Dr.Joe Torgesen vs Luqman Michel

 “Keep away from people who try to belittle your ideas. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.” – Mark Twain

One such great giant is Dr. Joe Torgesen. He took his valuable time to respond to my many emails. We did not see eye to eye and I now understand why.

(This is a mighty long email but I have decided not to break it down into 2 or 3 parts. However, there is more to write on this and I will write after my short leave I am taking from today)

Discourse with Dr. Selznick (Part ii) – Why kids shut-down

“I agree with you that many of these kids are instructional casualties and if they had been taught differently, many would have not shut-down.”  (DR. Selznick)

Luqman Michel: James Wendorf said, in The Children of the Code series, “Make sure that reading is taught in the most effective way”.

For the time being, let us leave the most effective way of teaching aside. What we should not do is to teach them in a wrong way. Imagine a child taught wrongly for two years in kindergarten.

Another Discourse with Dr. Selznick (1)

24.7.2017

It has been seven years since Dr. Selznick and I had a Q& A session which is all in my blog. You may see it from my post on 10^th June 2010 to 5^th July 2010.

Recently, Dr. Selznick asked me in LinkedIn Website as to how I manage to teach my students in a short period of time. As such this discourse is to answer that question.

Luqman: My definition of shut-down kids is only kids who have learning difficulties as a result of what they have learned. The kids I have taught are kids who have shut-down or disengaged from reading because of confusion. I have Ms.Nancy Hennessy to back me up on this with her following statement: “……even if we settle on a middle number, let us say 10%; that still leaves a lot of children who are not dyslexic, whose brains are not wired any different way, who have reading difficulty.”

Learning disabilities and dyslexia Part 2

Over the past 8 years I have taught 26 dyslexic students. Most of them were certified dyslexics by experts in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.

Among all the 26 students, only 2 had exceptional problems with mathematics. I have also taught one student mathematics. She is an intelligent girl and was very fluent in her English and could read more fluently than most students in her school but had problems grasping mathematics. She READ FLUENTLY and as such she cannot be dyslexic. But she had a problem with mathematics. Would it be proper to call her dyslexic just because some Association decides to include dyscalculia and dysgraphia under the dyslexia umbrella?

The blind man and the elephant: (Disecting childhood)

 

 The following article is from Dr.Selznick's blog. It is about a mother who was recommended a different "remedy" each by various  "experts" she had  gone to seek advice from for her daughter who had trouble reading.

Discourse with Dr.Selznick – Shut-Down Learner Final Part & Lesson 45

9.6.2010
Dr.Selznick: I think your approach of being clear and direct with the kids is good.  Not sure about the kids you deal with in your area, but many here could care less.  I think with your passionate approach to linguistic explanations and the evolution of the English language, I am sure they are soaking up your wisdom!

Discourse with Dr.Selznick Part 6 and lesson 43

Doc,

Another point for elaborating please:

Your book pg 39 : For example, take the name Darcy, which is on the list.

Discourse with Dr.Selznick Part 5 and Lesson 42

28.5.2010
Doc,
Thank you for your mail and example of the tennis players.
Now, perhaps we can move on to the next questions I had asked you about your book.

Discourse with Dr.Selznick - Part 4 & Lesson 41

28.5.2010
Dear Doc,
I understand that yours is not a teaching task.
I understand your tools as well. All my dyslexic students will have no problem with your exercise.