Children learn in different ways. Do they?

Not a week passes by when I don’t read an article on the internet about how kids learn differently.

Here is one such article.

For years teachers and students have had to struggle with how to teach and how to learn. Each teacher has their particular style but then so do most students. The problems develop when teachers and students don’t match.

Educational science has studied these questions for years and has determined that when some individuals struggle with learning it may be entirely a question of how they are being taught.

How Microsoft's Immersive Reader tackles Dyslexia head on — and wins

I read the above-captioned article on the internet this morning. Here are some extracts and my comments.

Dyslexia is a language-based learning disability that makes reading, interpreting words, letters, and other symbols difficult. See how Microsoft is helping those who suffer from it.

My comment: I have written about the above definition many times and I repeat. This is the kind of nonsense that people with vested interest write and gullible readers read and believe. If one can speak but is unable to read in English can you claim it to be a language based problem? Do the millions of kids who can read in Italian, Malay, Spanish and many other languages but are unable to read in English have a language-based learning disability?

Mayo clinic – “Dyslexia is a reading disability”.

Here is a link to the book above 


Here is an extract of what was published on an online newspaper Netownbee.com and my comments. You may read the whole article here.

Ms Mecca is leading a group she states numbers more than two dozen district parents — most, if not all, of whom have sought or are seeking expanded services from administrators because their children are exhibiting signs of, or have been diagnosed with, dyslexia.

According to the Mayo Clinic, dyslexia is a learning disorder that involves difficulty reading due to problems identifying speech sounds and learning how they relate to letters and words (decoding). Also called reading disability, dyslexia affects areas of the brain that process language.

A comment on my book

This morning I had a pleasant surprise reading a comment on LinkedIn from an educator. 

I am sure Dr. David Pinder will implement the strategies in my book. Here is his comment on my book on LinkedIn.

David Pinder, Ed.D. Cluster Superintendent DCPS

Commonality between Math and learning to read

Dr. Barbara Oakley, an engineering professor and the author of a book on learning has written an article for the New York Times in the opinion section.

                    ‘Make Your Daughter Practice Math. She’ll Thank You Later.’

She has written on Math but I believe what she has written applies to learning to read as well.

Links to Shut down kids

I have had a few queries on where and how to purchase my two books published recently.

Shut Down Kids

Mainly my book is available on Amazon.com and people worldwide can purchase from there

Phonics Debate

 

The following are a few excerpts from the YouTube video on the Phonic Debate held in Sydney on 31.7.2018. I did not transcribe more as there was nothing new that was not said before.

 

    "The Australian College of Educators is the longest serving association in the teaching profession in Australia. The college is formed with the specific purpose of elevating the teaching profession in Australia and to provide all educators the opportunity and avenue……(the YouTube video was not audible)."

A day to remember

2.8.2018 was a good day for me. At 2 pm my two students (siblings – one in primary 3 while the other is in primary 5) came for their lessons. They both came to me for tuition for the first time on 20.6.18 and yesterday was their 14^th lesson with me. The mother had heard about me from a member of the Rotary club in which I was to talk about how to eradicate illiteracy. 

Both of the siblings could not read when they came to me and neither of them could even spell words like was, to, went etc.

Why is illiteracy as high as it is?

In 2010 after having taught more than 20 children, most of whom were classified as dyslexic, I did not agree with the more than 35 year old theory that children could not read because of ‘phonological awareness deficit’ (PAD). PAD simply means ‘unable to listen to spoken sounds’. 

The Big Boys - people with vested interest

As I have written in my blog posts a number of times there are people with vested interest who have been opposing my findings with all kinds of excuses. Some are those who have said things quite different to what I have found and are ‘unable’ to make an about turn. But many are lured by monetary gains and therefore stick with what is wrong. Advocates of dyslexia and many who are assisted by Dyslexia Association are prevented from discussing matters with me or accepting what I have found to be true. I have written posts on this in my blog a few years ago.

A post on FB by a mother of one of my two students in 2017

Here is a Facebook post by a very happy mother of one of my students in 2017.

I had not seen her since her daughter left my house after her last lesson in July 2017.

I had arranged for a meeting with a doctor I had met on FB and this lady working for him happened to see my appointment with him and decided to message me on Whatsapp.

She suggested that I should leave a few books with her for her to sell in a shop she manages.

Further comments from the critic (Part 4)

Here is a comment from the critic on the chapter on:

Headmistress agrees with advice given on dyslexia. (Page 61)

The above chapter is the full comment by a headmistress on an article I had written in 2010 in a leading newspaper – Daily Express- in Sabah, Malaysia.

Comments from the critic- Part 3

There are a few comments from the critic which I will wait to see if the critic will revise after reading the whole of part ii and iii of my book - Shut Down Kids available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and many other online stores.

Here is a comment I cannot disagree with.

Vision problem - part 2

Refer to my post on eye convergence here.

The ‘big boys’ with vested interest making tons of money via medication, therapy, remediation classes, coloured layer glasses , hearing and visual inspection etc keep duping the world that kids cannot read because of many reasons except the actual reason. 

Comments part 2 - Like father like son

The critic from part one went on to say:

“The final chapters of Part 1 feels sloppily put together.”

I then asked the critic if he had viewed the video and this was his response.