Don M. Winn's Blog, page 16

Children with Dyslexia: Early Detection and Intervention

It’s the rare exception for a child to be diagnosed with dyslexia before they start school. Far too many fall through the cracks entirely, and those who are diagnosed after entering school have already gone through the scholastic ringer. By that time, a lot of social and emotional damage has already occurred.

There is an unfortunate misconception that dyslexia can’t be diagnosed in children before they start school, but nothing could be farther from the truth. Not only is early diagnosis and intervention possible, it’s crucial from an educational standpoint: there’s a short window of time during which children learn to read, and after that point, children must be able to read with comprehension in order to continue learning. Indeed, literacy is key for a developing a healthy self-concept, learning practical life skills, and reaching optimal psycho-social milestones.

Although some dyslexic students become adequate readers through traditional instruction, over 50% require specialized instruction to overcome reading or processing challenges. Dyslexics respond well to a multi-sensory approach that includes visual, auditory, kinesthetic, and tactile modalities. While traditional instruction centers on memorizing the alphabet and each letter’s individual sound, multi-sensory teaching methods allow children to gradually understand their particular learning styles and discover what lights up their brains. They discover what they are passionate about. Actually, these teaching strategies developed for dyslexics can benefit all beginning readers, not just the struggling ones.

However, there’s more to consider than just getting a child help with reading when it comes to early detection of dyslexia. The many adults who didn’t know they had dyslexia until they were well along in life, or those like myself—who knew they had dyslexia but didn’t understand its full implications across every aspect of their lives—might look back and lament “wasted” time when they could have done things differently or seen themselves and all their hard work in a more understanding, compassionate light. Early detection of dyslexia in children can prevent this kind of situation for kids and help them make the most of all their abilities, possibly even preventing them from developing excessively limiting self-beliefs.

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Kids with undiagnosed dyslexia are in a terrible situation—they have come to believe that regardless of what they do, they will not succeed. They see no light at the end of the tunnel; instead, their vision is filled with images of continued failure. This is why it’s so crucial for parents and educators to be alert to possible signs of learning challenges. Every child has potential, and the sooner interventions and accommodations are in place, the sooner the child’s vision for themselves can begin to include hope. Once children are diagnosed with dyslexia, they can get informed, develop an understanding of their unique situation, and question and replace any inaccurate beliefs they have about themselves.

Are you concerned that your child might be dyslexic? Here are some potential signs of dyslexia for different age groups. If you see evidence of a few of them, consider getting your child tested.

If your preschooler has trouble identifying rhyming words, pronouncing words, calling things by the right names, following instructions with more than one step, or if they speak less or use fewer vocabulary words than their peers, screening for dyslexia is advisable. Delayed language development is often the first sign of dyslexia in preschoolers. Is there a history of reading or spelling difficulties in the parents or siblings? Dyslexia is highly heritable.

Kindergarteners and first graders with dyslexia could exhibit frustration with reading, complaining that it is too hard. (They are good at disappearing when it’s time to practice reading!) They often are unable to sound out even the simplest words, since they can’t easily connect a sound to its matching letter. Great problem solvers and guessers, they often supply their own narrative to an illustrated book based on the pictures. They may say kitty or kitten instead of cat, for example, even though the word cat is used in the story.

Older children with dyslexia will be slow, reluctant readers. They avoid reading out loud whenever possible. They make wild guesses about unknown words since they have no strategy for sounding out new words. Longer, more complex words are frequently mispronounced. When asked a question, they take longer to reply, often using word whiskers such as “ummmm” to give themselves time to process. Learning things in sequence is challenging or impossible: timelines, phone numbers, multiplications tables, for example. Handwriting is messy, and most dyslexics print block letters rather than write cursive.

Signs of low self-esteem and shame show up early for dyslexics. Children especially experience low self-esteem in situations in which they believe they are destined for failure. Thus, kids with learning problems feel most vulnerable in settings in which their learning difficulties are obvious and exposed, such as in the classroom. Low self-esteem can show up in a number of ways.

Quitting or outright avoidance of difficult tasks
Being disruptive or clowning
Poor eye contact, slumping posture, and reluctance to talk or engage in conversation
Impulsivity
Becoming aggressive or bullying
Negative self-talk: I’m stupid, I can’t do anything right

When children with dyslexia understand what’s going on with their brains and are taught how to make things better, the difference in their outlook is astounding. Early detection and intervention is key to giving kids with dyslexia a good foundation in reading, but also a good foundation for developing coping skills that will give them hope and the ability to live up to their full potential.

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If you’re looking for a series of exciting adventure books that appeal to reluctant readers, check out the award-winning Sir Kaye series, published by Progressive Rising Phoenix Press.

 

Helping Kids Develop a Positive Self-Image

In October 2016, I published two blogs, Undoing Stinkin’ Thinkin’ Part One: Adults and Undoing Stinkin’ Thinkin’ Part Two: Children. In these two blogs, I discussed the fact that beginning in childhood, human beings are hardwired for negative thinking. This is actually a defense mechanism. Like allergies, where our immune system overreacts to innocuous pollen and other harmless substances, the amygdala, the part of our brain where negative thoughts originate, generates negative thoughts to protect us from getting hurt. By imagining scenarios of the worst sort, and lowering our expectations of self or others, we may subconsciously feel braced for the inevitable disappointment we’re sure we’ll always experience.

But negative thinking can reach a whole new level when we have learning disabilities or challenges. We react to our struggle and frustration by forming beliefs about self, such as:

I’m stupid.
I must be lazy, or not working hard enough.
There must be something really wrong with me because no one else is having this much trouble.
It doesn’t matter how hard I work, I’ll never be good enough.

And if we’re surrounded by unsupportive people, who are all too eager to belittle us, the bombardment of negativity can become truly overwhelming.

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I recently came upon across an article that referenced a study in the journal Brain and Behavior published in 2015 that showed how brain activity changes when people repeat a mantra—a single word mantra—to themselves. By saying something positive and meaningful to themselves over and over again, participants slowed down the default mode network in their brain, which is what is responsible for harsh self-judgment.

How can doing something so simple have such a profound impact on our thinking and how can we use this knowledge to help our kids develop a positive self-image?

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A great place to start is to recognize how much effort our kids are making. This was the focus of an earlier blog that contrasts the North American style of parenting and expectations with an Eastern model. In the western world, results are praised, whereas, in the east, the level of effort being made is recognized along the way.

So we can help our child become aware of the level of hard work they are actually doing, and praise them for sticking with things that are challenging for them. Help them embrace such statements as:

I am a good learner.
I don’t give up, even when things don’t come easily.
I can do this!
If I take my time and don’t give up, I’ll be successful.
I am a reader and I love great stories.
I am proud to be a hard worker.

Thousands of adults have gone to therapy for extensive periods of time to learn that they can change thoughts and beliefs that cause them pain or don’t serve their needs. What a wonderful gift we can give youngsters growing up today by introducing them to this powerful skill during their formative years!

Who do you know who could use some positive messages about themselves? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Original Study Link: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/brb3.346/full

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Dyslexia and Kinesthetic Learning

[image error]I can’t tell you how often as a child I heard the words, don’t touch! However, we are born with a need to explore our world with more than just one or two of our senses. Doing so helps us learn. And touch is one of the most overlooked senses when it comes to learning and teaching. There are different ways of “learning by touch.” One way is sometimes called haptic or tactile learning and another is kinesthetic learning. It’s been proven that people learn best when they can engage multiple senses. Each of us has a predominant sense for learning, and for those of us who learn best “by touch,” it can make all the difference.

I was reminded of this phenomenon at the grand re-opening of the recently-renovated Moody Gardens Aquarium in Galveston, Texas. All the displays of sea life were beautiful, and on a grand scale, quite enjoyable. But then came the jellyfish exhibit where I could actually interact with—that is touch, the little jellyfish.

[image error]What an experience! These gelatinous, unprepossessing creatures are a study in transparency and hold nothing back in interaction. I was mesmerized as they propelled themselves slowly and gracefully through the water, bearing the gentle touch of the human hand with a patient intelligence and curiosity that seemed to match my own. It’s difficult to describe—a crackling sense of electricity, of my entire brain firing all at once, with a feeling of joy and connectivity that is rarely present. For me, there’s a higher level of understanding, a knowing, intuitive and instantaneous, that kicks in when I can touch kinesthetically as part of my learning process. Suddenly the input from my other senses aligns with things already understood and an authentic neural connection is made. This is learning, for me, at its most essential.

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In addition to the aquarium, Moody Gardens has a DaVinci Discovery Museum that also gives some opportunity to touch. Although many of the replicas of DaVinci’s inventions have a sign that says, Please Don’t Touch, some of the inventions have signs that say, Please Touch! That was music to my ears, or fingers in this case.

[image error]Some highlights from the DaVinci Museum at Moody Gardens in Galveston, TX.

As I’ve previously discussed, dyslexia is a processing disorder whereby the written word presents a challenge. Dyslexics have difficulty breaking the code of the written word, and reading is never automatic.  Therefore, one key to optimizing learning environments for students who don’t learn as easily from print is to incorporate teaching strategies that involve multiple senses. It’s important to understand as much as possible about the optimal learning style of each child. Any learning challenge can be managed if only the child’s strengths can be discovered and utilized as compensation.

How can you look for opportunities to offer tactile learning experiences for your child or students? Here are some ideas to get you started:

Spend time outdoors: learning while exploring and moving engages multiple senses. Kids remember experiences more than lectures, even when they don’t have a learning challenge.
Offer opportunities to touch: collections of items that can be handled are a better way of learning numbers and simple arithmetic than just looking at numbers on a page, for example.
Drawing, painting, or creating models of subjects being studied makes things real to a tactile/kinesthetic learner, rather than something abstract, which is problematic to remember and understand.
Utilize 3-D letters as teaching aids: allow the child to explore each shape.
When reading to your child, follow each word with your finger. Select words and help your child trace the letters in the air as an aid to mapping the design of the words in their brain.

By the way, if you’re looking for a series of exciting adventure books that help reluctant readers, take a peek at the award-winning Sir Kaye series published by Progressive Rising Phoenix Press.

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Official Release: The Eldridge Conspiracy by Don Winn

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I’m pleased to announce that The Eldridge Conspiracy (K4), the fourth and final chapter book in the Sir Kaye, the Boy Knight series, is now available from Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, and other online retailers.

The Sir Kaye titles are also available at significant discounts to schools, libraries, non-profits, retailers, and vendors through Progressive Rising Phoenix Press or Ingram/LSI.

So what can you look forward to with book 4 in the Sir Kaye series? To answer that question I’ve included the official K4 press release and several early release reviews below.

And don’t forget to check out the new Kaye series video!

AWARD-WINNING CHILDREN’S AUTHOR EXPLORES HOW CHALLENGES CAN BE CONQUERED WITHOUT SUPERPOWERS  

Superheroes have the power to influence and shape a child’s morals. They have the ability to develop a child’s imagination through fantasy lands and magic. But what happens when fictional heroes have no superpowers at all?

[image error]In The Eldridge Conspiracy (Available June 16, 2017), the fourth and final book in the award-winning Sir Kaye the Boy Knight series, twelve-year-old knight Kaye Balfour and his friends Reggie and Beau have their biggest adventure yet. Together, they travel to the kingdom of Eldridge to save Kaye’s absent father’s life and stop an evil baron from taking the throne from the rightful king. However, unlike most modern heroes, these boys face their obstacles without the help of superpowers.

The Eldridge Conspiracy has plenty of silly fun, while also demonstrating important personal growth. The non-stop adventure is packed full of mysterious clues, battling knights, and physical hurdles. Along the way, the young heroes learn the importance of humility, self-acceptance, and forgiveness, and that they can make their mark on the world in their own unique way, without needing to slavishly imitate anyone else.

“The Sir Kaye the Boy Knight series is a fun group of stories set in a fictional medieval world where the heroes learn to make good choices and practice self-reliance in challenging situations without superpowers or magic. The boys are likable and interact with kindness, respect, and lots of fun as they try to do the right thing. Loyalty and friendship always save the day as Kaye, Reggie, and Beau experience amazing adventures and hair-raising escapes from danger,” Winn says.

The Eldridge Conspiracy is a coming of age book filled with adventure, mystery, and suspense, and addresses multiple themes throughout, such as:

[image error]The importance of loyalty and friendships
Putting aside your pride to help others
Being anything you want to be in life
And much more!

 

E arly Reviews

“This set of books just gets better and better. Yes, it’s a non-stop adventure, packed full of nasty barons and battling knights. But it’s also a story which is strongly-themed and where the bond between the characters is highly prized.”

—The Wishing Shelf Awards Book Review

“This is more than just a fictional story; it teaches children about life, about friendship, making decisions, and about not putting too much stock in pride all the time—sometimes pride gets in the way of making the right decision. Great story. I would recommend that the whole series be read in order to get the most out of it and I think all kids will enjoy this tale.”

—Ann-Marie Reynolds 5-Star Review for Readers’ Favorite

“Books of adventure and challenge that still offer an emotional component are hard to come by for middle-grade readers—and even more so for middle-grade boys—yet Don M. Winn hits the mark dead center with The Eldridge Conspiracy.”

—Patricia Reding 5-Star Review for Readers’ Favorite

“This Sir Kaye the Boy Knight book has all the checkmarks for a great children’s book: a strong hero, a thoroughly exciting adventure, a light, accessible writing style and even a strong moral to keep parents happy! It’s a story with adventure but it’s not full of war and blood and it will easily keep a 7-10-year-old boy thoroughly absorbed. Instead of all the war and blood, the author seems to focus much more on helping his readers learn about the characters and want to be like them by following their morally strong examples. We are HUGE fans of this book and would highly recommend it to any family. It is the perfect fit for any child’s summer reading list!”

— Glimpsereviews.com

“What a great conclusion to this amazing series. My grandsons LOVE this series and hate to see it end. We are anxiously waiting for the next series from this amazing author.”

— kellysthoughtsonthings.com 

Check out the About the Sir Kaye series page for a preview of all four books in the award-winning Sir Kaye series and links to purchase.

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Interview with Reggie Stork: A Dyslexic Hero of Self-reference from the Sir Kaye Children’s Book Series

Although Dyslexia was first documented about 130 years ago, the condition has probably been around for as long as the written word. In my Sir Kaye the Boy Knight medieval adventure series, Reggie—Sir Kaye’s best friend and the narrator of the stories—is most definitely dyslexic. Despite Reggie’s struggles with the complications associated with dyslexia, he also has many strengths, and eventually becomes one of the greatest storytellers in the land of Knox as well as one of its official Royal Chroniclers.  But Reggie’s journey is not an easy one: it takes grit and determination. He constantly works at developing a strong sense of self—that is, believing in himself regardless of what others say, think, or expect of him.

In the following fictional interview with Reggie, we get a glimpse into his personal journey of discovery.

Don: Would you please tell our readers a bit about yourself?

Reggie: My name is Reggie. Well, actually it’s Reginald Stork, but only my parents call me that, and only when I’m in trouble. My friends call me Reggie. I love to explore, solve mysteries, have adventures with my friends Kaye and Beau, ride horses, and eat! My favorite room in the house is the kitchen, but I like being outside best. I’m also a Royal Chronicler of Knox now. That still surprises me when I think about it.

[image error]Reggie’s favorite book illustration

Don: Why is your appointment as Royal Chronicler a surprise?

Reggie: Because writing is really hard for me. I like to talk—people tell me I talk a lot! But even though I can think and say all kinds of things, it’s really hard for me to write it down. It takes too long, and my writing is bad, and I can’t tell even half of the things I want to. It’s frustrating! Reading is hard for me too. I guess at words a lot and use pictures as clues so I can pretend to other people that I can read as well as them.

Don: Reggie, when did you first suspect that you learned differently than other children?

Reggie: I had trouble memorizing the alphabet—big trouble. And numbers are hard for me too. My father is a wool merchant and he used to ask me to help him count the fleeces in his warehouse. I kept losing track of the numbers, and even after counting them, in the space of time between counting and writing the number down, I’d get confused and have to start all over again. My father would get so angry with me!

And I get lost easily. If a friend gives me directions with more than a turn or two, I can’t remember the order or all of the steps. That’s one reason why I love being with my friends—they never get lost!

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Don: How have you managed these challenges to do your job as Royal Chronicler?

Reggie: During all our adventures, I realized that, while reading and writing are always really hard for me, I love stories. I love telling them, hearing them, being part of them. And the only way to keep stories safe and share them with others in a way they won’t change over time, is to write them down. Some of my favorite stories are from before I was born—even from hundreds of years ago–and I would never know them if they hadn’t been written down.

If I take my time, and don’t try to rush, I can write down the truth about my adventures with Kaye and Beau. And that’s important! People need to know that Kaye never deserved to be called Sir Donkey, and that Beau is more than just the queen’s nephew, and that I am not stupid! Writing these things down will always be hard work for me, but remembering how important stories are makes me willing to do the work. Also the queen pays me five gold coins a month to write these things down. That helps a lot!

Don: How do you feel about the fact that you have to work harder than your friends to read and write, or that they don’t struggle with getting lost?

Reggie: Sometimes I’m angry or sad. It’s not fair! But thinking about it makes me unhappy. I like to be happy. So now, when I start getting impatient with my slow writing and reading, I tell myself that I’m good at a lot of things too. I am very observant. I like helping people. And sometimes I can be very brave, although I usually don’t know it until after I’ve been brave. I could keep thinking about the things that frustrate me, or I can choose to say, “What’s next?” and get on with life’s adventures. And I like having adventures better than feeling sad about myself.

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Don: What’s been the hardest thing in your life so far?

Reggie: Feeling stupid, and feeling like I am always disappointing people because I don’t do things well or fast enough. My father hired tutor after tutor for me, and every one of them quit, telling my father I was stupid and couldn’t learn. My father wants me to become a wool merchant like him and he is always disappointed in me because I’m no good at it—and because I’m no good at anything that matters to him. Sometimes I’ve wondered if I’ll ever be good enough for anything, or anyone! Thinking that way makes me feel alone and sad.

But in a way, I’m glad I’ve had those thoughts about myself because it’s helped me see the things I do well, which helps me feel good about who I am. When I have new adventures and new experiences, I learn new things about myself, and sometimes I learn that I’m good at something I didn’t expect to be good at. It’s always a surprise, but they are happy surprises.

Don: What are you proudest of?

Reggie: Being a good friend. I’ve learned a lot from being friends with Kaye and Beau. It’s taught me that even when I don’t understand what someone else is thinking or feeling, I need to be patient and not take things personally. I’ve learned that friends always look out for each other. Everyone has different things they’re good at, so even if you’re not good at something, probably one of your friends can help you with it. And it’s helped me be a better friend to myself, because learning to see the good in my friends helps me practice seeing the good in myself. Being a good friend has meant learning to make good choices, and to do what’s right for the group. And we have lots of fun and adventures together. My friends are the best!

 If you’re looking for a series of exciting adventure books that help reluctant readers, take a peek at the award-winning Sir Kaye series published by Progressive Rising Phoenix Press.

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A Trip in Time: Santa Fe’s Palace of the Governors

As I was researching The Lost Castle Treasure, the second book in my Sir Kaye, the Boy Knight series, I needed to learn all I could about castles; after all, a castle was a main character in the book. During my castle research, including an interview with Bob Lawson, the Curator of the Ferniehirst Castle in Scotland, I was amazed by how many ancient castles are still in use today. Not only are most of the European castles many hundreds of, and some over a thousand, years old, a lot of them have remained occupied for hundreds of years.

I was reminded of my castle research during a recent trip to Santa Fe, New Mexico. No, I didn’t come across an ancient castle, not like what you’d find in Europe, but I did discover, to my surprise, something closely related.

I learned that the Palace of the Governors in Santa Fe is the oldest continuously occupied public building in the United States. Like my medieval castle research, this fact needed further investigation. One would think that since the east coast was the birthplace of the American colonies, such a building would be on that side of the nation. But no, New Mexico’s Palace of the Governors holds that title! A good reminder that colonization came from more than one direction.

How old is the palace? New Mexico was first inhabited by Native Americans of course, but in 1598 that changed when Spanish explorers began colonization. Construction of the palace is traditionally thought to have begun in 1610 under the authorization of Pedro de Peralta, the newly appointed governor of the American Southwest Spanish Territory. I have to mention, however, that current research suggests that construction didn’t actually begin until 1618.

The palace originally served as the seat of government of the Spanish colony of Nuevo Mexico, which included the present-day states of Texas, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, Nevada, California, and New Mexico.

[image error]In 1850, New Mexico was annexed as a U.S. territory, the palace being absorbed along with the rest of the territory. The palace then became New Mexico’s first territorial capitol, until January 6, 1912, when the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of New Mexico.

In 1909, the New Mexico territorial legislature established the Museum of New Mexico, and the Palace of the Governors served as the site of the state history museum.

In 2009 the New Mexico History Museum was opened adjacent to the palace, which is now one of eight museums overseen by the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs.

So this would make this continuously occupied building about 400 years old. But enough about the history, let’s take a look inside.

Adobe Construction

[image error]Adobe brick

Inside the museum, there are many exhibits and cutaways that show how the building was first constructed. Adobe is basically a mud brick made of earth with a fairly high clay content and mixed with straw or even dung. The earth mix is placed in open, rectangular-shaped molds, cast on the ground, and left to dry out. Adobe bricks are sun-dried, not kiln-dried, and are used in construction by being placed into staggered runs using an earth mortar to hold the bricks together.

 

Adobe Walls

Since adobe construction was load-bearing, adobe walls were generally massively thick, and seldom rose over 2 stories.

[image error]2 photos of windows in the thick adobe walls. Notice how deep set the windows are.

Adobe Roofs

Early adobe roofs in the southwest were generally flat, with low parapet walls, unlike the pitched roofs we are used to today. These roofs were made of logs which supported wooden poles, which in turn supported wooden lathing or layers of twigs covered with packed adobe earth. The wood was usually aspen, mesquite, cedar, or other native hardwoods.

In some parts of the southwest, it was common to place a long wooden timber within the last courses of adobe bricks. This timber provided a horizontal bearing plate for the roof, thereby distributing the weight of the roof along the wall.

[image error]Adobe ceiling construction, squared logs

 

[image error]Adobe ceiling construction, rounded logs

As my wife and I strolled through the property, peering into cutaways at bricks that were formed by men and women with their own hands hundreds of years ago, we were transported back to a time when there were no asphalt-paved surfaces, electric lines, cellular telephones, or indoor plumbing. We imagined living in a time where all people were connected intimately with their planet, indeed shaping their very homes from its topsoil, people who were sustained beautifully and abundantly from the earth’s bounty. How quiet it would have been to have lived then: no cars, humming refrigerators, dishwashers, washer or dryers, no blowing fans or air conditioners—just the crackling of the fire that provided warmth and cooked one’s simple food for the day. It reminded me of the importance of living simply, with a small footprint placed gently and respectfully on our planet, being satisfied with simple, lasting, quality things. I was grateful for the reminder that there’s a lot more to learn about American History than just the basic information about the founding fathers.

Link for more information: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palace_of_the_Governors

Note: If you’re looking for a series of exciting adventure books that helps reluctant readers, take a peek at my award-winning Sir Kaye series published by Progressive Rising Phoenix Press.

Helping Teachers Help ALL Kids Learn to Read

In my last blog, I talked about how hundreds of thousands of children either cannot read well or cannot read with meaningful comprehension due to reading challenges, such as dyslexia. Tragically, a staggering 66% of students fail to reach grade proficiency in reading by the 4th grade. And as I’ve discussed before in an article called The Precious Gift of Reading, once kids miss the window on learning to read, their ability to read to learn is severely compromised.

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But there’s good news. I recently interviewed Sinclair Sherrill of Boon Philanthropy on my CBA Radio Show and he was joined by Peggy Price of the Stern Center for Language and Learning where she explained what explicit, multi-sensory literacy instruction is and how children benefit from it. Teachers that receive training in explicit, multi-sensory literacy instruction are helping to turn the tide on the tragic statistic mentioned above. The US education system generally fails to provide teachers training in explicit, multi-sensory instruction—and teachers can’t teach what they don’t know. But there’s an organization called Boon Philanthropy that’s working hard on a national level to make explicit, multi-sensory literacy instruction training available for teachers of grades 1-12. And here’s where you, dear readers, can make a real difference!

In addition to the radio show interview, Sinclair has also graciously agreed to be interviewed for this blog about his work with Boon Philanthropy and the need for ongoing support so they can continue to provide this important training for teachers.

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Don: What can you tell us about Boon Philanthropy and your organization’s goals?

Sinclair: Since the education system generally fails to provide training in explicit, multi-sensory literacy instruction, teachers go without. It isn’t taught to them in college or graduate schools of education or funded and offered in professional, on-the-job training. So if dedicated teachers want the training, they have to pay their own tuition. This is the case even though our government spends $13 billion per year on professional learning inside the education system.

At Boon we know from our work with our designated grantee trainers that scholarships for teachers that want to learn explicit, multi-sensory literacy instruction methods will help them achieve their goals. Teachers want this training and the kids deserve this type of instruction. As an example of teacher interest in reading success, ReadWorks, an education non-profit, provides 1.2 million public school teachers with free, online reading comprehension materials, because they want to see their students read at grade proficiency.

Only 10% of our nation’s schools of education provide this training to student teachers, and it isn’t part of a teacher’s certification examinations. This is why teachers lack the tools required to get most students to grade level reading. There is no reason the education system couldn’t provide the training, but there has been a longstanding disconnect between scientific research on reading and the brain, and how reading is actually taught. The bias runs deep, and the next generation of kids don’t deserve to suffer from this inability of the education system to respond.

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To acquire the training, a student or practicing teacher must attend courses outside the education system, which are offered by independent nonprofits. Boon’s designated grantee training allies are International Multi-sensory Structured Language Educational Council (IMSLEC), Academic Language Therapy Association (ALTA), Academy of Orton-Gillingham Practitioners and Educators (AOGPE), and Wilson Language, nonprofit partners. These primary training organizations are our designated grantee trainers and they operate in 17 states. It is their responsibility to distribute their share of the funding in their organizations, and be certain the training is effectively completed. You can learn more from our website www.boonphilanthropy.org

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Don: Tell us about the training?

Sinclair: Don, please keep in mind I am a funder and not an expert. Professional learning in the education system is often criticized for a lack of quality, particularly when it comes to applying the training. The organizations Boon is associated with are the best in the business, and the experiential part of their professional learning is significant. Each of our designated grantee training organizations have slightly different schedules and requirements, but each offers an introductory course, which then opens up the opportunity for a teacher to train further in one-year increments.

[image error]From start to finish, the training can be expensive and time consuming, as it requires extensive coursework and eventually hundreds of hours of practicum, (which is hands-on supervised teaching experience with children.) A teacher in training can’t skip a step, and it typically starts with a 30-hour introductory course which leads to the first year of training and practicum experience. To become a certified teacher trainer, (which our nation desperately needs more of) can take 4-6 years of course work and teaching.

If you are already teaching, it takes real motivation—something all teachers demonstrate every day.

That is why Boon plans to fund a pipeline of training that offers scholarships to as

many teachers as possible to start, and then encourage them to move toward the ultimate goal of being teacher trainers. The long term success for Boon requires us to perpetually fund teacher training that leads to certified teacher trainers. These special legacy teacher trainers and teachers will insure that American students become successful readers.

Don: How can teachers get the training?

Sinclair: Well, Don, we are just getting started, but teachers can make their interest known to Boon and our designated grantee trainers, IMSLEC, ALTA, Academy of OG, and to Wilson nonprofit partners through Wilson Language. Information and directories are on our website, but the headquarters of each organization will be responsible for disbursing training dollars and providing their expert training.

Don: How can people support your organization?

Sinclair: Boon’s mission is to raise funds and make grants every year to explicit, multi-sensory literacy training in perpetuity (forever) because the need is always going to be there. Our funding model is best described as a pyramid, with our core-funders contributing 5-6 figure gifts to encourage average donors from the bottom up to contribute. We need to grow to a become a multi-million dollar funder to train these worthy teachers.

We are planning to establish a matching fund at Boon from our core-funders. It will provide a dollar match for every dollar contributed up to $1000 size gift. Then we will distribute all the accumulated funds entirely to our designated grantee training organizations. We are getting organized to receive gifts made online via credit or debit card or PayPal. Checks can be sent to us as well. We stipulate that we would like to know our donors and let them know firsthand how grateful we are.

http://boonphilanthropy.org/index.php

About Sinclair Sherrill:

In 2016 Sinclair partnered with Sebastian Scripps to create Boon—a start-up, nonprofit which raises funds and makes innovative grants [image error]to professional learning programs in education. Their aim is to increase the number of teachers in grades 1-12 trained in explicit, multi-sensory literacy instruction methods through their Orton National Teacher Scholarships. Since explicit, multi-sensory literacy instruction is generally unavailable through the education system, this training will help insure more learners read at their grade level by graduation.

Back in 2010, Boon began its targeted research on education. The research started in the learning differences field and it expanded to include general education. Today, Boon primarily focuses on professional learning in literacy instruction, and is setting up its first dollar-for-dollar matching fund to support Orton National Scholarships.

Mr. Sherrill has been a family foundation director and fund-raiser for thirty years, and received his BA from Harvard University and his JD from Seattle University School of Law.

Helping ALL Kids Learn to Read

Reading, in the not-so-distant past, was a right and privilege limited to royalty, the wealthy, or religious clerics. Books were rare and expensive.

But fast-forward a couple of thousand years and, thankfully, the printed word is all around us. Availability isn’t the problem nowadays, and yet, because of reading challenges, hundreds of thousands can’t read well or read with meaningful comprehension. Tragically, a staggering 66% of students fail to reach grade proficiency in reading by the 4th grade. This is tragic because reading is not just a recreational pastime. After we learn to read, for the rest of our lives, we must be able to read well to learn.

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As I’ve discussed before in this blog, our brains are hard-wired for speech, but not for literacy, so learning to read and write means cracking the code that links meaningless (at first) squiggles on a page to the familiar spoken word. The printed word proves to be quite a challenge for many children, especially those who have dyslexia or are at risk for other reading difficulties.

The reality of the situation is that the methods used to teach reading haven’t kept pace with the research and the diversity of learning differences. Teaching methods must be evidence-based to effectively teach a diverse group of students.

One notable group of teachers with training in explicit, multisensory literacy instruction is helping to turn the tide. But what is explicit, multisensory literacy instruction?

Peggy Price runs the Stern Center for Language and Learning’s Orton-Gillingham Institute, where she teaches graduate courses and supervises teachers working toward Orton-Gillingham certification. In an upcoming CBA Radio Show interview with Peggy, she shared some encouraging data with me. According to the National Research Council in 1998, a majority of reading problems can be prevented in preschool and the early grades. But we cannot teach what we do not know! Peggy has graciously agreed to answer a few questions about improving teacher training, her work at the Stern Center for Language and Learning, and how explicit, multisensory literacy instruction can benefit all kids who are learning to read.

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Don: Would you tell us a little bit about Orton-Gillingham and your role at the Stern Center for Language and Learning?

Peggy: Located in Williston, Vermont, the Stern Center for Language and Learning is a nonprofit educational center dedicated to helping children and adults reach their full potential. Through high-quality direct service, professional learning, and research, we are committed to enriching the lives of learners because all great minds don’t think alike! Now in its 34th year, the Stern Center’s professional learning department is involved with teacher training at the local and national level by providing practical, evidenced-based coursework on language and literacy development.

[image error]In 2010 the Stern Center created an Orton-Gillingham Institute, accredited by the Academy of Orton-Gillingham Practitioners and Educators. The Orton-Gillingham Approach is the foundation of explicit multisensory literacy instruction. Orton-Gillingham or OG was developed by Dr. Samuel Orton, Anna Gillingham, and Bessie Stillman in the 1930s as a structured, systematic, and multisensory approach to teach reading, spelling, and writing to children with dyslexia. As the field of neuroscience and educational research has grown, it is clear that all students benefit from this type of multisensory instruction. As director of the Stern Center’s Orton-Gillingham Institute, I provide a variety of coursework and yearlong practicum opportunities for teachers with five additional OG Fellows, who are experts in the OG approach. Teachers who successfully complete OG coursework and practicum are eligible for OG certification through the Academy of Orton-Gillingham Practitioners and Educators.

Don: What is explicit, multisensory literacy instruction, and how is this method different from traditional teaching methods? Can you describe the Orton-Gillingham Approach?

Peggy: Explicit instruction means the teacher never assumes a student will know how to read or write a word without being taught the structure of the word and how this fits into the greater framework of the English language. There is sequential order to what is taught based on what is more common and predictable in the English language to less common and predictable. Multisensory literacy refers to the following acronym: VAKT. V- visual, A- auditory, K- kinesthetic, and T-tactile. We often think of reading as a visual task, but simultaneously utilizing multiple sensory modalities strengthens letter-correspondence, memory, and one’s ability to read, spell, and write. Initially developed by Dr. Samuel Orton and Anna Gillingham, multisensory instruction is the hallmark of OG.

In more traditional classrooms, literacy instruction may begin with teaching the letters of the alphabet and the sounds of the alphabet with varying degrees of sound accuracy. Teachers will read aloud to students from a variety of children’s literature and expose them to letters and sight words with the hope that children will learn to read and write through osmosis. There is little to no explicit instruction about the sounds or structure in our language that govern the spelling patterns and sentence structure.

A classroom that utilizes multisensory instruction or an OG Approach will look very different. Children are still exposed to rich literature, but they are also taught systematically through guided exploration and the Socratic method of questioning how sounds are articulated in the mouth to provide greater kinesthetic feedback when learning letter-sound correspondence. In addition to being taught how letter-sounds are produced, reading and spelling are taught simultaneously because learning how to automatically and legibly form letters strengthens a student’s ability to read and spell. Students will be shown letter “d” and will trace the letter on a textured surface, such as a salt-tray, while stating the letter-name, key word, and sound. In this one example, students are seeing a visual symbol, a letter, but are integrating multiple modalities: auditory- stating the letter-name and sound, kinesthetic- they are feeling what their mouth is doing when they make this sound (tongue tapping the roof of their mouth and vocal cords vibrating), and tactile- act of handwriting. This is one small example of how OG is multisensory literacy instruction.

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What I want to emphasize is that while our English language may appear somewhat irregular, in fact, over 90% of our language is quite predictable if we understand the structure and rules within our language AND how to teach it in a simple, concrete, easy-to-understand approach. OG is based upon the idea that children should not be taught to memorize word lists for a spelling test, but be given critical thinking skills to think about language. We are teaching to our students’ intellect. This is not about rote memorization or kill and drill.

The reason OG is called an approach, and not a program, is that OG is flexible based on students’ needs. Any skilled teacher needs to know how to adapt to the needs of his or her students beyond what is contained in any one program. Good teachers don’t try to fit students into a preset program; they use materials from a program to fit a student. A key principle of the OG approach is the idea of diagnostic and prescriptive instruction. A skilled teacher takes data on the students’ performance in Monday’s lesson and analyzes the students’ errors to plan Tuesday’s lesson. When students are taught in such a manner it leads to student mastery and improved self-confidence. If the ultimate goal of reading is comprehension and novel thought, we must ensure students can read effortlessly so that their mental energies can be spent on comprehension and are not bogged down with sounding out a word, or even worse, skipping or guessing words.

Don: How effective is explicit, multisensory literacy instruction for kids with learning differences?

Peggy: Multisensory literacy instruction is the gold standard for remediating learning differences. This approach was originally designed for students with dyslexia or reading disabilities. It works because this type of instruction teaches to the student’s strength, his or her intelligence instead of rote memorization. Through the diagnostic and prescriptive instruction I mentioned earlier, students are taught to mastery utilizing VAKT modalities. Multisensory literacy instruction will benefit all students regardless of whether some have learning differences and some do not.

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Don: What about older kids (or even adults) that are past the ideal age for learning to read: can they still benefit from explicit, multisensory literacy instruction?

Peggy: It is NEVER too late to improve your reading and writing skills. The oldest student I ever taught was 44-years-old. He began tutoring as functionally illiterate and through his tenacity and OG instruction he learned how to read and spell multisyllabic words. He began use text messaging and enrolled in an adult computer class, two things he hadn’t felt confident enough to attempt previously. Our brain remains plastic throughout our lifespan, but the older a child becomes, the greater the gap between his low literacy rate and his peers’ growing literacy rate. Not only do we need to work on closing this gap to bring an older student up to grade level, but that student has also missed out on years of being exposed to rich vocabulary, sentence structure, and content knowledge from books. The amount of resources necessary to close the gap drastically increases the older a student becomes. Both common sense and the research clearly indicate the earlier we can intervene, the better. Early childhood educators who work with babies and young children before they enter school are in a unique situation to mold young brains so children can enter kindergarten prepared for success. Kindergarten and elementary school teachers are the gatekeepers who can teach effectively teach children how to read, if they are given the knowledge and tools of effective, evidenced-based instruction. There will always be children who struggle with reading and writing who will benefit from individualized instruction, but we can drastically lower the statistics of illiteracy and provide earlier intervention if all teachers are provided with in-depth literacy training.

Parents, I encourage all of you to continue reading aloud to your children even if they are already readers and actively discuss the books you read. I also encourage you not to shy away from more advanced vocabulary with your children, regardless of age. Just as your toddler may have easily picked up terms like excavator, backhoe, and triceratops, they can also learn words such as scowl and smirk, cautious and reckless, by hearing you add them into your own vocabulary.

Don: Where can people learn more about your work at the Stern Center for Language and Learning and how can they provide support for training teachers in explicit, multisensory literacy instruction?

Peggy: Check out the Stern Center’s website to learn more about our Orton-Gillingham offerings. If you work with babies and children from birth to age five, check out our professional learning program, BUILDING BLOCKS FOR LITERACY®, which is currently being developed into an online three-credit course as well as our other professional learning courses and webinars. You don’t need to live in Vermont to learn from the Stern Center’s expert staff.

Also, check out Boon Philanthropy for how you can help support training for teachers in explicit, multisensory literacy instruction. Boon’s mission is to raise funds and make grants every year to explicit, multisensory literacy training in perpetuity (forever) because the need is always going to be there.

[image error]About Peggy Price: Peggy is a Fellow at the Academy of Orton-Gillingham Practitioners and Educators. She runs the Stern Center for Language and Learning’s Orton-Gillingham Institute, where she teaches graduate courses and supervises teachers working toward Orton-Gillingham certification. Peggy also teaches Building Blocks for Literacy, a research-based, play-based professional learning program for early childhood educators. Peggy has a master’s degree in special education from Georgia State University and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Binghamton University.

The Return of Space Cop Zack: GARG’s Secret Mission

[image error]When I released my picture book, Space Cop Zack, Protector of the Galaxy, in August 2013, I published a series of blogs about the power of imagination, covering everything from how imagination empowers humans to learn how to think symbolically, its role in problem-solving, and its psychosocial and psychological benefits.  At that time, I also mentioned that Space Cop Zack is about the “beta version” of imagination—childhood imaginings that help us develop our imaginations into powerful tools that can serve us well throughout our lives.

Space Cop Zack was well received, winning a Readers’ Favorite Book Award and a Gold Medal in the UK Wishing Shelf Book Awards.

About Space Cop Zack, Protector of the Galaxy:

“The author does a fantastic job of capturing a little boy’s imagination…If you are looking for a funny, fun, and entertaining book for your child’s library…pick up a copy and see for yourself what a great book this is.”—Readers’ Favorite Review

I’m happy to announce that Space Cop Zack has returned for new mission, one packed with even more imaginative adventure.

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So what new adventure is Zack up to in book two?  In GARG’s Secret Mission, GARG is sent to rescue a space princess held captive by the notorious General Electric. When mission control loses contact with GARG, Zack goes looking for him. Will Zack find GARG and help rescue the princess before it’s too late? Will Zack stop the notorious General Electric? That will all depend on where your imagination takes you.

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The official release date for GARG’s Secret Mission is May 2, 2017 and it’s available for pre-order now from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Amazon.ca, Amazon.co.uk, and other online booksellers.

GARG’s Secret Mission has been getting some very enthusiastic thumbs ups from various pre-release review sources, including the UK Wishing Shelf Book Review:

The verdict?

A fantastically fun sci-fi romp…the perfect book for any reluctant boy reader.

—A ‘Wishing Shelf’ Book Review

Here’s the full review:

This wonderfully colourful sci-fi adventure is the perfect book for any reluctant boy reader. It’s packed full of the most imaginative fantasy worlds, monsters and gadgets, from the Windy Cavern of Doom to Electrostatic Dwarf Eels to a very clever ZX-E9 Super Blaster!

I sat down with my 7 year old boy and we enjoyed it very much. His eyes almost popped out of his skull when he saw the picture of the Somnosaurus of Brachulon 12! The story is also fun with plenty (PLENTY!) happening to keep any youngster amused. The paragraphs are short, the vocab. perfect for any 6 – 10 year old to follow (maybe with a bit of help from mum and dad). There’s even a fun twist at the end.

Thankfully, the author and illustrator seem to understand that, in a good picture book, the words and the drawings must work together to tell the story. Thus, the author lets the illustrations do the ‘descriptive’ work, with the author focusing on a fast-paced plot. It works very well.

I would recommend this story to any child between 6 – 9 years old. To be honest, it will probably appeal mostly to boys who love big slimy monsters and super-fast spaceships. In fact, if you are struggling to find a book to interest a reluctant boy reader, I’d thoroughly recommend GARG’S SECRET MISSION. It’s worth reading it just to see what an Electrostatic Dwarf Eel looks like!

Many thanks to the Wishing Shelf staff for their enthusiastic review!

It’s All About the Wind: A Brief History of Windpower

 

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[image error]I recently made a trip to New Mexico and while driving through Sweetwater, Texas, I came upon a massive wind farm. What’s a wind farm you may ask? A wind farm is a group of wind turbines (like giant windmills) that are built in a location known to be especially windy. As the winds turn the blades of the turbines, the turbines convert the kinetic energy of the wind into electricity. (Kinetic energy is what a body possesses by virtue of being in motion.)

This particular wind farm has over thirteen hundred wind turbines spread out over many miles. The colossal wind turbines have three large, gracefully curved blades that slowly rotate in the wind. It’s hard to convey the actual size of these wind turbines from a photo, but they are massive. It’s even harder to convey how the majesty of the wide-open landscape of west Texas seems dwarfed by the giant monoliths with their spinning blades. The experience of driving through this forest of turbines made me feel a palpable connection with the invisible but ever-present force we call wind. Like a musical neophyte learning about meter through the use of a metronome, these wind farms take the measure and meter of the force that encircles our globe in a way that seems to synchronize one’s heartbeat with the pulse of the earth. I felt transfixed.

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It reminded me of my fascination with the wind as a child, a fascination I probably shared with most kids. Who hasn’t been entertained by a pinwheel, or held their hand out of a car window like it was an airplane wing, or been captivated by the helicopter-type rotation of flying maple seeds as they spin to the ground, or folded paper into an airplane and watched it glide on a breeze? And of course, what kid isn’t excited to see an old-fashioned windmill as its many blades turn in response to the wind. As a kid, I didn’t ask a lot of questions about the windmill, so for all of my blog readers who, like me, failed to ask all the important questions about windmills as a child, I thought I’d share a few facts about windmills now…it’s never too late.

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History of using wind energy:

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Wind made it possible for the earliest explorers to leave home: wind energy propelled boats along the Nile River as early as 5000 B.C. By 200 B.C., simple windmills in China were pumping water, while vertical-axis windmills with woven reed sails were grinding grain in Persia and the Middle East. New ways of using the energy of the wind eventually spread around the world—references below.

Windmills are believed to have originated in Persia. The world’s oldest windmills are located in Afghanistan. Two Arab writers mentioned windmills in high dry land between what is known today as Iran and Afghanistan. They mentioned that the wind drove the mills to raise water from the streams—references below.

A windmill is a mill that converts the energy of wind into rotational energy by means of vanes called sails or blades. Centuries ago, windmills usually were used to mill grain (gristmills), pump water (windpumps), or both.

The earliest known wind-powered grain mills and water pumps were used by the Persians in A.D. 500-900 and by the Chinese in A.D. 1200. The first windmill manufactured in the United States was designed by Daniel Halladay, who began inventing windmills in 1854 in his Connecticut machine shop.

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Wind turbines operate on a simple principle. The energy in the wind turns two or three propeller-like blades around a rotor. The rotor is connected to the main shaft, which spins a generator to create electricity.

The first electricity-generating wind turbine was invented in 1888 in Cleveland, Ohio, by Charles F. Brush. The turbine’s diameter was 17 meters (50 feet), it had 144 rotor blades made of cedar wood, and it generated about 12 kilowatts (kW) of power.

Fast forward to today: wind power that’s free and always available is finally registering with the people who make energy decisions in the USA. All 50 states now are home to a wind project and/or a wind energy-related manufacturing facility. What’s going on in your state? Find out here:

https://powerofwind.org/aboutwindpower

If you live outside the USA, here’s a link to other countries and their wind projects:[image error]

https://www.ieawind.org/

As I drove through mile after mile of wind farm, I was humbled to think of how little time I’ve spent in my life considering the wind, and was grateful to be reminded of its power and presence. It’s important to the life and health of our planet and its residents to be more responsible with our mutual energy needs, and more respectful of the impact of the carbon footprint we leave behind for future generations.

Whenever you’d like, access this web page to view the soothing effects of the wind patterns in the USA in real time: http://hint.fm/wind/

References:

http://telosnet.com/wind/early.html
http://www.thirdplanetwind.com/energy/history.aspx
Islamic Technology: An Illustrated History – March 27, 1992, by Ahmad Y. al-Hassan (Author), Donald R. Hill (Author)
Lucas, Adam (2006). Wind, Water, Work: Ancient and Medieval Milling Technology. Brill Publishers. p. 105. ISBN 90-04-14649-0.