Lynnfield Public Library: Dyslexia Awareness Month

Press release from Lynnfield Public Library:

Barbara Esham  
∙The Dyslexia Empowerment Plan: a Blueprint for Renewing Your Child’s Confidence and Love of  Reading by Ben Foss
∙Raising a Child with Dyslexia by Don M. Winn
∙ Dyslexia Advocate by  Kelly Sandman-Hurley 
∙ Essentials of Assessing

October 20, 2021

October is Dyslexia Awareness Month. These resources and information can be useful year-round for people with dyslexia or parents of children with dyslexia or who think their children may be dyslexic.

What is Dyslexia?

Dyslexia is a language-based learning disability. People with dyslexia often have difficulty with reading, spelling, and writing. They may also have trouble in other areas, such as in math operations. Dyslexia does not mean that someone isn’t smart. They tend to be great at comprehension and context and can be very creative. About 15-20% of people have dyslexia.

For more information, check out these websites:

Tips and Early Signs 

∙ Early signs of dyslexia  include late talking, difficulty remembering letter names and colors, reversals in letters, and difficulty reading. 

∙ Children with dyslexia may struggle with riding a bike, tying their shoes, and may have an unusual pencil grip. 

∙ People with dyslexia often find it easier to read books with large fonts where the  letters are widely spaced.  Books written with loose spacing or  with few words per section,  such as in graphic novels, may be preferable to children with dyslexia.

Books 

∙ Overcoming Dyslexia by  Sally Shaywitz 

∙ If You’re So Smart, How  Come You Can’t Spell  Mississippi? by Barbara Esham  

∙The Dyslexia Empowerment Plan: a Blueprint for Renewing Your Child’s Confidence and Love of  Reading by Ben Foss

∙Raising a Child with Dyslexia by Don M. Winn

∙ Dyslexia Advocate by  Kelly Sandman-Hurley 

∙ Essentials of Assessing, Preventing, and Overcoming Reading Difficulties by David A.  Kilpatrick

Looking for more books about dyslexia or about children who have dyslexia? Ask a children’s or reference librarian and we can suggest more options!  Would you prefer to read using the dyslexia font?  It is available in both Libby/Overdrive and hoopla to make books more accessible!

Apps 

∙ Learning Ally: This app  reads books aloud while  highlighting the words  on the screen. Children who have been diagnosed with dyslexia may be able to gain access to this through  their school. 

∙ Bookshare: This app reads books aloud while highlighting the words on the screen. Anyone with dyslexia, as well as other reading barriers such as blindness, cerebral palsy, and more, can request books.

This press release was produced by Lynnfield Public Library. The views expressed here are the author’s own.