Dyslexia Unlocked by Natalie Brooks

DYSLEXIA UNLOCKED by Natalie Brooks is written for adults and is intended to provide guidance on “How to be successful in work and life.” Brooks is the Founder of Dyslexia in Adults and she herself has dyslexia and ADHD; she shares numerous personal stories of the frustrations she has experienced, particularly in the workplace. I liked that she points out that dyslexia can really be different for each person and that she has made a great effort to provide information clearly, often summarizing and then restating her points in more detail. For example, she writes about “The three areas that every dyslexic needs to focus on in order to achieve success. These are 1) unlocking dyslexic confidence, 2) unlocking dyslexic strategies and 3) unlocking dyslexic strengths.”  The book is organized around those three needs, but I found the initial section on confidence to be a bit disheartening since it documents so many potential negatives. Granted, this seems to be a well-intentioned attempt to convey that millions of people (other dyslexics) are all in this together and therefore some of the examples (push vs pull on a door) may seem familiar to readers. However, she also points out “You need to spend time valuing and focusing on your strengths” and it may have been more helpful to start there. She does suggest a few useful resources (e.g., Grammarly) and provides sample wording to talk about dyslexia at work.

Other excellent resources for people who wish to learn about dyslexia are Overcoming Dyslexia by Sally Shawitz (a classic) and The Dyslexic Advantage by Brock L. Eide and Fernette F. Eide. Both seem to be much more research and science based than Brooks’ work; also, the Eides generally take a very positive, encouraging approach. Younger students will appreciate titles like Meet the Dyslexia Club by Margaret Rooke. Check them out.

Meet the Dyslexia Club! by Margaret Rooke

MEET THE DYSLEXIA CLUB! by Margaret Rooke (Dyslexia is My SuperPower) features stories from children talking about their feelings and experiences with dyslexia as well as their special talents. Some examples include Jessica who plays football/soccer or Ajay who loves to bake cakes. These stories often touch on relationships at school and learning accommodations; each ends with a thought about how grown-ups can help (e.g., letting us do more of what we like best at school) and what the child does best (e.g., coding and solving puzzles). This would be an inspiring and very comforting book for elementary school students and even their parents and teachers. In addition to the stories, Rooke provides suggestions on where to go for help, and she also has checklists filled with many ideas for ways that grown-ups can help at home or at school. She defines several terms and provides links (many UK-based) to relevant websites (all new readers will enjoy Reading Rockets) and related books, including (for adults) The Dyslexia Advantage. Tim Stringer has provided colorful, cheerful illustrations which add to the charm of this text. MEET THE DYSLEXIA CLUB! Is a small book – only about 80 pages – but it is packed with useful information.

The Dyslexic Advantage by Brock and Fernette Eide

THE DYSLEXIC ADVANTAGE by Brock L. Eide and Fernette F. Eide has just been revised and updated. These two experts, cofounders of the nonprofit Dyslexic Advantage, keep their focus squarely on “Unlocking the Hidden Potential of the Dyslexic Brain.” They are extremely positive in describing dyslexic individuals and the way their special brains operate. The first few chapters offer an overview (positioning dyslexia as a learning style rather than a learning disorder) and provide some scientific background. Subsequent chapters explore what the Eides call “reasoning strengths” often shown by people with dyslexia: material (3D spatial imagery), interconnected (systems), narrative (memory), and dynamic (prediction and modeling). Many of the charts they discuss are available online, in color. The authors include a helpful bibliography with useful links; plus, they share numerous stories and applications based on the thousands of people with whom they have collaborated over the past decade. One theme which comes through is how teachers are generally poorly prepared to help students diagnosed as dyslexic – let’s hope that efforts by the Eides and others continue to make a difference. Sally Shaywitz wrote an excellent text, Overcoming Dyslexia, whose second edition was published in 2020, the same year which saw publication of One in Five by Micki Boas. Library Journal calls THE DYSLEXIC ADVANTAGE a “must-have title for educators, parents, and those who process things through a dyslexic lens.” 

Dear Freedom Writer

Do you remember the metamorphosis of Erin Gruwell, a young teacher who went from wearing a pearl necklace to really inspiring her students in Long Beach, California? She was a key figure in the 1999 book titled The Freedom Writers’ Diary and 2007 movie. Now, roughly twenty years later, readers can explore DEAR FREEDOM WRITER; it’s the latest work by The Freedom Writers with Erin Gruwell and offers “Stories of Hardship and Hope from the Next Generation.” This new book takes the form of call and response with current students writing about a concern – like grief, racism, substance abuse or being shunned; the Freedom Writers draft a letter in response. Reading the honest expression of students concerns about questions like the one from a first generation American (How much is the cost of the American Dream?) or the one (Why is it so hard for others to accept my pronouns?) from a self-described “Struggling Teen” is a very moving experience. These fifty letters provide essential insight into students’ feelings and it’s important to not minimize their concerns, but sometimes the “drama” combined with little opportunity to hear from concerned adults is maddening – a case in point is the one signed “Weeping Silently in a Voiceless Room” from a student with dyslexia. Freedom Writers offered some strong suggestions, though, including reaching out to teachers who are empathetic to the challenges being faced. They make a comment which could apply to many of the often “invisible” concerns the students describe: “Others may not acknowledge it or, worse, may not respect it. Dyslexia is one of the many documented learning disabilities that many people, including educators, simply don’t understand. And if they don’t understand it, it’s easy to ignore it.” DEAR FREEDOM WRITER will help raise awareness and knowledge for numerous and varied issues.

I was surprised to learn that The Freedom Writers’ Diary was banned in 2008 - I hope to highlight more titles that have been challenged since April is National School Library Month.

One in Five by Micki Boas

ONE IN FIVE by Micki Boas, an educational rights activist and mother of students with dyslexia, is an in-depth, personal look at “How We're Fighting for Our Dyslexic Kids in a System That's Failing Them.” The publisher says, ONE IN FIVE “shares the secrets the ‘professionals’ won’t tell you but that make all the difference” which is such a very apt description of the experience of navigating public schools with a child who has dyslexia. Boas herself was motivated by the legal battles involving her son’s education and feels strongly that school take a “don’t ask, don’t tell” position because they frequently lack funding to provide needed resources. I was honestly shocked to learn that The Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity (where Sally Shaywitz who wrote Overcoming Dyslexia is based) found that dyslexia affects “up to 20 percent of our population and up to 90 percent of all those with learning disabilities.” Boas argues that parents either are forced to pay out of pocket for private testing or mistakenly trust the schools’ view that students will “grow out of it.” I particularly liked Boas’ comment that "true educational equality doesn't exist for those who learn differently” as it seems especially true in these COVID times. Sadly, “children who experience reading difficulties by third grade are four times more likely to leave school” and The Literacy Project “reports that three out of five people in US prisons can’t read, and 85 percent of juvenile offenders have trouble reading.” These statistics, accompanied by data on funding shortfalls, delayed intervention, and outdated or limited training, are a call to action. Boas has written a power book full of practical advice (e.g., figure out who is writing your child’s IEP goals) for parents like her, but she also invites us all to “join the dyslexia fight club,” helping to speak for parents and students who may “lack emotional support, knowledge, or resources” to successfully meet this challenge. We all need to do more to make education equitable.