Submitted by Cornerstone Academy of the Ozarks Staff
International Dyslexia Association MO-KS branch scholarship recipient, Dr. Rebecka Spencer has been advocating for dyslexic children since she first learned her own son was dyslexic. Her journey began seven years ago when she first began to teach her son how to read. Having served as the Student President of the International Reading Association, writing her dissertation on reading and student achievement, teaching college pre-service teachers at MSU the methods and strategies of reading, and writing articles for the Missouri Reading Journal, nothing prepared her for teaching reading in an explicit and systematic way as did when she discovered the science of reading and how the brain actually works for reading. Only then, was she able to help her own son gain confidence in the struggle and help him become a fluent and comprehensive reader. Dr. Spencer continues her education and training and now serves children in many areas including one-on-one and online therapy sessions, formal testing, and diagnosis, teacher and parent trainings, developing and designing curriculum, and speaking at conferences.
Having a child diagnosed with dyslexia can be a traumatic experience. While dyslexia can make reading more difficult, with the right instruction, almost all individuals with dyslexia can learn to read. Many people with dyslexia have gone on to accomplish great things. Among the many dyslexia success stories are Thomas Edison, Stephen Spielberg, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Charles Schwab.
Dyslexia is one of the most misunderstood language disabilities. It is complex and much more than letter reversals. Dyslexia can be thought of as an island of weakness surrounded by a sea of strengths. Only when we can access those strengths will our learners gain the confidence needed for the explicit and systematic instruction necessary for reading. Dyslexia is a neurological condition caused by a different wiring of the brain. There is no cure for dyslexia and individuals with this condition must learn coping strategies. Research indicates that dyslexia has no relationship to intelligence. Individuals with dyslexia are neither more nor less intelligent than the general population. But some say the way individuals with dyslexia think can actually be an asset in achieving success.
According to the International Dyslexia Association, parents who have children diagnosed with dyslexia should seek out reading instruction that is based upon a systematic and explicit understanding of language structure, including phonemic awareness, phonics, and orthography. This reading instruction goes by many names including: Structured Literacy, Orton- Gillingham, Simultaneous Multisensory, Explicit Phonics, and others.
Dr. Spencer serves as the Head of School and Academic Language Therapist at Cornerstone Academy of the Ozarks in Warsaw.
