working with both dyslexia and autism. It means a better focus. No more darkness.  Instead of trying to explain I'll leave you with these words:

*I can't light no more of your darkness
All my pictures seem to fade to black and white
I'm growing tired and time stands still before me
Frozen here on the ladder of my life.
 
Too late to save myself from falling
I took a chance and changed your way of life
But you misread my meaning when I met you
Closed the door and left me blinded by the light
 
Don't let the sun go down on me
Although I search myself, its always someone else I see
I'd just allow a fragment of your life to wander free ...
         But see me once and see the way I feel...
But loosing everything is like the sun going down on me...

I can't begin to tell you how those words describe so many parts of my life. But as I'm working with the concepts of the Davis Identity program I've found a new light; a new harmony in life. There's more now than pictures fading into black and white. 


*Music by Elton John Words by Bernie Taupin
© 1974 Big Pig Music Limited

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

More than Just a Memory -it was an Experience!

Frustrating. That's it. Hugely frustrating dealing with stereo types and mis-perceptions that cloud the field of dyslexia. It's the closed mindedness that gets me; although the words uninformed, unwilling, emotionally linked, inflexible, lacking...could replace 'closed minded'.

Model of Experience: Survive as Changed
I was working on some concepts from our Identity Program when something frustrating came to mind.

Wait, let me explain more precisely. I was working on the concepts of Experience. Experience as in survive as changed, and working with how we experience Experience, like:

-at the point of an experience;
-when we cause an experience;
-how we observe an experience;
-at the effect of an experience;
-before an experience happens;
-watching someone else experience something;
these things were soaring through my mind and something hit me. 

No, not 'hit' me like flying through the air at me; 'hit' me like emotions flying out of thin air at me.

A memory soared out of nowhere.  A music memory. I've been a fan of Elton John's music since my early teens. His concerts were the first big-time concerts I attended when the Chicago Stadium was in it's hey-day. My mom was our chauffeur.

YOUR SONG, ELTON JOHN
Yes, I love Elton John's music and his piano playing sings to my heart.

I love piano in contemporary, modern, classical, jazz, you-name-it, music. (and I've always been in love with watching the hands of a great pianist work the keys!)  But today as the sound from those ebony & ivories of an Elton John song twinkled through my office-air they released my mind back in time. Sound. It drew me out of my personal space into an emotional cloud. [This also explains what we call disorientation, so I had to use my focusing tools, to get back on point, to write this!]

Once I was within that cloud, spiraling memories of my grandfather, my dad's dad, overtook me. Music. 

My grandfather was talented musically; he sang all day long while he worked. He was a kind and happy person. Here I was researching the placement of before, during and after for our Identity Program's concept of Experience, I experienced it myself. My mind drifted to the memory of my grandfather. I flew to wondering how he first experienced music, what was his first experience with a piano, how did music make him feel....

Sweet thoughts came so swiftly there was barely time for a "your emotions are taking over" kind of feeling.

Well, another Elton John song just began. At the first hint of that first note I knew exactly what song it was.

Beautiful. Memories.
*Love will grow, it comes and goes
Emotions can deceive you
Well this I vow, here and now
My love will never never never leave you
*Elton John music; Lyrics Gary Osbourne http://www.elyrics.net/read/e/elton-john-lyrics/memory-of-love-lyrics.html

Finally, I want to talk about a website I found today about music. The Music Empowers Foundation https://www.facebook.com/musicempowers.  Here's a site that wants all to know about the power behind the music.

I agree with them.

Does music empower you in the same way?









Sunday, March 24, 2013

Getting Down to Earth About Dyslexia!

"Dyslexic employees are some of the smartest, most imaginative and highly motivated people in your workgroup -- and your company's management. Instead of penalizing them for written language deficiencies, profit from their special talents." -from dyslexia.com The Gift of Dyslexia*

Words of wisdom for this dyslexic want-to-be writer! With that said, may I ask forgiveness right upfront for any mangled sentence structures, strange spellings, punctuation errors, or other ways I manage to mess-up? Thanks!

In my last blog post I struck the claim to challenge myself to look for bigger and better ways to reach out in helping others in understanding dyslexia. So I decided to go to the source of it all, at least the source of it all for me ... I'm talking about the days of my youth, when I was the tender age of five years old.

<-- p="">Right here. Here's where my career as a dyslexic wan-a-be artist began. Of course I lived there many years ago back in 19?? ah, its been a while. It was different from today's map.

Let me explain.

When we first moved to Morris, Illinois, to our little neighborhood, only a few houses dotted the landscape. The area labeled 'clay pond' would probably been considered a marsh. Giant cattails and native plants surrounded the shallow water. I loved trudging through the grasses that shot up past my head; a bit swampy, it was, but I only remember pure heaven-ness in there.  Under my feet lie what really interested me, though.

Clay.

In that swampy-marsh one spring day I discovered a layer of clay soil just waiting for me. I was so inspired by the clay that I soon began molding bowls and ash trays and anything I could think of. (Neither of my parents ever smoked but those large, colored ash-trays were the rage back then.)

Clay.

It brought out the best in me. Before long I was holding class in the swamp gathering up the neighborhood kids for ash-tray-making instruction. We quickly formed and shaped our clay projects, not wanting to dawdle. The spring sunshine wouldn't last forever so I marched them quickly out to find drying spots while the sunshine was still bright and warm.

I must apologize to at least two of my neighbors, who remain Facebook friends today, because I've managed to draw right on top of your childhood homes.  Sorry! But I thank you for letting me lead you through those hours of clay-class we held back then.

This was a beginning for me in using my dyslexic talents in a visualization way of creation; even if it was only an old ash-tray that was never used for smoking! In fact, I'd long ago forgotten about this time in the swamp and it makes me a bit sad thinking that all of that creativeness didn't continue in my life in ways that I would have hoped for.

Okay, now that I've told you about one of my early formed 'talents'! what does that mean for the rest of you? Because if we want to help others understand more about dyslexia we have to talk about things that relate to people today. And not many of you are clay ash-tray makers, I'd venture to say.

So what about acknowledging the number of dyslexics in our present day workforce? I found this quote below, that outlines the extent of illiterate Americans:

*"Government statistics show 25,000,000 Americans--one in ten--are functionally illiterate. The primary cause is dyslexia or one of its many variations, such as ADD or dysgraphia.
So how do we translate these young childhood 'skills' and interests into ways that truly help the dyslexic population?

Any ideas?


*http://www.dyslexia.com/library/adultdys.htm


Saturday, March 23, 2013

Have you heard?

Ron Davis and Cathy Cook in Columbia, Missouri
We hear the stories. You know the ones I'm talking about -the ones about great artists, the geniuses of the world; the inventors, athletes, actors, and all kinds of talented people. We flock to the movies they produce and star in; we devour the technology they market, and pay outrageous sums to acquire. Speaking of money, we pay premium dollar$ to watch them play with baseballs, basketballs, hockey pucks, footballs, soccer balls...; we wear the clothing they create and endorse; read the novels they write; eat the food they've invented, produced, sculpted, diced, tossed -you get the idea!

We love what the inventive, creative minds of this world have to offer us. To prove it, doesn't it just seem that the world is spinning around at an even faster pace as we produce newer and more highly improved computers, smartphones, phablets, and more, at an amazing rate of speed? 

People are as likely to be drawn to watching red carpet shots of these famous and talented people as they are to be learning about world happenings. 

Yet, these very same creative-types, if we could transport ourselves back in time, were the ones who often didn't make it in school.  They are the very ones who didn't learn to read. Who couldn't count coins. That struggled with math; who struggled to just talk, learn to ride a bike, tie their shoelaces... the list goes on and on. 

Why is it we idolize the material aspect of dyslexia yet when it comes to teaching these same kinds of learners in the school system, we want nothing to do with their creativity? 

Oh, we say we are doing everything necessary to help them. But that level of help only seems to go as far as we can comfortably fit it within our already in place learning system. 

So I'm challenging myself to look for bigger and better ways to reach out and help.  Suggestions? What can I do to help you?


Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Reading to Superheroes

Cathy at Midway Heights. Photo by Michele Spry
Reading. I love it. I read everything and anything in sight. Leave an old newspaper spread out on the floor, like for painting, and I'm totally distracted: I have to read it!

So the other day when I was going to be a guest reader at Midway Heights Elementary School to help my friend Michele Spry*, I got really excited.

They were celebrating superheroes and I'll admit that my first thought about the event was "Can I dress up like a superhero?"

But, as thoughts of a superhero costume and a superhero book filtered through my mind suddenly a different trail drifted by.  It began like this: what's the definition of a superhero?

Wikipedia says: superhero (sometimes rendered super-hero or super hero) is a type of stock character possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers."
And: By most definitions, characters do not strictly require actual superhuman powers to be deemed superheroes...normally, superheroes use their powers to counter day-to-day crime.  

Counter day-to-day crime?
Crime stuff? Now that's what I'm talking about. Well, in this case we're using crime stuff as a play-on-words for a very difficult situation. But let me ask a question: Do you consider the act of reading to be a difficult type of case?

For many, reading is simply something they learned at an early age. It came naturally to them.  To others, the simple act of reading was anything but simple.  To another whole group of people, reading has not yet happened!

For about 20% of the population, learning how to read is in fact, a feat of stupendous, superhero-like proportions! And for those who have not yet learned how to read I think it is a crime that they have not learned! (And of course we're talking about people who are of at least school age!)

Superhero book!
Then as quickly as the dressing-up-like-a-superhero thought had come, it left; and the thought of which book should I would read, flew in to replace it.

Suddenly reading Patricia Polacco's books, Thank you, Mr. Falker and The Junkyard Wonders was in place to stay! Yes, these books, too, are about superheroes, though not the kind of superhero described by Wikipedia. Nor superheroes like Spiderman, Batman, Superman .... but real life superheroes.

Real life superhero as in a young girl who struggles to learn how to read. A young girl who, even once she does learn how to read, struggles with self-esteem and more.

So as I began reading I asked the kids if learning to read was hard. Almost everyone loudly said, "YES"! "It's still hard!" And I told them that to me, they are the superheroes when they do their best and keep working at the act of learning to read. Even when it's hard.

As the young 'superhero' in Ms. Polacco's story comes into her new special class for the first day of a brand new year, in a strange new school, the teacher comes into the room and begins reading in a no-nonsense voice:

"The definition of genius," 

"Genius is neither learned nor acquired.
It is knowing without experience.
It is risking without fear of failure. 
It is perception without touch. 
It is understanding without research.
It is certainty without proof.
It is ability without practice.
It is invention without limitations.
It is imagination without boundaries.
It is creativity without constraints.
It is ... extraordinary intelligence!"

"...write the definition..."
"Post it on your mirrors."
"Look at it everyday."
"Memorize it!"
"The definition describes every one of you!"

As I read to the young students at Midway Heights I wanted them to know they are superheroes when they learn to read.  Theirs may not be the superhero kind of genius identified with the likes of Einstein, Galileo, and da Vinci but each of them is truly unique in their own way.

*Read more about Michele: http://www.michelespry.com/book.php 

Link to Patricia Polacco: http://www.patriciapolacco.com/books/junkyard/index2.html

Saturday, March 9, 2013

Mash This Up!

*mash-up magic; www.greggfraley.com 

Striving to rid ourselves of the causes of our mistakes, not curing our dyslexia, is one way to describe what I do. 

I often refer to the tools used in my programming as multi-dimensional.  These multi-dimensional tools, can help us achieve our goals.
In the end, the results can be that we feel better about ourselves, we learn how to read or improve our reading comprehension, or we're just able to maintain focus. 


Over the course of a 30-hour dyslexia correction program some of the tools we use are: 

Clay            (think modeling clay) 
Imagination (nothing to buy for this *tool*) 
Release        (Breathe in, count 1-2-3; Hold it, count 1-2-3; Blow out, count 1-2-3. Also free!).  
Oh, and while you're breathe in, picture or imagine yourself as just right

Mash-Up
Recently our Columbia, Missouri Chamber of Commerce held a day of events; it was our annual Business Showcase. While manning my booth that morning of the event I had lots of visitors, including one man. He was interested in my business OnPoint Learning, and my techniques. I happily answered his questions.

After several minutes of me monopolizing the conversation I managed to ask him what he did. 

"I'm going to be your speaker today at the Women's luncheon," Gregg Fraley politely answered.  
I probably turned a few shades of red, feeling a little silly that I'd stood there rattling on and on about myself, while in fact I was talking to the highlight of the afternoon luncheon! 

During the luncheon Gregg Fraley entertained us with clips of his
 techniques and descriptions of his creative problem solving methods for businesses. I couldn't help but take notice! But when he began describing his Mash-Up idea, I was fascinated! Quickly I saw a resemblance with our "Create-a-Word procedure.  

Create-a-word is a method we use in correcting program.  It's like the gate-keeper for the final half of the correction program; the combining of creativity and the world of precision in language. 

In Gregg Fraley's presentation two overlapping circles were presented ----Circle A, the other Circle B. (See the pictures at the top of today's blog.)

Circle A represents one idea. Circle B represents a different idea.  Creative ‘conceptual blending” mashes up or combines different concepts into one to make a new creation.

Don't just read my mash up of Gregg's ideas, read about it in his own words: http://www.greggfraley.com/blog/2012/06/06/32-opportunities-for-brilliant-mash-ups/


Dyslexia Correction Mash-Up 
Here's my version of Mash-Up for working with dyslexia: 


1.     Pick a challenge. Concept A.

2.     Pick another challenge. Concept B.
3.     Look for connections between Concept A & Concept B. 

4.     Morph these ideas into one idea. Magic. 

5.     Keep noodling, doodling and thinking.  Create something new.

Symbol Mastery
Here's our version of the world of Mash-Ups: http://www.symbolmastery.com/.  Whether it's Mash-Ups or Symbol Mastery we need to take our language from a verbal form to a three-dimensional form and make it easier for those of us who are visual-spatial learners. Its language (not always fun) Mash-Up and clay (always fun)!


So when we're using clayimagination and release, in the end we're getting to the bottom of the issue with learning differences! Now we have the power to Create-a-(new) word, pronounce it anyway we want; spell our word anyway we want, and define it anyway we want!  We're using creativity and correcting dyslexia

What ideas can you come up with Mash-Up?

*Visit Gregg Fraley's blog @ http://kilnco.com/blog




Thursday, March 7, 2013

Exercising a Visual Focus -Part 2

Photo courtesy of the Columbia Missourian 
"Exercising a Visual Focus": My last blog post left you with the image of my young five-year-old client rolling clay in his hands, while we were under the observation of a reporter and photographer from the Columbia Missourian Newspaper.

Not only did my client take charge of that piece of clay, he was also fully in charge of this Davis Young Learner's Reading Program that we were venturing upon.

At this point in the program my plan was to be working on Alphabet Mastery, but since I wasn't in charge here I had to just try and keep up!

Once he'd sufficiently formed the clay ball he moved on to shape another; this one a bit bigger. Look closely at the first picture and you'll notice he's placing clay on the desk. Slowly, over time, the clay balls began to line up. Although in which direction we were headed, I still had no inkling!

An Out Of This World Experience
When he started asking questions about Jupiter, Saturn's rings and the planets nearest to Earth my view of the planetary direction we were traveling began to open! ...which planet had the red rings? ...which planet had the most moons?

We traveled into the planetary world some more and I did my best to answer his questions along the way. You know, I was totally prepared to deliver a Davis Young Learner's Reading Program, but as an astronomy expert, I had not done my homework!

Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars ... eventually we had a discussion about Pluto and the discovery it was a dwarf planet.

None of this was actually about terrestrial planets, moons, the rings of Saturn or clay balls, though. No. This five-year-old was using his personal approach of getting rid of disorientation.  Conquering confusion. Not confusion about the planets, either; about conquering the confusion surrounding language.

Getting To The Core Of The Matter
As his questioning moved on he nonchalantly reached over to pick up the clay-V from his alphabet still on the desk. Then he allowed the letter-V to straddle oh, so carefully the second 'planet' in his solar system. As that task was completed his energy waned.

"No, I'm not tired," were his exact words when I questioned if he needed a break. 

Now I knew what all of this had been about.  
It was about the letter-V; V, a symbol for the sound /vvv/. 
/Vvv/, as in the beginning sound of the word Venus. 


Mission To Worlds Beyond!
As a Davis Facilitator I help clients discover what triggers their disorientation; what causes them to lose focus. Sometimes our missions travel to the far regions of the mind and worlds never before explored! Often, we're not the one in charge. Those can be the best kind of quests!
This astronomical brain work can be utterly EXHAUSTING!

When I again asked if he needed to rest here's what happened: his head bobbled, his body leaned to the right, his eyes fluttered. I asked if he'd like to lie down. Flash! He was instantly ASLEEP! 

I finished the session answering the final questions for the reporter and photographer (who did a great job watching this young genius work!)

For the next hour, in that exact spot, he slept. My attempts to help him lie down were met with resistance, so I left him to sleep there in that chair.

One last thing: Look at the picture of him sleeping.  See the largest figure next to the planets, near the bottom right corner of the picture? Later he told me that's an astronaut out there conquering LETTER V!

For Additional Information

Additional information on the sound of /v/:
In English, V is unusual in that it has not traditionally been doubled to indicate a short vowel, the way for example P is doubled to indicate the difference between 'super' and 'supper'. However, that is changing with newly coined words, such as 'divvy up' and 'skivvies'. --From Wikipedia.

More information about the Davis Young Learner's Reading Program visit: http://www.dyslexia.com/davisreading.htm