Newsletter September 2020 #2
Dear All – always hoping you are well as we get to move to another transition – children going back to school or not. Sue wants you to know that she is always here for a review when needed, we all get a little rusty over the summer holidays, just call or email her.
Our education system is changing, by necessity; homeschooling organisations are inundated with applications. We feel that Davis methods, being ‘hands-on’ are a wonderful fit to offset much of the current screen time – and would be grateful for any ideas, any open doors that you might have. We are working on adding an Online/ Homeschooling page to our website.
DEDICATION:
On that note, this Newsletter is dedicated to the late and hugely missed Sir Ken Robinson. We have posted several of his YouTubes on our new channel - Here - click on the Playlist option. To say he was inspirational is a gross understatement – I would suggest the father of educational reform with a brilliant sense of humour. Hopefully he is orchestrating the necessary changes from his SKR cloud. He recorded 3 videos entitled ‘Learning from Home’ which might prove useful just now.
Photo Attribution: Sebastiaan ter Burg / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)
ANXIETY:
It is to be expected that there will be anxious moments around going back to school or trying to homeschool. Sue read an article in the North Shore News - Here - which she hopes might be useful. The short story is that anxiety is based in a fear - worrying about the fear gives us the message that we are doing something about it… that we are making ourselves safe. Sharon Selby offers tips to deal with those anxious feelings and has written a book called ‘Surfing the Worry Imp’s Wave’ which is on Kindle and in paper. Read More Here…….
PROJECTS:
On the Davis front we have some exciting news. Axel Gudmundson, DDA South Africa is piloting a program called 2ReadtoLearn. It is basically an online version of the Young Learner’s Program, and can be downloaded in modules for parents to do with their children. For every program purchased one goes to a family who would normally not afford one. It is in its pilot stage at the moment, but we are hoping it can be made available worldwide shortly.
Also, in New Zealand, an online version of the Davis Learning Strategies is being piloted, and again we are hoping this will be widely available, as so many teachers find it difficult to travel to the workshops.
We are still Talking the DYS out of Dyslexia!
As you know, we launched our first series of podcasts in August on Podbean and then on our YouTube Channel. Thanks to Tristan’s efforts we are now approved for Spotify ! Only iTunes to go ! We are currently recording the second series focussing on the Davis Learning Strategies, the preventative measures that can be introduced into K-3 classes, thus providing a cognitive equal opportunity for all, regardless of learning style.
We have international speakers shedding light on:
The need for DLS in schools
The success teachers see when they implement DLS (in NZ and Canada)
The research behind DLS
An overview of a book that provides a segueway for teachers who need more information
An online program for young learners and their parents
and more… they will be launched to coincide with Dyslexia week – October 5-9, 2020.
CHILDREN & READING
One of our interviewees brought up a very sound point. She sends children home with reading books that are very easy for them, rather than stretching them. She pointed out that when adults get home from work, they are more likely to reach for a magazine, novel or newspaper than a highly challenging research paper. They are tired they read for relaxation, and why would children be any different?
She also believes, as we do, that reading is introduced far too early in a child’s life. Brain research shows that children are not ready to read until they are at least 7 and feels that much of the anxiety she sees today is because we push too much too early. Rudolf Steiner found that they are not ready until they have their adult teeth.
A link with the INDUSTRY TRAINING AUTHORITY is in its early stages. They process apprenticeships throughout BC and when a student struggles and fails their exam because of their learning challenge, the ITA seeks different routes for them to take. Luckily one route is to contact a Davis program provider, with a view to a correction program, which they will fund. Very good news for adults who like ‘hands-on’ careers!
FUNDRAISING
We are so grateful for the generosity shown to us in our Walk and Talk the DYS out of Dyslexia campaign. We estimate we are close to $6,000 and donations are still coming in. We will leave the campaign page open till the end of the year.
Ed Roman’s Video – Red Omen is now available on Vimeo for Canadian Rental Sales. Amazon, to buy or to rent for U.S.A residents and Apple Music. Part of the proceeds will go to The Whole Dyslexic Society – this video has won so many international awards at film festivals – and we thank him for being so generous. Please follow Red Omen The Video on Facebook. Follow Ed Roman on Instagram here.
A LONG OVERDUE INSIGHT – HOW I THINK
You would think that being of a grand old age, I would know how I think… particularly in my line of work!
Well, apparently not… I am still a marvel to myself. This is my latest epiphany. Thanks to the recording and editing of 10 podcasts which involved learning Audacity (which if you are ever tempted, know there is NO real live help or chat line), and thanks to recording 3 YouTubes via Movie Maker, which needed slides being overlaid onto the recording and for the sound to keep going… I have discovered that not only do I need to make an image of the technical support (thank you thegeekteacher), but once I have seen the advice, I need to go away, do something physical, even washing up and housework count, so that I can process the information, and come back refreshed to give it a go. Just going away and having a break doesn’t do it… I need to do something physical in that break.
So I see a need for this ‘processing by doing’ to be in schools… oh wait a minute... that’s what Davis methods do!
When children look up a word in the Dictionary, when they understand the meaning, and they make a 3D model, this is their physical doing.
It is part of their processing as well as the Mastery procedure. Ron may well have voiced that many moons ago, but I was obviously out to lunch at the time, so I guess better late than never! And WOW… there is SO much more to Davis techniques than meets the eye first time around, or in my case many thousands of times around.
Sue