October is Dyslexia Awareness Month.
What is it?
Dyslexia is a neurological condition where the brain is wired differently.
Instead of using the left side of the brain, which is naturally made for language, the right side is over-used and trying to make sense of the input to the brain.
This is why many people process and/or read slowly. They can read - just slower.
It is a specific type of reading disorder that occurs unexpectedly when compared to higher abilities in other areas
It can be poor spelling, weaker written expression, and when they read aloud it may sound "choppy", it is common to leave out small words (of, in, the, etc.), and/or change words to one that looks like the word in the text (track for trace, shot for shop, etc.) It can be one or a combination of these characteristics.
Strengths
Creative, Strong Oral Language/Vocabulary (Walt Disney, Jennifer Anniston)
Strategic Problem Solvers (Winston Churchill, Nelson Rockefeller)
Great Dexterity and Fast Reflexes (Tim Tebow, Magic Johnson)
Highly Inquisitive & Quick Witted (Richard Branson founder of Virgin Airlines, Barbara Corcoran from Shark Tank)
Rewire the Brain!
Specialized instruction gets the left side “rewired” with new neuron connections.
The left side begins to be used more effectively for language skills.
Dr. Shaywitz, Yale Dyslexia Center, conducted fMRIs before and after specialized instruction. The left side can become more active when caught early & and gets this OG-based, explicit, direct, and multi-sensory instruction.
Lake Hamilton School District utilizes this specially designed instruction.