C.H.I.L.D Foundation Turning the Brain on for Reading Dr. Valerie Scaramella-Nowinski Drina Madden M.A., C.A.S

C.H.I.L.D Foundation www.childhealthlearn.org

Turning the Brain on Turning the Brain on for Readingfor Reading

Dr. Valerie Scaramella-NowinskiDrina Madden M.A., C.A.S.


Brain Scan to Lesson Brain Scan to Lesson PlanPlan

Rhythms

Reflexes

Relationships


Brain Scan to Lesson Brain Scan to Lesson PlanPlan

Development is dependent upon:Development is dependent upon:

Genetic PredispositionBrain Structure - Electrical – Chemical Pathways

Internal EconomyExternal/Environmental Cues


Awakening the BrainAwakening the Brain

Understanding Brain Pathways

Leads to

More Specific Diagnosis and Treatment

Leads to

Healthy Development



Functions of Development– Multisensory Attention – Memory– Speech/Language– Sensory/Motor– Mood/Social– Executive Function

Systems Biology


Systems BiologySystems Biology

MULTISENSORYMULTISENSORY

ATTENTIONATTENTION



MEMORY



SPEECH/LANGUAGE



SENSORY/MOTOR



MOOD/SOCIAL



EXECUTIVE FUNCTION/PLANNING



Stronger Brain Pathways

lead to

Development of the Functions of Learning



STRONG STIMULUS = STRONG RESPONSE

Weak stimulus = Weak response



PARADOX 1

STRONG STIMULI

Weak response



PARADOX 2 Weak stimuli

STRONG

RESPONSE



Poor Synchrony/Timing can affect all sensory pathways – rhythms and reflexes

(Light/Dark, Loud/Soft, Heavy/Light, Slow/Fast…)



Better synchrony/timing consolidates

multisensory memory

This is the

Basis of Learning



We LEARN by

MULTISENSORY– Repetition– Recollection– Reflection



What makes us human is the complexities of language



We need repetition, recollection and reflection of all sensory experiences for language to develop



As sensory rhythms and reflexes are synchronized (the “in-sync” child) language pathways are being strengthened



External speechBecomes

Internal speech

Which governs self-regulation of behavior/executive function



Expression/Self-Regulation/Planning

Reception/Analysis/Storage

Rhythm/Synchrony



WHAT’S THE BRAIN DOING WHILE YOU LEARN?WHAT’S LANGUAGE ALL ABOUT?

DYSLEXIATURN ON THE BRAIN FOR LANGUAGE/READINGSTRENGTHENING LANGUAGE IN THE CLASSROOM


Turning the Brain on for Turning the Brain on for LearningLearning

LANGUAGE DEPENDS UPON– Ability to pay attention– Relaxed alertness– A well designed visual system– A well designed auditory system– A strong sensorimotor system– A strong memory system– Ability to execute a plan/organize



Attention to:– What you SEE

• Your world • The squiggles on paper

– This requires the coordination of different brain areas

cat



Eyes must focus - together





– Eyes must perceive shape and size of symbols

a B c d

– Eyes must “track” motion



Coordinated eye movements



Uncoordinated eye movements


Visual brain must notice/perceive symbols

f r o g Visual experiences must be storedMemory: retrieval from storageOutput/expression: a complex task

frog




Attention to what you HEAR– Environment and the People in it– The individual sounds of the human voice

• Pitch

• Volume

• Tone

• Frequency

Mary had a little lamb

MARY HAD A LITTLE LAMB

Mary little lambhad a



Ears need a clear/clean hearing path

Ears must modulate sounds



Auditory system must notice/perceive different sounds /p/ /b/Phonemic awareness (noticing the individual sounds in words) must occur

cat/c//a//t/



Sounds and experiences must be storedStorage must be accessed



Attention to and storage of sensorimotor experiences



Multisensory Reflexes Begin in Utero to assistsurvival



Sensorimotor reflex development

Relaxed Alertness fosters appropriate reflex development



Needs a combined sensory experience



READING NEEDS

– Ability to combine motor, visual and auditory memories• Blend sounds and symbols f-r-o-g• Hold new blended sounds in memory• Connect to create a whole word• Connect to world experiences• Head/neck movement: eye-hand coordination• Relaxed alertness

– Ability to hold new symbolic

connections in memory frog



READING NEEDS– Ability to apply meaning to the combined words and

experiences

“I love to read”– Ability to recall the full impressions gained through the

reading process• Images• Posture• Words• Word meaning• Understanding of content



READING NEEDS– To be applied to everyday life memories– To enhance abstract thinking


Turn On The Reading BrainTurn On The Reading Brain

The human brain is not hard-wired for reading


DyslexiaDyslexia

Dyslexia is a difficulty with the multisensory regulation of language– Attention, reception, storage, expression– Verbal and nonverbal


DyslexiaDyslexia

A student can be GIFTED and have Dyslexia


DyslexiaDyslexia

Brains of dyslexics are formed differently than non-dyslexics


DyslexiaDyslexia

Inefficient brain connections make sounds, symbols and movements hard to locate


DyslexiaDyslexia

Dyslexics have cognitive difficulty associated with:– Visual to verbal coding– Short term memory– Order perception– Sequencing


DyslexiaDyslexia

For dyslexics, reading is– inaccurate– slow – laborious


NIH Facts about Dyslexia

Affects at least 1 of 5 children in U.S.The most common and prevalent of all learning disabilitiesAffects girls and boys equallyMost people inherit itLeading cause of reading failure and school dropouts in our nation



Dyslexic children have difficulty with the sound/symbol relationship of the written code because of neurophysiological differencesEarly intervention is essentialIt is identifiable with 92% accuracy at ages 51/2 to 61/2



It is primarily due to linguistic deficits – a language processing problem. Reading failure caused by dyslexia is highly preventable through brain training – from attention, to memory, to perception through direct, explicit, repetitive instruction.



Children do not outgrow dyslexia or reading failureOf children who display reading failure in the 1st grade, 74% will be poor readers in the 9th grade…

UNLESS they receive brain changing instruction



“Whole language” is not supported by research as an approach to teach dyslexics.Dyslexia and ADD often occur within the same child“The current discrepancy model to establish eligibility for special education services is not a valid diagnostic marker for dyslexia.”


Signs of DyslexiaSigns of Dyslexia

Visual Precursors– Numerous reversals and transpositions– Avoiding/difficulty catching and throwing– Difficulty blending symbols into words

2 5 S 6 9 b d



Visual and visual/motor precursors– Difficulty recognizing letters

– Trouble working puzzles– Block building is avoided

– Avoiding pencil/paper/coloring activities– Trouble with the Alphabetic principle– Uneven eye movements



Sensorimotor difficulties– Perceiving lines– Feeling shapes– Perceiving symbols (letters and numbers)

lll OOO llll 6 9 2 5 S



Auditory/Verbal Precursors– Articulation problems– Difficulty learning rhymes– Trouble following and remembering oral

directions– Difficulty with word retrieval



Auditory/Verbal Precursors– Trouble learning letter names and sounds– Difficulty blending sounds into words– Difficulty breaking words into sounds/syllables– Transposing sounds in words

PASGETTI



Some have visual (dyseidetic) dyslexia– Trouble noticing – Then “recording” the symbols



Visual (dyseidetic) dyslexics – reading– May invert or reverse letters– Rate of perception is slow– Loses place or skips lines or parts– Adds words that aren’t there – ocassionally changing

meaning– May omit or change punctuation – changing meaning– Make guesses or says words that look similar –

surprise/surface– May confuse letter order - place/palace



Visual dyslexics – spelling– May visualize beginning and end of word but omit

the middle– Spells phonetically – sight/site– Mixes capitals and small letters– Inverts letters/numbers– Reverses letters/numbers– Gives correct letters in the wrong sequence



Some have auditory (dysphonetic) dyslexia– Telling one sound from another



Auditory (dysphonetic) dyslexics – reading– Substitution of sounds– Poor sound blending to make words– Knows names but not the sounds of letters– Poor phonic attack– When stuck on a word, may not sound it out– Word finding difficulties

• Substitutes words• Uses synonyms – mommy/mother



Auditory dyslexics – spelling– Omit endings– Use synonyms– Omits second letter in blends – fed/fled– Confuses voiced and unvoiced pairs – p/b, f/v, ch/sh– Doesn’t hear subtle differences – leaves out vowels– Confuses vowels– Makes wild guesses



Some have memory (mnestic) dyslexia – Trouble with storage, retrieval and expression of

sounds, symbols and movements affecting spoken and written language



Mnestic dyslexia can also affect sequential and simultaneous processing– Math

• Facts• Sequencing of problems• Reading of word problems

– Word order of language/semantics



Some have multiple dyslexias– Can’t record symbols, sounds, movements and

combine them– Can’t bring pieces together to read, understand

and/or write text


DyslexiaDyslexia

They need – Relaxed Alertness– Awareness of sounds, symbols and tactile

stimuli– Deep, repetitive sound/symbol/sensorimotor

connections

– GIFT OF TIME


Turn On the Reading BrainTurn On the Reading Brain

Repetition, Recollection and Reflection

Can change brain design



Students with dyslexia ALSO need

To be taught to read while

they continue to learn



Essential Skills To.. UNLOCK THE CODE Relaxed alertness/attention

Smooth eye movement

Phonetic awareness

Tactile awareness

Visual awareness

Body awareness and body control



Essential Skills To.. UNLOCK THE CODE– Attention– Balance– Posture– Fine/gross motor skills– Visual and visual/motor integration– Speech/sounds perception/integration– Sound/symbol perception/integration


Turn On The Reading Brain

Essential Skills To.. UNLOCK THE CODE

– Relaxed alertness– Multisensory attention– Multisensory recognition– Multisensory memory– Multisensory expression



Strengthen Auditory Connections– Make sure auditory system is working properly

– Attention to sound• Surround the child with good music

– “Music for Babies” or “…Children”, etc.• Work with rhythms and rhymes• Metronome and Rhythm Band can help• Sing to and with the child



Strengthen Auditory Connections– Identify environmental sounds– Work with sounds in isolation

– Change volume, pitch, and tone– Alter speed – ssslllooowww down

– Work with naming activities– Use pictures to help with word find– Read, read, read



Strengthen Auditory Connections

– Encourage two-way communication• Helps to develop external to internal speech

– Monitor TV /computers/video games• Time and content



Strengthen Auditory Connections

– Memory• Use many finger plays• Play directions following games• Play a variety of memory games –environmental sounds,

phonemes, pictures, symbols, sight words, etc.• Smerge



Strengthen visual connections– Attention/Perception

• Introduce puzzles from simple to complex– Use verbal cues when working puzzles

• Matching games• Scanning games• Categorizing activities• Foster block building that requires following picture directions

– Use verbal cues to assist visual awareness

• Use colored lenses



Strengthen visual connections

– Foster tracking • Catching balls• Throwing balls• Bouncing balls• Batting• I-Spy Games• Scanning card games

– Posture strengthening activities



Strengthen visual connections– Foster visual motor connections

• Puzzles and blocks• Arts and crafts• Sand box• Swings• Slides



Strengthen visual connections– Limit glare (fluorescents?)– Vary color– Vary shapes– Vary sizes– Vary speed of presentation

Make sure visual acuity is O.K.



Strengthen visual connections– Strengthen visual memory

• Play memory games with cards• Play I-Spy in the car and restaurants• Waldo



Strengthen visual and motor pathways• Use multisensory techniques to teach letter/number

awareness– Sandpaper, play dough, cookie tray, writing on back, etc.

– Sand and water play

• Read books with the child – over and over and over and over….



Strengthen Sensorimotor connections

– Body Awareness

– Balance

– Posture



Strengthen Sensorimotor connections

– Perceiving lines

– Feeling shapes

– Perceiving symbols (letters and numbers) by touch

– Vibration



Multisensory– People who use all of their senses when they

learn are better able to receive and store information



Get the two sides of the brain talking– Encourage seeing and saying activities– Encourage saying and seeing activities– Encourage “self-talk”– Present letters and numbers with multisensory

materials

– Repetition, Recollection and Reflection


Teach the Dyslexic Brain To Teach the Dyslexic Brain To LearnLearn

Dyslexics need MORE sensory preparation

Dyslexics need MORE repetition, recollection and reflection


Relaxed Alertness

Teach the Dyslexic Brain to Teach the Dyslexic Brain to ReadRead


Teach the Dyslexic Brain to Read

Directly assist attention and sensory modulation– Sound

• Therapeutic listening programs such as TLP, DLS and others similar to these based on the work of Tomatis and Samonas, etc.

• Earobics, FasForword, Lexia, etc.• Soundscape• Sound Tracks



Directly assist attention and sensory modulation– Visual

• Eye movement programs such as EyeQ,etc.• Visual exercises with tracking/scanning, matching and perceptual

practice– Solitaire games– Kings in the Corner– Sequence– Scan



Directly assist attention and sensory modulation– Tactile

• Sensory/motor processing exercises • Movement programs – Feldenkrais, Brain Gym,

Gymbaroo, etc.• Play doh plus letter/number formation



Strengthen multisensory reception and storage– Programs that are based on researched success– These programs must be:

• Direct• Repetitive• Multisensory• Teach phonemic awareness



Strengthen multisensory reception and storage– The programs must include:

• Direct, explicit teaching of every rule. – Dyslexics do not intuit anything about written language– One rule must be taught at a time and practiced until it is

stable in both reading and spelling




• Teaching that is systematic to “fill the holes” in the foundation

• The logic behind language and rules practiced to automaticity

• Consistent review to solidify the learning




• Consistent word building and analytic pulling apart of words

• Continuous assessment to be certain that UNDERSTANDING is growing not just blind application



Strengthen multisensory reception and storage– Reading Programs for dyslexics MUST include:

• Relaxed Alertness



Strengthen multisensory reception and storage– Phoneme awareness must be taught directly

• Phoneme segmentation• Phoneme deletion• Phoneme matching• Phoneme counting• Phoneme substitution• Blending• Rhyming


Teach the Brain to ReadTeach the Brain to Read


• Phoneme/Grapheme Correspondence– Which sounds are represented by which letter(s)– How to blend the letters into single-syllable words



Strengthen multisensory reception and storage– Reading Programs for dyslexics MUST include

• Teaching the Six Types of Syllables that compose English words

– They will know what sound the vowel will make– If they hear the vowel sounds, they will know how the syllable

must be spelled to make the sound




• Teaching of probabilities and rules– /SHUN/ can be spelled TION, SION, OR CION

• Roots, suffixes and morphology must be taught• Expand vocabulary



Multisensory expression/executive function– Reading programs for dyslexics MUST include:

• Movement from external to internal questioning and speech– Explained– Modeled– Practiced

• Analysis of material– Genre– Text structure– Text organization



Multisensory expression/executive function– Expansion of comprehension ability

– Visualizing and verbalizing - Lindamood– Probing– Use of open-ended questions– Sentence structure, text cohesion, punctuation, phrasing and

grammar must be taught directly


DyslexiaDyslexia In The ClassroomIn The Classroom

School aged students with dyslexia need:

– THE GIFT OF TIME• Extra time for tests• Shortened assignments• Assisted reading• Study guides for test preparation

– Assisted writing– Spelling treated as a separate subject– Alternative assigments



Students with visual dyslexia need:– A guide card while reading– Two guide cards while taking tests that have an

answer sheet– Minimized copying from board and books

• Have them take notes for practice• Supply full set of clear notes



Students with auditory dyslexia need:– Words slowed down

• Directions• Explanations

– Much repetition of verbal input– Much visual, whole presentation– Warning when they will be called on– Spelling treated as a separate subject



Students with memory-based dyslexia need:– Repetition– Clarification– Assignment structure assistance

• Missing, late, incorrectly completed assignments are “symptoms” of the need for greater support

– Memory devices (Memory Power for Exams, etc.) often using both sides of the brain

– Books on tape– MUCH VISUAL, WHOLE presentation



Student with dyslexia often need:– Recognition of their math talent – Math fact learning assistance plus calculator– Use of a calculator that shows whole math sentence

• See and say– Math problem “cheat sheets” – Recognition of their difficulty with sequential solving– No speeded math fact tests– Graph paper or vertical lines when doing math



Students with dyslexia often need:– Study guides for test preparation– Extra time for tests– Shortened tests

• Fewer questions• Fewer choices for answers

– Extra time for homework– Shortened assignments– Minimized essays– Tests read to them



Students with dyslexia need to be encouraged to use good posture– Feet flat on the floor or resting on a stool– Straighten back– Straighten head– Head elbow distance from work– Pencil held where both eyes can see at the same

time



Students with dyslexia often need: – An environment free of pattern glare

• Reduce the area of the test that is visible• Reduce contrast between lines• Reduce light levels or use properly prescribed tinted

lenses• Change the size of text

– Seating in the least distracting portion of the classroom



Students with dyslexia need:– Adults who are patient– Supportive adults who understand– Plans that breed success– Supportive classmates



Sooner is better!



Brain design is NOT Destiny

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C.H.I.L.D Foundation Turning the Brain on for Reading Dr. Valerie Scaramella-Nowinski Drina Madden M.A., C.A.S