L.E.T.T.E.R.S.©  received orders to customize curriculum for a student with dyslexia. 

For this order, all books and flashcards will be custom printed on pastel blue paper/cover stock to diminish the glare white paper can often cause. 

Printing books and flashcards on coloured paper/cover stock will also be an excellent solution for those students with Irlen Syndrome.

Stephanie and Michelle met with a family who need L.E.T.T.E.R.S.©    customized. 

Over the next seven weeks, L.E.T.T.E.R.S.© will develop Kindergarten curriculum for visually impaired students. 

In mid-August, L.E.T.T.E.R.S.© curriculum will be available in a specially designed option in a font/picture size to assist students with low vision.

• " Kids with dyslexia have trouble reading. They struggle to connect the letters they see to the sounds that are associated with those letters. But this doesn’t mean all kids struggle with reading in the same way.
  
  Some kids find it hard to recognize words by sight. Reading too slowly can also be a big issue. These can both lead to poor reading comprehension. Many kids have difficulty in more than one area, and their reading challenges can also change over time." www.understood.org
•  

Different Types of Dyslexia 

I've been discovering moodle and am delighted to realize how moodle will open doors for L.E.T.T.E.R.S. to give opportunities for Dyslexic, new, and struggling learners. 
As L.E.T.T.E.R.S. curriculum develops, I intend to take advantage of the learning platform offered by moodle. L.E.T.T.E.R.S. will be able to offer whiteboard sessions and tutorial videos. 

moodle.org

There has been a lot of controversy lately regarding fonts that have been specially designed for Dyslexic learners. The argument is against the font ... that there is no proof it improves the reading abilities of a struggling reader. 

My opinion is that scientific evidence is completely unimportant when a font or a program helps even just one student. Evidence for success of the font or program is confirmed in the student’s smile when doors to communication open wide and the student becomes confident in their literacy for the very first time in their lives. That is all the evidence we should require.


What do you think?
Special Fonts to Help Dyslexics

The infographic below shows there are many skills required to become a fluent reader.
 

L.E.T.T.E.R.S. curriculum is designed to strengthen reading skills in every lesson. L.E.T.T.E.R.S. goal is for each student to achieve success according to their individual needs and learning styles.

The following article, written by Julie Clarke, offers practical questions to review for any struggling student. 


Thanks for such a great article, Julie!

This month is a good time to check in and see how things are going with your child and her program at school. Today's blog is quick, but you're likely already short on time, so let's get right down to it. Here are a half dozen questions to answer before the year winds to a close.

Here's your homework. Grab a notebook (or whatever you use to record notes for school meetings) and work on these six questions before your child's next IEP meeting. It shouldn't take too long, I promise.

1.  Where has growth occurred? Think about how your child started the school year. Did she have trouble focusing in class or standing in line? Is he remembering his homework? Are there other areas that show improvement? The key here is to look for growth — not so much whether the end goal is reached. Progress is progress, and that is a good thing! Jot down these areas now.
2.  What's working? Is your child using tools provided by a specialist, such as a fidget object? Is it working? Are speech lessons helping? Is the chosen mode of communication between home and school adequate? (Again, the goal, here, isn't to check this box off, but to note what to keep in the toolbox.) Write down what is working.
3.  What doesn't seem to be? (Remember, some things take time.) OK, so maybe there are a few things that need revisiting. That's OK! Is the fidget object more of a distraction than a help? Maybe it needs to go. Is your child coming home in a pile of tears or with a chronic case of the crankies due to stress? That is a sure sign something isn't right.
4. -Take time to write down any changes in behavior you have noticed, as well as behaviors that need to change, but aren't.
5. -Write down any therapies that don't seem to be helping.
6. -Take a note of any possible relationship conflicts (this could be anything from another kid in class to someone from the school).
7.  Has anything new popped up? Has she developed a (new) tic? Is math becoming an unexpected stumbling block? Are there any other behaviors or concerns that have occurred since school began? Take note of these. Also, it is just as important to record any changes in the home, such as divorce, illness, a move, etc. These life events do impact our kids and it is good for the school to know when such things happen as it can affect the student in the classroom.
8.  Can anything be discontinued? Did she start using a squishy pillow for her seat at home and school, but you find she is no longer using it? Was he using a "chewy" to keep him from gnawing on his pencils, but he's dropped the habit? Write that down.
9.  . . . or is the path just fine? Sometimes, things really do move along nicely. If you have plenty of answers for #1 and #2, but the rest are blank, that is perfectly fine! It's a good sign that although there is still progress to be made, your child is, indeed, on the right track!

Go over your notes and double-check that you've stuck to the facts, leaving emotion and second-guessing on the sidelines. Once you've done that, you'll have a handy dandy set of talking points to take with you to the next school meeting! In fact, clean it up a bit and you can print copies for the school. It will be a wonderful way to check and see if you are both on the same page as well as provide you with headway to move forward!

Wishing you all the best, always,

~Julie

http://www.popsugar.com/moms/IEP-Meetings-37391683

Stephanie and Michelle printed the first order in our home office to be able to deliver a full set of L.E.T.T.E.R.S.© Module 1 Curriculum to a local family who was eagerly waiting to get started. 

Blessings to our first student on her learning adventure with L.E.T.T.E.R.S.©!