Can Dyslexia be prevented?

TOCfE Virtual Conference October 22-23, 2014 Hosted by: Saginaw Valley State University Michigan, USA Presenter: Petra Pouw-Legêne The Netherlands Questions? [email protected]

© Petra Pouw 2014

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Content of this presentation

1. Understanding the mechanics of dyslexia.

2. Introducing a prevention program in schools (using the tools of TOCfE to set it up) 3. Questioning some of the assumptions and developing a deeper understanding of when to start the reading program

Questions?

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TOC : A PROCESS OF ON GOING IMPROVEMENT

HOW TO CAUSE THE CHANGE?

Which strategy to use

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LOGIC BRANCH

CLOUD

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AMBITIOUS TARGET

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Part 1 Understanding the mechanics of dyslexia

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• WHAT TO CHANGE: 1995 that children and adults would no longer have to suffer the negative consequences of dyslexia.

• TO WHAT TO CHANGE: Children and adults with dyslexia learn: • • •

to understand their specific way of perception to deal with learning challenges in an effective way, to stop the negative aspects of dyslexia from occurring

• HOW TO CAUSE THE CHANGE: By offering a program to support and enhance that specific learning- and thinking-style of the person with dyslexia. Questions? [email protected]

© Petra Pouw 2014

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Ronald D. Davis, with Eldon M. Braun The Gift of Dyslexia

www.dyslexia.com

TOC for Education

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Ecological

Linguistic

Nature Smart

Word smart

Intrapersonal

LogicalMathematical

Self Smart

Logic smart

VisualSpatial

Interpersonal People Smart

Bodily Kinesthetic

Picture Smart

Musical Copyright picture: Nel Hofmeester

Body Smart

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Music Smart

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verbal

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non-verbal

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assumptions

TOC diagram: the cloud

Aspects of verbal thinking style: Words come with the speed of 5 words per second Sense of sequence, words follow one after the other Sense of time Answer comes through reasoning Reading and writing come easy School uses mostly verbal thinking style NEED B COMMON GOAL A

WANT/ACTION D

Be able to express ourselves through (inner) speech

Use verbal thinking style

To express ourselves fully and to communicate well C Be able to develop understanding of the world through multisensory input

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D’ Use non-verbal thinking style

Aspects of non-verbal thinking Thoughts are mental images experienced through all senses Speed of mental images is 24-32 impressions per second Intuïtive, three dimensional, associative, holistic Solutions often found subconsciously 10 © Petra Pouw 2014 School uses this style mostly for creative activities

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p

d

b

q Confusion !

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SCHOOL

B

A To express ourselves fully and to communicate well

D Be able to express ourselves through (inner) speech

Use verbal thinking style

C Be able to develop understanding of the world through multisensory imput

Possible solution:

create a way for those students who prefer the non-verbal thinking style to use their strong side (C) to develop the other side (B).

D’ Use non-verbal thinking style

DYSL. CHILD 15

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HOW? Davis® Dyslexia Correction Program

www.dyslexia.com

16 Questions? [email protected]

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in TOC we use f.e. the concepts of:

Change Consequence

Cause and Effect Before and After Find the definitions in the dictionary

(see examples on the next slides) Questions? [email protected]

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19 7 Questions? [email protected]

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Definition of ‘change’ made by Koen, 17 years.

B

A

something (A) becoming something different (B) Questions? [email protected]

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My rabbit can eat

I go find a carrot

‘cause’

me

‘before’

‘effect’ ‘after’

Definition of consequence made by Inge, 16 years

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I give the carrot to my rabbit

© Petra Pouw 2014

I see that my rabbit has no food

My rabbit can not get food himself

Logic Branch

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Part 2 Introducing a prevention program in schools (using the tools of TOCfE to set it up)

Questions? [email protected]

© Petra Pouw 2014

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TOC : A PROCESS OF ON GOING IMPROVEMENT

HOW TO CAUSE THE CHANGE?

Which strategy to use Questions? [email protected]

© Petra Pouw 2014

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The child receives an individual program

The child knows how to deal with negative aspects of his dyslexia and how to use his ‘strong’ side

Correction program

School does not know a way to help any more

new working assumption:

The child still does not improve sufficiently

Parents look for another way to help the child and choose for a Davis program

The child does not improve much and gets behind in reading

School starts the special dyslexia protocol which helps too little

Prevention Program Teacher needs a matching teaching method for this child

A child has problems learning to read and write

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© Petra Pouw 2014

The teacher helps him as much as possible, without much success 24

Ambitious target 2002 - today: Dutch primary schools use DLS© to teach children to read www.davislearn.com 2002-2007

2007-2014

2007-2014

2008-2014

2009-2014

2011- 2014

2011 -2014

New AT’s Work in progress

25 Questions? [email protected]

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Part 3

Questioning some of the working-assumptions Developing a deeper understanding of when to start the reading program

Questions? [email protected]

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Another cloud…

ASSUMPTIONS Children do like to work with letters and words Parents often want school to teach letters and words According to our Governemnt the Kindergarten child does not exist, it is considered to be a young school child The earlier school starts with letters and words, the better We have to do as we are told Will be held responsible for the progress.

B

D

Follow the instructions and curriculum of the school/government

Teach letters, reading and writing

A

Be a successful Kindergarten teacher C Follow the developmental stages of the children

D’ Not teach letters, reading and writing

ASSUMPTIONS

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The Kindergarten child is not a young school child The child needs to be able to develop in his own speed Teachers should not offer words and letters when a child is not ready There are many other ways to develop language skills 27 The child needs to be able to discover letters and words © Petra Pouw 2014 himself. Then the teacher can support that.

The child receives an individual Davis counseling

School does not know a way to help any more

Teacher needs a matching teaching method for this child

new assumption: Is this perhaps a developmental problem? How can I find out?

The child still does not improve sufficiently

The child does not improve much

A child has problems learning to read and write

Child is too young?

The child knows how to deal with negative aspects of his dyslexia

Parents look for another way to help the child and chose for a Davis program

School starts a special dyslexia protocol which helps too little

The teacher helps him as much as possible, without success

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Questions? [email protected] © Petra Pouw 2014

Ewald Vervaet: ‘Naar school’

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Stage 12 age 3;9 - 4;6

Stage 13 age 4;6 – 6;6 Stage 14 age 6;6 – 8;6 Questions? [email protected]

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p

d

b

q Questions? [email protected]

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to the question “is this the same/ is this just as much?” children give different answers in Stage 13: (4;6-6;6) and/or Stage 14: (6;6-8;6)

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The bottle test

From: Ewald Vervaet: ‘Naar school’

Stage 13

Stage 14

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Movements of a young Kindergarten child

Movements of a young School child Questions? [email protected]

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We first assess if a child has reached the necessary psychological stage before offering him letters and reading and writing

B Follow the instructions of the school/government

D Teach letters, reading and writing

A

Be a successful Kindergarten teacher D’

C Follow the development of the children

Not teach letters, reading and writing

Children who are not yet in stage 14 can be offered many other language skills: rhymes, songs, stories, cutting out different forms and shapes (also letters!) or making them in clay and….TOCfE!!!

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Example of a writing and reading assessment of Rob (age 5;9)

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CONCLUSION:

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Davis ® Learning Strategies in First Grade in Denmark

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The NEXT ‘Process of Ongoing Improvement’ is already happening: 1. Assess if a child is psychologically ready to learn to read 2. Use a program (for me = Davis® Learning Strategies) to make sure every child masters all the reading symbols correctly and learns to read well 3. Offer the thinking tools of TOCfE to support the comprehensive reading process.

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Dr. Vervaet’s Reading assessment program: First try-out course in 2011

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Petition to the government (= to delegates of different parties in charge of education) to stop the required reading program in Kindergarten (2011)

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April 13 2013 Werk- en Steungroep Kleuteronderwijs Kindergarten teachers and a support group have united. Here they are working on the final draft of a manifest on abolishing governmental testing of Kindergarten children. On April 19 they offered that manifest to the government committee on education. With success.

42 Questions? [email protected]

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Oct. 4 2014 Teacher conference organised by WSK Topic: the importance of ‘free play’ in kindergarten. Again the teachers signed a document which they wrote as a group about the importance of free play. That document will be sent to the ministry of education. On Nov. 3 there will be a meeting with all Dutch educational parties involved.

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2012 Pilot project TOCfE for Curriculum with a team in a Dutch elementary school, where I already had introduced the Davis® Learning Strategies (20112012).

One of the teachers gives a short presentation of her work with the Logic Branch.

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2013/2014 TOCfE for curriculum to a group of Davis® Program facilitators and parents

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Training DLS mentors to support teachers who are using the Davis® Program in the classroom

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THANK YOU

With sincere thanks and gratitude for the support of so many wonderful people all over the world: TOCFE: Mrs. Kathy Suerken, and our first TOCfE trainer, Mrs. Eleanor May-Brenneker, the many colleagues and friends, TOCfE trainers and all the TOCfE students. In honor to Dr. Eli Goldratt. Davis: Davis Dyslexia Associations International and colleague Davis Program Facilitators who have supported bringing DLS into schools, and Dr. Ewald Vervaet for always making time to answer all my questions.

And last but not least: Thanks to the staff of S.V.S.U for hosting this virtual conference

Questions? [email protected]

© Petra Pouw 2014

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