Christmas time: ‘Give a gift, make a difference’ – ABSee books; Cookie Time Christmas Cookies; Santa Calls - click here

Lighthouse schools – a beacon for awareness and action - click here

Recommended Reading - Books of interest to parents and teachers - click here

Recent media of interest - click here

Featured Poems - Jenny Powell - click here

• Register for a free Cookie Time Santa Call and Santa will ring up your child/children and ask what they want for Christmas – it’s quick and fun and the delight for kids of having Santa on the line is priceless! Santa is already getting his phone booth set up and is away from his computer, so please DO NOT REPLY to this email address. Instead please go to www.santacall.co.nz to set up the call now.

Mt Pleasant School, recently ran an incredibly successful children’s art exhibition, inspired by the stunning ABSee book. Parent and local artist Shelia Brown got involved in the project and together with teachers Kellie Robinson and Ange Tutt, the exhibition grew into something quite special. Some 15 talented students ranging in age from 7-11 were chosen to create 26 ABC canvases. 

Some of the local artists who appeared in the ABSee book were contacted and Tony Cribb, Rebecca Herring, Robyn Palmer, Karin Lange, Jenny Cooper and Shelia Brown, all attended sessions and worked alongside the children to create the beautiful canvases that now hold pride of place in the school foyer. The artworks also captured the interest of many parents, so the school decided to put together a mosaic of the canvases and have them printed as posters and recycled carry bags.   A very special launch followed to exhibit the artworks and sell the bags as well as copies of the ABSee book.  The event was highly successful and engaged not only dyslexic students but all students, parents and the school as a whole. All proceeds have gone back into the Special Needs and Extension Programmes at Mt Pleasant.  “We are very thankful to the DFNZ for giving us this idea and to Cookie Time Charitable Trust for coming on board with our project, and donating money that will be used in staff training and resources for dyslexia,” the school says.

King’s College has been very proactive in recent years in raising awareness of dyslexia. The school’s librarian put together a beautiful and informative display for the students after the school had purchased the ABsee book. This not only opened up discussions around learning differences but has also created additional support and advocacy within the school. Please click here to find out more.

In March 2012, WHS will be hosting a practical workshop to support staff who work with students officially diagnosed with learning difficulties.  WHS has achieved a great deal in making whole school changes that benefit dyslexic students as highlighted in our last newsletter.  This workshop cost is subsidised and will be run in conjunction with Mana Education Centre.  All schools in the Otago Region and Southland are invited to this excellent workshop to make sure that your school and its staff are prepared for the special assessment conditions and NZQA requirements for 2012. For more information, please email info@dfnz.org.nz and write ‘WHS’ in the subject box.

Success and Dyslexia is a manual with a fresh approach and it ties in nicely with the New Zealand 4D model. Primary school teachers in Victoria, Australia will be trained to support and empower students with dyslexia by building their resilience and coping skills while helping them become their own advocates. Read more… click here.

The manual has now been launched and is available for purchase – click here.

My Perfect Child is Dyslexic is available as a hard copy and also available on kindle for which there is a link on the website www.myperfectchildisdyslexic.com The book (ISBN #9781742841113) is a deeply private account following author Karen Thomson’s son Alexander’s diagnosis of dyslexia, and the family’s journey through the education system to high school graduation.

“This is a great read. It is personal and substantial and I cannot help but think that any parent who needs to deal with a diagnosis would benefit greatly from it being in the market of support for them.”
Garth Wynne. Headmaster, Christ Church Grammar School,
Perth, Western Australia

My Dyslexia (ISBN #9780393079647) is a moving new memoir from Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Phil Shultz. The book traces his difficult childhood and his new understanding of his early years. Despite winning the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 2008, Philip Schultz could never shake the feeling of being exiled to the "dummy class" in school, where he was largely ignored by his teachers and peers and not expected to succeed. Not until many years later, when his oldest son was diagnosed with dyslexia, did Schultz realize that he suffered from the same condition.

In looking back at his life, Shultz shows how a boy who did not learn to read until he was eleven went on to become a prize-winning poet by sheer force of determination. His balancing act – life as a member of a family with not one but two dyslexics, countered by his intellectual and creative successes as a writer – reveals an inspiring story of the strengths of the human mind.

Available at Amazon – click here

Host Audie Cornish talks with Shultz about the memoir – click here

The Dyslexic Advantage – Unlocking the hidden potential of the dyslexic brain. In this radio interview, co-author Dr Fernette Eide talks about the philosophy that the success of many dyslexics is because of their dyslexia not in spite of their dyslexia. ‘The Dyslexic Advantage’ is written by Drs Fernette and Brock Eide is published by Hay House (ISBN #9781848506398).

This radio interview is an open discussion about strengths and talents as much as disability and deficits. Invited speakers Dr Valerie Muter, Consultant Clinical Psychologist at Great Ormond St Children's Hospital and Ben Thomson a successful dyslexic corporate financier debate the above.  To listen – click here.

Further opinion and debate of this radio interview – click here.

Reaching the Reluctant Learner - This very practical and helpful manual focuses on the learning difficulties that come under the 'umbrella' notion of what is generally regarded as 'Dyslexia'. Laughton King examines why such difficulties are so common in our schools – right around the English-speaking world – and before giving parents and teachers insights as to how to work usefully with these children, demonstrates what the world is like from the inside for these children.

He looks at how these children think, at how they understand the world, at the impact on their behaviour, and at what life is like for them – on the inside. He includes a biographical section which includes some of his own personal experiences as a 'dyslexic' child.

In clarifying the fundamental differences between linguistic and pictorial thinking styles, and the consequential connection between learning difficulty and behaviour problems, this book opens the way for parents and teachers to reach, and therefore to effectively teach so-called reluctant learners.

To purchase this book or others by Laughton - click here

Sally Gardner: Dyslexia is not a disease
Leading author Sally Gardner admits she is still haunted by the jibes she faced as a child because she is dyslexic. In Dyslexia Awareness week, she insists that people need to see what dyslexia has to offer and not look at it as a negative. Click here

Link between music and phonology exposed
Coverage about an interesting study that showed a strong relationship between the ability to perceive metrical structure in music and the efficient perception of phonology for learning to read. It suggests that musical games may offer benefits for learning to read. Click here

Dissecting Dyslexia: Linking Reading to Voice Recognition
When people recognize voices, part of what helps make voice recognition accurate is noticing how people pronounce words differently. But individuals with dyslexia don't experience this familiar language advantage, say researchers. Chick here. Abstract of the original article here.

NZ educator awarded for dyslexia study
Margaret Stewart is Resource Teacher of Learning and Behaviour based at Marton School working across 12 schools in the Rangitikei cluster. Her work and study in the area of dyslexia led to her being presented with a Winston Churchill Memorial Trust Fellowship Award in August. Click here

A couple of recent Young New Zealander success stories
Actor triumps over dyslexia - awarded prestigious scholarship - click here

Richard Wilson - From "Cook Off Champ" to qualified Chef in just 2 years - click here

Last Newsletter for 2011: give your opinion!

As 2011 draws to a close, we would like to thank all our members who have helped take action on dyslexia and all those who have donated to the DFNZ to help us continue our work. 

A special thanks to Jenny Powell who has provided her wonderful poems that have featured in our recent newsletters.

We invite you to share your opinion of our newsletters (you can check out past editions - click here) by sending an email to info@dfnz.org.nz and writing ‘opinion newsletter’ in the subject box. Respondents will go in the draw to win a bucket or two of delicious Christmas Cookies. There are 20 buckets to be won.

Your support, by way of emails, sharing information, setting up support groups, hosting relevant professional development, purchasing our ABSee book and buying Christmas Cookies, all assists DFNZ to maintain a proactive position and allows us to look forward to a dynamic 2012.
 

2012: marking five years since the official recognition of dyslexia in New Zealand!
This will be another big milestone in the dyslexia agenda, and just how far we have come is shown by Prime Minister John Key’s recent identification of dyslexia as a specific issue for National Standards. Huge progress has undoubtedly been made for Mr Key to give particular focus to dyslexia in the National Party Opening Address for the Election Campaign!

In the last five years, there have been major gains in awareness, advocacy and understanding of the key issues that face individuals with dyslexia. However, 2012 will be a major milestone, giving us a chance to really reflect on those achievements and to refocus on what’s ahead. We plan to keep the dyslexia agenda clearly in the educational limelight and to get the nation talking about dyslexia in schools, in the workplace and beyond. Look out for more on this in term1 2012 newsletter.

Merry Christmas and have a great festive break! Best wishes

The team at DFNZ

Poem by Jenny Powell