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4 days ago

I’m on a journey to understanding Dyslexia.Before joining the Rural Youth and Adult Literacy Trust, I knew very little about Dyslexia and Neurodiversity. However, it would be fair to say my knowledge has grown a little, and I am undertaking more research.So firstly, please don’t read this article that the writer is an expert; I am merely putting some thoughts down on paper, hoping that you as a reader will want to learn more about Dyslexia!Dyslexia definitionThere appear to be many definitions. However, the definition that I am taking on board is ‘Dyslexia is various reading disorders associated with difficulty decoding written language and integrating auditory and visual information, such as the association of phonemes with letter combinations in spelling.’Dyslexia is on a continuumDyslexia is on a continuum meaning that people have different levels of dyslexia, from mild right through to severe levels. It is also often hereditary and is not caused by a lack of intelligence. People with dyslexia have average to above-average intelligence. And is not driven by poor schooling or family life or a desire not to learn and is not a learning disability. Dyslexic people learn in different ways and continue to learn ongoing.High-profile dyslexic peopleThere are many high-profile dyslexic people, including Whoopi Goldberg, Elon Musk and Richard Branson (Barbour, 2020). Branson credits being dyslexic as the secret to his success (Killelea, 2022). He states in the article that being dyslexic has helped him think outside the box. Branson also said in the past that the business world gets too caught up in facts and figures, whereas his dyslexia has helped him “think big but keep the messages simple.”Dyslexia was officially recognised in New Zealand in 2007.COVID has been tough on childrenCOVID and lockdowns have been tough on children and their reading and learning. Schools have been under immense pressure, as have all areas within New Zealand society, as we attempt to recover from COVID but still have the presence around us all.Teachers are noticing students struggling with general literacy abilities and are becoming concerned. Consequently, the concern is growing as schools and parents see students, sons and daughters having learning difficulties and generally struggling, starting with a history of missing schooling or disengaging with schools that do not meet their needs with traditional education practices and struggling to add the extra wrap-around support that some students are now requiring.In a small number of schools, the Rural Youth and Adult Literacy Trust (RYALT) has provided invaluable training to teacher aides around dyslexia and phonics and supplied helpful resources to teach students with low literacy. Chrissie Wardle, RYALT’s Coach Student coordinator states, ‘supplying training to teacher aides and resources are the two areas we need to focus on if we are to improve literacy standards in NZ. If more people know the best strategies to teach reading and writing, the more we will tackle low literacy.’About 100,000 school children have dyslexia or neurodiversity conditions (Styles, 2022). Neurodiversity is used to describe brains that behave, learn, or process differently from typical situations, including ADHD, Autism, Tourette’s, and Dyslexia.Success can come to us all, as it did to Richard Branson and high-profile people like Whoopi Goldberg and Elon Musk.The Rural Youth and Adult Literacy Trust is a dyslexic friendly organisation. If your teen is struggling with reading and writing, talk to us today.References:Barbour, H. (2020, June 2020). Famous People with Dyslexia [A List of 200+ Actors, Athletes, Musicians & Scientists]. Retrieved from blog.ongig.com: https://blog.ongig.com/diversity-and-inclusion/famous-people-with-dyslexia/Killelea, A. (2022, April 1). Dyslexia is the secret to my success, says Sir Richard Branson. Retrieved from Yahoo News: https://nz.news.yahoo.com/dyslexia-secret-to-success-sir-richard-branson-153019430.htmlStyles, M. (2022, January 3). NZ schools are failing dyslexic kids. Parents should consider US-style class action. Retrieved from Stuff: https://stuff.co.nz/national/education/… ... See MoreSee Less

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Rural Youth & Adult Literacy Trust

6 days ago

We would be very happy if you could vote and if you could consider the Rural Youth and Adult Literacy Trust for your vote would be even better.Thank you.https://deliveringforgood.nzpost.co.nz/ ... See MoreSee Less

NZ Post - Delivering for Good

deliveringforgood.nzpost.co.nz

We’re giving up to 34,000 free courier services away to support initiatives that are working to improve connection, belonging and inclusion in our communities.

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Rural Youth & Adult Literacy Trust

2 weeks ago

DO YOU HAVE A SENSE OF COMMUNITY?Would you like to help the Rural Youth and Literacy Trust (RYALT) as a Community Ambassador?This volunteer role is not demanding or complex, and it will take only four hours a month of your time.It’s about keeping RYALT and our work in helping people with low literacy at the forefront of your community.Want to know more, email Lillian at admin@adultliteracy.ac.nz #community #community #communityfirst #peoplehelpingpeople #volunteer #readingandwriting #literacy ... See MoreSee Less

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Rural Youth & Adult Literacy Trust

2 weeks ago

Dominique Waldbillig on TikTok

vt.tiktok.com

make you you stick around for the ending quote from my student 🤣 #scienceofreading #ortongillingham #reading #fyp #foryoupage #teacher #teachersoftiktok #literacy #syllabletypes

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Rural Youth & Adult Literacy Trust

3 weeks ago

Meet the Members: The Rural Youth and Adult Literacy Trust

www.communitynetworksaotearoa.org.nz

We are the umbrella organisation for local, regional and national community networks in New Zealand.

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Rural Youth & Adult Literacy Trust

4 weeks ago

Please consider signing the petition. ... See MoreSee Less

Commission of Inquiry into dyslexia & neurodiversity in New Zealand

our.actionstation.org.nz

Dyslexia/neurodiversity affects around 15% of people worldwide, and impacts on their education, their working lives, and wider social interactions. Dyslexia/neurodiversity are best described as differ...

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Rural Youth & Adult Literacy Trust

1 month ago

Happy Easter to all our students, volunteers and supporters. ... See MoreSee Less

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Rural Youth & Adult Literacy Trust

1 month ago

Subject: It’s exciting times for the Autistic community READ READ READKia Ora …I’m writing to you on behalf of Voices From The Spectrum Charitable Trust and our wonderful Waikato Autistic community.Fun fact: Autistic whānau comprise approximately one fortieth of the population of Aotearoa New Zealand – that’s equivalent to the population of Ōtepoti Dunedin! Here in Kirikiriroa, fuelled by the mighty Waikato, it’s only fitting that we are paving the way for Autistic self-determination. I mean, who better to support autistic folk than actual autistic folk?Our community has been meeting for over fifteen years across this great city (what a record!) and Voices was set up a few years ago to answer the growing needs our community identified. Now, we’re setting another record: Aotearoa’s first fully autistic-led and run Autistic Community House! Our “Mate’s Space”, as we call it, will be a Kirikiriroa-centred safe haven for our whānau whaitakiwātanga in the Waikato rohe, alongside a wonderful outreach and support centre; doubling as an education hub for the curious and supportive folks.We are gratefully accepting donations large and small to help us furnish our soon-to-be and much-needed space. Our goal of $10,000 will ensure the community house has furniture, kitchenware, gardening supplies, sensory equipment and more.We value all support, and sharing this email amongst your friends and whānau is equally appreciated.If you would like to hear local autistic folk talk about why we need our own community house, go here: https://youtu.be/WYpqfO8D1AsIf you’d like to donate, go here:https://givealittle.co.nz/fundraiser/help-build-our-mates-spaceTo find out more about Voices From The Spectrum Charitable Trust, or to get in touch, go here:http://vfts.org.nz/ Thank you so much for all your hard work in getting our voices out there (and for reading this far; that’s an achievement in itself!). We truly appreciate it. ... See MoreSee Less

Help Us Build Our Mate's Space!

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Kia ora e te whaanau! We are Voices From The Spectrum, a charitable trust based in lovely Kirikiriroa Hamilton, with membership across the Waikato. We are ma...

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Rural Youth & Adult Literacy Trust

1 month ago

No Fear... Love Always! 🙏💯💙✌🌞#BeMindfulPauseConnect #spiritualmaster ... See MoreSee Less

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Rural Youth & Adult Literacy Trust Rural Youth & Adult Literacy Trust is in New Zealand.

1 month ago

HOW DID I LEARN TO READ?How did I learn to read? I have long since forgotten. I would love to know how I learned to read. In some ways, I want to be transported back to my childhood to find out. What was the defining fact that brought me to where I am today? I went to St Mary’s Primary School in Northcote, Auckland. Was it the nuns that taught at the school that started me on the reading journey? I vaguely remember beginning to write and sitting in a classroom at a single desk where maybe 20 other five and six-year-olds were. In those days, we used fountain pens. Getting the ink into the fountain pen was a pain; I remember that. I was so pleased when ballpoint pens came along to use. I also remember being told to keep using a fountain pen; they are better than ballpoint pens. I would probably have agreed with that, but the ink ended up on the desk and fingers, something I hated, so the ballpoint pen was the ideal choice for me. I probably also agreed with the nuns that I would always use the fountain pen to please the nuns, but I knew as soon I was out there that the fountain pen would be a historical artefact.But how did I learn to read? I feel it must have been ongoing interactions with books and reading material and a good start at St Mary’s that led me to where I am now. Even from a young child, I loved newspapers and books and would sit there reading them. I could hear the writer’s voice, their writing in the book or newspaper article. I was not always agreeing with newspaper journalists’ opinions but tried to envision their opinion in my head. Look at both sides of the argument. When reading a book, I could visualise the story and be there in the story looking at the surroundings and somehow being a part of it. So, it came as a surprise that not all people can do this. Some people cannot hear the voice in their head. In this article, ‘Do you hear a voice in your head when you read? If not... you could be dyslexic’ from the Daily Mail Australia gives a good outline of Gary Chevin’s discovery that he did not have the reading voices in his head.In the article, Professor Rod Nicolson believes he has found a link between lack of inner speech and poor reading ability. I do remember reading out loud to my mother from a book. Either at the dining room table while preparing our evening meal or sitting on the floor with my back to the couch while she sat on the sofa and semi- watched television. I wasn’t allowed to watch tv until I read the book’s allocated pages. Then later, there was the swap for bedtime. I had the book read to me. I suppose the different reading environments helped develop the reading skills.Reading AloudI enjoy people reading aloud. My partner reads the newspaper aloud, as she says that her reading is not much good. That’s not true. English is a second language for her; it is more of a confidence issue. But it is always good to have discussions about the article and listen to both of our perspectives.I also had a work colleague who would read aloud frequently while sitting at her desk. It never bothered me; it was a part of the environment until I realised she was no longer reading aloud. Was it that her reading had reached a stage, as they say in the Gary Chevin story, “'At some stage, as their reading improves, so does their ability to sight-read [to read in their heads], and that is the stage at which reading really takes off.” I think that she had taken off; she needed to understand the complex material that she was reading, and reading aloud was her tool to do that until she could hear the voice in her head.It doesn’t matter whether it is adults or children; encouraging reading will pay dividends. Reading aloud will help critical reading skills and find the inner voice. If you haven’t started it, try it, or help somebody struggling with their reading, ask them to read it aloud while you listen.The Rural Youth and Adult Literacy Trust is a dyslexia friendly literacy trust. If you want help with reading and writing, contact us today!Reference:https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1263307/Do-hear-voice-head-read-If--dyslexic.html #reading #literacyhelp #dyslexia ... See MoreSee Less

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Rural Youth & Adult Literacy Trust

1 month ago

This is a very good interview and worth the watch.Rural Youth and Adult Literacy Trust is available to help any adult that is wanting help with their reading, writing and numeracy. ... See MoreSee Less

Numeracy and literacy programmes need to be extended to adults

www.teaomaori.news

Literacy Aotearoa Tumuaki, Bronwyn Yates believes the government's two new strategies to improve literacy and numeracy among rangatahi will have an impact on...

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