Learning Styles and 'Dys' lexia
Lynn Coalson
Hi Again,
I am so full of energy since I found you guys.I have been posting quite
oftener than I usually do because your responses are very thoughtful(
not in the polite sense, but in the "lots of thought put into your
responses" sense, which actually is very polite)
So here goes...
Although I am not into labeling,I have observed my daughter display
ways of aquiring and processing information that are currently
described as dyslexic.
One wonderful example: We aquired a used set of encyclopedias( this is
such a cool story...When we first began to homeschool, I casually
requested God to supply us with a set of free encyclopedias. There's
just something about curling up with an encyclopedia that is so
satisfying. Anyway, one morning while taking a detour through a very
affluent neighborhood, guess what was set out on the curb side trash
pile? A whole set of encyclopedias!Well, we took them home, scrubbed
them up , and set them out in the hot Florida sun to dry.)Later that
day, my daughter proudly showed me that she had set them up in our book
case. From Z to A -smile)
I think of this as an interesting part of who she is.
I do not think of it as a "dys" anything.
I am very interested in how this is viewed by the Unschoolers.
I'd enjoy your thoughts on this.
Lynn (in Fl)
I am so full of energy since I found you guys.I have been posting quite
oftener than I usually do because your responses are very thoughtful(
not in the polite sense, but in the "lots of thought put into your
responses" sense, which actually is very polite)
So here goes...
Although I am not into labeling,I have observed my daughter display
ways of aquiring and processing information that are currently
described as dyslexic.
One wonderful example: We aquired a used set of encyclopedias( this is
such a cool story...When we first began to homeschool, I casually
requested God to supply us with a set of free encyclopedias. There's
just something about curling up with an encyclopedia that is so
satisfying. Anyway, one morning while taking a detour through a very
affluent neighborhood, guess what was set out on the curb side trash
pile? A whole set of encyclopedias!Well, we took them home, scrubbed
them up , and set them out in the hot Florida sun to dry.)Later that
day, my daughter proudly showed me that she had set them up in our book
case. From Z to A -smile)
I think of this as an interesting part of who she is.
I do not think of it as a "dys" anything.
I am very interested in how this is viewed by the Unschoolers.
I'd enjoy your thoughts on this.
Lynn (in Fl)
Sandra Dodd
On Feb 20, 2006, at 5:39 PM, Lynn Coalson wrote:
All young kids work from the middle out, in either direction. At
some point each kid figures out some personal way to decide which is
(in our writing system) "the right way." Some spend longer than
others doing things like writing their names backwards (like mirror
writing) or not. Some have some personal trick early on and they go
left to right. That's not dyslexia, it's a natural part of language
learning. There's a term for it, but I don't remember. I think
"lateral" is in it somewhere.
But no matter what labels could be put on how a kid figures out
directions or writing numerals or writing words or knowing "b" from
"d" each and every one, in school or out, learns it his or her own way.
Sandra
> Later thatYou didn't say how old she is, or whether she's reading.
> day, my daughter proudly showed me that she had set them up in our
> book
> case. From Z to A -smile)
All young kids work from the middle out, in either direction. At
some point each kid figures out some personal way to decide which is
(in our writing system) "the right way." Some spend longer than
others doing things like writing their names backwards (like mirror
writing) or not. Some have some personal trick early on and they go
left to right. That's not dyslexia, it's a natural part of language
learning. There's a term for it, but I don't remember. I think
"lateral" is in it somewhere.
But no matter what labels could be put on how a kid figures out
directions or writing numerals or writing words or knowing "b" from
"d" each and every one, in school or out, learns it his or her own way.
Sandra
Lynn Coalson
--- In [email protected], Sandra Dodd
<Sandra@...> wrote:
Up untill this summer , when she got glasses to correct a tracking
disorder and nearsightedness, she hated to read.Duh! The glasses made
reading much easier. She has learned ways to compensate for other
characteristics of dyslexia.
the brain or the other, left or right?
I agree.
Home schooling allowed me to see her dyslexic -like characteristics.
Unschooling allowed me to see her unique ways of compensating (that
is the eduspeak word for finding another way) with specific ways to
how she learns about the world around her. These compensations are
unique to me, but are typical for those descibed as Dyslexic.For
example, when she can't recall a certain word, she will describe or
act out what that word does. "You know, that thing that you push
around the floor that goes vroom and sucks up the dirt" and she will
do the pushing action and the sound effects. This is just one
example, and yes we all do this at times,but with my child, this is a
pattern. I do not consider it a problem. If communication is the
goal, then
this is an interesting , entertaining, and effective way to
communicate.
She obviously has been doing this her whole life, but the Unschooling
approach of learning all the time puts the focus on learning in lots
of ways, rather than on "not learning" in specific ways.
So this brings me to my question,
What is the value of a diagnosis for an Unschooled child?
This is a personal decision, of course, but I am interested in the
Unschooling community's thoughts.
Thanks,
Lynn
<Sandra@...> wrote:
>She is 11. Yes , she recently began reading for pleasure.
>
> >
>
> You didn't say how old she is, or whether she's reading.
Up untill this summer , when she got glasses to correct a tracking
disorder and nearsightedness, she hated to read.Duh! The glasses made
reading much easier. She has learned ways to compensate for other
characteristics of dyslexia.
>Do you mean Lateralization, specific tasks done by one hemisphere of
> . There's a term for it, but I don't remember. I think
> "lateral" is in it somewhere.
the brain or the other, left or right?
>from
> But no matter what labels could be put on how a kid figures out
> directions or writing numerals or writing words or knowing "b"
> "d" each and every one, in school or out, learns it his or her ownway.
I agree.
Home schooling allowed me to see her dyslexic -like characteristics.
Unschooling allowed me to see her unique ways of compensating (that
is the eduspeak word for finding another way) with specific ways to
how she learns about the world around her. These compensations are
unique to me, but are typical for those descibed as Dyslexic.For
example, when she can't recall a certain word, she will describe or
act out what that word does. "You know, that thing that you push
around the floor that goes vroom and sucks up the dirt" and she will
do the pushing action and the sound effects. This is just one
example, and yes we all do this at times,but with my child, this is a
pattern. I do not consider it a problem. If communication is the
goal, then
this is an interesting , entertaining, and effective way to
communicate.
She obviously has been doing this her whole life, but the Unschooling
approach of learning all the time puts the focus on learning in lots
of ways, rather than on "not learning" in specific ways.
So this brings me to my question,
What is the value of a diagnosis for an Unschooled child?
This is a personal decision, of course, but I am interested in the
Unschooling community's thoughts.
Thanks,
Lynn
>
>
Sandra Dodd
-=-. There's a term for it, but I don't remember. I think
"lateral" is in it somewhere.
-=- Do you mean Lateralization, specific tasks done by one hemisphere of
the brain or the other, left or right?-=-
No, it's some kind of midline thing, where the kid knows it starts in
the middle and goes to the side, but the difference between left and
right isn't established, so if the first letter is written backwards,
the whole rest of the word goes backwards, just as it would look in a
mirror, so that each letter is correctly in relationship to the
letter before it. Not individual letters backwards, but the whole
word properly done, mirror-like.
It's not a "disability," it's natural and sensible. Or a kid might
write the numbers out the same way, to the left.
-=-.For example, when she can't recall a certain word, she will
describe or
act out what that word does. -=-
What makes that dyslexia!? I have no symptoms of dyslexia and never
have, but it's not freakishly unusual for me to say something like
"It's on the refrigerator" and someone will say (kindly) "the
refrigerator we wash the clothes in?" And after a pause to visualize
where the thing is I'll say... "Yes. That one." It happens when
I'm hungry, tired, or very distracted. The first time it happened, I
was twelve or thirteen and couldn't think of any word for that flat
asphalt thing in front of our house that the cars drive on except
"trail." I fished for a better word, and got "trail." Then the
entire thesaurus of my mind came back to me and I had road, street,
pavement... but for a moment there, I didn't have them.
There's a word for forgetting nouns too, isn't there? dis-something-
ia. Dysphasia? Mild dysphasia can be momentary. And it can be
amusing. It can also be a big deal and progressively worse and have
to do with irreparable brain damage, but I don't think being so zippy-
minded that a noun is temporarily unavailable is a disability. Or
maybe in children sometimes it's just that they haven't connected
enough things inside to be able to access the noun when they're
thinking about other things that are, at that point, still
"unrelated." Every mental connection we make might make the rest of
our brain more accessible. One more cross-reference.
-=-What is the value of a diagnosis for an Unschooled child?-=-
Will you get cash and valuable prizes, or will you just make her feel
there's something wrong with her?
(Those aren't the only two choices, but to which end will it lean?
Why risk it, in the absence of cash? And how much cash is enough to
make the damage to self-esteem worthwhile?)
Sandra
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
"lateral" is in it somewhere.
-=- Do you mean Lateralization, specific tasks done by one hemisphere of
the brain or the other, left or right?-=-
No, it's some kind of midline thing, where the kid knows it starts in
the middle and goes to the side, but the difference between left and
right isn't established, so if the first letter is written backwards,
the whole rest of the word goes backwards, just as it would look in a
mirror, so that each letter is correctly in relationship to the
letter before it. Not individual letters backwards, but the whole
word properly done, mirror-like.
It's not a "disability," it's natural and sensible. Or a kid might
write the numbers out the same way, to the left.
-=-.For example, when she can't recall a certain word, she will
describe or
act out what that word does. -=-
What makes that dyslexia!? I have no symptoms of dyslexia and never
have, but it's not freakishly unusual for me to say something like
"It's on the refrigerator" and someone will say (kindly) "the
refrigerator we wash the clothes in?" And after a pause to visualize
where the thing is I'll say... "Yes. That one." It happens when
I'm hungry, tired, or very distracted. The first time it happened, I
was twelve or thirteen and couldn't think of any word for that flat
asphalt thing in front of our house that the cars drive on except
"trail." I fished for a better word, and got "trail." Then the
entire thesaurus of my mind came back to me and I had road, street,
pavement... but for a moment there, I didn't have them.
There's a word for forgetting nouns too, isn't there? dis-something-
ia. Dysphasia? Mild dysphasia can be momentary. And it can be
amusing. It can also be a big deal and progressively worse and have
to do with irreparable brain damage, but I don't think being so zippy-
minded that a noun is temporarily unavailable is a disability. Or
maybe in children sometimes it's just that they haven't connected
enough things inside to be able to access the noun when they're
thinking about other things that are, at that point, still
"unrelated." Every mental connection we make might make the rest of
our brain more accessible. One more cross-reference.
-=-What is the value of a diagnosis for an Unschooled child?-=-
Will you get cash and valuable prizes, or will you just make her feel
there's something wrong with her?
(Those aren't the only two choices, but to which end will it lean?
Why risk it, in the absence of cash? And how much cash is enough to
make the damage to self-esteem worthwhile?)
Sandra
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Deb
--- In [email protected], "Lynn Coalson"
<lynnatbeach@...> wrote:
corrected and now reading is fun. That's a good diagnosis - it helped.
A diagnosis of a hearing problem that could be corrected - that'd
probably be a good diagnosis. A diagnosis related to a 'learning
disability', well, that's a whole other kettle of fish since those
diagnoses are typically defined by school parameters. I very much
doubt that a diagnosis of 'dyslexia' at this point will really do very
much to help, would it? It sounds like she's doing just fine
developing mechanisms within herself to deal with her world.
--Deb
<lynnatbeach@...> wrote:
> What is the value of a diagnosis for an Unschooled child?I suppose it depends - a diagnosis of a vision problem led to it being
> This is a personal decision, of course, but I am interested in the
> Unschooling community's thoughts.
> Thanks,
> Lynn
corrected and now reading is fun. That's a good diagnosis - it helped.
A diagnosis of a hearing problem that could be corrected - that'd
probably be a good diagnosis. A diagnosis related to a 'learning
disability', well, that's a whole other kettle of fish since those
diagnoses are typically defined by school parameters. I very much
doubt that a diagnosis of 'dyslexia' at this point will really do very
much to help, would it? It sounds like she's doing just fine
developing mechanisms within herself to deal with her world.
--Deb
Betsy Hill
**Then the
entire thesaurus of my mind came back to me and I had road, street,
pavement... but for a moment there, I didn't have them.**
My forgotten-noun moments seem to last a long time, as if my brain gets
"stuck". But giving up on the word, backing up and trying to give a
description seems to be the way to get the right word to float up into
my awareness.
It seems like it's always nouns, but maybe I'm not remembering
accurately. I'll pay attention for the next month and see what kind of
variety I get.
I do both things, (1) the being stumped looking for the right word, and
(2) the careless substituting of other words that have some kind of
similarity of meaning. I say "thousands" for "hundreds" and vice versa
more than any other flub that I can think of. It happens often.
Betsy
entire thesaurus of my mind came back to me and I had road, street,
pavement... but for a moment there, I didn't have them.**
My forgotten-noun moments seem to last a long time, as if my brain gets
"stuck". But giving up on the word, backing up and trying to give a
description seems to be the way to get the right word to float up into
my awareness.
It seems like it's always nouns, but maybe I'm not remembering
accurately. I'll pay attention for the next month and see what kind of
variety I get.
I do both things, (1) the being stumped looking for the right word, and
(2) the careless substituting of other words that have some kind of
similarity of meaning. I say "thousands" for "hundreds" and vice versa
more than any other flub that I can think of. It happens often.
Betsy
Lynn Coalson
--- In [email protected], Sandra Dodd
<Sandra@...> wrote:
young children.
the many characteristics that descibe the learning styles of
Dyslexia.
I don't think it is necessary or appropriate to list all of them here.
life, that allowed the thesaurus of your mind to develop.The brain is
an amazing thing!
Unschooled child.
ways"
Life's decisions do not always have to be either/ or.
There are lots of and/ both possibilities too. Depends on our
attitudes.
Lynn
<Sandra@...> wrote:
young children.
>This one example does not make it dyslexia. This example is one of
> -=-.For example, when she can't recall a certain word, she will
> describe or
> act out what that word does. -=-
>
> What makes that dyslexia!?
the many characteristics that descibe the learning styles of
Dyslexia.
I don't think it is necessary or appropriate to list all of them here.
> was twelve or thirteen and couldn't think of any word for thatflat
> asphalt thing in front of our house that the cars drive on exceptstreet,
> "trail." I fished for a better word, and got "trail." Then the
> entire thesaurus of my mind came back to me and I had road,
> pavement... but for a moment there, I didn't have them.I think those moments are so cool! You have had a vocabulary rich
life, that allowed the thesaurus of your mind to develop.The brain is
an amazing thing!
>Every mental connection we make might make the rest of
> our brain more accessible. One more cross-reference.I am wondering about the usefullness of testing and diagnosis for an
>
> -=-What is the value of a diagnosis for an Unschooled child?-=-
> By value I mean,to rate or scale in usefulness .
Unschooled child.
> Why risk it, in the absence of cash? And how much cash is enoughto
> make the damage to self-esteem worthwhile?)Her thoughts may just as well be "Wow, I learn in really cool
ways"
Life's decisions do not always have to be either/ or.
There are lots of and/ both possibilities too. Depends on our
attitudes.
Lynn
>
> Sandra
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
nellebelle
>>>>>>>>>Her thoughts may just as well be "Wow, I learn in really coolWhy should a child need to be branded in order to appreciate her own way of
>>>>>>>>>ways">>>>>>>>>>
thinking?
Maybe, *maybe* for a child in a classroom there is benefit if the teacher
has a label that awards the child special consideration. Someone noted that
test scores went up when dyslexic children are given special help on tests.
I am willing to bet that ALL children's test scores would go up if given
special help. In a classroom there is always focus on whether a child is
ahead or behind.
But unschooling is not about school and classrooms. Before I discovered
unschooling, when I made the decision to homeschool, one of my primary
reasons was to allow my children to learn at their own pace. It does NOT
matter if they learn faster, slower, or differently (whether their
difference is cool or uncool). They simply learn how they learn. I help
them learn by responding to them and providing resources. You just don't
need a label for that.
Mary Ellen
elainegh8
>I say "thousands" for "hundreds" and vice versa more than any otherNow now, I've told you a million times not to exaggerate! ;)
>flub that I can think of. It happens often.
> Betsy
BWs Elaine
Pamela Sorooshian
My niece has dyslexia. She never even knew it - and she went to
school (graduated last year). Her teachers all knew - she went to a
TINY private school with nine grade levels and only about 60 children
total. But, one day, we were all sitting around chatting and someone
was talking about dyslexia and new understanding of it (my sisters
are both special ed teachers) and some characteristic of dyslexia was
mentioned and my sister said, "Oh, that's one of the first hints we
had that you were dyslexic, Becky." Becky, my niece, said, "Huh? I'm
dyslexic?" Her mom said, "Well, yeah. That's why you read on the
later side, took you a while to get it figured out." Becky, "Oh,
okay. Makes sense." Calm, no big deal. She's GRADUATED from high
school in the top of her class, gotten scholarships for college, had
one very successful college semester already - plans to become a
speech therapist, herself.
-pam
school (graduated last year). Her teachers all knew - she went to a
TINY private school with nine grade levels and only about 60 children
total. But, one day, we were all sitting around chatting and someone
was talking about dyslexia and new understanding of it (my sisters
are both special ed teachers) and some characteristic of dyslexia was
mentioned and my sister said, "Oh, that's one of the first hints we
had that you were dyslexic, Becky." Becky, my niece, said, "Huh? I'm
dyslexic?" Her mom said, "Well, yeah. That's why you read on the
later side, took you a while to get it figured out." Becky, "Oh,
okay. Makes sense." Calm, no big deal. She's GRADUATED from high
school in the top of her class, gotten scholarships for college, had
one very successful college semester already - plans to become a
speech therapist, herself.
-pam
On Feb 22, 2006, at 7:38 AM, nellebelle wrote:
> Maybe, *maybe* for a child in a classroom there is benefit if the
> teacher
> has a label that awards the child special consideration.
Unschooling shirts, cups, bumper stickers, bags...
Live Love Learn
UNSCHOOL!
<http://www.cafepress.com/livelovelearn>
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
elainegh8
My partner found out in his final year, as a mature student in his
late twenties, at University (I had thought it was his 2nd year)
that he was dyslexic. He got a degree.
The extra help he got was money for a PC, and a recorder thingy
(can't remember the name), for recording lectures. It wasn't any
good anyway as the lecturers moved about when talking so he only got
bits of the lecture. That was it, no extra time or anything like
that. He was told in school he was stupid.
BWs Elaine
I'm
late twenties, at University (I had thought it was his 2nd year)
that he was dyslexic. He got a degree.
The extra help he got was money for a PC, and a recorder thingy
(can't remember the name), for recording lectures. It wasn't any
good anyway as the lecturers moved about when talking so he only got
bits of the lecture. That was it, no extra time or anything like
that. He was told in school he was stupid.
BWs Elaine
I'm
> dyslexic?" Her mom said, "Well, yeah. That's why you read on thehad
> later side, took you a while to get it figured out." Becky, "Oh,
> okay. Makes sense." Calm, no big deal. She's GRADUATED from high
> school in the top of her class, gotten scholarships for college,
> one very successful college semester already - plans to become a
> speech therapist, herself.
>
> -pam
Pamela Sorooshian
My niece got lots of consideration - but so did EVERY kid in that
little school. Each kid was an individual - when you only have five
kids in the 4th grade, it isn't so much important for kids to have a
diagnosis, a label, as it is that the parent and teacher communicate
well about that particular kid and how he/she is learning, etc.
This isn't supposed to be about school - I left my main point unsaid
- the ONLY reason that anybody needed to use the word "dyslexic"
about my niece EVEN though she was in school, was for my sister to
communicate well with her teachers and to look for ideas/information
that would help her learn in her own way. An unschooler, with NO time
pressure, no standards pressures, etc., really doesn't have need to
label their child. I NEVER labeled any of mine, and I was able to
feel free to look up dyslexia, when my youngest had a lot of
frustration because she wanted to read and couldn't, yet. She may or
may not be "diagnosable" - I have no idea, now that she's 15 and
figured out her own ways (compensations). She would have been
diagnosed, I think, back then.
Using the terms to look up ideas - I can understand that. But not to
label the child - that seems unnecessarily risky.
Kids who learn "differently" need to be helped to understand that
EVERYBODY learns in their own way. But unschoolers know that - it is
the "norm" for unschoolers. They don't need a name for it - they need
to know that they are unique and that's great.
-pam
little school. Each kid was an individual - when you only have five
kids in the 4th grade, it isn't so much important for kids to have a
diagnosis, a label, as it is that the parent and teacher communicate
well about that particular kid and how he/she is learning, etc.
This isn't supposed to be about school - I left my main point unsaid
- the ONLY reason that anybody needed to use the word "dyslexic"
about my niece EVEN though she was in school, was for my sister to
communicate well with her teachers and to look for ideas/information
that would help her learn in her own way. An unschooler, with NO time
pressure, no standards pressures, etc., really doesn't have need to
label their child. I NEVER labeled any of mine, and I was able to
feel free to look up dyslexia, when my youngest had a lot of
frustration because she wanted to read and couldn't, yet. She may or
may not be "diagnosable" - I have no idea, now that she's 15 and
figured out her own ways (compensations). She would have been
diagnosed, I think, back then.
Using the terms to look up ideas - I can understand that. But not to
label the child - that seems unnecessarily risky.
Kids who learn "differently" need to be helped to understand that
EVERYBODY learns in their own way. But unschoolers know that - it is
the "norm" for unschoolers. They don't need a name for it - they need
to know that they are unique and that's great.
-pam
On Feb 22, 2006, at 10:47 AM, elainegh8 wrote:
> The extra help he got was money for a PC, and a recorder thingy
> (can't remember the name), for recording lectures.
Unschooling shirts, cups, bumper stickers, bags...
Live Love Learn
UNSCHOOL!
<http://www.cafepress.com/livelovelearn>
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
elainegh8
Hi
what I was trying to say (not very well, sorry) was that my partner
never knew he was dyslexic until adulthood and really didn't get any
extra help, even after diagnosis, but he still got a degree. He had a
hangup from school who had told him he was stupid. If he had been
unschooled this never would have happened. So I guess that there's no
real benefit to getting a diagnosis for an unschooled child.
If you're unschooling then you'll know your child. What works for them
when they want to know how to do something. They don't have to moulded
to fit in with someone elses schedule, rules and ideas of what they
should be. It's not important in the lives of unschooled children to
be diagnosed and get a label. I can't see any point in it.
BWs Elaine
what I was trying to say (not very well, sorry) was that my partner
never knew he was dyslexic until adulthood and really didn't get any
extra help, even after diagnosis, but he still got a degree. He had a
hangup from school who had told him he was stupid. If he had been
unschooled this never would have happened. So I guess that there's no
real benefit to getting a diagnosis for an unschooled child.
If you're unschooling then you'll know your child. What works for them
when they want to know how to do something. They don't have to moulded
to fit in with someone elses schedule, rules and ideas of what they
should be. It's not important in the lives of unschooled children to
be diagnosed and get a label. I can't see any point in it.
BWs Elaine
> This isn't supposed to be about school - I left my main point unsaid
> > The extra help he got was money for a PC, and a recorder thingy
> > (can't remember the name), for recording lectures.