What does “twice-exceptional” mean?
You may have heard this term bandied about in educational circles: twice-exceptional (sometimes shortened to 2e). What does it really mean? Twice-exceptional refers to students who are both intellectually gifted and have some kind of learning difficulty. So they are...
read moreFamous Dyslexics: From the ancient past…
Because the term 'dyslexia' didn't surface until the late 1800s - and even then didn't catch hold until recent decades - it is possible that a huge number of iconic figures from our past struggled with it unknowingly. One article speculates about a few of those stars...
read moreShe read adult engineering text!
Today, she sat on my lap for a minute. I was writing a report. She actually read this text below fairly well - sounding out words she did not know!!!! Not bad. 🙂 The required finished water quality after reuse treatment will depend on the goals for reuse at that...
read moreDo teachers need the label ‘dyslexia’ in order to help their students?
It is understandable that parents feel like they might get more support for their child if they have an ‘official’ label. It also makes sense that it might be easier for teachers and SENCOs to differentiate lessons and interventions if they know exactly what...
read moreFamous Dyslexics: What do Jamie Oliver, Richard Branson, and Lord Sugar have in common?
A great article was published in the Guardian recently about the relatively high incidence of dyslexia in entrepreneurs. Check out these stats: 35% of company founders in USA identified themselves as dyslexic 20% of the UK’s business self-starters have the condition...
read moreEasyread at The Cherwell School: a heart-warming end-of-term celebration lunch
It was a great way to end the autumn term at The Cherwell School in Oxford, as we celebrated what was the end of implementing a huge systemic change in their approach to literacy intervention. Following a successful pilot trial with 8 students last academic year, The...
read moreFamous Dyslexics: Marlon Brando
Marlon Brando was a film and stage actor who won an Oscar for his role in On the Waterfront. And he was dyslexic! Brando was raised in Nebraska and California, and struggled in school. His father was not very supportive of his difficulties. Brando has been quoted as...
read moreTeaching Teachers: Does Australia Need Better Phonics Instruction for Teachers?
A new report by the vice-chancellor of one of Australia's leading universities - the University of Sydney - has recommended an overhaul of how teachers are trained to teach reading. He points out the lack of emphasis on phonics. Many teaching courses, the report says,...
read more“I Give Up”: Teaching Perseverance to Kids
The lovely Kelly behind Idealist Mom recently wrote an article about how to parent your giver-uppers. How do you teach perseverance to children who just don't even want to try? You'll have to read the article to discover the one little trick she recommends!...
read moreFamous Dyslexics: Writer and Producer Stephen J. Cannell
Stephen J. Cannell founded The Cannell Studios in Hollywood, which produced nearly 40 television series over the last four decades, including the popular A-Team and 21 Jump Street. And he had dyslexia. Cannell struggled in school from an early age. He described...
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