Professional Documents
Culture Documents
The
~
VOL. 43 Davis Dyslexia Association International ISSUE 4 • 2006
• Lack of symptoms of
Famous Dyslexics Remember . . . . . . .18
OnPoint with Davis Dyslexia
lateralization (right- mixed hemispheric
left sense). The person has difficulty dominance of the brain, such as
Correction Methods . . . . . . . . . . .20
distinguishing right from left and with right-left confusion.
crossing the midline of the body with It can also create the effect of a
Regular Features
In the Mail:
Dear DDAI:
I just finished reading The Gift of
Dyslexia and have started the
procedures with my 12-year-old son.
Dear DDAI:
I’d like to share something nice
I cannot thank you enough for sharing
with you. One of my clients, Grace
Eracleous, gave a wonderful answer the information and your experiences.
to a question in program results My son has struggled for years and I
assessment. I call her “Amazing have always been told it was ADHD
Grace” because she is really great that was causing his problems. He had
and we had a beautiful week together. too many side effects from medication.
The question was, “Why is it fog. But when the fog rises from the While reading one of Henry
important to master symbols and sea and the town you can have a clear Winkler’s books about two years ago
words?” picture of everything that surrounds you.” my son told me that sometimes when
Her answer: “Because if you –Alexis Mouzouris he tries to read it looks like a word
do not master words and symbols The Speech & Learning Correction Centre search puzzle. That was when I
you can not go forward. It’s a blurred Email:dyslexia.cyp@cytanet.com realized his problem was dyslexia.
picture. It’s like you cannot see in the Internet:www.dyslexia-cyprus.com I have fought with the school
system since then to do more testing.
His test scores fall in the average range
Copyright 2001 Randy Glasbergen. www.glasbergen.com
–Jane Hendricks
The Dyslexic Reader is published quarterly by Davis Dyslexia Association International (DDAI), 1601 Bayshore Hwy.,
Suite 245, Burlingame, CA 94010 USA. Tel. +1 (650) 692-7141.
OUR GOALS are to increase worldwide awareness about the positive aspects of dyslexia and related learning styles;
and to present methods for improving literacy, education and academic success. We believe that all people’s abilities
and talents should be recognized and valued, and that learning problems can be corrected. EDITORIAL BOARD:
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The opinions and views expressed in articles and letters are not necessarily those of DDAI. Davis™, Dyslexia Correction®, Davis Symbol Mastery®, Davis
Orientation Counseling®, and Davis Learning Strategies® are trademarks of Ronald D. Davis. Copyright © 2006 by DDAI, unless otherwise noted.
All rights reserved.
THE DYSLEXIC READER PAGE 3
Musical Expectations
By Geoffrey Keith
Parents take their children to music the notes the teacher played
lessons placing a great deal of trust in on the piano. She had not
their children’s music teacher. They enquired whether I could
want the teacher to instruct their read music; she had just
children in music, but often do not assumed I could, and I was
know what that really means. We will far too inhibited to tell her I
talk about the different areas of music could not. One lesson into
that students study, and then realistic Book Two I played my first
expectations for students with dyslexia wrong note. ‘What note is
become frustrated when she does
and ADHD, touching on the strategies that?’ She said. I made a wild guess–
begin to learn to read and plays at a
that are needed to help visual-spatial ‘B.’ ‘No, of course not you stupid
lower level of difficulty.
students to excel in music. girl.’ There ended my violin lessons”
Musical instrument lessons, by
First let’s take a look at what is (Wood, p. 51).
definition, teach instrumental technique.
studied in music lessons. As most of It is an irony that some of our
Music notation is often fairly general.
you probably already know, dyslexic most gifted students can be the most
The basic notation applies equally
students are picture thinkers. Visual difficult to get to read. The teacher
well to most instruments. Technique,
thinking is the fount of both their has to be careful about how much and
though, is usually instrument specific.
giftedness and learning issues. Visual-
In other words, notation tells you when
spatial learners can include students
to play a particular note, whereas
who have dyslexia and/or ADD, or
technique shows you what finger(s)
may also include students who do not
to use, how to hold the pick or bow,
have obvious dyslexic tendencies.
how to lip a note, or how to sing with
Most lesson materials teachers
a supported tone. It is connected to
will use are notation based, meaning
teaching music notation, but not
that the student learns to read music
synonymous with it.
first; then, he learns all of his music
Music theory is sometimes
pieces and music knowledge through
taught in instrumental lessons and
the notation. The advantage to this
sometimes not. Music theory teaches
approach is that music notation can
the underlying concepts of how music
help convey concepts of pitch and
is organized. In my experience, it is
rhythm critical to learning more
important to include elements of
advanced material later on. The
music theory in instrumental lessons,
disadvantage is that if the student
because it gives the student the larger
struggles with the notation, he is
structure, which helps him make
blocked from learning music at all.
sense of music (remember that visual-
The good news is that there are
spatial learners are big-picture people).
ways around this.
The theory of intervals, scales, chords,
Many instructors teach by ear when to play for the
and phrases can also be helpful for
and rote memorization. The advantage student. It is generally a good
reading music by way of a psychological
to this approach is that a student with idea to have the student make the first
concept called chunking. It is also
a good ear can begin playing right two or three attempts on her own,
helpful when visual-spatial students
away. The disadvantage is that a because this forces her to read the
start to learn to improvise and
student with a good ear can often play music. If she still struggles, the
compose, which is an area where
a piece after only one listening and teacher can play for her, having her
dyslexic students can shine.
will skip the entire process of reading. focus on how it looks or sounds when
Interpretation and performance
Here is an anecdote from the book she plays the phrase versus how it
are also important elements of the
Music and Dyslexia. looks or sounds when the teacher
lessons. Interpretation is the point
“It was decided that I should plays it. It is also important to teach
where music stops being an exercise
have music. As I had a good ear, I reading in conjunction with “ear
–notes strung together–and starts to
made progress and got through the learning,” because if a student’s
have emotional impact. These are also
whole of Book One of the exercises technique progresses too far beyond
areas where the visual-spatial thinker
and simple tunes simply by copying her reading ability, the student can
can shine. (Cont’d on p. 8)
PAGE 4 THE DYSLEXIC READER
Unwrapping the
Gift of Dyslexia
By Ruth Guckenberger
he was lazy, not using his time wisely,ognizing positive as well as negative
his perspective about himself.
I would not wish on any child
when in fact Johnathon was simply disorientation, while doing the reading
the path that led my son, Johnathon,
unable to proofread his typing because exercises and symbol mastery.
to the Davis Dyslexia Correction
he couldn’t read it. His geography Johnathon got better over time.
Program and Learning Options.
By the end of the school year, he was
teacher nearly fell out of his chair when
He was an attentive and bright
he finally attended an IEP meeting and ready to go to a new high school. He
kindergartener whose schooling
found out just how poor Johnathon’s couldn’t wait to enter his new school
experiences landed him in special
reading skills were. where he would be a regular student!
education from first until the end of
Finally, we left the school and Not only is he a ‘regular’ student, but
seventh grade, when homeschooling
began homeschooling. I attended a because he knows how he learns he is
brought him to a Davis Dyslexia
homeschooling convention hoping to now his own best advocate.
Correction Facilitator.
see a wider variety of curriculum Johnathon was sick for nine days
Johnathon began pre-school
during his first semester back at
spelling his name and knowing his
school, but it didn’t matter. His lowest
numbers. When he started kindergarten,
grade was a C+! When Elsie and
things changed almost instantly. He
Johnathon first met, he shared with her
started having trouble spelling his
his dream of going to ground school
name. I found out that his teacher was
to learn to fly. This young man, so
spelling it differently for his desk, his
weighted down by difficulties, created
label where his coat belonged, on the
a model of himself now reaching for
bulletin board, on his papers… and
the sky. And he’s now taking ground
she kept trying to shorten it to Jon. By
school courses along with his high
the end of first grade Johnathon was
school classes. No doubt about it,
on an IEP and was being passed on to
Johnathon will reach the stars!
second grade because if he was held Carrying this weight kept Johnathon Elsie’s comment on the model:
back he would be too old to graduate on the ground. Making a model of self brings an
down the road. And because his
awareness of your knowledge,
teacher didn’t know how to help him. materials. While at the convention, I
experience, and understanding
We switched to a one-room saw a sign that read “Dyslexia…A
represented at a point in time. When
school house in our rural state where Curse or Gift?” I stopped in at
Johnathon made his “self” model, he
the teacher looked forward to the Learning Options, to find out how
put his feelings in three dimensions
challenge of trying to help Johnathon. Facilitator, Elsie Johnson might be
knowing the model would only work
He began having nightmares in which able to help. I could hardly believe
if he made the boulder hollow; he
there were so many papers in his new that there was someone with a great
used his gift of dyslexia from the
desk that he couldn’t shut it! The Special attitude, smart, and sane, and who was
inside out! He dreamed of becoming a
Education Director recommended this not trying to put one over on me!
pilot, but how could he reach for the
sensitive and kindhearted boy go to a Six months later Johnathon went
sky when that heavy weight held him
doctor and get medication for ADD through a Davis Dyslexia Correction
down? Eight months later, he was
or ADHD. Thank God his teacher did program. The program and Elsie lifted
succeeding in school AND taking
a research paper on Ritalin and insisted a weight from Johnathon’s shoulders
flying lessons!! v
that was not what he needed! and his attitude about himself
By the seventh grade some of changed completely. We finished our –Elsie Johnson, Davis Facilitator in
his teachers didn’t realize that he was homeschool year using the tools, rec- Kalispell, Montana
THE DYSLEXIC READER PAGE 5
bigger problem. The child will have
extreme difficulty with letters that
Handwriting . . . (cont’d from p. 1)
for a lifetime of learning. incorporated into just about anything we do Edith Rotenberg
Houtain-St. Siméon/Liège
DLS has been very effective for our in school. We’re very proud to be accepted as + 32 (04) 374-27-87
students. I believe the knowledge gained by a DLS model school and wish to thank the Viki Vandevenne
our teachers from the workshop has enabled Davis Association for making this incredibly Bonheiden
+32 (0473) 30 41 51
us to better understand how children think valuable program available to schools!” v
v Brazil
Ana Lima
Rio De Janeiro
+55 (021) 2295-1505
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Canada
Wayne Aadelstone-Hassel
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Raylene Barnhill
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He jumped so high that he thought he could fly. +1 (506) 458-0494
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Renée Figlarz
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Sher Goerzen
Maple Ridge/Vancouver
Amanda completed the Davis Dyslexia +1 (604) 290-5063
Gerry Grant
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PAGE 8 THE DYSLEXIC READER
So here we have the two sides of the
v Canada (cont’d)
issue. The visual-spatial thinker can learn
Musical Expectations . . . (cont’d from p. 3)
Sue Jutson
Vancouver, B.C.
Having said this, does this mean that things incredibly quickly if she accurately
+1 (604) 732-1516 visual-spatial students will be better at the perceives the subject she is learning, but if
Mary Ann Kettlewell emotional/intuitive aspects of music than at she does not perceive accurately, if she
London, Ontario the detail oriented elements such as we find disorients when looking at music symbols
+1 (519) 652-0252
in music notation? Though this can be true, or at the instrument itself, confusion can set
Carol Livermore
Ottawa, Ontario it would be simplistic to give a blanket yes. in. It is not general intelligence that is the
+1 (800) 394-1535 [Toll Free] Just as there are many different aspects issue with dyslexics, but rather perception,
Julie Locke of music that can be studied, there are many particularly disorientation. You never know
Truro, Nova Scotia
+1 (902) 895-9015 different “talents” that students can excel in. what the student will have a problem with
Yuko Kimura McCulloch, Ph.D. Some are great sight- until the lessons actually
Vancouver, B.C. readers, and others start, but there are definite
+1 (604) 222-2258
improvise well, or have signs to watch for.
Helen McGilivray
Oakville/Toronto a flair for composition, Betty W. Atterbury,
+1 (905) 464-4798 or theory. Others will in her book
Susan Nikolic-Vicentic develop a beautiful tone Mainstreaming
and light touch, or a
Newmarket/Toronto
+1 (905) 953-0033 Exceptional Learners
Tina Panaritis really fast ear. Visual- In Music, had this to
Montreal, Quebec spatial students may do say about some music
+ 1 (514) 690-9164
well in any of these teacher’s expectations
Judy Parley
Taber, Alberta areas. concerning their students
+1 (403) 330-9873 The task that your with dyslexia, “One
Sharon Roberts child struggles with, if researcher (Ansuini,
Waterloo/Toronto
+1 (519) 746-8422 any, will depend on what 1979) surveyed teachers
Kendra Rodych disorients him. Ronald who had taught these
Saskatoon/Saskatchewan Davis, in The Gift of exceptional students and
+1 (306) 955-2972
or (306) 230-8961
Dyslexia, describes reported that the most
Sharon Schachter
disorientation: “It common competencies
Thornhill, Ontario occurs when we are were patience, knowledge
+1 (905) 764-6774 overwhelmed by stimuli of the individual and the
Catherine Smith
Oakville/Toronto
or thought. It also occurs learning disorder, ability to
+1 (905) 844-4144 when the brain receives accept little or no student
1-888-569-1113 toll-free conflicting information from progress, willingness to
Edwina Stone
Whitehorse, Yukon
the different senses and provide additional time, and the
+1 (867) 393-4489 attempts to correlate the information” (p. 15). ability to form personal relationships with
Kim J. Willson-Rymer Disorientation is the result of problems in students” (p. 46).
Oakville/Toronto
+1 (905) 825-3153
perception. Dennis Coon defines perception I read this statement and immediately
as, “... the process of assembling sensations agreed with the need for patience, knowledge
v China (‘data’ from the senses) into usable mental of the student, and building relationships, but
Livia Wong
Hong Kong
representations of the world... Perceptual little or no student progress is not acceptable.
+852-2810-0282 organization may be thought of as a hypothesis It is one thing to proceed at the student’s pace
v Colombia held until evidence contradicts it. Perceptual and be patient. It is another entirely to expect
Laura Zink de Díaz organization shifts for ambiguous stimuli. the student will not progress. That is almost
Bogotá +57 (1) 638-6342 Impossible figures resist stable organization like saying that the music teacher should
v Costa Rica altogether” (p. 129). All minds seek out shapes expect the student to fail. If that is the case,
Maria Elena Guth Blanco
San Jose
and patterns; the visually oriented mind even then we music teachers are failing our
+506 296-4078 more so. The pattern recognition abilities of students. So the question is: how can your
Marcela Rodriguez the picture thinker can make him prone to music teacher lead your dyslexic child
Alajuela make errors in perception, i.e. disorientation, toward success in music?
+506 442-8090
but can also allow him to see subtle patterns The first step is to eliminate
v Cyprus in data, in his surroundings, or in art–whether disorientation. As most of you are probably
Alexis Mouzouris
Limassol visual or aural–that a traditional learner aware, Davis has two simple visualization
+357 25 382 090 might miss. Disorientation is similar to our procedures, called Orientation Counseling
v Finland experience of an optical illusion, in that the and Alignment, which allow the visual
Elisabeth Helenelund mind misperceives the data flowing in from thinker with dyslexic tendencies to quickly
Borga +358 400 79 54 97
the senses. and easily stop disorientation. When oriented
THE DYSLEXIC READER PAGE 9
It is critical to always name a symbol,
v France
define what it does (as concretely and visually
Christine Bleus
as possible), and describe how it looks. Saint Jean de Gonville/
Multisensory strategies can help. Genève +33 450 56 40 48
I have been working with these concepts Corinne Couelle
Marsannay-le-bois/Dijon
for nine years, and I have had consistent +33 (0380) 357 953
success with them. One guitar student, who Jennifer Delrieu
has dyslexic tendencies and ADD, started Voisins le Bretonneux/Paris
+33 (01) 30 44 19 91
with me in October 2002. He is creative and
Françoise Magarian
has grown in his ability to improvise. It has Legny/Lyon
not always been easy; he has struggled with +33 (0474) 72 43 13
note accuracy and steady rhythm, but has stuck Carol Ann Nelson
with it and has been gaining mastery. Using
Boulogne-Billancourt
+33 (0) 1 49 09 12 33
multisensory strategies and the Alignment Odile Puget
Procedure has been pivotal in helping him Segny/Geneve
get to where he is. He plans to major in music +33 (0) 450 418 267
the various senses: from U-Mass Lowell in 1993 +49 (07173) 716 793
• drawing pictures to convey the meaning of for the last eighteen years, nine of which he has Christine Jacob
symbols or tempo and expression marks been working with multisensory strategies, and Lörrach
+49 (07621) 134 60
• playing for the student so he can hear and he is also a visual thinker. This is the first in a Rainer Knobloch
see the different touches and dynamic series of articles on teaching music to students Röthenbach/Nürnberg
shadings, and who are visual/spatial learners. +49 (09120) 18 14 84
Inge Koch-Gassmann
• using visual imagination to enhance Buggingen
interpretation +49 (07631) 23 29
PAGE 10 THE DYSLEXIC READER
v Germany/Deutschland
(cont’d) Cool Short Books
Angelika Kohn
Steinheim-Kleinbottwar
+49 (07148) 66 08
Marianne Kranzer
Königsfeld
The Lazy Readers Club: How to Keep
+49 (07725) 72 26
Anneliese Kunz-Danhauser
Up with Your Recreational Reading
Rosenheim
+49 (08031) 632 29 By Danny Brassel, PhD The Creation of the
Sabine La Due dbrassell@csudh.edu, www.lazyreaders.com
Stuttgart
Lazy Readers’ Club
About four years ago, I began giving my
+49 (0711) 479 1000
It all began in a class I teach for beginning
Gundula Patzlaff students (primarily student teachers,
teachers.
Stuttgart beginning teachers and parent volunteers)
+49 (0711) 23 64 86 0 “So, what good books are you reading
recommendations of short literary works
Margit Pleger right now?” I queried.
Wetter/Dortmund that anyone could read while waiting in a
Nobody raised a hand. Confused, I
+49 (02335) 84 87 60
grocery line or sitting at a boring staff
Ursula Rackur-Bastian asked the class of 43 adults, ranging from
meeting. My goal was to stimulate people’s
Idstein/Rheingau-Taunus-
kindergarten teachers to high school special
Kreis/Wiesbaden interest in reading so that they might make
+49 (06126) 565 01 education instructors, to tell me what bad
it a life-long passion.
Colette Reimann books they were reading. A flurry of
Landshut It started as an e-mail distribution list and
complaints ensued.
+49 (0871) 770 994 evolved into a website: www.lazyreaders.com.
“All I’ve got time to read are lesson
Ursula Rittler
Each month I provide book recommendations
Stuttgart planning books and all of the textbooks
+49 (0711) 47 18 50 for quick, easy reading for personal pleasure.
we’re required to read in our credentialing
Phoebe Schafschetzy I try not to include any books over 200
Hamburg programs,” one woman proclaimed. “By the
pages, and I always include
+49 (040) 392 589
end of the day we don’t
Gabriela Scholter books written for a variety of
have time to read any
Supervisor-Specialist ages. See, adults should not
Stuttgart books for pleasure.”
+49 (0711) 578 28 33 be shy about reading kids’
For weeks I pondered
Inge Starck books. They are my favorites
Battenberg/Eder ways to encourage my
because they generally have
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teachers to read books
Beate Tiletzek shorter chapters, bigger print
for fun. It concerned me
Waldkraiburg and colorful pictures. People
+49 (08638) 88 17 89 that so many people hired
who turn off the nightly news
Andrea Toloczyki to motivate students to
Havixbeck/Münster in favor of a good children’s
develop a passion for
+49 (02507) 57 04 84
book probably live longer.
Ulrike von Kutzleben-Hausen books lacked that passion
The website includes an
Deisslingen
themselves. After all, as
+49 (07420) 33 46 updated monthly list of my
author Jim Trelease (2001)
Dr. Angelika Weidemann picks, as well as archives
Ulm +49 (0731) 931 46 46 points out, reading interest is like a head
of past selections by month,
Susanne Wild cold: you can’t catch it if nobody around
Paar +49 (08205) 959 08 28 level and page count.
you is infected. How could I encourage
Gabriele Wirtz Also, books and other
teachers to read more frequently?
Stuttgart items purchased from
+49 (0711) 55 17 18 Teddy Roosevelt provided the answer.
Amazon.com through links
v Greece Before reading The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt,
from the lazyreaders.com website directly
Zoe Deliakidou a captivating Pulitzer Prize-winning biography
Thessaloniki benefit BookEnds (www.bookends.org), a
by Edmund Morris, I knew two things about
+30 2310 434510
nonprofit organization devoted to increasing
or +30 6934 662438 the former President: (1) Teddy bears were
children’s access to books and community
Irma Vierstra-Vourvachakis
named after him, and (2) his face is on Mount
Rethymnon / Crete service awareness.
+30 283105 8201 Rushmore. Morris provides a page-turner that
The different books are classified as
or 69766 40292
chronicles Roosevelt’s triumphs and travails,
follows: AD, adult; YA, young adult; CH,
v Iceland but what struck me most about Roosevelt
children’s book. I always list a page count
Áslaug Ásgeirsdóttir
was that he was an avid reader who read
Mosfellsbaer and some brief comments. I usually give a
+354 861-2537 nearly 20,000 books by the time he was 30.
total of 10 recommendations a month (3-4
Sigrún Jónina Baldursdóttir Clearly, even I could read more frequently,
Snaefellsbae adult; 3-4 young adult; 3-4 children’s). Here
so I resolved to start reading at least a book a
+354 586 8180
is a sampling of some past recommendations:
day. How? I would read a lot of short books.
THE DYSLEXIC READER PAGE 11
4. The Tao of Pooh v Iceland (cont’d)
(Benjamin Hoff), 158
Adult (AD)
Gudrún Benediktsdóttir
1. Silent Night: A Christmas pages. This is an old Hafnarfirdi
Suspense Story (Mary Higgins favorite of mine, as
+354 545 0103 or
+354 822 0910
Clark), 192 pages. This book the author offers Gudbjörg Emilsdóttir
could just as easily make a spiritual awakening Kópavogur
+354 554 3452
Young Adult reading list, as by combining the
Hólmfridur Gudmundsdóttir
I have recommended it to teachings of the Gardabae
plenty of high schools and great philosophers, +354 895-0252
heard raves (especially from Confucius and Svava Hlin Hákonard
Eskifjordur
girls). I have to confess that I A.A. Milne. A treat for all ages. +354 862 1518
love Mary Higgins Clark; her books 5. Molvania (Santo Cilauro, Tom Sigurborg Svala
always entertain and Gleisner & Rob Sitch), 176 pages. I am
Gudmundsdóttir
Mosfellsbaer
force you to read them a sucker for humorous travel books, and this +354 566-8657
straight through to the clever “travel guide” Stefanía Halldórsdóttir Wade
end. Teachers at the first
Kopavogur
reveals everything one +354 564 2890
elementary school I needs to know when Nora Kornblueh
worked at used to swap traveling to the fictional Reykjavik
+354-562-1295
her books like trading country of Molvania. Ingibjörg Ingolfsdóttir
cards. I read her books Yes, it is a one-joke Mosfellsbaer
out of sure pleasure. book, but anyone who
+354 899-2747
Sigrún Jensdóttir
2. Rosencrantz and has ever trotted abroad Mosfellsbaer
Guildenstern Are Dead with a copy of The +354 897 4437
Stoppard, you are in for how many tourists purchase it thinking that Sturla Kristjansson
DLS Workshop Presenter
a treat. I rate him as one there is such a country (I wish geography Hafnarfjordur
of the most important found greater importance in American +354 845 6956
mundane daily rituals of two minor characters 148 pages. I consider this Thorbjörg Sigurdardóttir
from Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Hilarious and a “must” read. This funny Reykjavík +354 698 7213
original, like all of Stoppard’s works. tale of summers spent Kolbeinn Sigurjónsson
Mosfellsbær
with grandma rivals +354 566 6664 / 661-8654
3. Cool Dead People: Obituaries of Real Mark Twain and Tom Margret Thorarinsdottir
Folks We Wish We’d Met a Little Sooner Bodett. Sweet simplicity.
Selfoss +354-486-1188
(Jane O’Boyle), 143 pages. You can read this book v India
I confess, when I don’t in under three hours, so grab a coffee and
Carol Ann Rodrigues
link to Amazon via the spend a delightful afternoon at Border’s.
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PAGE 16 THE DYSLEXIC READER
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THE DYSLEXIC READER PAGE 21
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Kentucky
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PAGE 22 THE DYSLEXIC READER
Humor Corner
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THE DYSLEXIC READER PAGE 23
Linda Daniels, a long time but her obviously bright, articulate son
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solutions that could help my
dyslexic niece. Reading The
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