Dyslexia Expert in the House
BY LAURA SPAULDING Staff Writer/Educational Consultant
One of the benefits of working at The Joy School is the commitment of our administration and board of directors to stay on top of the ever-changing trends and research in education and learning disabilities. Because our niche is at the intersection of traditional and special schools, we work hard to stay on top of both areas of study. Several educational experts have visited this year for professional development.
We started the year with Adam Welcome presenting on “Future Thinking Schools and MakerSpace,” helping us consider the future of education and how to best prepare our students for today’s world. |
Then nationally acclaimed educator, entrepreneur, technology leader, and author Luyen Chou led our staff in training on the role and future of artificial intelligence in the classroom. |
Earlier this month, clinical psychologist and founder of the Conative Group, Dr. Kimberly Harrison, led us in a workshop focusing on students who struggle socially or with pragmatic communication, including those with Autism Spectrum Disorder. |
This week, our very own in-house dyslexia expert, Michele Kemper, presented the topic of “Reading and the Brain.” to the staff. Thirteen of her nineteen years at the Joy School have been spent specifically working with struggling readers as a reading interventionist. Fascinated by her students' brilliant minds and eager to understand more and more about why they struggle and how she can help them, Michele has spent the last year earning a Dyslexia Certification through the University of Florida.
While Michele would never be comfortable with the title Dyslexia Expert, she mesmerized her peers this week with an engaging presentation on the highly complicated task of reading and the mystery yet to be solved of how any brain can read at all. She noted the neurobiological nature of reading difficulties and the structural differences researchers have seen in the brains of students with dyslexia. After giving us a taste of the brain systems involved in reading and defining the various processes required for reading fluency, accuracy, and comprehension, Michele offered some practical ways to continue supporting our students with dyslexia.
The most powerful moment of Michele’s presentation was when she reminded us that the more we learn, the less we know, and while there may be no cure for dyslexia, we can continue to offer our families all kinds of hope. We offer them hope through a safe, supportive learning environment where each child is seen, known, and enabled to reach their social and academic potential. Research affirms that the early and intensive intervention in the form of systematic and explicit instruction we offer our students with dyslexia is making a lifelong impact on so much more than just their brain processes and structures. We offer hope by changing the trajectory of their academic lives, their independent reading potential, and all their future possibilities.
If you or someone you love has been impacted by dyslexia, help spread awareness by sharing this post, and learn more by joining us for a tour.
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