Dyslexia (Source: BC Health Guide http://www.healthlinkbc.ca/kbase/glossary/ty732/ty7329/def.htm): Dyslexia is a common learning disability that hinders the development of reading skills. It impairs a person’s ability to translate the sounds within words (phonemes) in the correct sequence, and this causes reading to be slow and inaccurate. Dyslexia makes it hard to read, write, and spell. It also affects memory of spoken and written words. For treatment, educational tools can help retrain the way the mind processes the sounds within words. (Accomplished Learning Centre uses the most advanced scientifically-proven methods to retrain auditory and phonological processing abilities.)

The Jim Rose Review: Independent review of successful methods for teaching early reading. Recommends synthetic phonics. www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/phonics/report.pdf

United Kingdom, Department of Children, Schools and Families. As of the 2007/08 school year, based on the recommendations of the Jim Rose Review, the UK now uses “synthetic” phonics in all their schools.  www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/phonics

Blackboard Bungle: California’s Failed Reading Experiment by Jill Stewart, LA Weekly - The disastrous experiment of whole language in California. (Sadly, it is still the main method used in US and Canadian schools.) Be sure to read both parts! Part 1: www.kidsource.com/kidsource/content/whole.1.html and Part 2: www.kidsource.com/kidsource/content/whole.2.html

LD Online, Whole Language Lives On: The Illusion of Balanced Reading Instruction: www.ldonline.org/article/6394 - Whole language does not work whereas synthetic phonics does. Synthetic phonics and whole language cannot work together as they are contradictory.

Children of the Code, a Public Television Documentary and Social Education Project: www.childrenofthecode.org - Free videos. Understand reading problems and the impact they have on individuals and society. Learn about research-based solutions.

BC Ministry of Education: Foundation Skills Assessment – How is your child’s school and school district doing? www.bced.gov.bc.ca/reporting/achieve/fsa-bas.php

Canadian Council of Learning: www.ccl-cca.ca - Journal of Applied Research on Learning: Volume 1, Article 2: Potential risks of high-dose phonics (too much “analytic” phonics) and Volume 1, Article 5: Kindergarten screening for reading disabilities (phonemic/phonological processing deficits).

BC Health Guide: www.bchealthguide.org - Search for dyslexia, ADHD, learning disabilities, etc.

Statistics Canada – International Adult Literacy Survey: www.statcan.ca/english/Dli/Data/Ftp/ials.htm - 42% of BC adults read below the recommended level. Google for the survey to find a large number of interpretations.

Time Magazine, The New Science of Dyslexia, July 20, 2003 www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,465794,00.html

Learning Disabilities Association: South Fraser www.ldafs.org; Vancouver www.ldav.ca; Stats www.ldav.ca/articles/statistics.html

Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: www.wikipedia.org - Search for neuroplasticity, dyslexia, ADHD, learning disabilities, vestibular system, sensory integration dysfunction, central auditory processing disorder (CAPD), synthetic phonics, etc.

PBS Frontline: The Medicated Child: www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/medicatedchild - Scary! Watch free on-line. A must for any parent, teacher or doctor considering medication for attention problems. Recent research into what happens down the road to medicated kids.

The Deliberate Dumbing Down of America: www.deliberatedumbingdown.com - This book will change forever the way you look at your child’s education. Free to download.

Readers’ Digest article, Getting a Handle on Dyslexia: www.readersdigest.ca/mag/2004/12/dyslexia.html

International Adult Literacy Survey - This is essential reading for every parent as it gives a very clear picture of what your child’s future may look like if learning skills are not improved while still in school.

Canadian Council on Learning (CCL) is an independent, non-profit corporation that promotes and supports research to improve all aspects of learning—across the country and across all walks of life.

Journal of Applied Research on Learning: Potential risks to reading posed by high-dose phonics - This study demonstrates that more phonics results in poorer reading abilities.

Journal of Applied Research on Learning: Kindergarten screening for reading disabilities - Based on phonological processing, these researchers were able to determine with 80% accuracy which kindergarten children would have reading problems in Grade 3.

ABC Canada’s Literacy at Work Newsletter, Issue 47: Choosing Literacy Programs - An interesting article on the aforementioned research of “Potential risks to reading posed by high-dose phonics.”

Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. An awesome source of information! Search for dyslexia, ADD, autism, auditory processing disorder, sensory integration dysfunction, etc.

International Dyslexia Association. I love their definition: Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurological in origin. It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and / or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom instruction. Secondary consequences may include problems in reading comprehension and reduced reading experience that can impede growth of vocabulary and background knowledge.

Learning Disabilities Association of Canada - BC/Vancouver branch - South Fraser branch

Putting a Canadian Face on Learning Disabilities (PACFOLD) - A groundbreaking research study spearheaded by the Learning Disabilities Association of Canada.