RESOURCES
 See
also Books and Software
PRINT-OUTS FOR PARENTS
Please include www.worldofdyslexia.com on
the hand-outs, so that parents can refer to the website at home.  SOFTWARE
Go
to our 'Books and Software' page 
THE
CAT IN THE HAT
The
kids slumped in their chairs
Too glum to complain.
And to make matters
worse,
It started to rain . . .
The Cat has arrived, and he's got a hat
full of fun to save Conrad and Sally from a boring rainy afternoon. Written in
buoyant easy-to-read prose (with more than a few hilarious asides from the pesky
Fish), this official movie storybook is packed with full-color photos from the
film! The
Cat in the Hat
 JOLLY
PHONICS -
This systematic phonics program uses a multi-sensory approach and delightful characters
(Inky Mouse, Snake, Bee, and Phonic) to teach the letter sounds and how they blend
to form words. The program is effective with older children and adults who need
special reading and writing help also. (UK)
'An excellent scheme for teaching
phonics to younger children is called ‘Jolly Phonics’. This is a visual, practical
and fun approach to letter and sound recognition. Each letter is associated with
an ‘action sound’; for example the letter ‘a’ is taught by running the fingers
up and down the arm simulating lots of ants running about tickling the arm. The
children are encouraged to say the sound that ‘a’ makes at the same time. ‘S’
is taught by simulating the weaving motion of a snake and at the same time hissing
the ‘s’ sound. This visual and practical work is interesting and exciting for
the pupils and is reinforced and supported with flash cards of each letter in
bold with a picture of the corresponding action. Each letter is reinforced and
consolidated with practice of correct letter formation in the air, in sand, on
coloured handwriting paper, mini white boards and on each other’s backs as well
as by games trying to find the letter in a feely bag by touch alone. Once the
letter has been mastered it is placed in a pot labelled ‘letters we know’. Another
pot contains ‘letters we are going to learn’; the pupils enjoy seeing the transfer
of letters to the ‘know’ box as they successfully learn them.' (J.D., Bexhill-on-Sea,
UK)' - Jolly Phonics
LEFT-HANDED SHOPS
Left-handed shops online are to be found
in some countries, including the following: United
States, Britain, and New Zealand.
LANGUAGE TUNE-UP
KIT PHONICS (US)
Multimedia phonics
reading and spelling software on CD-ROM for Windows. Uses the Orton-Gillingham
method for children, adults, teens, dyslexics, special education, at-risk, illiterate,
ESL students and those with dyslexia and other learning disabilities. Language
Tune-Up Kit. (Comments/reviews
welcome)  SRA
OPEN COURT PHONICS REVIEW KIT (US)
Widely
used graded reading scheme for K-6, with the emphasis on interest and motivation
rather than phonics. Open Court's new reading, writing, and learning program,
provides young readers with a solid foundation in phonics. Children develop print
and phonemic awareness and learn about how the alphabet works. They are explicitly
taught about sound/letter associations and how to blend sounds and letters to
read words. Children also have regular opportunities to use this knowledge in
reading connected text and in spelling. Open
Court Phonics. (Comments/reviews
welcome)
ORTON-GILLINGHAM
(US)
The Institute for Multi-Sensory
Education (IMSE) has developed a program to empower parents to give their children
a head start on the basics of reading, to support beginning readers, and to assist
children who are struggling with the reading process. The Orton-Gillingham method
is language-based and success-oriented. The student is directly taught reading,
handwriting and written expression as one logical body of knowledge. Learners
move step by step from simple to more complex material in a sequential, logical
manner that enables students to master important literacy skills. 'Sensational
Strategies for Teaching Beginning Readers'.
(Comments/reviews welcome) 
HOOKED
ON PHONICS (US)
- If your child needs
practice sounding out words or stumbles over words like bring, skate, and crowd
when s/he reads aloud, this program can help develop reading fluency and challenge
him/her with progressive reading improvement. (Recommended by Jay, Texas - 'Who
would be without them?') Hooked
on Phonics (Comments/reviews
welcome)
GO PHONICS
(US)
Teacher-developed to provide struggling
and natural beginning readers with a strong foundation for decoding the English
language. Skills are taught sequentially, one step at a time. With over 70 components,
Go Phonics features 48 games that integrate with its workbooks and decodable storybooks.
Go
Phonics (Comments/reviews
welcome) 
UNITS
OF SOUND (UK)
This
multi-sensory reading intervention program from the UK Dyslexia
Institute combines
the benefits of independent work on a computer with guidance from a teacher or
assistant. Structured, cumulative and multi-sensory, Units of Sound is easy to
use for pupils and teachers. Based firmly on research into reading tests and high
frequency words, it builds reading accuracy, vocabulary, spelling, sentence writing
skills, automaticity, listening skills, visual skills and comprehension. Each
sound is seen, heard and repeatedly practised within groups of words. "Of
great benefit to the older dyslexic child with a reading age of 6+ years, is the
Unit of Sounds Programme designed to develop awareness, fluency and accuracy
in spelling, reading, writing and memory. Developed by the UK Dyslexia Institute,
it can be used in conjunction with ‘Write
Out Loud’ – a separate software package which I personally use to assist with
the sentence construction aspect of Units of Sound, though it has not been specifically
designed for use in conjuction with Units of Sound. When
a full stop is typed the programme will then read the full sentence back to the
child. It has facilities to change background colour, font size and helps alert
the user to incorrect spelling or grammar by highlighting errors via a colour
change across the tool bar area. The programme offers a choice of words and spellings
and if the child cannot recognise the spelling pattern, the word can also be heard
before inserting into the text. It is an invaluable aid to the dyslexic child."
(H.F., Adu Dhabi). UK
WORDSHARK (UK)
Literacy
and numeracy software especially suitable for dyslexic children - 'highly recommended
by many teachers and parents' John Bradford. Wordshark(Comments/reviews
welcome)
 SPARK
ISLAND (ages 5-11)
BBC CD-Roms
program - 'an excellent tool to assist in some of phonological awareness difficulties
as they teach phonic rules in a game-like multi-sensory way (young learners).'
(D.D., Singapore) Spark
Island (More comments/reviews welcome)
READING RECOVERY (US)
Reading Recovery is an early intervention program designed by Marie M. Clay (1979,
1985) to assist children in first grade who are having difficulty learning to
read and write. Reading Recovery (Comments/reviews
welcome)
THE
PATTERNS OF ENGLISH SPELLING (US)
by
Don McCabe, published by the AVKO Dyslexia Research Foundation. This reference
tool lists words by patterns together. You can download sample pages from this
book at www.spelling.org
(Comments/reviews welcome)
GOLDEN KEY SPELLING RULES
(UK)
35 basic spelling rules
explained in simple terms. Contains photo-copiable worksheets for the exercises,
word games and puzzles. Available through Better
Books. (Comments/reviews welcome) 
CROSSBOW EDUCATION (UK)
A range of games and photocopiable materials designed
by experienced special needs teachers for helping overcome literacy and numeracy
difficulties. Established in 1993; widely recommended in the UK by specialist
teachers and other professionals. Crossbow
Education. (Comments/reviews welcome)
PHOTOCOPIABLE WORKSHEETS (UK)
By Hilda King Educational. Using
the concept of fruit trees, in which the pupil fills in missing letters/words,
these worksheets help teach a variety of vowel and consonant combinations. Available
from Hilda
King. (Comments/reviews
welcome)
KICKSTART
PUBLICATIONS (UK)
Designed
for pupils having Specific Learning Difficulties. This book covers b-d confusion,
consonant digraphs ch, ph, sh, th, wh, and the magic e rule with vowels a,i,o,u.
Available from KickStart
Publications (take a long time to
load). (Comments/reviews welcome) BARRINGTON
STOKE BOOKS (UK)
Barrington Stoke specialize
in story books for young people who are late starting to read or may suffer from
Irlen Syndrome. The pages are off-white to stop the glare, and the print is double-spaced.
The story books are aimed at 'reluctant readers' aged 8 to 13 with a reading age
of above 8 years. They publish a series of books, the most well-known of which
is "Screw Loose" by Alison Prince, published by Barrington Stoke (ISBN
1902260015).You can see an article about their website in Dyslexia
Online Magazine (Other comments/reviews
welcome) TREGEAR PUBLICATIONS
(UK)
Photo-copiable
series used in many schools, with particularly useful books on Mnemonics which
help children learn to spell those words which cause regular trouble - any, many,
friend, because, island, enough, and so on. Full details on their web-site at
www.tregearbooks.com.
(Recommended. John Bradford.) (Other
comments/reviews welcome)  TEXTHELP
(Worldwide)
This computer program
sits alongside a normal word-processor, like 'Office', and helps the child or
student to find spellings as they type. There is a small box on the screen which
attempts to guess each word as the person starts to type it. For example, if you
type in 'b', it will come up with a list of words you have used before beginning
with 'b', like big, better, beginning, etc. If one of these is the word you need,
you can select it, and the word will go straight into where you are typing.
As you type more letters, the guesses get better.
At the end of each session you are asked to save your spellings so that the program
can begin to learn your particular vocabulary and make better guesses based on
the words you use most frequently. It can
also read out what you have written so far - a very popular feature with children
- so that you can hear if you have missed out any words or put in a wrong word.
There are two versions - TextHelp Read and Write and Type and Talk. You can see
details at TextHelp.
Highly recommended. (John Bradford) (More
comments/reviews welcome) CONFUSING
LETTERS (UK)
This series of
books focuses on letters which pupils often find particularly confusing - b/d,
p/q, etc. - and aims to help them to feel confident in recognising and writing
the letters both in isolation and in text. Recommended series of four books -
John Bradford. Available from Learning
Materials for Special Needs. (Comments/reviews welcome)
SUPPORT FOR BASIC SPELLING
(UK)
Series of six photocopy
masters supports the teaching of basic spelling skills and has been developed
to take into account the requirements of the UK National Curriculum and the objectives
of the UK National Literacy Strategy Framework. The books are incremental in difficulty
and can be used to complement the work being undertaken from any spelling programme
to provide additional learning opportunities. Assessment pages and record sheets
are included in each book to provide convenient ways of recording pupils' progress.
Each book costs £12.50. Recommended positive worksheets - John Bradford. Available
from Learning
Meterials for Special Needs. (Comments/reviews welcome)
POWERLINE READING PROGRAMS (US)
Particularly aimed at dyslexic children: Powerline
Reading Programs (Comments/reviews
welcome) ALPHASMART
 The
AlphaSmart 3000 allows you to enter and edit text, then send it to any computer
for formatting or directly to a printer. Its portability allows students to use
it anywhere and anytime - in the classroom, at home, or on field trips. Its low
cost allows you to provide technology access to an entire classroom of 30 students
for the price of three to four computers. The AlphaSmart 3000 is a smart way to
extend your technology dollars, to increase technology access, and to alleviate
the equity issues at school. AlphaSmart
TOE BY TOE
This is a highly structured multi-sensory reading
and spelling program for parents and teachers. It is ideal for parents who desire
resources for home-based support for their dyslexic children. It is an inexpensive
program, which Keda Cowling developed over many years teaching the dyslexic. The
lessons are given daily and are twenty minutes in length. The book is self-contained.
Keda says that the book is able to be used anywhere and can be used with or without
a trained teacher. It is used in Kenya, and has a home course to supplement schoolwork.
The parents who use it speak enthusiastically to me about the progress their children
are making. It does require a commitment by parents and students to work through
the program but I'm told that the benefits are well worth the effort. (William
Ferguson) - Toe By Toe.
Keda Cowling has also
written two other books which many classroom assistants use - Stride
Ahead Comprehension
and Stareway To
Spelling (Comments/reviews
welcome)
Mrs Alphabet (US)
Online resource designed for teachers at the primary levels. This site was created
by Anne Lynch, an author and creator of children’s books, learning tools,
and educational materials to assist kids in early learning and successful progress
in alphabet recognition, phonics and beginning reading. This website contains
a variety of lesson plans, links to other beneficial sites, a newsletter, and
a section for kids structured around the alphabet. This site has another interesting
feature called the classroom. In this section, there are multiple ideas about
creating word walls, name activities, alphabet jobs, calendars, and it provides
sample portfolios for teachers to view. Mrs
Alphabet (Comments/reviews
welcome)  PREVENTING
ACADEMIC FAILURE (US)
This is the
name of an Orton based multisensory reading, spelling and handwriting teaching
program better known as PAF. Its authors are Phyllis Bertin and Eileen Periman.
Karen Einhorn can attest to the effectiveness of this teaching method. She has
used this approach over a 12 -year period and has found it a very effective way
to teach dyslexic students. The PAF program is widely known in New York, Connecticut
and New Jersey. For further information visit this web
site. William Ferguson.(Comments/reviews
welcome)
THE DYSLEXIA RESOURCE
(UK)
A resource pack by Marion Walker
for tutors of adults and children with specific learning difficulties. Used in
schools, prisons and Further and Higher Ed centers in the UK: The
Dyslexia Resource (Comments/reviews
welcome) JUST PHONICS
Well established phonic programme in operation
since the 1970's. It is a reading instruction course, best suited to struggling
readers. Teachers who have used the programme speak highly of it. It can be used
in school settings or the home. Just
Phonics DYSLEXIA PRODUCTS
Including the Visual Tracking Magnifier, the
VTM Line Reader and the Optim-eyes Task Lamp: Dyslexia
Products (Comments/reviews
welcome) SPELLZONE
Online spelling course designed for the older
dyslexic. The age range is from teenager to adult. It is not a basic program,
for the course assumes the students will have a reading age of about 9. It is
aimed at the mild dyslexic and students with more serious problems who have followed
multi-sensory programs and need help with residual difficulties. Spellzone caters
for British and American spellings. It is a subscription website but the fee is
very small somewhere around US$32 / 20BPS. There is an informative spelling tips
section which is free. The web site is professionally done and the author, Shireen
Shuster, has spent 2 years writing the course. Shireen is the author of ‘Stile
Dyslexia’ a recommended spelling book by the U.K Dyslexia Institute. (William
Ferguson) Spellzone
(Comments/reviews welcome) WORD
CONSTRUCTION SET (NZ)
A phonics
word-builder where students hear, see, construct, create and work with
7000 phonic parts to construct the Seven Buildings of the Word World: consonants,
vowels, endings, homophones, compounds, and Latin roots and prefixes. Natural
speech, animation and graphics help reinforce in-depth phonics awareness in word-building
and spelling. There are special areas for learning word order, punctuation, and
the use of verbal, plural, and possessive endings. There is a variety of levels
of word work: from simple single-syllable consonantal formation to complex polysyllabic
Greek and Latin word-building - all levels involving word play and word experimentation.
Students may test themselves by using a given word in a sentence. (Comments/reviews
welcome)  CATCH
UP (UK)
A phonics
kit programme with CD-Roms designed to help the one in five of 6-11
year olds who struggle with their reading. The Programme has been developed out
of detailed academic research and extensive practical experience and can be delivered
by teachers or teaching assistants. It is based on one or two individual 10 minute
sessions a week (15 minutes for 10-11 year olds). There is also an optional 20
minute group session. 'Recommended'
L.L., UK. (Comments/reviews welcome)
OTHER INFORMATION 
- Special
Education Resources on the Internet - Special Education Resources on the
Internet (SERI) is a collection of Internet accessible information resources of
interest to those involved in the fields related to Special Education. This collection
exists in order to make on-line Special Education resources more easily and readily
available in one location. (US).
- Attack
Reading and Spelling
- Rita
C. Wright's Teacher Pages - This collection of online teacher resources
includes many search engines, online message boards, lesson plans and ideas, educational
games, interactive publications and e-journals, and special education resources.
The dyslexia section includes informational papers about dyslexia, as well as
links to various other sites that discuss the diagnosis and support of dyslexia.
-
Materials
to teach instructional strategies to students with learning disabilities
- An assortment of instructional materials for implementing strategies instruction
in your classroom. (from LD Online)
- Phonics
Instruction - exhaustive listing of books about phonics.
- Teach
Any Child or Adult to Read - Edna
Freinkel is principal of the Rebecca Ostrowiak School of Reading in Germaniston,
South Africa. Her interesting web site explains the reading program that has been
developed. She co-authored a book about the school's program. She is internationally
known and has appeared on South African radio and television.
-
Disabled
student's allowance (UK)
- Study
Skills reference (students and college)
- Study
Skills
- I
am Dyslexic - created
by a gifted but dyslexic 12-year old student. It is full of information and there
is a section for children to play games to develop spelling. Links to other areas
of interest to a dyslexic youngster.
- Reading:
Phonics tool kit - simple phonics record sheet for teachers.
- Latest
info in the world of Learning Difficulties
-
ADHD:
a path to success - an alternative
approach to treating Attention Deficit without the use of drugs, by Lawrence Weathers,
Ph.D.
- Harry
Potter worksheet - to print out.
- Learning
Disabilities Information and Education Centre
- Interactive
Crossword Puzzles
- Hi2u
4 people with hidden impairments -
Award winning site. Centred around ADHD, Aspergers Syndrome, Dyslexia and similar
neurological differences, along with any other type of hidden impairment.
- Teaching
Assistants.co.uk - help, advice and
job related information for UK Teaching Assistants.
- Kids Educational Software For Preschoolers - Smart Neurons provides educational software for preschoolers and kids to help enhance their pre-reading skills, story building logic and imagination.
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