He had no strengths and no words…
Dyslexia Advantage, August 2018
In our experience, dyslexia is particularly distinctive in this regard; the gap between intellectual ability and ability to 'perform' is so great that children (and many adults) are woefully misunderstood and under-appreciated.
Check out Lois’s interview with Dyslexia Advantage under the Inspiration Section.
SPELD Tour: Learning Differences and Teaching the Dyslexic or Gifted Child
haven magazine, Brisbane, Australia
These days, Lois speaks to parents and teachers worldwide at conferences, events, and schools about strategies which can be used to assist students in becoming successful readers. In March, this year, she is teaming up with SPELD Queensland in presenting similar workshops around Queensland – including a stop at All Saints Anglican School at Merrimac, on the Gold Coast, on Monday March 18.
In a two-for-one workshop, you will hear from both Lois and Marion McMahon about ways to understand and address learning differences. Marion will kick things off at 3.30pm with a workshop that focuses on Understanding Learning Differences, and Lois will speak on the topic, ‘Teaching the Gifted or Dyslexic Child: Same or Different?’ at 4.45pm after a short break.
Everyone Can Learn Mathematics to High Levels: The Evidence from Neuroscience that Should Change our TeachinG
By Jo Boaler, Professor of Mathematics Education, Stanford University, and co-founder of youcubed.org
Nicholas’s journey, from the boy with special needs to an Oxford doctorate, is inspiring and important but his transformation is far from unique. The world is filled with people who were unsuccessful early learners and who received negative messages from schools but went on to become some of the most significant mathematicians, scientists, and other high achievers, in our society – including Albert Einstein. Some people dismiss the significance of these cases, thinking they are rare exceptions but the neuroscientific evidence that has emerged over recent years gives a different and more important explanation… Read the rest of the article here.
Book Nook: Reversed
(Motherhood Moment Blog)
Every parent wants their child to succeed. In this world that we live in, imagine being told that your child is one of the worst children ever, with a low IQ, and disabled by educators. These educators say he or she will never be able to advance and read beyond a third grade level. How would you react? What would you do? Read Lois’ interview here.
GREEN ISLAND AUTHOR SHARES PERSONAL STORY OF LEARNING, TEACHING
(LAUREN HALLIGAN, THE RECORD)
Most teachers make the mistake of asking “What is wrong with that child?” rather than “What do I have to do to teach this child?” Letchford said. “That’s where we lose our children with learning disabilities.”
Whether it’s called a learning disability, dyslexia or another label - “The name is irrelevant,” Letchford said. “The teaching is absolutely crucial.”
Dr. Jo Boaler is a professor of Mathematics Education at Stanford University and faculty director of youcubed, a website dedicated to inspire and educate teachers of mathematics with accessible and practical forms and innovative teaching. She has been using Nicholas's story and Reversed: A Memoir in her scholarly presentations, and is adding his story to her upcoming book, Unlocked.
Check out her presentation at NCSM Ignite Talks in Canada. She mentions Nicholas at 47:21.
Professor Jo Boaler
(John Carl D'Annibale/Times Union)
Author shares story of helping son overcome
school hurdles
(Brianna Snyder,
Albany Times Union)
Labels are one of Letchford's primary concerns. "The problem was not the system as much as the label," Letchford tells me over coffee at Spill'n the Beans in Troy. When children are labeled with a disability, the players in the system lower their expectations. They don't invest as much into the education of the child. And that can be catastrophic for the student, she says.
"That kid who can't do it? I don't see him as a kid who can't do it. I see those kids as raw talent."
Culture: REVERSED: A MEmoir
(Kurien parel, CHERWELL)
One of the striking points the memoir illustrates is the level of abuse children with learning disabilities face, from teachers and others. This was something Lois could relate to, having struggled to learn to read as a child. After recounting suspicions that Nicholas had been shouted at by his first-year teacher on a regular basis, she recalls an incident from her own schooldays in which she was berated by a teacher for an assignment she handed in. It becomes apparent quite soon that the memoir is as much about the author as it is about Nicholas.
Other Features
My Favourite Quote: Lois Letchford, author -Mr. Gift Blog (July 2, 2018)