This practical online six-session course will run in the evenings 7:30 – 9:30.

The course starts by discussing how dyslexic people think and learn, how their perceptual gift can also cause a problem and suggests ways to optimise the home learning environment. It then provides strategies for improving reading comprehension and explores the role of creativity in learning.

This is done through a mix of short presentations, interactive discussions and plenty of practical exercises to provide techniques that can be used to support your child.

Terrific set of podcasts by Fish Don’t Climb Trees which shed light on the ‘gift’ of dyslexia, not the ‘dys’ in dyslexia. Perhaps I’m biased as I’m featured in the 4th one which discusses the connection between perceptual talent (the gift part) and dyslexia – but have a listen to them all and see what you think. The Podcasts are part of The Whole Dyslexia Society’s campaign to bring about knowledge and understanding, and hopefully a change in our education system, which they hope will bring about a cognitive equal opportunity for all.

Great news that PictureGrammar is now available for Android phones. This clever dictionary gives a visual meaning to nine parts of speech and includes more than 150 illustrated definitions of the most common adverbs, determiners, pronouns, prepositions, and conjunctions. It’s less than £2.50 so great value to support Symbol Mastery.

I thoroughly enjoyed presenting my first online Why Ty for Parents course. I hope to run another one in the Autumn so please contact me if you are interested.

The course runs over six sessions and gives a good understanding of the Davis methods and how you can support your child.
It starts by exploring the idea of a threshold for confusion, how this leads to disorientation and how we can alleviate this by using the Davis tool of ‘Release’. It goes on the explore how ‘perceptual talent’ can cause a problem for picture-thinkers as disorientation, conflict of sensory information, can cause a learning difficulty.

Learning must be active and incorporate pictures, words, and creative personality. The course participants experience this active and creative learning through the medium of plasticine. Some words lack strong mental image, and this can have implications for reading if you rely on mental imagery to remember or understand things.
The course introduces how you can use Symbol Mastery to fill those gaps, and a Davis reading technique that uses mental imagery. We looked at how these techniques can be used with fiction, and then moved onto using them for factual texts and school work. This technique aids discovery of unknown areas and provides a strong long-term memory of mastered texts.
The course also had Q&A sessions with specialists and Richard Whitehead, author of the book Why Tyrannosaurus But Not If?

The course was well received, one parent wrote:

If you would prefer to find out more about the Davis Methods by watching short videos rather than reading, subscribe to Carl Nigi’s YouTube channel ‘Overcoming Dyslexia’. He adds a new post every couple of weeks.

The six-session course will run from June 10, Wednesday evenings 7:30 – 9:30

“The discovery that your child has a learning difficulty can be a frightening, disorientating experience.  Many parents worry that, although they feel they understand their child, they don’t feel they understand his dyslexia. Just as the hardworking dyslexic child is left with feelings of inadequacy after every class test, so his caring, dedicated parents are left feeling ineffectual when they sit down to help him with his homework.”

Richard Whitehead, Why Tyrannosaurus But Not If?

Six Practical Support Sessions
that make parents the best helpers they can be

Session 1: How can a gift cause a problem?

Dyslexic giftedness

Multi-dimensional thinking

Session 2: Preparing yourself to learn

Managing your mind: “Pay attention!” “But how?”

Optimising the home learning environment

Session 3: How do dyslexics think and learn?

Word thinking and picture thinking

The concept of ‘disorientation’

The problem with if

Session 4: Making it ‘stick’

Visualisation for reading comprehension

Punctuation as a reading skill

Retention of what has been read

Session 5: Creativity makes permanent

The role of creativity in learning

Clay modelling for mastery of words and ideas

Other creative learning methods

Session 6: Pulling it all together

Creating a complete support strategy for your bright but struggling child

In response to the COVID-19 restrictions worldwide, in the very near future I will be able to offer web-delivered Davis Programmes for reading, maths, attention, and young learners.  This will be a pilot programme that will last until June 30.  Please contact me for more information.

Richard Whitehead’s book Why Tyrannosaurus But Not If? is a great read for anyone who would like further insight into the Davis methods and how they can be applied. Yvonne Graham,author of The Dyslexia Toolkit, has written a very positive review which gives a clear overview of what the book contains. If you haven’t already got a copy, you can order one online.