This week I wanted to tell you about my online store, Good Sensory Learning. I’m Dr. Erica Warren, and I established this site so I could share all the materials that I have created over the last 20+ years as a learning specialist and educational therapist. When I first began my private practice, Learning to Learn, I had great difficulty finding fun and multisensory materials for my students that were effective and engaging. So back in 2005, I made it my mission to design and distribute high-end, remedial products as well as memorable, motivating lessons that bring delight to learning. If you would like to try a free sampling of my activities , CLICK HERE . How Are the Products Organized at Good Sensory Learning? You can download my Free Printable Catalog or you can browse the site using the grey “search all products” bar in the top right of any page with keywords such as dyslexia, working memory, and executive functioning. What’s more, drop down menus in the red banner allow you t...
There are all sorts of companies that are trying to sell “speed reading” programs and a “quick comprehension fix.” I often evaluate these products, and I continually find them, too good to be true. What I do know, as a seasoned reading specialist, and educational therapist, is there is not a single solution that serves every struggling reader. So why is this and what can you do?
Why Does the Solution to Improved Reading Differ Across Individuals?
What to Do If You are Looking for an Affordable Fix:
Clearly, an affordable fix to improving reading speed and comprehension is to use audiobooks while reading along or visualizing the content. If you want to take it up a notch, use the app Voice Dream Reader and set up Pac-Man Mode to train the brain to track in a fluid manner.
Cheers, Erica
Dr. Erica Warren is the author, illustrator, and publisher of multisensory educational materials at Good Sensory Learning and Dyslexia Materials. She is also the director of Learning to Learn and Learning Specialist Courses.
· Blog: https://learningspecialistmaterials.blogspot.com/
· YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/warrenerica1
· Podcast: https://godyslexia.com/
· Store: http://www.Goodsensorylearning.com/ & www.dyslexiamaterials.com
· Courses: http://www.learningspecialistcourses.com/
· Newsletter Sign-up: https://app.convertkit.com/landing_pages/69400
The secret to improving both reading speed and comprehension depends on each individual’s learning profile and preferences. What are the cognitive weaknesses that are causing the reading difficulties? These deficits need to be remediated through individualized support and accommodated with assistive technology tools. In addition, what are the cognitive strengths of the learner? Tapping into these abilities can help struggling readers develop compensatory strategies or workarounds. Finally, looking at individual preferences can also help. This may include visual choices such as font size, color, and word spacing, or auditory options such as audiobooks read by people or synthesized voices.
How Do Excellent Readers Read?
There are numerous core skills that must be done simultaneously to be an excellent reader. Yes, outstanding readers multi-task, and each of these duties is developed to a point of automaticity. In other words, one needs to be able to do a few skills simultaneously without thinking about it. So, what are the core skills that need to be developed to this degree of mastery, and how can I address these issues?
How Do Excellent Readers Read?
There are numerous core skills that must be done simultaneously to be an excellent reader. Yes, outstanding readers multi-task, and each of these duties is developed to a point of automaticity. In other words, one needs to be able to do a few skills simultaneously without thinking about it. So, what are the core skills that need to be developed to this degree of mastery, and how can I address these issues?
Core Skills | Strategies for Improvement |
Auditory processing and decoding of words and chunks of text (phonemic awareness) - instead of sounding out the individual sounds that make up a word, the brain must get to the point that chunks of text are quickly processed into meaning. |
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Tracking and visual processing - helps us follow a line of print without losing our place. In school, if a child cannot track from word to word smoothly, accurately, and efficiently, reading suffers, comprehension drops, and meaning becomes compromised. |
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Visualization - refers to our ability to create pictures in our heads when reading or listening. It is one of many skills that help us comprehend and remember information. |
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Attention - refers to our ability to focus while reading. It plays a critical role in reading speed and comprehension. |
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Speed of Processing - refers to the pace at which visual and auditory information is understood. |
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Verbal reasoning and vocabulary - refers to one’s ability to reason with and make sense of written language. |
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What to Do If You are Looking for an Affordable Fix:
Clearly, an affordable fix to improving reading speed and comprehension is to use audiobooks while reading along or visualizing the content. If you want to take it up a notch, use the app Voice Dream Reader and set up Pac-Man Mode to train the brain to track in a fluid manner.
Cheers, Erica
Dr. Erica Warren is the author, illustrator, and publisher of multisensory educational materials at Good Sensory Learning and Dyslexia Materials. She is also the director of Learning to Learn and Learning Specialist Courses.
· Blog: https://learningspecialistmaterials.blogspot.com/
· YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/warrenerica1
· Podcast: https://godyslexia.com/
· Store: http://www.Goodsensorylearning.com/ & www.dyslexiamaterials.com
· Courses: http://www.learningspecialistcourses.com/
· Newsletter Sign-up: https://app.convertkit.com/landing_pages/69400
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