.Resource Room Newsletter - January 2003
< http://www.resourceroom.net >
Surfin' Sally's Latest Links
New at the Resource Room: Freak the Mighty Comprehension Companion
< http://www.resourceroom.net/Comprehension/literature/ftm_toc.asp >
Exercises for all chapters and the dictionary at the end, for this popular fiction (and movie) about a teen with an LD label and his brainy friend. Rough draft is available online while it's being edited and formatted for production; feedback is welcome.Content Enhancement Online
<http://www.contentenhancement.org >
This has a new version of the Interactive Organizer, with graphic organizers for teachers and students and many resources for helping teachers plan for diverse learners.A Ray of Hope in the Juvenile Justice System
<http://www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/behavior/a_ray_of_hope.html>
Describes how one place in New York includes examining a juvenile offender's educational placement as part of the justice procedure.Mathematical Problem-Solving Profiles of Students with Mathematics Disabilites With and Without Comorbid Reading Disabilities
http://www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/math_skills/problem_solving_profiles.html
An interesting comparison of the relative difficulties experienced by students with reading and/or math difficulties.
In the news
Brain Game: Studies May Lead to Reading Revolution
< http://www.insidevc.com/vcs/technology/article/0,1375,VCS_129_1640170,00.html>
This article describes studies of brain activity in good readers and poor readers.Drowning in Numbers
< http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=244771&contrassID=2&subContrassID=11&sbSubContrassID=0&listSrc=Y>
This article features the effect of dyscalculia on an adult's daily life.Fun Strategies for the Math-Challenged
< http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A31763-2002Dec23.html >
Washington Post, December 24, 2002
Explains dyscalculia and outlines ideas for making math more accessible to folks who struggle with it at different academic levels.Dealing With Dyslexia
< http://www.iowastatedaily.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2002/12/12/3df82cca1d238 >
32 year old Nancy Suby-Bohn is a senior in civil engineering with dyslexia. "Balancing three kids, a husband, a house in Des Moines and twelve credits of engineering classes isn't easy."
Personal stories in the news:
Look what you get when you cross Batman with Catwoman
< http://www.cantonrep.com/index.php?Category=20&ID=77939&r=1 >
The Canton Repository, December 29, 2002
"I’ve taught myself certain techniques to get around my dyslexia and try to lay my hands on the script at least one week before the rest of the cast. I have no secrets; I just work three times as long on it."Intelligence Agent: Marlo Payne Rice runs a school for kids who are both gifted and learning disabled
<http://people.aol.com/people/magazine/magazineheroes/0,11369,400568,00.html>
People, December 23, 2002
Brideun (Gaelic for "one who watches over little ones") School in Colorado was started by a mom whose gifted son thought he was the "dumbest" in the school because he couldn't read.Miss S.C. Inspires the Disabled
< http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/news/local/4815086.htm>
The State (South Carolina), Dec. 26, 2002
Kelly McCorkle doesn't let learning disability stop her; she shows others they can overcome. Miss South Carolina spells her name backwards sometimes; "I couldn't imagine doing anything other than learning disabilities, because that's my life."From Newcomers to Old Hands
< http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2002/12/28/1040511218437.html >
Dec. 29 2002, The Age (Australia)
Interviews with Sailors With DisABILITIES on board their boat confronting squalls and life as crewmembers at sea.New House G.O.P. Leader is a Fighter
< http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/News/4058D284DA61FD3F86256C9F0021D104?OpenDocument&Headline=New%20House%20GOP%20leader%20is%20%27a%20fighter%2C%27%20colleague%20says >
St. Louis Today, December 29, 2002
Jason Crowell has been nominated as the Republican majority floor leader; the article includes a description of his struggles with dyslexia in law school.
Henry Winkler's Latest Line: Game Shows
<http://www.cnn.com/2003/SHOWBIZ/TV/01/01/wkd.weekendtv.henrywinkler.ap/index.html>
Henry Winkler's latest project is a game show, "WinTuition;" his diagnosis of dyslexia and other acting projects are also described.Alice is a wonder Orpheum's Outstanding Tennessean overcame odds early
http://www.gomemphis.com/mca/lifestyle/article/0,1426,MCA_521_1603055,00.html
December 15, 2002 GOMemphis
The community award-winning director of education and community dance programs discusses overcoming her dyslexia despite predictions that she would never finish high school.Dyslexic mortuary worker loses case
< http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/news.asp?sec=1&id=384934 >
Dec. 13, 2002 Cambridge News
Dawn Weller lost her case against the company who fired her for sending the wrong corpse to a funeral. She claimed that she had told her colleagues about her dyslexia; the company claimed that it had never been brought to the attention of the management. An object lesson in the advantages of documentation, perhaps?
You're welcome to come chat with us!
Net Haven
<http://www.net-haven.net >
Net Haven is a small, friendly chat site where parents and teachers can supportively share challenges and ideas.Chat topics are not strictly enforced -- we've been known to wander!
Some of the educational resources available from the Resource Room Store -- now you can order online from our secure shopping cart!
Stone Fox Comprehension Companion
< http://www.resourceroom.net/products/StoneFoxComprehension.asp >
- 27 pages of chapter-by-chapter exercises sent directly to your computer for the ridiculously reasonable price of $2.95.Harry Potter Comprehension Compendium
< http://www.resourceroom.net/Products/HarryPotterComprehension.asp >
More than 170 pages of comprehension exercises, chapter by chapter, to accompany Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. The workbook is sent directly to your computer as an Adobe Acrobat PDF file. Introductory price: $12.95.
Tandem Reading
<http://www.resourceroom.net/Products/tandem.asp >
Help new and not-so-new readers make the connection between phonics and good literature. This guide to reading with a child is designed for parents or tutors to support phonics programs with guided practice and reinforcement -- but without losing the fun of reading! Strategies include "penciling" (a simplified version of Alice Ansara's technique) and practicing words and patterns before oral reading.
Drill Bits and Drillable Syllables
<http://www.resourceroom.net/Products/drillbits.asp >
Word lists and flashcard sets based on the syllable patterns as taught in Orton-Gillingham programs. Lists are broken down into problem areas such as individual vowel sounds, blends and common "irregular" spelling patterns.Tools for the Times Tables
by Dr. Steve Chinn (accompanying workbook by Susan Jones)
< http://www.resourceroom.net/Products/toolstimes.asp >
Who needs a whole book and a workbook about the times tables? Well, who needs to understand numbers?
Written especially for hands-on learners, this book and workbook are full of strategies and ideas so that students can really master the times tables and come away with a true understanding of numbers and how they work.
If you know someone of any age who finds calculations frustrating, take a look at these books.Books for New Readers
< http://www.resourceroom.net/Products/literacy.asp > >
These easy, excellent and inexpensive books were written for older readers. Romance, adventure and non-fiction are all featured.