What is Phonemic Awareness?

Listen Dr. Reid Lyon, former Chief of the Child Development and Behavior Branch within the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), as he explains in his own words how phonemic awareness is an essential reading skill that children must have to become good readers.

OH House Passes Dyslexia Bill!

According to Gongwer News Service:

The OH House approved 93-1 a bill that would allow three schools to voluntarily join a three-year pilot program involving screening and special instruction for students with dyslexia in cooperation with a local library.

Co-sponsor Rep. Ted Celeste (D-Grandview Heights) said as much as 20% of the population has the neurobiological disability that affects ones ability to read and do arithmetic. The goal of the pilot is to demonstrate and evaluate the effectiveness of early reading assistance programs for children with dyslexia and to evaluate whether those programs can reduce future special education costs.

"Dyslexia is not a disease, so there is no cure," he said, adding the bill would add dyslexia to the Ohio Revised Code definition of a learning disability.

Early identification of dyslexia will decrease the need for special education services, and all parties involved will experience long-run cost savings.

Existing Department of Education funds would be used to pay for screenings.

"By identifying dyslexia early on in the course of learning to read, we will prevent children from falling significantly behind in decoding, reading fluency, spelling and writing let alone avoiding the heartache, self esteem damage and expense to the families and schools involved," he said.

Rep. Brenner said participating schools would report results of the pilot after three years to determine if the program should be expanded.

7 Eagles perform for Villa Donors

The 7 Eagles DI Team successfully demonstrated for Villa donors how they will move the Unidentified Moving Objects in this week's Global Competition. The Villa Donors were all impressed as the team successfully moved objects from the tower and the pool in under 8 minutes. One donor was amazed at the team's creativity in using the Swiffer that extends and comes apart to fit in the 20x20 box.

The entire Villa Community wishes the team well!

Go 7 Eagles!

Reading Research Articles

Reid Lyon Articles

While Reid Lyon was in charge of the dyslexia research conducted through the National Institutes of Health, he wrote many superb articles on dyslexia, effective reading instruction, the importance of early intervention, and more.

Many of his best articles are available as downloadable PDF files here.

If you are trying to convince school administrators that dyslexia is real and change is needed, these articles will be very helpful.

FREE Dyslexia Presentation

FREE Dyslexia Presentation

On May 20, 2011, from 6-9 p.m., Susan Barton, an internationally recognized expert in the field of dyslexia will speak for FREE in Cold Spring, KY. This event is being sponsored by Campbell County Schools.

Do not miss this opportunity.

You'll learn:

1. Dyslexia's Inheritance patterns and the genetic link
2. The symptoms of mild dyslexia in adults
3. The classic warning signs in children
4. Why most dyslexic children don't qualify for special ed
5. Research-based "best practices" to improve spelling, reading, and writing
6. Why tutoring alone is not enough -- and much more!!!

Seating is limited, so make a reservation here, or call Sarah Pershing at 614-563-0832.

RFB&D Audio App for iPhone

New Way to Access Audiobooks! Now Available: RFB&D® Audio App for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch Learning Ally, formerly Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic, books are now available for playback on iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch devices. You can enjoy your recently downloaded titles on your favorite Apple device. The RFB&D Audio App is now available for only $19.99. To learn more and purchase, visit: The iTunes Store.

FREE Dyslexia Presentation

On May 20, 2011, from 6-9 p.m., Susan Barton, an internationally recognized expert in the field of dyslexia will speak for FREE in Cold Spring, KY.

Do not miss this opportunity.

You'll learn:

1. Dyslexia's Inheritance patterns and the genetic link
2. The symptoms of mild dyslexia in adults
3. The classic warning signs in children
4. Why most dyslexic children don't qualify for special ed
5. Research-based "best practices" to improve spelling, reading, and writing
6. Why tutoring alone is not enough -- and much more!!!

Seating is limited, so make a reservation here, or call Sarah Pershing at 614-563-0382.