When you have one or two kiddos at home and it’s your first rodeo…or you’re a newbie in the rodeo biz, it’s sometimes hard to recognize signs that something may be “off.” You only know what you know. Unless you’re a teacher, you’ve likely never been exposed to early readers before and have never helped a child learn to read.
Today’s guest, Daniela Feldhausen, is the founder of Kids Up Reading Tutors and she’s built a team of specialists who help students all across the country overcome reading challenges, including dyslexia and dysgraphia. Welcome to Just Ask Your Mom, Daniela!
Intro Daniela’s located in Tuscon, AZ.
Definitions
We generally think of dyslexia as:
- unexpected difficulty learning to read and spell
- often (but not always) the result of weak phonological skills
Dysgraphia affects written expression. It impacts a person’s ability to produce legible and automatic handwriting, often leading to difficulties with spelling, letter formation, and overall written communication
What are the most common early warning signs of dyslexia and dysgraphia?
It’s not uncommon to have reading and spelling struggles. The English language is ridiculous!
It’s perhaps one of the hallmarks of English that words can be spelled similarly with absolutely no guarantee of sharing a similar pronunciation. Think: cough, rough, though and through.
“Why is it that writers write and painters paint, but fingers don’t fing? Why don’t grocers groce, why don’t hammers ham, and why don’t dumpsters dumpst?”
Try asking your kids to complete a rhyme! If this is difficult or they aren’t grasping the concept, this could be a clue!
Is it Dyslexia? Dysgraphia? How Can Parents Help Their Kids?
Your system combines phonological awareness, Orton-Gillingham-based phonics and systematic spelling instruction. Explain. What’s the “science of reading?”
Back in June of 2022, we did an episode on Dr. Carla Hannaford’s book, The Dominance Factor, where we looked at how we’re not only right or left handed but we have preferences for ears, eyes, feet. It was fascinating look at left and right brain cross-over and how our bodies under stress (learning is stress) tend to default to our preferred side.
One of the things she points out is that normally, the dominant eye controls the tracking of both eyes. Right eye naturally tracks from left to right, while left eye naturally tracks right to left. If you have a left eye dominant pattern, you’ll initially tend to look at the right side of the page first and move left…. How do you think this might affect learning to read??! If you’re learning English, it can cause some stumbling.
If you’re reading Hebrew, Arabic, Chinese, you’re good. If you’re LEFT eye dom and struggling with reading, try turning book upside down (they can usually read pretty well that way.) 81% of students in remedial reading are left-eye dominant!
Have you heard of this? Comments?
What is phonological awareness, why is it important, and how can parents support it at home?
My Child HATES Reading. What Do I Do?
My Child or Teen Was Just Diagnosed with Dyslexia. Now What? (How do you help your child face real or imagined stigma?)
I’ve heard it takes years of tutoring to get a dyslexic child reading fluently. Is there a better way?
Are there particular programs or methods parents should look for when choosing a reading intervention?
What’s the difference between tutoring for struggling readers and tutoring for students diagnosed with dyslexia?
What if we didn’t catch it early – can middle and high school students still learn to read, or is it too late?
My child just got an IEP. Won’t my child’s school teach them to read?