I know of no proposals to introduce rigorous screening methods to prevent children being labelled as having a special need when they are simply behind or being disruptive. In fact, many of us who have a commitment to raising the outcomes for all children, including those with special needs, would argue that current arrangements bring schools no advantage and if anything many children do not have their needs identified. The evidence suggests that 20% of school leavers have extremely poor literacy skills and employers say that it compromises the commercial life of the nation through lost opportunity costs as well as direct training costs. I would describe this as a systemic failur... ]]>Sun, 20 May 2012 20:51:27 GMT
A WINDOW of opportunity exists to change the way that schools help children with dyslexia

Dyslexia Action welcomes proposals to reform the Special Educational Needs (SEN) system; accepting an invitation to be involved in shaping new legislation and regulation to be introduced by Parliament this summer.

Kevin Geeson, CEO of Dyslexia Action comments: “We see this as an opportunity to shape the system for children with SEN. Our main concern is that the focus of these SEN reforms is on improving the system for those with the most severe complex needs, who would previously have had Statements of SEN. We will therefore be highlighting that it is essential that those with less severe needs also receive additional support to ensure that they are not disadvantaged; no child should have barriers to learning.”

The ‘Green Paper: Support and Aspiration: A new approach to s... ]]>Sun, 20 May 2012 23:14:47 GMTWould you, or your child, benefit from help with reading, spelling, writing, study skills etc?

The Leicester Centre offers services and support for dyslexia and literacy difficulties and is pleased to be able to offer specialist tuition on Saturday mornings with effect from Saturday 16 June 2012.

Tuition slots are available as follows for Saturdays:

• 9:00-10:30am
• 10:30am-12noon
• 12:30-2:00pm
• 2:30-4:00pm

• Assessment

• Specialist Teaching

• Training

• Who should attend?The day is aimed at Teachers/SENCOs who support learners that struggle to read standard print, primarily for those working in secondary schools.
  
  It may also be of interest to those working in Further Education and Higher Education.
  
  Why attend?Load2Learn, the DfE funded project led by Dyslexia Action working with RNIB, is hosting a series of open training days entitled; “Using technology to help students with print disabilities”.
  
  The day has been designed to be informative and interactive and is led by experts from Dyslexia Action and RNIB.
  
  The programme will include:
  
  
  • A summary of research findings and the difference that technology can make, including case studies of how technology has helped students' learning
  • An overview of assistive technologies that are free to use at school or in the home
  • Examples of using t... ]]>Sat, 19 May 2012 14:51:48 GMTThe Queen’s Speech (May 9, 2012) highlighted a timetable for a new Children and Families Bill which will take forward ideas to reform the SEN system, as stated in the Green Paper ‘Support and Aspiration’.

    
    Key measures in the Bill, in relation to Special Educational Needs and Disabilties (SEND), include a new integrated Education, Health and Care Plan to replace statements and support early identification and transitions in the first 25 years of life. Personal budgets would be attached to these Plans, encouraging parents to make more active choices in how support is delivered.

    
    The Bill will also require local authorities and schools to publish a ‘local offer’ for parents detailing what services and facilities should be available in schools. Dyslexia Action, together with... ]]>Sun, 20 May 2012 18:29:04 GMTThe Queen’s speech has economic growth, justice and constitutional reform at it’s core and it heralded the government’s intention to introduce the promised reforms around special educational needs with the introduction of the single Education, Health and Care Plan from 2014.  Sarah Teather says that this will mean that families and children will get the help they need in a timely manner, with the emphasis being on early intervention.  For children with complex needs such as physical and sensory impairments, this is really great news, but for most children this will make no difference. What has already made the difference is the removal of special measures to address early deficits in literacy and speech language with no apparent strategy to replace them, either through teacher training or through direct school based interventions. It is really disappointing that the government did not seize the initiative.
    
    

    While the Queen’s Speec... ]]>Sun, 20 May 2012 21:36:12 GMTWho should attend?The free Information Surgeries are for:
    
    

    • Adults with dyslexia or literacy difficulties
    • Adults who thinks that they may have dyslexia or have concerns about their literacy skills
      
    
    
    Why attend?Due to the generous donation by Co-op Community Fund we are able to offer a free parents course at our Liverpool Centre. 

    
    This three hour course will cover the following topics:
    
    

    • What is Dyslexia?
    • Signs and symptoms.
    • Possible effects.
    • Multi-sensory teaching.
    • Helping at home.

    
    Cost: Free.

    
    Venue: Liverpool Dyslexia Action Centre.

    
    Date: Thursday 14th June 1.00pm to 4.00pm

    
    To reserve your place, please contact the centre or click attend above. 

    Email: liverpool@dyslexiaaction.org.uk
    Call: 0151 4286987

    ]]>Tue, 15 May 2012 12:44:30 GMTDue to the generous donation by Co-op Community Fund we are able to offer a free parents course at our Liverpool Centre. 

    
    This three hour course will cover the following topics:
    
    

    • What is Dyslexia?
    • Signs and symptoms.
    • Possible effects.
    • Multi-sensory teaching.
    • Helping at home.

    
    Cost: Free.

    
    Venue: Liverpool Dyslexia Action Centre.

    
    Date: Thursday 31st May 1.00pm to 4.00pm

    
    To reserve your place, please contact the centre or click attend above. 

    Email: liverpool@dyslexiaaction.org.uk
    Call: 0151 4286987

    ]]>Sun, 20 May 2012 08:04:38 GMT“After the Riots,” the government report into the causes of last summers riots, has been published. There were not really any big surprises in what it had to say except that, after all the rhetoric from government last year, that this was the work of feral children, it transpires that most rioters who found themselves in court, were adults with prior convictions. Of those children who came before the courts, 70% had special educational needs, missing an average of a day a week from school and living in the most impoverished of circumstances.  The report is strong on the lack of literacy amongst school leavers and cites a University of Sheffield study that estimates that a fifth of school-leavers leave school with literacy levels below those expected of an 11 year old.
    
    

    While poor educational attainment can never be an excuse for rioting, the report identifies it as a contributing factor to a feeling of hopelessness amongst some young people. The r... ]]>Sat, 19 May 2012 17:00:41 GMTWe are holding our annual Dyslexia Guild Summer Conference on Thursday 28th June 2012. 
    
    The Conference will be focusing on 'Improving Achievement for Learners with Dyslexia' and is open to all. 
    
    Time: 9:30am - 4:00pm
    
    Venue: University of Nottingham, Jubilee Campus 
    
    

    We are very pleased to announce our keynote speakers:
    
    

    • Dr Joni Holmes from Cambridge University will be presenting a paper on Working Memory and Learning Difficulties.
    • Dr Lindsay Peer CBE, Educational and Chartered Psychologist, will be speaking on “The Role and Influence of the Dyslexia Specialist in the Mainstream Classroom” and is recognised as an expert in the range of specific learning difficulties, SEN and was appointed CBE for services to Education and Dyslexia. She published the first groundbreaking book linking ‘... ]]>Sun, 20 May 2012 18:01:09 GMT
      The course is for children in school year 7 upwards and adults who will benefit from gaining the skill of touch typing.
      
      Learning to touch type is such a valuable skill, especially for those who may have difficulty getting their thoughts down on paper. The course helps attendees to develop their typing skills and learn to touch type without looking at the keyboard.
      
      The course costs £120 and, included in the cost of the course, attendees are able to take home English Type software for use at home.
      
      Contact usTo register your interest in future dates, or for further information, please:
      
      Email: bath@dyslexia... ]]>Sat, 19 May 2012 16:59:44 GMTDyslexia Action is keen to understand how you feel about the current support available for those with dyslexia, particularly during education, whether you are still in education or you left 10 years ago we want to hear from you! The survey is open to anyone aged 16+.
      
      

      We want to know what support you would like to see within schools, how you could or would have been helped and what can be done now to make sure children with dyslexia have access to the education they need and deserve.
      
      

      If you would like to contribute by sharing your opinions and experiences please go to https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/DyslexiaAction and complete our quick survey! 
      
      The information you share will be used to further thinking into the support and services needed for those with dyslexia. For this reason results from this survey may appear on Dyslexia Action websites and social media channels. H... ]]>Sun, 20 May 2012 06:04:18 GMTWho is the course aimed at?This course is for parents, grandparents and carers of children with dyslexia.
      
      Why attend?This course is run by specialists in dyslexia who are qualified to provide advice and guidance about dyslexia.
      
      The course will cover:
      
      

      • What is dyslexia?
      • Advice and techniques for supporting your child.
      • Meet other parents.
      • Share your experiences
      
      ProgrammeThis course is made up of 7 x 2 hour sessions on Thursday evenings, 7:00-9:00pm.
      
      Parents will attend sessions 1-5 and 7 (without their children). Parents and their child with dyslexia will attend session 6 together.
      
      Session 1: Thursday 3 May
      Session 2: Thursday 10 May
      Session 3: Thursday 17 MaySun, 20 May 2012 17:38:49 GMTJamie Oliver’s long campaign to raise the standards of school food has yielded some notable and obvious successes, not least the improved attention of children who had previously lost the plot by the afternoon. His remarks in the press last weekend about the lack of policy consistency from government around the provision of food across the various types of schools our children now attend may have raised a few eyebrows as not so important in the scheme of things, but for those of us who think that just about no issue exists in isolation, we applaud him. He’s got fair point that the rules around school food no longer apply to all schools. We know that food is a crucial element in the lives of all children and for those facing additional challenges, the importance of food in enabling children to learn and thrive is even more important.

       

      I am a self-confessed foodie and to me, an egg is the only kind of pre-packed food... ]]>Fri, 18 May 2012 11:57:33 GMTAsk my family and they will say that while the fridge is full of green food “there is never anything to eat.” My son once shouted at me that he was sick of my selfish obsession with vegetables. What there is though, is no shortage of footwear. In fact, my family would probably argue, that rationality has been abandoned when it comes to the purchasing of shoes, for which I have an unenviable reputation. Better though, than the unenviable reputation of shoe entrepreneur Jane Winkworth, who recently declared, in her blog, that she couldn’t come to terms with the Prince’s Trust commitment to helping not only the young and vulnerable, but also young people involved in crime and drugs. In fact, she is a campaigner for longer sentences.

      What anyone who knows about drugs and crime and doing time will tell you is that the arrest and incarceration is the easy bit, but that many young people who commit crime and get involved with drugs are vulnerable themselves.... ]]>Fri, 18 May 2012 18:30:46 GMTThe 'Towards A Positive Future' Conference is taking place this June. This one day conference is aimed at parents of children with special educational needs and the professionals who support them will take place. The conference has a fantastic line up of speakers planned, including Dyslexia Action CEO, Kevin Geeson.
      
      Details:
      Saturday 16th June 2012
      9.00am til 5.00pm
      Arlington Arts Centre, Newbury
      
      This conference will focus on what we know works and how this can continue to work whatever the future political or legal system we find ourselves under in the coming months and years.
      
      Our ... ]]>Sat, 19 May 2012 22:03:42 GMT
      Watch the ITV1 news coverage on dyslexia asking whether more needs to be done to help children with dyslexia in our schools. Featuring an interview with Kevin Geeson, Dyslexia Action CEO.
      
      This news item follows a report in the Lancet journal. You can read Dyslexia Action's response to the report here
      
      This report aired on 17 April 2012 at 1.30pm.  ]]>Sun, 20 May 2012 06:59:56 GMT 

      Charlie Taylor, the much respected Head Teacher who is credited with turning around the troubled Willows School, is now advising government on the best way to tackle the rising levels of truancy.  He’s earned his success so it’s not surprising that he now finds himself as special advisor to the government.

      Taylor’s book on how to deal with troublesome teenagers, Divas and Door Slammers, has been a huge success but I really do wonder about the wisdom of his latest pronouncements on reducing truancy rates. The current system isn’t working. Parental fines for children who persistency miss school are largely unpaid or withdrawn by the school because no one wants to push the situation and take it to the next level which is a court appearance. So, Taylor’s suggestion is to up the anti with more of the same and introduce a parking penalty style approach. Schools would issue a £60 fine that is automatically doubled if not paid ... ]]>Fri, 18 May 2012 11:59:45 GMT
      Science is making ground-breaking progress in our understanding of dyslexia but education is straggling behind; and many thousands of children with dyslexia are paying the price.
      With 1 in 5 of the UK population currently leaving education without the ability to read and write it is of no surprise that the latest evidence published in academic journal The Lancet, states that more needs to be done to improve early identification and support for children living with dyslexia.
      
      Dyslexia Action welcomes the report in the Lancet, which highlights the importance of early identification, prevention and making dyslexia a top priority issue in education and health.
      
      Recognition of dyslexia is important but teachers should not wait until children are formally diagnosed with dyslexia or experience repeated failures. We agree with the report in the... ]]>Sun, 20 May 2012 15:45:07 GMTDyslexia Action has over 40 years experience working with schools, children and adults with a wide range of learning needs. The following teaching materals have been developed as the result of this experience and can be used to support children from 7 years through to adults with different abilities because they are skills based rather than age specific.
      The Active Literacy Kit (ALK)
      
      Designed to support learners who experience literacy difficulties, whether dyslexic or not. It offers a series of short, timed excersises, which have been designed to build the skills needed for automatic, fluent and accurate reading and spelling. Carefully structured activities cover phonological awareness, word recognition, phonics, graphic knowledge and spelling. T... ]]>Tue, 17 Apr 2012 11:28:35 GMTDyslexia Action's It's ME! Learning Fund is the only national provision of its kindDyslexia Action is committed to ensuring that every individual with dyslexia or SpLDs (Specific Learning Difficulties) is able to fulfill their educational potential, regardless of their socio-economic circumstance. In order to meet this mission, Dyslexia Action provides subsidised specialist tuition and support through the It’s ME! Learning Fund. 

      Mon, 16 Apr 2012 15:27:29 GMTPlease support the petition for dyslexia and Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLDs) to be a compulsory part of Initial Teacher Training (ITT). Currently 20% of children are not meeting expected levels in literacy and there are as many as 2 - 3 children in every classroom who are affected by dyslexia. The biggest barrier to children with Special Educational Needs (SEN) is the lack of expertise within the education system to identify those at risk and to provide the right help and support for those children struggling to develop good literacy skills.
      
      The British Dyslexia Association (BDA) have initiated a petition to make dyslexia/SpLD training mandatory to Initial Teacher Training (ITT). At present there is no compulsory minimum level of Dyslexia/SpLD training required to pass the ITT course.
      
      There have been a number of reviews over the last 5 years, including Sir Jim Rose's ... ]]>Sat, 19 May 2012 08:58:14 GMTWho should attend?This course is for pupils in school years 7-9.
      
      Why attend?This 6-week course will help learners to improve their maths multiplication skills and will cover:
      
      

      • Multiplication of whole numbers (including multiplication square)
      • Discovering patterns in the multiplication tables
      • Gaining an understanding of multiplication with decimals and fraction
      
      ProgrammeThis course consists of 6 sessions, which will take place on Wednesdays, 4:30-6:00pm.
      
      Session 1: Wednesday 13th June
      Session 2: Wednesday 20th June
      Session 3: Wednesday 27th June
      Session 4: Wednesday 4th July
      Session 5: Wednesday 11th July
      Session 6: Wednesday 18th July
      
      CostSun, 20 May 2012 08:04:55 GMTURGENT calls are being made for the Government to listen to literacy experts to help solve the nation’s social problems.Support needs to start in Britain’s classrooms
      
      If a dyslexia strategy was formulated then levels would improve and all our children would have a better chance in life. The call comes following this week’s publication of ‘After the Riots’ by the Riots, Communities and Victims Panel. Last year’s riots in London on ‘poor parenting and a lack of support’. It says much more needs to be done if disturbances are to be avoided. It makes over 60 recommendations including some on literacy.
      
      The report claims children who fall behind at school and feel they have nothing to offer are likely to turn to crime. To improve accountability and ensure value for money in the funding for a child’s education the Panel involved in w... ]]>Fri, 18 May 2012 15:37:37 GMTOne in five of the UK's population leaves school unable to read and write and illiteracy is costing the UK economy £millions every year. Who needs us:
      
      • • Over 6 million people in the UK
        • 4 – 6 children in every classroom
        • Around 500,000 teachers
        • Over 17,300 primary and 3,300 secondary schools
        • Every employer throughout the UK
        • In excess of 30,000 children who are leaving school unable to read
        • The Government to save the economy £millions every year
      So I’ve been here at Dyslexia Action for about a year.  We recently published our Impact Report for 2010 – 11. This report highlights how we continue to strive to change lives of people with dyslexia despite the tough economic climate. It was a good opportunity to sit back and reflect on the good work that Dyslexia Action did during that year. It gave me a strong sense of what we are doing to change lives. The section of our report ‘Our year in numbers’ provides a helpful sense of the impact we have and the wide range of ways we do it. 
      
      The core driver of Dyslexia Action is reach and having impact. During 2010 - 11 we worked hard to extend our reach and this work continues.
      
      Dyslexia Action takes action to chang... ]]>Sun, 20 May 2012 16:29:43 GMTSo I’ve been here at Dyslexia Action for about a year.  We recently published our Impact Report for 2010 – 11. This report highlights how we continue to strive to change lives of people with dyslexia despite the tough economic climate. It was a good opportunity to sit back and reflect on the good work that Dyslexia Action did during that year. It gave me a strong sense of what we are doing to change lives. The section of our report ‘Our year in numbers’ provides a helpful sense of the impact we have and the wide range of ways we do it. 
      
      The core driver of Dyslexia Action is reach and having impact. During 2010 - 11 we worked hard to extend our reach and this work continues.
      
      Dyslexia Action takes action to change lives... ]]>Wed, 16 May 2012 10:39:10 GMTOur learners are at the heart of everything we do.“Thank you for giving me back my bright and happy son.” Ben’s mum
      
      
      
      Dyslexia Action is a national charity that takes action to change lives by:
      
      1. Offering help and support direct to individuals living with dyslexia and literacy difficulties:
      •     Assessment servi... ]]>Mon, 16 Apr 2012 14:32:54 GMTYou can help us take action to change more lives.    
        Your donations and support helps people like Stacey (above with her mum) who is featured in our new Sticks and Stone’s campaign. Stacey attends lessons at our Egham Centre and has her support funded by our It’s ME! Learning Fund.
        
        
        
        Dyslexia Action depends on your generosity in order to carry out a range of projects and services. Through fundraising income we are able to support chil... ]]>Wed, 28 Mar 2012 14:39:58 GMTYou can help improve the lives of thousands of children like Stacey.
        If you are someone who knows the effects of dyslexia you will understand the painful truth of our version of the sticks and stones saying; words really can hurt.
        
        One in ten people in the UK are dyslexic, which makes words a real hurdle in their everyday lives.
        
        Meet Stacey
        Thu, 29 Mar 2012 08:50:19 GMTGavin has “The Knowledge” and is making sure his daughter does too! “Dyslexia isn’t just about learning, its a part of everything I do. In our society if you can’t read, you can’t thrive.
        
        When I was fourteen I was lucky enough to be part of a project that was funded by Hackney Council and I used to go to Dyslexia Action once per week for support. But the funding ran out once I started college. It was at this point that I lost my way. I knew I wasn’t stupid; I knew I wasn’t a low life; I loved education but education didn’t love me; it just didn’t soak in for some reason.
        
        I did lots of jobs earning minimum wage but it was when my daughter Seanna was born that I had a wake up call. My uncle is a cabbie and he... ]]>Sun, 20 May 2012 17:51:05 GMT
        Examples of the type of work we deliver includes:
        
        • Support and training for schools: Partnership For Literacy
        • Subsidised specialist tuition and support through the It's ME! Learning Fund 
        • Support and training for educators working with excluded children: Pupil Referral Units
        • Support and training for educators working with Young Offenders: Ofqual (Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation) has agreed that there will be no changes to reasonable adjustments already approved for learners taking GCSE and GCE exams this summer. Ofqual will be working with the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) and other stakeholders to gather feedback and information before the JCQ finalises its 2012/13 booklet Access Arrangements, Reasonable Adjustments and Special Consideration – General and Vocational Qualifications. For more information please visit Ofqual's website.
          
          Dyslexia Action has received a considerable number of queries from anxious parents and teachers about recent changes to the JCQ's access arrangements for GCSE and A-level examinations. Some students who have been diagnosed as having learning difficulties have been refused access arrangements of extra time of... ]]>Sun, 20 May 2012 07:00:37 GMTWed, 28 Mar 2012 14:47:48 GMTWho should attend?This free Adult Group is for adults who have, or suspect they may have, dyslexia.
          
          Why attend?The Dyslexia Action Bath Centre's Adult Support Group is an informal group session run by Teresa Hopkins, a volunteer who has herself been diagnosed with dyslexia.
          
          Join us for a coffee/tea and:
          
          
          • Meet other local adults who have, or suspect they may have, dyslexia
          • Discuss dyslexia concerns in an open forum
          • Talk about personal achievements and how individuals have overcome their difficulties
          • Share experiences and advice amongst the group

           

          The sessions are informal and the members will shape the way the group moves forward.

          
          ProgrammeThe Group will start on Monday 16 April and will take place every Monday lunchtime, 1:00-2:00pm.
          
          CostThe Adult... ]]>Thu, 17 May 2012 23:55:27 GMT
          
          
          Join TV adventurer, travel writer, actor and President of Dyslexia Action Charley Boorman in conversation with Billy Biketruck at the exclusive private members’ club, Soho House.
          
          Over a meal he’ll share anecdotes and clips of his adventures and answer all your burning questions.  Expect to hear tales of his early acting career, extensive charity work, and widely-documented motorcycle tours with his best friend Ewan McGregor.
          
          Tickets are £45 which includes 3 courses and half a bottle of wine.
          
          Tickets are limited so please book early to avoid disappointment - book now by clicking here! ]]>Sun, 20 May 2012 07:00:36 GMTthis form. 
          
          Regular donations help us to plan for the future and support more people with dyslexia.
          
          The donation is taken from your gross pay, if you donate £5 a month it will only cost you £4 (as a basic tax payer) and the taxman makes up the rest so Dyslexia Action receives the full £5.  If you are a higher tax rate payer (40%) a £5 donation will only cost you £3. 
          
          Simply fill in our online form and we will do the rest. 
          
          If you would like more information on how to sign up,  please call 01784 222353 or email c... ]]>Thu, 01 Mar 2012 15:28:33 GMTDid anyone see the yesterday’s Daybreak feature about the challenges faced in getting Britain reading? If you are reading this, chances are that you did and if that’s the case you were probably struck by Michael Gove’s acknowledgement that about 10% of the population are challenged by dyslexia. You know that, and I know that, but why is it so surprising that Michael Gove knows this?
          
          

          In a way it isn’t a surprise at all. You’d have to have been living on another planet for this fact to have passed you by, but it’s surprising because it’s an acknowledgement of the enormity of the issue by a government minister for the first time that I can think of. I hope that this will mark a turning point in the discussion between MPs and within government. Finally, it looks as if w... ]]>Fri, 18 May 2012 00:22:42 GMT

          
          
          Help Dyslexia Action by offering your time and energy as a  volunteer.  
          
          There are often volunteering opportunities in one of our locations.
          Perhaps you have a particular skill or resource that you would like to volunteer, and you would like to donate your time and expertise to help to broaden our reach and meet the needs of those who have dyslexia.
          
          If you are interested in becoming a volunteer with Dyslexia Action please contact Carmel Collins, Human Resources Manager by email: ccollins@dyslexiaaction.org.uk 
          
          ]]>Wed, 29 Feb 2012 14:58:34 GMT
          
          We are really pleased to be working with ITV’s breakfast show Daybreak on its current campaign Get Britain Reading. The campaign which will run for over a year will focus on the importance of reading and aims to encourage more people to read.
          
          If you missed the programme you can watch it on the Daybreak website by clicking here.
          
          It will also highlight the importance of support for those with reading difficulties. Having dyslexia can make reading harder for those who have it and whilst... ]]>Sat, 19 May 2012 17:55:00 GMTDyslexia Action is working with Daybreak to 'Get Britain Reading’The social impact of dyslexia is extensive. If you cannot learn to read, you cannot read to learn and everything we do at school and throughout life requires us to have the skills to be able to read fluently and accurately.
          
          Above and beyond the difficulties and barriers dyslexia presents it is the damage that low self-esteem can have, which is life-long.
          
          BUT with correct help and support dyslexia and literacy difficulties need not be a barrier to education, employment and fulfilment.  Dyslexia Action exists to ensure all those affected by such hidden disabilities get the help and support that they need.
          
          
          Dyslexia Action is getting behind calls from Britain’s top academics to set up a system of bench-marking to help make sense of the growing number of claims for dyslexia treatments and even ‘cures’.

          As Professor Dorothy Bishop of The University of Oxford points out, an online search will bring up dozens of sites that offer a wide range of treatments and programmes for dyslexia.

          
          As a national charity whose mission is to change the lives of people affected by dyslexia and literacy difficulties, Dyslexia Action welcomes any method of help and support that is proven to be beneficial. However it is very concerning when claims for interventions, treatments or even 'cures' come out in the media or online that are based on very thin evidence. We welcome new ideas and innovations but are troubled about products and service... ]]>Wed, 16 May 2012 11:08:48 GMTDyslexia Action is a partner in the Empowering Parents and Carers (EPC) Project, which is supported by The Dyslexia-SpLD Trust (DST), working with The British Dyslexia Association (BDA), Springboard for Children and Helen Arkell.
          
          This collaborative project aims to provide valuable information, resources and support services for parents and carers.The project will provide support to a wider reach of parents and carers of children and young people with dyslexia through drop-in sessions, awareness talks and events an... ]]>Sat, 19 May 2012 20:57:43 GMTDyslexia Action Training and Professional Development is a leading provider of specialist and short courses in the field of Dyslexia and Specific Learning Difficulties.We offer courses for teachers, trainers, teaching assistants and other professionals who wish to increase their understanding of dyslexia and specific learning difficulties. Click here for a full course listing.
          

          
          Our most popular courses include:
          
          

          • NEW! Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Certificate Courses providing qualifications for teachers, teaching assistants and SENCOs
          • Who should attend?The drop-in sessions are for:
            
            
            • Parents of children with dyslexia and literacy difficulties
            • Adults with dyslexia or literacy difficulties
            • Anyone who thinks that they may have dyslexia
            • Representatives from local employers are also welcome to attend to find out about the workplace consultancy services we offer... ]]>Fri, 18 May 2012 23:04:11 GMTSalary: Sessional pay.       
              
              We are urgently seeking a suitably qualified teacher to work part time.
              A SpLD qualification is essential and the role will suit a teacher with flexibility & enthusiasm. After school, early evening hours work will be a feature of this position.
              
              Please download an application form in word or pdf format together with the job description.
              Apply by post to Jo Mahler, Northern Regional Manager, Dyslexia Action, Ashbourne House, 2 South Park Road, Harrogate, HG1 5QU.
              
              Apply b... ]]>Sun, 20 May 2012 22:30:23 GMT 

              The unemployment figures are out this week and everyone seems to have a view about them. Government says that while the number of unemployed people is up, the signs are encouraging. The opposition say that they are burying their heads in the sand.  Within what is now the highest level of unemployment for sixteen years, the level of those young people who are not in employment, education and training (so called NEETS) has remained about the same. So, what are we to conclude from this?
               
              

              It seems that more young graduates than ever before have got jobs in the public sector, an area vulnerable to cuts over the coming year, while many young people with less qualifications and skills have already found themselves out of work.  The reasons are many and varied as to why the numbers of ... ]]>Sun, 13 May 2012 20:23:43 GMT
              

              Here are just a few examples:

              • Prizes for local centre fundraising activities
              • Auction prizes for our Dyslexia Action Awards Dinner and other speacial events
              • Venues for fundraising events and regional meetings
              • Office furniture for our Head Office and centres
              • Technical equipment to be used for teaching and administration purposes
              
              Case study from Hamelin Paperbrands LimitedHere is how Hamelin Paperbrands Limited helped us by donating a Gift in Kind
              Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:45:12 GMTrship provides a great way to improve your company’s profile and brand perception whilst reaching a desired target audience.
              
              Your company can sponsor a Dyslexia Action special event or one of our publications.
              
              At a recent event, hosted by HRH The Countess of Wessex, aspects of the event were sponsored by Land Rover and Tattinger.
              
              The annual Dyslexia Action Awards Dinner held at the Savoy Hotel, London offers a variety of sponsorship opportunities.
              
              For information about sponsorship opportunities please contact Clare Appleby, 01784 222353 or cappleby... ]]>Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:34:43 GMTHistorian Paul Johnson says, that if you spend any length of time in the company of politicians, you will soon realise that they are boring. It is, I’m afraid, a fact universally accepted, that campaigners like me never get the chance to find out because while dyslexia occupies much of my thinking, it is not the centre of a most politician’s thinking, and so I have never spent enough time in their company to find our whether or not this assertion is true. However, what I will say in defence of politicians is that, the standard of parliamentary debate can be fast and furious, even riveting. It neither has to be boring or in the main debating chamber to be worth watching. 
               
              Any MP can put their name down on the ballot for a Westminster Hall debate on the subject of their choice and if they are lu... ]]>Sat, 12 May 2012 09:27:12 GMTLearners and staff at Dyslexia Action London had a very exciting visitor during Dyslexia Awareness Week Mollie King, of girl band The Saturdays, took time out of her busy schedule this week to visit Dyslexia Action’s newly relocated London Centre at RNIB’s head office at Judd Street. Dyslexia Action had invited the singer, who is the recipient of the charity’s It’s ME! Choice Award, to visit i... ]]>Sun, 20 May 2012 21:19:19 GMT
              
              
              
              What is dyslexia?
              
              
              
              
              
              
              
              
              
              Read more
              
              Dyslexia is a hidden disability that not only affects literacy development but can also have an impact on mathematics, memory, organisation and sequencing skills to varying degrees. Dyslexia can occur at any level of intellectual development. It is biological in origin and is seen to run in families. It affects up to 10% of the UK population at some level and can affect anyone of any age and background.
              ... ]]>Mon, 23 Jan 2012 16:58:04 GMTThere are now thousands of school breakfast clubs springing up across the country. They have mushroomed, and here you must excuse the food pun, in response to a growing understanding of the nutritional needs of many children who are coming to school with no breakfast at all or the wrong kind of breakfast.  It happens for a variety of reasons: The Trussle Trust expect to give out over a million emergency food parcels, over the next twelve months, to families who simply don’t have enough money to live on, even though many of them are working. The cost of food has gone up while wages have not.
              
              Then there are families who don’t know how to budget and according to some school breakfast club providers, there are those who simply don’t know how to provide a nutritional diet for their children.  Then there is peer pressure. I can remember the pleading for chocolate biscuits and crisps for lunch because that’s what everyone else had. Carrot stick... ]]>Sat, 12 May 2012 07:14:10 GMTBill Bratton, The government’s Gang Tsar, who is widely credited with reducing gang violence across many American cities, says that gangs are here to stay and that the police need to develop a service to keep them in check and society needs to find ways of stopping children entering gang life in the first place.  What has this got to do with dyslexia? 
              
              Many gang members find home a challenging, rather than a nurturing, place to be. Very young, very vulnerable children find themselves searching for a sense of belonging and where family and public services fail them the gang steps in. It’s not always like this though. Many good people who do their utmost to raise good children find that the first they know of their children’s gang membership is when the police turn up. The reasons are many and... ]]>Sat, 12 May 2012 17:48:05 GMTSo it’s Christmas. It would be easy to take your eye off the ball while enjoying the festivities this time of year. But life goes on and it's important that we keep up the pressure to ensure that people who live with dyslexia are well served by government and others.

              I'm pleased to say the government is listening and as one sign of this is that dyslexia has been referred to in the House of Commons three times in only the last couple of days. The first was a mention Sarah Teather, Minister of State for Children and Families, who referred to the joint project RNIB and Dyslexia Action (Load2Learn) are doing together to provide curriculum materials in alternative ways to secondary schools to help people with print impairments (visual impairment or dyslexia) to better be able engage with the curriculum and thereby imp... ]]>Sun, 13 May 2012 04:10:40 GMT Strictly Come Dancing Champion and Don't Call Me Stupid's Kara Tointon showed her support by attending our 10th Anniversary Annual Awards Dinner on Tuesday 29th November. Whilst there Kara recorded an It's ME! video in which she spoke to us about her dyslexia, why she is supporting the cause and the importance of dyslexia support. 
              
              To watch Kara's video please click here. 
              ]]>Sun, 20 May 2012 17:38:49 GMT
              
              The Apprentice Series 7 winner Tom Pellereau showed his support by attending the 10th Anniversary Dyslexia Action Awards Dinner on Tuesday 29th November. Whilst there he recorded an It's ME! video in which he spoke his dyslexia and explained why it is so important to support those with it.
              
              To watch Tom's video please click here. 
              
              
                ]]>Tue, 15 May 2012 15:33:56 GMT
              Dyslexia Action's focus is on matching person to role through the identification and development of strengths and the supportive management of weaknesses. Dyslexia is a recognised disability under the Equality Act 2010 and therefore employers are expected to make resonable adjustments to ensure that any employee affected by dyslexia has the same opportunity to perform within th... ]]>Mon, 05 Dec 2011 14:26:40 GMTDyslexia Action Shop are continually reviewing the products which are offered in our current catalogue and web shop.  We have again introduced some exciting new products which have been carefully selected.  There are additions to psychological assessments and literacy resources which will appeal to both parents and professionals.
              
              Psychological Assessment Resources  Gray Oral Reading Tests Fifth Edition (2011)
              
              GORT-5 T... ]]>Sun, 20 May 2012 22:13:42 GMTKimberley Ward (16), who is an It's ME! Learning Fund beneficary and winner of The Young Person's Award is an inspiration.

              Sponsored by Schroders Private Banking, The Young Person’s Award acknowledges the achievements of one of our learners who has made exceptional progress. This award highlights the real difference that our work can make to the lives of people affected by dyslexia.

               

              Kim (16) was presented with The Young Person’s Award at tonight’s (November 29th 2011) Dyslexia Action Awards Dinner by rugby legend and Strictly Come Dancing star As well as honouring designer Steve Edge, The Saturdays’ Mollie King, It’s ME! Learning Fund beneficiary Kimberley Ward and ex-CEO of Dyslexia Action Shirley Cramer, CBE, tonight’s fundraiser has been a huge success.Chaired by rugby legend Kenny Logan and hosted by his wife, sports presenter Gabby Logan, tonight’s event is the 10th Annivers... ]]>Tue, 15 May 2012 12:12:39 GMTLeaders have chosen not to send out Christmas cards to their clients and associates in an effort to reduce their impact on the environment and put the money to better use elsewhere. They have opted instead to send e-greeting cards and to donate the money saved on cards and postage to a number of worthy charities.
               
              This year Leaders chose to divide the £2,500 saved between five charities which operate in the key regions that Leaders’ 59 branches are located. The charities nominated by Leaders’ Regional Directors were close to their hearts and the Regional Director for Hampshire chose to donate £500 to Dyslexia Action.
               
              Regional Director for Hampshire, Matt Derry, commented: "Improving literacy in school leavers is an important issue for businesses, many of whom expressed their concerns about school leavers' use o... ]]>Sun, 20 May 2012 22:26:11 GMTIt used to be that charities hotly contested the ground that supporters and resources occupied.  There was a time when competition was the order of the day, with different groups competing for reputation over each other. These days it is more likely that charities will ask the question, “how can we do our best for the communities that we serve?” Very often the answer will lie in complementary or collaborative working.  This isn’t a carve up, but playing to our respective skills and coming together when this is in the interests of our communities.  Dyslexia Action and the British Dyslexia Association (BDA) are doing just that right now in our joint efforts to get government to commit to developing initial teacher training to include better awareness about dyslexia.

               

              The BDA have posted a petition on the number ten website that supports recommendations that came out of a government review (the Rose review) that teachers in trainin... ]]>Fri, 11 May 2012 14:50:39 GMTJim Cunningham, MP for Coventry South, visited Dyslexia Action’s Coventry centre, at 113 New Union Street, on Friday 4 November as part of the educational charity’s activities during Dyslexia Awareness Week (31 October-6 November).
              
              During his visit to the Centre, Mr Cunningham met and spoke with the Centre Manager, specialist teachers and other staff and discovered more about the services and support that Dyslexia Action can offer to his constituents.
              
              Jim Cunningham, MP for Coventry South, commented:
              
              "I was pleased to be asked by Dyslexia Action to visit their Dyslexia Action staff, learners and volunteers celebrated the official opening of our London Centre's Help a Capital Child Learning Room with Kenny Logan, DJs from 95.8 Capital FM Roberto and Margherita and representatives from Help a Capital
              Child.
              
              

              You Tube Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWDOFZbChvU
              
              
              With the support and funding from 95.8 Capital FM’s Help a Capita... ]]>Sun, 20 May 2012 12:04:21 GMTSo I've had the assessment. What difference does it make to me in my working life?The first thing that happened a couple weeks later was a lengthy report appeared from Elaine.
              
              The next thing that struck me was, that as a dyslexic, I really didn't want to wade through all those words. But I knew I had to if I was going to benefit from the process. So setting aside some time I steeled myself to read the report. Firstly I found was there were two copies so already I was really pleased there was only half the reading I’d thought there was. But still reading needed to be done.The first seven pages were the meat of the report. It highlighted the things which she talked through with me focusing on both my strengths as well as my weaknesses. So what did she say? No surprises really. Better at practical visual tasks than... ]]>Sun, 20 May 2012 19:08:36 GMTYesterday I wrote about why I thought I might be dyslexic. Today's piece is about my assessment. What it was like, what I struggled with, and how I felt about it.
              
              So the day arrives, I'm pleased to say that the man flu had got much better overnight. I felt I was not quite my usual self but near enough that no one would notice. So I went to work as usual at the usual time. I was very aware that today I was getting done! As I enter the offices I seemed more acutely aware of who was in the building.  Who is that woman with red hair? I don't remember seeing her before. I went to my office as usual, started my day and waited for the appointed time to arrive. As you might guess I got distracted by things that needed my attention and time passed the time of my appointment. No getting away from it though, Shannon my EA ma... ]]>Fri, 18 May 2012 11:52:25 GMTI have for many years thought that I was dyslexic, or at least probably dyslexic. I've been lucky enough to negotiate my career despite struggling with the usual things attributed to someone who might be living with dyslexia. Looking back on my life, there are lots of clues that, now I know more would signal in today's world that I have dyslexia in my life. 
              
              When I was at school I struggled with written work. It was untidy, difficult to read, spelt badly, and we won't even talk about grammar. This meant that when I needed to show what I knew, what I had learnt, and what I'd achieved - I always struggled.  I seemed to work harder on written work than I did for the subjects where it was more about understanding concepts than writing things down. I've talked here about written work, but like many others, for me ... ]]>Fri, 18 May 2012 20:51:43 GMTchildren and adults. 
              
              Our range of services are available through local centres and teaching locations, including many schools around the UK. If you need to speak to some one about dyslexia or our services, please call you local centre direct who will be able to talk you through it. Alternatively you can find out information by clicking on the links below: 
              
              o    Free Information & Advice
              
              It is estimated that 10% of people over 16 in the UK alone have dyslexia to some degree. Many adults don’t know that their difficulties may be the result of dyslexia or their learning difficulties.
              
              Recognising the signs Performance within the workplace is a key indicator. This might include work that is erratic, longer times taken to do certain activities, written documentation that is unexpectedly poor or seems careless, confused memos, emails or messages, deadlines regularly not being met or taking longer to learn new skills.
              
              Other typical signs might be appearing forgetful, seeming disorganised, having low self-esteem or unduly suffering with stress and/or anxiety. These will vary with the severity of the condition and the type of role they have in the workplace.
              
              It’s never too late to get help
              Dyslexia is complex and the sev... ]]>Fri, 10 Feb 2012 10:56:41 GMT Dyslexia is a learning difficulty that primarily affects the skills involved in accurate and fluent word reading and spelling.
              
              Characteristic features of dyslexia are difficulties in:
              
              
              • Phonological awareness, verbal memory and verbal processing speed. 
              
              
              • Dyslexia occurs across the range of intellectual abilities.
              
              
              • It is best thought of as a continuum, not a distinct category, and there are no clear cut-off points. 
              
              
              • Co-occurring difficulties may be seen in aspects of language, motor co-ordination, mental calculation, concentration and personal organisation, but these are not, by themselves, markers of dyslexia. 
              
              
              • A good indication of the severity and persistence of dyslexic difficulties can be gained by examining how the individual responds or has responded to well-founded intervention. - ( Source ... ]]>Wed, 22 Feb 2012 12:40:43 GMTThe Hidden Disabilities Questionnaire (HDQ) is a 32-item screening questionnaire that highlights features of hidden disabilities including Dyslexia, Dyspraxia and Attention Deficit Disorder. It should be emphasised that the HDQ was developed to pick up on features of different hidden disabilities – it is not a formal diagnostic procedure and is designed for people aged 14 and up. However it can be used to highlight those individuals who, without some adaptations to the programmes that they are given, are not likely to respond well; it can also identify those who may need further detailed assessment.
                
                
                How It WorksIn it’s current version, the HDQ gives ‘factor scores’ which indicate the degree of difficulty in relation to 5 main a... ]]>Fri, 11 Nov 2011 22:34:05 GMT
                From 2011 all assessments for Dyslexia/SPLD's need to be carried out at Dyslexia Action Centres by independent Chartered Psychologists.
                
                The contact person for any related queries is Louise Brennan centre administrator at Dyslexia Action's Winchester Centre.
                Telephone: 01962 856195 or E-mail: winchester@dyslexiaaction.org.uk
                ]]>Thu, 27 Oct 2011 14:58:40 GMTEnter the National Lottery Olympic Park Run and be the first to cross the London 2012 finish line on 31 March 2012This your chance to make sporting history as The National Lottery is offering you the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to run a five-mile course through the Olympic Park starting at 14:00 on Saturday 31 March 2012.
                
                People of all abilities can enter the race through a ballot system open until midnight on 27 October 2011. There are 5,000 places available to the public for this event and the cost of entering The National Lottery Olympic Park Run is £15.
                
                As well as experiencing what it's like to be an elite athlete running in the Olympic Stadium, the entry fee includes a race number, two spectator passes for the Olympic Stadium, a full information pack sent t... ]]>Sun, 13 May 2012 07:08:59 GMTJoshua and his dad, David will be peddling once more to raise funds for Dyslexia ActionFollowing the success of last years c2c ride where Joshua was able to raise over £200 for Dyslexia Action he is keen to have ago at another challenge. So, this year he has set his sights on completing the Penine cycleway. The route covers 127 miles starting in Holmfirth and finishing in Appleby-in-westmorland with a number of climbs in between.
                
                Johsua and David plan to complete the trip in 3 days averaging just over 42 miles per day. They will be un-assisted along the way and due to the time of the year coupled with the expectation of a cold & wet time we will be stopping at B&B's overnight.
                
                If you would like to sponsor Joshua please visit his  

                I was listening to David Blunkett on the radio recently. He says that he’s much happier now that he’s out of government and looking forward to a spot of sailing and enjoying the delights of country walks. He’s earned it. Whatever you may think of his politics, it’s a remarkable story. Blunkett rose through local politics to become a national figure at a time when anyone with a disability had very little prospect of having a successful career let alone rising to the top. He’s quick to recognise his success and the sense of satisfaction he has looking back, and wants to do something about the army of young people who are not in education, employment or training, the so called NEETS.

                The proposition is this: to bring about a cultural change, the citizenship programme in schools is further developed and the existing volunteer organisations take the lead on the roll-out of a national volunteer programme (NVP) for young people in order ... ]]>Fri, 18 May 2012 15:26:57 GMT
                To celebrate Dyslexia Awareness Week we have worked closely with one of our corporate partners, Intellident, to produce some informational materials that will be distributed to libraries across the UK. We are keen to make information, advice and support available for you all so if you want to access our checklist, support information and tips please visit this page. 

                                                        &n... ]]>Fri, 18 May 2012 12:37:55 GMTGeneral indicators of dyslexia for children and adultsThis checklist provides an overview of the types of difficulties a dyslexic person may have at different ages. It is not exhaustive and it is not intended as a screening tool or diagnostic assessment/test. Should you answer yes to most of the checklist though you would be wise to seek further information and advice.
                
                Ages seven to 11:
                

                • Seems bright in some ways but unexpectedly struggles in others
                • Other members of the family have similar difficulties
                • Has difficulties carrying out three instructions in sequence
                • Struggles to learn sequences such as days of the week or the alphabet Fri, 14 Oct 2011 15:15:04 GMTNeil Harwood is taking on the Tour Divide in 2013Brave fundraiser Neil Harwood has chosen to participate in the Tour Divide in Spring/Summer 2013 to raise awareness and hopefully funds to enable Dyslexia Action to help more individuals with dyslexia and literacy difficulties.
                  
                  What is the Tour Divide?
                  
                  
                  The Tour Divide is a 2745 race from Banff in Canada to Antelope Wells in New Mexico - at the Mexican border along the continental divide.
                  Read more
                  The route will travel through the Canad... ]]>Thu, 03 May 2012 10:30:07 GMTThis month the House of Lords are debating the Welfare Reform Bill. There are some committee stages coming up and if you look on the DWP website, it will tell you how you can go and watch the Peers in action. I sometimes think that Parliament seems so far removed from the daily lives of so many of us as to make the process of government feel meaningless in most people’s lives. So it’s important to remember that MPs and Peers work for us and we can go an see them in action, write to them, lobby on the things we feel strongly about and tell them when we think they could do better, and if we really want them to up their game, we have to tell them about what it’s really like to live our lives. What are the things that con... ]]>Mon, 14 May 2012 10:49:36 GMTRunLiverpool Marathon is taking place on 9th October 2011. The old Mersey Marathon was last staged in the city in 1992 and is now set to return on a brand new and inspirational course. 
                  
                  The 26.2 miles will take in both sides of the River Mersey with this carefully considered route aiming to deliver a first class race day experience for runners and spectators, so come along to see, enjoy and experience Wirral and the fantastic Liverpool city centre.
                  
                  Big thank you in advance to Martin Bamping who is leading a teamrunning to support the 
                  Rob Booth is traveling from UK to New Zealand by motorbike in 2012!The best description of his plans comes from Rob himself.
                  
                  Rob, so what is your trip?
                  
                  “I'm planning to ride from Bridport, Dorset, UK all the way home to Upper Hutt, Wellington, New Zealand, all on my lonesome. So this is the plan for my little adventure... I have a ordered new bike, a BMW Adventure Triple Black from CW Motorcycles in Dorchester which I pick up when I get back to the UK in Dec. The bike will be kitted out with lots of gadgets from Good luck to everyone running The Royal Parks Foundation Half MarathonThis Sunday, 9 October, more than 12,500 runners will take to the streets of London on one of the most scenic city runs in the world, The Royal Parks Foundation Half Marathon. Starting and finishing in Hyde Park, the beautiful 13.1 mile route races through four of London’s stunning Royal Parks (Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, The Green Park and St James’s Park) and offers runners magnificent views of some of the capital’s most iconic landmarks, including Buckingham Palace, the Houses of Parliament, the London Eye, Marble Arch and the Royal Albert Hall along the way.
                  
                  Good luck especially to Nevander Holland wh... ]]>Thu, 10 May 2012 06:59:26 GMT
                  
                  Donations
                  From a one off donation to a regular contribution of as little as £3 a month, your generosity will make a huge difference
                  
                  Sign up for Gift Aid
                  If you have made a financial donation please complete a Gift Aid form, this will make your money go even further, with no extra cost to yourself
                  
                  Give a gift in memory
                  Start a collection or make a donation in memory of a loved one as a celebration of their life.
                  
                  Give a gift in celebration
                  Make you special celebration count by asking for donations to Dyslexia Action instead of gifts.
                  
                  Legacies
                  Remember Dyslexia Action in your will
                  
                  Gifts... ]]>Tue, 04 Oct 2011 17:37:18 GMT
                  Trek
                  Explore the corners of the world by taking part in a Trek
                  
                  Walk
                  Put your best foot forward and find upcoming walks near you
                  
                  Run
                  Pound streets to raise pounds for Dyslexia Action, whether you’re a beginner or an experienced athlete there is something for you
                  
                  Cycle
                  Don’t re-invent the wheel!  Take to two wheels with cycle events across the country
                  
                  Triathlon
                  Why just do one when you can do three! Run, swim and cycle to generate funds.
                  
                  Climb
                  Reach the peak of endurance as you scale a mountain or two
                  
                  Tue, 04 Oct 2011 16:47:26 GMTCall me old fashioned, but it’s a strange anomaly that e-books attract VAT when paper based books don’t. Perhaps it says something about the privileged position of the printed word over the spoken word or the e-word, or maybe it’s just convention, or maybe H.M. Treasury’s resistance to the ending of this arrangement is because they understand the growing place of e-books in all our lives. Why would they give up VAT on what is likely to turn in to a growing source of revenue?

                  E-books have been a growing sector of publishers’ markets for the last few years, and they have to consider a whole raft of issues around their production processes and routes to market, and as they develop new systems and processes to get their e-books out there is a cost involved. On top of this there is VAT.

                  Sun, 13 May 2012 14:56:07 GMTThe Guardian recently ran an article about the complex issue of tackling adult literacy. The National Institute for Adult Continuing Education (NIACE) has found that it is important not to over simply the needs of such people. At the heart of what they need to achieve functional literacy are properly qualified teachers. After all we recognise the need for teachers with teaching skills in our schools so why would it be any different for adults?

                  It’s never too late to teach an old dog new tricks. I remember the story of Frank. Now Frank was in his early 50s. He’d worked on building sites all his life, but 30 years of heavy lifting had got the better of Frank’s back and knees and elbows and he needed to find a less painful way to make a living. In the end it got so bad that he couldn’t work and by ... ]]>Fri, 18 May 2012 12:04:32 GMTThe teachers I respected the most at school were the ones who commanded rather than demanded respect. I loved my drama teacher because he gave me a break. He was prepared to live with his fear (not mine) that I might not see the edge of the stage and land up the laps of luckless parents. I loved the fact that every year he took a chosen few into his confidence and swore us to total secrecy and then imparted his intention to leave. I think he taught for more than twenty years in my school. I got terrible A’Level results because I didn’t do much “work” but was too busy discovering all kinds of delights, some of which I won’t write about here, but many of which were about ideas and ways of thinking about the world that sprang out of conversations with my long long suffering English teacher and others... ]]>Wed, 16 May 2012 11:34:36 GMTKara Tointon has raised over £850 for Dyslexia Action
                  A big thank you to Kara Tointon for choosing to support Dyslexia Action by taking part in an endurance horse race on 18th September. Although she did not complete the daunting 33km course, Kara has done a huge amount to raise the profile of dyslexia as an important cause and to directly improve lives through her fundraising.
                  
                  Dyslexia Action are incredibly grateful for her support. Kara remains an inspiration and role model to many with dyslexia and this is shown my the sheer number of donations and messages of support she received in the run up to the race.
                  
                  If you would like to sponsor Kara for attempting this epic challenge, please visit her JustG... ]]>Sat, 19 May 2012 23:02:23 GMTI see there are plans afoot to introduce phonic testing for six year olds.  It’s all part of a cunning plan to identify early literacy difficulties. As Professor Greg Brooks has pointed out, it’s only one indicator. Umm. In other words it’s a spot to swivel on and that’s about it, and anyway, I thought that teachers assessed children’s grasp of phonics as part of their on-going classroom work. I’m confused.

                  Actually, I’m not as confused as I say I am. My confusion is part of a bit of posturing to make the point that this simply isn’t good enough and it simply isn’t good enough in the broader context of how education is delivered either. We have achieved a sort of mania for testing and assessing children’s abilities in this, that and the other, but none of... ]]>Mon, 14 May 2012 07:26:05 GMTPeterborough Centre staff recently mailed local companies with news of the Million Metre Challenge and the fundraising campaign to raise money for the ‘It’s ME Learning Fund’.  We are delighted to announce the receipt of a donation of £100 from BGL Group Limited, located just down the road from the Centre.  Thank you so much for your valued support!

                  ]]>Wed, 09 May 2012 23:17:33 GMTThe online entry system for the Mizuno Reading Half Marathon 2012 is open17,000 runners will take part in the 13.1 mile race next year on 1 April 2012 and this is you chance to be a part of it.
                  
                  Places are £33.50 or £31.50 if you are UKA Running Club Affiliated.
                  
                  This smoothly organised event is growing in popularity. The Reading Half Marathon makes for an excellent pre-London Marathon run, or as a great race in it's own right.
                  
                  Visit the Reading Half Marathon website to register your place, and run in aid of Dyslexia Action!
                  ]]>Wed, 09 May 2012 20:41:50 GMTThis recognition really demonstrates the importance and impact of the work that Henry has been doing in promoting awareness of dyslexia in the UK. Henry has been a great support throughout the years and has continued to work hard at empowering those with dyslexia.
                  
                  Henry is also the author of a series of children's books about Hank Zipzer, a boy with dyslexia, whose experiences are based on Henry's own childhood experiences. ]]>Sat, 12 May 2012 10:38:25 GMTBritish actress Kara Tointon is taking part in a 33km endurance horse race on 18 September for Dyslexia Action. Kara inspired many viewers with her BBC Three documentary Kara Tointon: Don't Call Me Stupid, where she talked openly about her dyslexia.  
                  
                  The 2010 Strictly Come Dancing winner joins Amanda Holden, Lisa Snowdon and Denise Van Outen to demonstrate how easy it is to donate to charity via text thanks to Vodafone's partnership with JustGiving. Staff at the Peterborough Centre are delighted to announce the receipt of a donation of £600 from Perkins Engines Company Limited.  The donation was awarded to the Peterborough Centre after a successful response to their application to the company’s Charity and Sponsorship Team.  Staff at the Peterborough Centre commented ‘We are extremely grateful for this very generous donation and this valued support will help us to provide support for local families’.

                  ]]>Tue, 15 May 2012 18:29:38 GMTMy taste in politicians is eclectic. I can think of people, left, right and in the centre, whose personal values I admire and who are driven by principles but, and here I am not alone, where has the philosophy in our politics gone?

                   

                  You might argue that philosophy in political policy making became a thing of the past once the free market really took a grip after the post war years. You might argue that there is too much or too little philosophy in politics and that more or less would be a good thing.  You could argue that politics has no place in the classroom but politics is what shapes the look of our modern education policies. From the grammar to the comprehensive, from assisted places (remember those) to academies and now free schools, politics has played an instrumental part... ]]>Fri, 18 May 2012 15:10:34 GMT
                  
                  

                  You Tube Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBFQVsVH-Xc

                  
                  
                  
                  Gary Oldfield, AKA The Million Metre Man, completed his amazing challenge to row a total of 26 marathons on Friday 26th August! Gary rowed a total of 1,097,070 metres on a Concept 2 rower at Dyslexia Action’s Head Office in Egham consecutively from 22nd July until 26th August (just resting over weeken... ]]>Sun, 13 May 2012 13:59:18 GMT
                  
                  
                  
                  

                  Watch live streaming video from I can remember when the Brixton riots kicked off: I was living in Streatham Hill so we lived it all through the sounds track.  I can remember sitting in the dark in my sitting room with a small baby on my lap. He slept through the whole thing while I fretted and listened to the radio and wondered how close and how angry the crowd might be. Turned out that a mile is a long way in politics.
                  
                  
                  What we understood about the riots back then was the polarising social effects that social and economic upheaval had delivered. The order of lives had changed over recent decades. Society was changed beyond recognition in a generation. We understood that the institutions of power had played their... ]]>Sun, 29 Apr 2012 05:09:51 GMTOur facilities manager Gary, has just done the first of 26, 42,195 metre length rows on a static rowing machine in our main meeting room, cheered on by staff who have come in to sit with him, egg him on and generally support him in his mammoth effort to row a million metres and raise funds for Dyslexia Action It's ME! Learning fund. He hopes to raise £10,000 which will mean that forty or more children will be able to benefit from lessons because of his efforts.  So, what is it that motivates people to put themselves through bottom numbing, muscle aching feats of endurance to raise money for other people? Is it the milk of human kindness or is it something more complicated than that?

                  ... ]]>Thu, 03 May 2012 06:10:52 GMTI have just read Peter Osborne’s article, 'The moral decay of our society is as bad at the top as the bottom' with a sense of utter despair. He is, of course absolutely right. The only sin is getting caught whether you are looting for a pair of trainers, claiming televisions on expenses or hacking into the mobile phones of anxious parents to increase your readership and share price.
                  
                  Having a suit and a job does not exonerate you, nor is it ‘different’. In fact, because you wear a suit to work, have an education and a job you have a higher level of responsi... ]]>Sat, 12 May 2012 16:07:00 GMT
                  

                  HRH The Countess of Wessex, Patron

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                  Can someone please tell me what is going on? The stock market is in free-fall, America cannot pay its bills and its credit rating has been downgraded, Tottenham is all but under martial law, no-one seems to know who is running Europe and Greece is for sale. An Eton schoolboy has been killed and another severely mauled by a polar bear and Carol Vorderman reports that each year 300,000 16-year-olds complete their alleged education without enough understanding of maths to function properly in their work or private lives.
                  
                  I seem to have woken up with a bit part in Terry Gilliam’s Brazil.
                  
                  This is on top of the KS2 SATs results last week where  Remember Dyslexia Action in your will."When I was six years old I was diagnosed with dyslexia. My mother already knew about our local Dyslexia Action centre when I first started having trouble at school and so I was lucky enough to get the help I needed. A lot of my friends didn't have that support and I know they really struggled. If you can't learn to read, you can't read to learn.
                  
                  I decided to include Dyslexia Action in my will because I know that dyslexia doesn't need to be a barrier - learning doesn't need to be a struggle with the right support.
                  
                  I know Dyslexia Action delivers results and that by leaving a gift others like me can also have the confidence to achieve in learning and life." Michael Blakey, Director, Avonmore Developments Ltd
                  
                  Leaving a legacy to Dyslexia Action is one of the most wonderful gifts you could ever make. You can be sure that any donation you make to us will be wise... ]]>Mon, 14 Nov 2011 21:03:06 GMTresearch from MIT has shown that that people with dyslexia have a much harder time recognizing voices than people without the disorder; a finding that suggests voice recognition and speech perception, which operate from separate hemispheres of the brain, are actually integrated processes.Tyler Perrachione of MIT’s Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences and colleagues tested people with dyslexia and those without in a controlled experiment where participants had to link unfamiliar voices with their associated recordings.
                  
                  They found that those with dyslexia found it much harder to match the voices. According to Perrachoine and colleagues, humans identify voices by making comparisons between the talkers' pronunciation and their own abstract representations of the sounds the words make. The discovery ... ]]>Mon, 07 May 2012 16:02:20 GMTGary Oldfield opened The Million Metre Challenge today by rowing his first marathon for our Glasgow centre! Supporters dropped by Dyslexia Action HQ throughout the day to cheer the mad fundraiser, also known as the million metre man! The marathon was streamed across Dyslexia Action's Facebook page and Live Stream channel. If you missed the live footage you can watch our recorded version here and view our interview with the man himself. 
                  
                  Gary will continue his million metre challenge with a marathon row for our Newcastle centre on Monday 25th July. To find out when he will be rowing a marathon for your local centre please visit this page. If you would like to row alongside Gary or want to sponsor him please contact our The 7th series of The Apprentice was won by dyslexic inventor Tom Pellereau! The good guy from Arlesford has openly discussed the positive effect dyslexia has had on his life. He said “I was in some ways very lucky because from a young age I was very bad at certain things, so that meant I was always going to do science, engineering and design. I discovered I could do things better than other people. If I had an idea, I could visualise it in my brain and spin it around. Not everyone can do that. Dyslexia for me has always been a massive positive." 
                  
                  The friendly winner was on the losing team 8 times during the 3 month series however as the show progressed he became a very likely winner. Lord Sugar admitted to valuing Tom's experience in creating new products for market and successfully selling them, he also said that he had a gut feeling that Tom was the id... ]]>Thu, 10 May 2012 21:53:02 GMT
                  
                  The four leads from JERSEY BOYS to perform a medley of songs from JERSEY BOYS the Story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons at the DYSLEXIA ACTION AWARDS DINNER.
                  
                  WINNER of 54 major awards worldwide, including the Olivier Award for BEST NEW MUSICAL.
                  
                  JERSEY BOYS, the internationally acclaimed hit musical, tells the remarkable rise to stardom of one of the most successful bands in pop music history.
                  
                  ... ]]>Mon, 30 Apr 2012 17:21:12 GMTThe BBC reported recently that websites with spelling mistakes are the kiss of death to on line sales. Web based entrepreneur Charles Duncombe says that a before and after test shows that removing a single spelling mistake from a website impacts on sales. So it seems that a very modern way of doing business depends on some tried and tested skills to close the deal. Spelling, it would seem, could be the clincher.

                   

                  It’s a bit of a no brainer that we neglect the needs of our school population at our peril. With more and more business being done on the net, the need for good written communication skills would seem to be greater, not less. So why on earth is government so blinkered to cause and effect? Why will it still not invest in our teachers to equip them to raise literacy stand... ]]>Wed, 16 May 2012 11:57:26 GMTThank You and Congratulations to London Centre Staff, Parents and Pupils for supporting The Million Metre Challenge!Everyone at the Dyslexia Action Centre in London has showed their support for super Fundraiser Gary, also known as The Million Metre ManTue, 08 May 2012 15:28:58 GMT
                  We have many course dates so now is the time to decide which one is good for you! 
                  

                  • Continuing Professional Development courses for teachers and teaching assistants to gain expertise in supporting children who are struggling with literacy.
                  • International Diploma. A course for non-UK students wishing to have a sound theoretical understanding of dyslexia and how this learning difference affects everyday life.
                  • Exams Access Arrangements Course for those with a specialist dyslexia qualification who wi... ]]>Sun, 20 May 2012 17:48:40 GMT 
                    Anna Tylor (Chair)
                    
                    Anna Tylor became Chair of the Board at Dyslexia Action in December 2009.
                    
                    Anna has an MSc in Sociology and Social Policy and her post graduate research was on disability. She has a long standing commitment to social inclusion t... ]]>Sun, 13 Nov 2011 22:52:33 GMT
                    If you feel we have not lived up to this promise or if you feel we can improve or enhance our existing services we would like to hear from you.
                    
                    We aim to ensure that:
                    
                    
                    • we treat your complaint seriously
                    • we deal with your complaint promptly and in confidence
                    • we explain what happened and put it right where possible
                    • we learn from complaints and use them to review and improve our service
                    
                    Stage oneIf you are dissatisfied with some aspect of our service, please express this to the person with whom you are dealing who will try to help. If you prefer, please ask to speak to a manager who will also try to help as we aim to resolve all difficulties as quickly and efficiently as possible.
                    
                    Stage tw... ]]>Sat, 12 Nov 2011 22:27:36 GMTIntellident, took to the streets of London to raise funds for Dyslexia Action and our It's ME! Learning Fund by running the Bupa 10k.  The runners raised an amazing £1,405 and Intellident matched the amount raised pound for pound.  Thank you! ]]>Tue, 15 May 2012 10:15:20 GMTToday the Department for Education announced its reforms for Early Learning and Children's Centres; this includes early testing for two-year olds attending nursery to check for any learning problems.
                    
                    Responding to recommendations stated in Dame Clare Tickell’s review of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) the new framework aims to rid parents, pupils and teachers alike of the old system, which the Government openly admits is overly bureaucratic, repetitive and not as parent friendly as it should be. 
                    
                    Dame Clare Tickell published her independent review of the Early Years Foundation Stage in March 2011. It is a thorough and robust review of what should be provided for children from birth to five years, making welcomed recommendations to reduce bureaucracy and to streamline and simplify the number of learning goals; as well as recognising the ... ]]>Fri, 18 May 2012 14:27:03 GMTPhoto: Dyslexia Action CEO Kevin Geeson receives cheque from Simply Health's Ken Piggott.
                    
                    Simplyhealth have recently provided funding for us to deliver our Partnership For Literacy into 15 schools.  The project will be focused around schools close to Simplyhealth offices in Andover, Bristol and Leeds. This is a fantastic opportunity to not only raise literacy attainment across each of the 15 schools, but to also leave the knowledge and expertise within the teaching staff.  
                    
                    ]]>Mon, 14 May 2012 13:32:10 GMT
                    Dyslexia affects 1 in 10 people. That means that 10% of the workforce are likely to be affected themselves or through their family. Due to the high prevalence of the condition and the nature of our work with businesses and in the community, we are a cause that will strongly resonate with many corporate organisations, their staff and customers.
                    
                    To enable us to continue with our valuable work, we are heavily reliant upon the generosity of others who like us want to improve lives through education.
                    
                    How your company can helpWe will find out what is important to you and develop a mutually beneficial and truly integrated partnership. From the day our partnership begins, you will have a dedicated account manager to ensure that our partnership goes from strength to strength.
                    
                    Depending on your ... ]]>Fri, 04 May 2012 16:19:32 GMT
                    Kevin Geeson MBA FCCA CEO
                    
                    
                    Kevin has recently taken over as CEO. He joins us from the NHS Confederation where he was Chief Operating Officer from 2009; prior to this he was with the Royal National Institute for Blind People (RNIB) As Cheif Operating Officer from 2002. 

                     

                    Click here to read Kevin's Blog
                    
                    
                    Dr John Rack BSc, Ph... ]]>Fri, 16 Dec 2011 12:33:26 GMT
                    
                    
                    You Tube Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPfkUhI4dQs
                    
                    Partnership for Literacy is a unique whole school initiative that uses the specialist knowledge of Dyslexia Action’s teachers to develop a sustainable model of support for children who have literacy difficulties. It was designed to leave expertise and knowledge with the school leadership, teachers and teaching assistants, ensuring that not just those children involved in the programme benefit, but also those in generations to come.
                    
                    
                    
                    
                    Thu, 10 Nov 2011 02:27:22 GMTA young man I know, who has autism, is a member of a local theatre group and about to play Bottom in the local production of A Midsummer’s Night Dream. The major sticking point is not that he doesn’t get the humour of the part because he does, but that it is such a large part with so many lines to learn, he worries that he won’t get to grips with the lines and if he doesn’t do that will the essential message of the play be lost? Turns out, that with a lot of help from his Mother, he is now pretty much word perfect, but ... ]]>Sat, 12 May 2012 17:10:10 GMTThe tragic story in yesterday’s Evening Standard about David who has been so severely let down by the education system is all too common. One of the biggest grievances that parents look to us in hope to help them with is not getting the support they need from their child’s school.

                    
                    Some have to wait for years for an ‘official’ assessment that gives them the piece of the paper necessary to get the extra help their child needs. We all know a year is a very long time in a child’s life and one they will never get back. Any time spent unable to access the curriculum because they cannot read or spell means they are unlikely to ever make up that time, and that has serious lifelong impact.

                    
                    We live in a time when the goal of 5 good A to Cs is the only t... ]]>Sat, 19 May 2012 09:34:40 GMT
                    If you can’t learn to read, you can’t read to learn.
                    
                    Two or three children in every classroom struggle to learn to read and write. Many will progress well with good phonics (sound based) teaching but for those with more severe needs it is essential that they have access to specialist teaching. Currently many of these children do not get the help they need due to lack of trained specialist staff and their difficulties can go unnoticed or unexplained.
                    
                    Without the correct identification and support dyslexia can be a barrier to learning and can lead to failure at school, exclusion or anti-social behaviour. For many children who struggle to learn, their behaviour and confidence can be badly affected.
                    
                    Signs of dyslexia:
                     
                    •    Difficulties with re... ]]>Mon, 30 Apr 2012 13:38:04 GMTGive as you Live ]]>Tue, 21 Jun 2011 14:38:58 GMT
                    The main problems are:
                    
                    •    poor sequencing skills;  
                    •    poor auditory discrimination and memory; 
                    •    poor visual discrimination and memory;  
                    •    poor short term memory;
                    •    poor self confidence.
                    
                    Ages 7-11If the answer to most of the following questions is 'Yes' it would be wise to seek advice from your local Dyslexia Action Centre.
                    
                    •    Is s/he bright in some ways with a 'block... ]]>Tue, 06 Sep 2011 09:47:01 GMT
                    Dyslexia Action Impact_Report 2010 - 11.pdf
                    
                    

                     Dyslexia_Action_Financial_Statement_at_31st_August_2011.pdf

                    
                    

                    

                    Dyslexia Action Shop Ltd Report and Financial statements August 2010.pdf

                    
                    
                    The Positive Action through Learning Support Project (PALS)

                    You Tube Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-pA3WPe4FE

                    
                    
                    

                    The Positive Action through Learning Support Project (PALS) is a partnership between Nottingham Dyslexia Action and Nottinghamshire Probation Service, based at the Nottingham Centre. PALS provides assessment and tuition to both basic skills and dyslexic offenders on a community punishment order. PALS has been running for over ten years.
                    
                    All probation services now have to offer education provision and annual targets are set by t... ]]>Mon, 01 Aug 2011 10:43:42 GMT
                    Across Bristol, Leeds and Lincoln PRUs we have:
                    
                    
                    

                    •     Delivered awareness training to 42 members of staff

                    •     Apprentice trained 11 key members of staff

                    •     Screened 33 learners for dyslexia

                    •     Given 30 learners direct support

                    •     Given 200 learners indirect support (through apprentice training of staff)

                    
                    There were strong project outcomes: all three PRUs developed improved sustainable practise and skills in identifying and supporting students with dyslexic/S... ]]>Tue, 21 Jun 2011 11:40:54 GMTThe Equality Act  which recognises dyslexia as a disability. We work with companies to advise on the best options for them and their employees to support work performance.
                    
                    This might include work-focused psychological assessment followed up by a workplace consultation for individuals or groups.  For advice or to arrange a consultancy please contact our National workplace consultancy co-ordinator Helen Donovan. To download our employers support information brochure please click here. 
                    
                    Information for e... ]]>Thu, 03 May 2012 13:11:11 GMTSpecialist structured, multisensory teaching programmes were first developed in the USA in the mid-1940s.

                    
                    

                    Kathleen Hickey and Bevé Hornsby went to Dallas, Texas, in 1969 to be trained in structured multisensory teaching.Consequently, the North Surrey Dyslexic Society, a group of parents who had come together in 1968, set up a working party, which included Kathleen Hickey and one of the parents, Wendy Fisher, with a view to establishing a Surrey Dyslexia Institute.
                    

                    Mon, 14 Nov 2011 20:59:44 GMTGary has set himself the incredible challenge of rowing one marathon for each of the 26 Dyslexia Action Centres. 
                    
                    One marathon is already a huge achievement at 26.2 miles and doing that 26 times means that Gary will have covered an astonishing 1.09 million metres by the end of his challenge, making this The Million Metre Challenge.
                    
                    The Million Metre Challenge will happen over 36 days, starting on Friday 22^nd July, finishing on Friday 26^th August and taking place on a rowing machine at Dyslexia Action Head Office in Egham!
                    
                    Gary has chosen to support the The Special Educational Needs Consortium, which is a sort of gathering of lots of interested organisations who get together and thrash out a collective response to the government about a range of things, are currently working out their response to the Green Paper on Special Educational Needs. They spent an afternoon recently debating a range of issues including teacher training and behavioural difficulties in children. The very nice man from the ministry opened proceedings with some very warm words about how government is listening and wants to get people’s feedback to the proposals. Not a murmur in the room. You could almost sense the scepticism about whether this was an exercise in improving the response to SEN or a cost cutting exercise. Then the nice man said something that I found truly sh... ]]>Sun, 29 Apr 2012 15:50:52 GMTIt’s great to see the Evening Standard standing up for London’s children and promoting literacy and it’s great to see so many well-known faces getting behind the campaign. The fact that illiteracy blights lives is not news to teachers and employers or the prison service though.  The CBI report that there is real dissatisfaction amongst their members that so many people coming onto the labour market are hampered by their low literacy skills. From the armed services to Tesco, employers are running remedial classes and the prisons are bulging with people who are also getting help with their low levels of literacy, often for the first time in their lives.

                     

                    So why aren’t the Justice Department, Work and Pension and the Department for Health crawling all over the backs... ]]>Fri, 18 May 2012 08:18:49 GMT9 year old Sam completes Great Midlands Fun Run for Sutton ColdfieldSunday 5th June, the Great Midlands Fun Run, was Sam's first time in such an event he was determined to complete in a good time. He was so pleased and his parents incredibly proud that he finished the 8. 5 mile run in a very respectable 1 hour 25 mins. 
                    
                    Sam has raised approximately £150 for Dyslexia Action Sutton Coldfield. He was running to support the click here.
                    
                    

                    Dyslexia can also be acquired by people who have lost some aspect of their literacy skills as a result of brain injury or where an illness such as otitis media (glue ear) has impeded normal literacy skills’ development.  Some cases of acquired dyslexia display unusual types of difficulties with literacy and therefore require careful diagnostic assessment and specialised teaching and support programmes.  Very understandably, people with acquired dyslexia can be in need of a high degree of support and couns... ]]>Sun, 20 May 2012 20:23:11 GMTWhat’s so shocking about last night’s Panorama programme, in it’s expose of, what I would describe as, hate crimes, perpetrated by staff against the residents at Winterbourne View, is that while horrifying, it is not surprising to me that people with learning disabilities still find themselves on the wrong end of emotional and physical abuse.  It was one of the reasons that the old long stay institutions, which, in many instances, housed hundreds of learning disabled adults, were closed down. In order to move away from warehousing to a more therapeutic, community based model, the state committed to develop a mixed provision including small group homes ... ]]>Wed, 16 May 2012 17:56:03 GMTDyslexia Action welcomes the approach outlined in the Government's Green Paper on Special Educational Needs (SEN): 'Support and aspiration: A new approach to special educational needs and disability'. 
                    
                    We would like to encourage you to read the paper, however we understand that at 134 pages this is both a time consuming and rather daunting prospect. Therefore we ask that if you have the time you read the Executive Summary within the paper, this is a more managable 9 pages and will tell you everything you need to know.
                    
                    At the back of the report is a summary of the Consultation Questions asked throughout the paper, the Department for Education has opened these up to the public and is looking for responses from those affected by SEN provision in the UK. 
                    
                    To maximise the impact of the ... ]]>Sun, 20 May 2012 20:05:55 GMT
                    Sarah Teather: Q&A on special needs provision

                    
                    Children's minister Sarah Teather responds to Guardian readers' concerns
                    
                    

                    Dyslexia Action is delighted that the Minister of State for Children and Families, Sarah Teather MP, highlights some of the key issues for children with Special Educational Needs (SEN) and their families in her interview with Guardian journalist Jessica Shepherd on Monday 23rd May 2011. 
                    
                    Particularly welcomed is the Minister’s recognition of the need for more training for teachers and teaching assistance and that Government are listening to what teachers, unions and other educational experts are telling them.

                    
                    Kevin Geeson, Chief Executive Officer of ... ]]>Wed, 16 May 2012 15:43:46 GMTOnline entry for the adidas Silverstone Half Marathon 2012 is open. 

                    Please enter the adidas Silverstone Half Marathon now to support Dyslexia Action.
                    
                    On 11th March 2012, this race takes place on the world renowned F1 circuit at Silverstone, the home of British motor racing. A popular race, 6357 runners finished the 13.1 mile circuite in 2011.
                    
                    This is a great warm up event for the Virgin London Marathon taking place a few weeks later on 22nd April 2012. It is also a great next step from a 10K race such as Bupa London 10,000.
                    
                    Visit We want you on our team running the Virgin London Marathon 2012!

                    Next year's Virgin London Marathon will take place on Sunday 22^nd April 2012.
                    
                    All funds raised by the Dyslexia Action running Team will be used to support the vital charitable work of Dyslexia Action.  Among many other projects Dyslexia Action is currently the only national provider of subsidised specialist tuition for children, young people and adults with dyslexia. We strive to support those who are in greatest need of our help.   Those who benefit are individuals and families who are otherwise unable to access this support due to financial or social exclusion. This is called the It&rsqu... ]]>Tue, 08 May 2012 17:20:23 GMTThe Government has been very vocal in its desire to see educational outcomes rise and the recent flurry of papers (white and green) express this aspiration forcefully. In broad terms that’s a good thing but I’ve had a bit of time to reflect on all of this now and there is so much to say about the ambitious journey ahead for all of us working in education, so let me pick up just one theme and let me start by laying down a challenge to government.  Let’s have a measure, on which schools are judged and rewarded, about the attainment of those children who are going to fall into the new broad category of SEN. Why not make an explicit measure around the progress that these children make against their potential and reward schools accordingly.
                    

                    Much of the discourse around SEN is that the most talented t... ]]>Sun, 13 May 2012 15:24:31 GMT When I lived in Belfast in the early 1980’s the joke amongst my friends as Election Day dawned was “Vote early, vote often.” Nowhere is a more poignant example of democracy at it’s worst and at it’s best. The vote turned out to be a very precious right.

                    Last Thursday I tottered off the London train and went to cast my precious vote on my way home. For the first time in years, there was a queue for registration. I can’t imagine that this was because we were all fired up about those nice folk who have all done the rounds to ask our opinions about the merits of a pelican crossing verses a zebra. I rather suspect that what was firing up the mummy’s who were casting their votes while their children were doing ballet in the church hall next door, was, in fact, the thorny question of the alternative voting proposal.
                     
                    Now, at this point, I could go with a number of themes but the one I think I am most exercised by is h... ]]>Mon, 30 Apr 2012 18:54:55 GMT
                    
                    The nominations for the It's ME! Choice Award closed at mid-night on Saturday 30th April. The nominations have now been counted and the winner, who recieved the most nominations is Mollie King of the Saturdays.
                    
                    The Award will be presented, at the Dyslexia Action Awards Dinner 10th Anniversary celebration.
                    
                    If you are interested in attending the event chelmsford@dyslexiaaction.org.uk.
                    ]]>Fri, 18 May 2012 13:25:14 GMTEnter now for your place in the Virgin London Marathon 2012!The public ballot for the 2012 race is now open, visit the Virgin London Marathon website to enter now. The system will close when it reaches 125,000 apllications and this happened in just 24 hours last year!
                    
                    Join the thousands of runners to take to the streets of London in the world's biggest annual one day fundraising event and do it for Dyslexia Action and the It's ME! Appeal. If you needed even more motivation, then do it in the year London hosts the Olympic games! The atmosphere on the day, sense of achievement completing 26.2 miles, and the impact you can have for individuals with dyslexia are incredible, make sure you're part o... ]]>Tue, 01 May 2012 15:20:20 GMTEssex and London YOT Project
                    Funded by the Wates Foundation, Dyslexia Action started a three year project in April 2008, which provides awareness, screening and apprentice training to staff in nine YOTs. This project aims to provide long term support to young offenders.
                    
                    From April 2008 - 2009 working with Chelmsford, Islington and Hackney YOTs we delivered:
                    
                    

                    • Awareness training to 52 members of staff 
                    • Screening training for 13 key members of staff
                    • Following screening 8 young people are now receiving literacy support and 6 young people have specialist tuition with a Dyslexia Action teacher.

                    
                    We started work with Ealing, Hammersmith & Fulham and Hillingdon YOTS in April 2009. By the end of the second year of this project (April 2010), it is expected that 60 – 80 young people will be reached and by the end of the third year more than 150 should have been screened and supported.
                     ... ]]>Mon, 14 Nov 2011 20:56:23 GMTSothebys is donating his services to deliver the live auction during our Dyslexia Action Awards Dinner 10th Anniversary celebration.
                    
                    Harry Dalmeny joined Sotheby's in 1991, and worked initially in the Old Master, Furniture and Silver departments. In 1993 he joined the House Sales department, becoming a Director in 1999. He has organised many of the most important country house sales to be staged in the UK including the Leverhulme collection at Thornton Manor (2001), <... ]]>Sat, 19 May 2012 07:02:36 GMTWeread4you, an exciting new online retailer of Audio Books with thousands of titles to chose from, from J.R.R Tolkien’s The Hobbit, to The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy to Watership Down and The Tales of Beatrix Potter.  There is something for everyone.
                    
                    To get this new partnership off to a great start, when you have finished shopping go to the basket, enter voucher code da25 and click the Validate Code button and you will receive 25% off the total plus £1 from every book bought will be donated to Dyslexia Action.
                    
                    Visit www.weread4you and start listening to your favourite books today
                    
                    If you would like more information on this partnership, please contact Clare ... ]]>Tue, 15 May 2012 10:15:22 GMTBrighton Marathon on 10th April 2011 to raise funds for Dyslexia Action.
                    
                    Paul completed the 26.2 miles in a very impressive 3 hours, 51minutes and 20 seconds despite very warm weather in Brighton.
                    
                    Only in its second year, the race was a huge success with nearly 8,000 runners completing the course. Wild-life photographer Paul Goldstein also took part, as the first of his four marathons in April, which he ended with the Virgin London Marathon on 17th April.
                    
                    The 2012 Brighton marathon takes place on Sunday 15th April visit the Bri... ]]>Mon, 30 Apr 2012 17:20:50 GMTGetting going first thing in the morning can sometimes be a little challenging; not so this morning as I listened with mounting frustration at the General Secretary of the University and College Union, Sally Hunt’s defence of teaching training colleges on Radio 4’s Today Programme – significantly missing the point.
                    
                    Chris Woodhead, erstwhile Chief Inspector of Schools, thought by some as the scourge of the teaching unions and long term proponent of traditional teaching methods was expanding on the government’s plan to train teachers in schools rather than universities, a proposal that has, unsurprisingly sparked controversy among teaching unions.
                    
                    Hunt’s position was pretty much that, ‘if it isn’t broken, why fix it?’ She cited high levels of satisfaction... ]]>Wed, 09 May 2012 12:47:14 GMTJonathan Bailes, Mark Harris, Scott Gemmell, Mari (Toni) Edang, Alexander Bosch, Danny Bartlett, David Eaton and John May, who all completed the 2011 London Marathon to raise money for our It's ME! Appeal.
                    
                    For the full story please visit our It's ME! website.
                    
                    Justin Coe will be performing at the Dyslexia Action Awards Dinner 10th Anniversary Celebration on Tuesday 29th November at the Savoy Hotel, London.
                    
                    A regular and popular performer in schools and on the UK's spoken word cabaret scene, Justin has also been seen entertaining in nurseries, nursing homes, piers, pubs, comedy clubs, buses, steam trains and street corners.
                    
                    Justin's most recent family show was a  fusion of performance poetry, comedy, illustration, animation, music and theatre, "The Jumble Book" show tells the story of a boy with dyslexia. It was nominated for Best Children's Event at the 2010 Brighton Festival and continu... ]]>Wed, 02 May 2012 12:55:25 GMTIn my other life, which plays out in Bulgaria, I have been privileged to meet and work with some remarkable people who strive to improve the lot of their disabled countrymen. Iva Bonova is one such person and is one of the most purposeful people I know. She runs the Centre for Inclusive Education in Sophia and she knows a thing or two about what kids with dyslexia face in their efforts to get themselves an education in Bulgaria.

                     

                    The problem is that under the old system, education was a kind of one size fits all approach. Teachers taught an... ]]>Wed, 09 May 2012 23:21:36 GMTreview of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)  is a thorough and robust review of what should be provided for children from birth to five years, making welcomed recommendations to reduce bureaucracy and to streamline and simplify the number of learning goals; as well as recognising the central roles of parents and of play in children’s early development. 
                    
                    Dr John Rack, Dyslexia Action’s Head of Research, comments: “Dame Tickell’s report also recognises that children’s learning at school is built on foundations from their Early Years Education that support the development of language and communication skills, personal social and emotional development and physical development. Children establish these foundations at differing rates depending on a range of factors, whic... ]]>Mon, 14 May 2012 12:03:34 GMTLast night the Publishers Association and the Right to Read Alliance, a coalition of organisations who have been campaigning on behalf of people with print impairments to have access to books in a fair and equitable way, celebrated 10 years of campaigning but also some success. The Alliance has been working with the Society of Authors Agents and the Publishing Licensing Society amongst others, and last year issued a joint statement on enabling Text To Speech (TTS) on e-books, at least in the absence of a commercially available alternative.

                     

                    Many publishers have taken these recommendations to heart and there is now a growing catalogue of TTS enabled e-books. I have just finished reading Howard Jacobson’s, “The Finkler Question,” using a combination of text sizes and T... ]]>Sat, 05 May 2012 01:18:09 GMTImage supplied by BBC
                    
                    Kara Tointon's 'Dont call me Stupid' documentary is being repeated again on BBC 3. The documentary shows the ex-EastEnder and Strictly Come Dancing winner openly demonstrate how her dyslexia has affected her life.
                    
                    During the programme Kara is tested and undergoes specialist help. She also meets other dyslexic people, many of whom share Kara's experience of feeling 'stupid'. The programme is both emotive and informative and has been hugely successful in raising awareness of dyslexia.
                    
                    If you would like further information on dyslexia please click here: Dyslexia the facts! Or if you are looking for information on coloured lenses and would like to know if they could help you please see our informa... ]]>Sun, 20 May 2012 21:28:32 GMTAfter months of mounting rumours of what the green paper on special educational needs was going to include, we have finally been put out of our misery. Or have we?

                    An MP told me a couple of weeks ago that there had been a strong suggestion that statements would be abolished altogether. A specialist in the field said they had heard that we could even be in for a transition to personal budgets. In the end we have a set of aspirations that could mark the beginning of a bold new era in joined up thinking or a ways and means of not meeting the educational needs of the lowest achieving 20% or so of the school population.  Which is it likely to be?

                    Well, the green paper probably means different things to different groups of children. For those with complex needs the new single statement system could be a giant ... ]]>Tue, 08 May 2012 20:18:12 GMTDr John Rack, Dyslexia Action's Head of Research and Professional Development, talks about the Government's SEN Green Paper published today (March 9th, 2011).
                    
                    

                    You Tube Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuRC7-XiWiI

                    
                    ]]>Sun, 20 May 2012 10:54:57 GMT
                    Pukka Up's Ed and Mark bring Neverland to life and raise £1,140 for Dyslexia ActionTwo of the movers and shakers at clubbing experience company Pukka Up, offered up the chance to wipe away the January blues as they celebrated turning 30!
                    
                    Having chosen the apt theme of Peter Pan, Ed and Mark tranformed their second home Pacha, London into Neverland and with some surprise ‘lost boys', a fancy dress competition, and all the proceeds from the party going to charity there was plenty to keep everyone entertain... ]]>Sun, 13 May 2012 15:38:43 GMTAll our previous visits from Ministers (and truth to tell, there haven’t been that many) have been from those in leadership positions at the Department for Education and have usually involved visiting one of our centres or speaking at one of our events. We were therefore delighted to welcome Philip Hammond, Secretary of State for Transport to Park House a couple of weeks ago. This Conservative Cabinet Minister is our own constituency MP (Runnymede & Weybridge) who was invited to our Partnership for Literacy Report launch at the House of Commons in January and could not attend but instead took up our invitation to visit head office (thank you, Shannon).

                    Transport of course affects us all and is as controversial as every other area of politics. Philip Hammond is a particular ‘bête noir’ in t... ]]>Tue, 15 May 2012 09:56:42 GMTRoyal Parks Half Marathon ballot opens on Wednesday 16th February
                    Opening at 10am the ballot will remain open until 5pm on Wednesday 2nd March.
                    
                    Last year public entry places for the Royal Parks Half Marathon sold out in just 2 hours and 40 minutes. So for the 2011 race the Royal Parks organisers have decided to operate a new ballot system to make the process fairer for everyone and eliminate the rush, as runners will have two weeks to enter themselves for selection.

                    However, a ballot system is a little more complicated so please make sure you read all the information fully before you enter.  There is no rush with 2 weeks to put yourself forward so you can take your time and ... ]]>Mon, 07 May 2012 22:51:54 GMTMichael Sanders' BBC Four discussion on the nature of Justice in the Big Society has got me thinking again about the role of the voluntary sector in the new world order. The Prof from across the pond did a fabulous job in moderating an audience that seemed engaged, if a little too easily led, to Sanders inevitable conclusions that we needed to begin a whole country discourse about what we want the Big Society to be. I think that’s the point isn’t it? The voluntary sector wants this discussion but government seem to be none to keen on getting down and dirty, or do they?
                    
                    I heard a wonderful story about a government department where 250 staff share a kitchen. (I find it hard enou... ]]>Sat, 12 May 2012 19:54:29 GMTOn my train journey to York for a meeting with our Head of Regions, my eye was drawn to a small article in the newspaper under the headline, ‘Is this the most depressing day of the year? The short piece was looking at the arguments for which particular Monday in January was the most depressing day of the year’. The usual culprits were cited, the bills piling up, gloomy weather, fears for your job, already given up on the New Year resolution, etc etc. 
                    
                    So far, so predictable and so January. But this January there is a difference and for me last Frid... ]]>Mon, 14 May 2012 08:58:56 GMT

                    You Tube Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPfkUhI4dQs

                    
                    This afternoon (Tuesday 18th January, 2011) Dyslexia Action will brief MP’s, Lords and Ministers on the findings from its four year intervention research programme, Partnership for Literacy.
                    
                    The evidence shows that this programme delivers a whole school approach to literacy, improving standards for all primary school children but particularly supporting the 20% of children with the lowest literacy levels. Out of the 970 children, who made up the lowest 20% in Years 2 – 5 from 35 primary schools across the UK, approximately half moved from below average to average in reading in just 8 months. This is double the expected rate of progress.
                    
                    The next chapter: recommendations for the futureThis is detailed in the P4L report attached but for information these are the recommendations that Dyslexia Action is making and those that it would like to see Government commit to.
                    
                    
                    

                    1. The extension of funding for specialist teacher training.

                    
                    Read more

                     
                    The evidence that all political parties have accepted highlights the lack of teachers trained to help children with specific learning difficulties (SpLDs) in both primary and secondary schools. P4L demonstrates the clear benefits to schools in having access to a specialist in dyslexia and literacy. This n... ]]>Sun, 20 May 2012 15:23:15 GMTI have the flu, so I’m grumpy. The radio says that it’s particular strain that sounds like one of those complicated instructions to enter your pin with a minimum of at least one number, so many dashes and digits. I just glaze over and feel sick to my stomach. This enforced slow down has meant that I’ve had time to chat, or rather to listen, because I’m not much on talking this week - without spluttering. Here’s a story that a mother I know told me:

                     

                    Let’s call the hero of our story Matthew. Now Matthew is a bright boy of 11, but Matthew has autism and has just transitioned from primary to secondary school. The whole of his primary school career was spent in a mainstream school where the pastoral care was great and Matthew was happy, but his mother had to go to tribuna... ]]>Fri, 11 May 2012 14:07:10 GMTThe thing about politics is that if you wait long enough, ideas have a habit of coming around again and there is plenty of sentiment in the green paper on sentencing and rehabilitation that I feel I’ve heard before. It may not offer such catchy phrases as “bringing the sense back into sentencing,” for which we can all be grateful, and I like the fact that it’s not a lock ‘em up and throw away the key approach. I believe that Ken Clarke truly wants to make a difference but does the green paper deliver?

                     

                    The idea that one way or another, prisoners must pay for their crimes is not new: The paper asserts that they should pay through the hard work that sentences will demand of them in terms of punishment, paid work and rehabilitation. It draws a picture of the working prison, wh... ]]>Tue, 01 May 2012 18:42:38 GMT‘Now, then, where's the first boy?''Please, sir, he's cleaning the back-parlour window,' said the temporary head of the philosophical class.' So he is, to be sure,' rejoined Squeers. 'We go upon the practical mode of teaching, Nickleby; the regular education system. C-l-e-a- n, clean, verb active, to make bright, to scour. W-i-n, win, d-e-r, der, winder, a casement. When the boy knows this out of book, he goes and does it.
                    
                    I love Charles Dickens’ work and this extract from Nicholas Nickleby (Chapter 3) reveals so much to the reader in so few lines. Poor Nicholas has a great deal to learn as a teacher alongside the pupils at the wretched Dotheboys Hall. The content of this book was of course designed to shock and Dickens as one of the great Victorian reformers wanted his reader to feel and understand the a... ]]>Sun, 13 May 2012 14:27:41 GMTDepartment for Education are today reporting shocking figures:
                    
                    

                    • 1 in 11 boys starts secondary school with a reading age of 7
                    • Proven, evidence based interventions are available
                    • Innumerable reports and reviews have all concluded the same
                    • Good teaching for children struggling with literacy is good teaching for all children
                    • Teachers need the right training
                    • Poor literacy and numeracy skills are a huge drain on our economy
                    • Investment now will result in a huge financial saving in the long term: 

                    • It will turn underachieving boys (and girls) into contributing members of society 
                    • Reduce the numbers on benefit so Improve range of skills in the UK workforce
                    ... ]]>Sun, 13 May 2012 12:05:42 GMT ]]>Sun, 13 May 2012 14:13:32 GMTAdults
                    Salary: Sessional pay.
                    
                    A part-time teacher with a SpLD qualification and an interest in teaching adults and exams skills students is required by Winchester Centre.
                    
                    The person appointed will be required to work in the Centre area.
                    
                    An application form can be downloaded from the website below, or for further details please e-mail the Principal, Annie Collins, at acollins@dyslexiaaction.org.uk
                    Apply by email to acollins@dyslexiaaction.org.uk
                    
                           
                    No agencies please
                    
                    
                    
                    Click here to download a job description
                    
                    Unsure of what to buy this Christmas? When you download the Give as you Live™ App (www.dyslexiaaction.org.uk/giveasyoulive) you can buy all of your gifts online and raise funds for us at the same time with no extra cost to you! Download the App now to start shopping....
                    ]]>Thu, 10 May 2012 10:58:48 GMTReform in the prison sentencing process is coming down the track. This time the plan is not to send everyone to prison, but to put them to work in the community on punitive, unpaid work schemes. Hard labour is, apparently the solution to this particular social ill and the answer to cutting the 85,000 prison population to 3,000 while reducing the £4bn prison and probation budget by 20% over the next 4 years. The Howard League for Penal Reform wants us to stop calling prisoners ‘offenders’ once their have done their time and Colin Gunn has won the right to be referred to as ‘Mr’ Gunn. Why?
                    
                    None of this will stop the revolving door of re-offending. 14 prisons in the UK have re-offending rates of over 70% and for a society supposed to balance punishment with rehabilitation this is sham... ]]>Sat, 19 May 2012 15:11:33 GMTThis week has not been a good week for the football fraternity. Despite the best efforts of the three lions - or was it the three stooges? and £10.7m spent on the bid, England managed to muster a mere 2 votes, one of them from ourselves. Let’s just do a bit of superficial analysis: first Wikileaks claims that Russia is corrupt, being run along the lines of, or possibly by, the mafia. On Monday Panorama tells us that some members of FIFA are inclined to accept bribes to ‘inform their decisions’ and on Thursday, low and behold, Russia is voted as the host country for the 2018 World Cup. Perhaps the clue was in Putin’s absence; his confidence in the outcome ultimately justified because it was a done deal. And what about Qatar set to host the 2022 event? A country smaller than Yorkshire and with ... ]]>Sun, 13 May 2012 09:51:21 GMTMichael Gove is right about one thing: Throughout history, individuals most certainly have been the victims of forces beyond their control and education has traditionally, since it became a universal expectation, been viewed as the key that unlocks the door to a life of choice not drudgery. It informs the jobs we do, and in turn, the families we build and the expectations we have of our own children. Each generation wants the next to fare better than we did. Makes sense to me. I had a second rate education and it was not until the advent of parenthood that I truly understood that I had better make myself a plan to get educated, that I did something about it. All those late nights studying and exhausted early starts made me determined to ensure that the son would get a proper education though, and to my delight and relief, he... ]]>Fri, 04 May 2012 03:17:47 GMTI’m on a bit of a roll with relatives at the moment. As much as I love them, I sometimes feel that I am the girl at the turnstile where dirty laundry can been abandoned and suitcases collected ready for travel. It all went horribly wrong last week when my 73 year old uncle, who is deaf and has lived in a closed monastery for the last 51 years, came to stay. He put in his food order and request for chocolate but at the moment of departure he ran out of supplies and so was despatched to the sweet counter in our local newsagents for a brand I cannot name, ready for the journey. He emerged a few minutes later to announce that he couldn’t buy a single to Stroud in the sweet shop and hadn’t bought chocolate because it all got too tricky. It got me thinking about the challenges of public transport and some of my o... ]]>Wed, 16 May 2012 11:13:34 GMTHaving read the headlines on this, I've been pleasantly surprised to find I've put more ticks than crosses in the margins of my now well-read copy of this document.  Download a copy here.  The symbol that might have been most useful, however, would be 'raised eyebrows' to indicate: yes this is a noble ambition, but the reality is a bit more complicated.
                    
                    I particularly like 'Teachers, not bureaucrats or Ministers, know best how to teach - how to convey knowledge effectively and how to unlock understanding'.  (paragraph 4.8).  Yes they do - or at least they should.  So, in place of c... ]]>Sun, 20 May 2012 10:55:01 GMTHere is my second attempt at starting life as a blogger. Somewhere in the ether is my first attempt - if anyone sees it please ask it why it disappeared like that!  It feels a little strange to be writing like this, with no idea of who might be watching and listening but I've decided it is time to try, and to learn. And if no one is listening, I'll stop.  I'll try to keep to the maxim: little and often, so this first (er hum, second) effort is a mainly a personal  introduction.
                    
                    I am John Rack, Dyslexia Action's Head of Research and Professional Development.  I've been with Dyslexia Action for almost exactly 18 years, having started in January 1993.  My first role was mainly as a consulting psychologist, criss-crossing the North of England and Scotland to see children and adults in our networ... ]]>Sat, 19 May 2012 22:02:15 GMTKara Tointon in her BBC 3 programme - Don't call me stupid - found that glasses with coloured lenses were very helpful when reading.
                    
                    It is true that coloured lenses and/or overlays can be helpful to individuals who are dyslexic but please be aware that what works well for one individual may not be helpful to another. Also the most beneficial colour(s) and shade of colour(s) will vary from individual to individual and this can change over time.
                    
                    It is also important for those affected by dyslexia to be aware that coloured lenses and/or overlays are not a cure; they are classified as reading aids.
                    
                    The Dyslexia Action Shop Ltd (DASL) sells Kara Tointon’s story about the dyslexic experience was a journey of discovery that will be all too recognisable to just about any dyslexic person I know and it’s a fabulous example of how our teaching practices can enable or disable our children. I use the term advisedly.

                     

                    Now this is all familiar territory to me because I never cease to be interested in the way that these things develop. Reading has only been a universal expectation over the last hundred years or so, but teaching has been around in all kinds of forms for thousands. It hasn’t always meant educating our children to be self motivated learners who can reflect and interpret the world around them. It’s often meant giving them the essential knowledge and skill to do a job – no more, no less. So, when reading beca... ]]>Sun, 20 May 2012 10:28:29 GMTYou know its a rare moment in time when our website ‘crashes’ late in the evening due to the heavy traffic. Fortunately it was only down for a 10 minute period and we were then quickly able to provide the information the public was so urgently seeking. The question is why were they on their computers and mobile devices at 10:30pm on a Thursday evening? The answer is one honest and brave young celebrity sought to find out more about the dyslexia that had made reading scripts and daily life really difficult. Kara Tointon, the former East Enders actress and current ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ star examined the difficulties she has faced as a result of her dyslexia. The BBC3 programme was engaging (as is Kara) warm and very clear about what it means to have dyslexia.
                    Tue, 01 May 2012 11:41:01 GMTIn my 13 years living in the USA, one of the most difficult English traditions to explain was Bonfire night. What do you mean you celebrate by burning an effigy? Isn’t it a bit dangerous? Friends would routinely comment. You will find it is quite hard to explain to someone who has not grown up with Guy Fawkes why ‘bonfire night’ is meaningful. It is clear that our November 5 celebration will never have the global nature of Halloween with its opportunity for dress up, fun and most importantly its marketing potential.
                    Sometimes we set ourselves rules or opine on subjects that we then need to take responsibility for. One such for me has been my often spo... ]]>Wed, 09 May 2012 16:47:45 GMT
                    The evening was a glittering success attended by stars from the world of entertainment. Entertainment was provided by all round funnyman and entertainer Brian Conley. Brian took a night out from his hectic touring schedule to support our cause.
                    
                    Honorees included:
                    
                    

                    Rosaleen Blair
                    Read more
                    Rosaleen Blair, the founder and CEO of Alexander Mann Solutions, is widely credited with pioneering the concept of recruitment process outsourcing in Europe. Since the company was founded in 1996,... ]]>Thu, 17 May 2012 12:23:37 GMTImage: Louis Barnett presenting award to Patience, with mum Jill
                    Eleven year old Patience from Bowdon, near Manchester, was honoured alongside Brian Conley, Anthea Turner, Rosaleen Blair, Nick Jones and Dr Steve Chinn at our Awards Dinner on Wednesday 10th November.
                    Patience, who is dyslexic and receives support at Dyslexia Action's Centre in Wilmslow, is our 2010 Young Person of the Year. This is an award that is given each year as part of our Annual Dyslexia Awards Dinner to celebrate the hard work and achievements of our learners.
                    
                    

                    “The Young Person of the Year Award makes us all at Dyslexia Action particularly proud, knowing that we are making a real difference to the future of our nation’s children.” 

                    Shirley Cramer, Dyslexia Action's Chief Ex... ]]>Mon, 14 May 2012 08:58:57 GMT
                    The night of the Awards Dinner has arrived. After months of preparation the fundraising team are looking slightly manic and a more than a little frayed hopefully once they are draped in their finery this evening you will hardly notice the slightly notice the slightly haunted look in their eyes.
                    
                    Every year the team and the committee go through huge amounts of hardwork and heartbreak in order to stage this, our flagship event, and make it look seamless. So a big thank you goes out to all of them and I'm sure they are all looking forward to a good night's sleep tomorrow.
                    
                    This will be the first year that I have attended the dinner as a member of the Dyslexia Action team, and after visiting the Dorchester earlier this week I can confess ... ]]>Sat, 12 May 2012 20:45:00 GMTDon't call me stupidThis new BBC programme follows Strictly Come Dancing star Kara's journey of discovery about her own dyslexia.
                    
                    BBC 3
                    Thursday 11th November
                    21:00
                    
                    Dyslexia Action hopes that this will be an informative programme and that it helps to promote awareness about dyslexia and the sorts of difficulties it can cause.
                    
                    We would be interested to here your views on this programme and therefore please post your comments below or join in our discussions via Facebook and/or Twitter.
                    
                    More information is available on the BBC's website.
                    ]]>Tue, 15 May 2012 22:11:09 GMTAfter a decade at the helm of Dyslexia Action, Shirley Cramer, CBE, has decided to step down as Chief Executive Officer.
                    
                    Shirley Cramer comments:
                    

                    “It has been an extraordinary privilege to hold this leadership position and I have thoroughly enjoyed working with such a wonderful group of staff and volunteers for a cause that I truly believe in. After ten challenging and rewarding years I feel now is the time for new ideas and a new hand on the wheel to take Dyslexia Action to the next level. ”

                    
                    Shirley has led the educational charity through a period of growth and development, which has included a Head Office relocation... ]]>Fri, 18 May 2012 16:23:19 GMTIt is not very often that you see the results of lobbying or advocacy work right before your very eyes, so today was a really special day and worth writing about! Those of you who know the work of Dyslexia Action will know that we have long argued for more specialist training at all levels in mainstream education. We know that this is the most cost effective way of providing the right support for children and young adults with dyslexia /SpLD.

                    So this morning I had the privilege of welcoming 160 students to the opening day of our 3 day induction course for our Post Graduate Certificate in Dyslexia and Literacy. We deliver this course through blended e-learning and have students from all corners of the UK as well as abroad. This huge intake for the course ... ]]>Sat, 19 May 2012 22:17:46 GMTI am always in awe at how quickly many commentators are able to get their thoughts together to make sensible commentary on a Government announcement. Nick Robinson should really get the prize in this area.
                    
                    Having just watched the Chancellor, I thought I might try my hand at considering what his speech means for children and adults with special needs. If you take the announcement at face value then the Department of Education has done reasonably well, especially compared to departments such as Communities and Local Government, and Culture Media and Sport.
                    
                    George Osborne emphasised that the schools’ budget would increase in real terms over the next four years and that the spending per pupil will not fall. However, on the ground we know that ... ]]>Mon, 14 May 2012 15:39:22 GMTI spent yesterday in London most of it at the Charity PR and Fundraising in a Social Media World conference and the evening at a private viewing of Fian Andrews’ new ceramics exhibition.
                    
                    As a speaker at the conference I was exploring whether social media can cut the cost of campaigning in the third sector. Used strategically and systematically it can not only reduce your costs, but extend your footprint into those hard-to-reach markets as well as opening up new vistas, such as giving you direct contact with your beneficiaries and service users or the chance to pilot ideas before you commit budget or brand to them. Listening to the other speakers I was struck at the imaginative and innovative ways people are beginning to use these media and also that, l... ]]>Sat, 12 May 2012 02:40:59 GMTLast week we celebrated the start of the “it’s Me!” campaign to raise awareness of the challenge of dyslexia. Now, I’ve been involved in matters dyslexic for nearly 20 years and I think that there are a few really good points to have emerged form the stories that people tell about why dyslexia turned out to be such an important part of who they are.
                    
                    There is no getting away from it; the world is an easier place to navigate your way round if you can read and write and the misery of not being able to learn to do so, with the ease that most people seem to be able to do, can knock the stuffing out of you. I can remember the son lying on the pavement kicking his legs in the air and screaming his head off because he hated school. He just couldn’t do it like the other kids in his class. I can r... ]]>Wed, 16 May 2012 11:14:56 GMTAfter much toing and froing The Publishers Association, The Society of Authors, and The Association of Authors Agents has finally reached an agreement that text to speech is routinely enabled on all e-books across all platforms, at least where there is no audiobook edition commercial available.
                    
                    This is a small, but significant victory in the battle to give everyone access to books for both learning and leisure. Is it right that the 6 million people in the UK who struggle with reading because of a hidden disability and the 1.5 million who are visually impaired are denied access to one of the simple pleasures that the rest of us take for granted? Is it moral that learning is made even more of a struggle? Don’t they have enough to contend with already?Wed, 09 May 2012 23:30:13 GMTWhatever you think about the last Government and I have no doubt that most of you could fill several column inches on the subject, the commitment to improving support for children with SEN and disadvantage was second to none, thanks to its championing by Ed Balls.
                    
                    As some wit recently commented to me, ‘well, he didn’t have much competition’ and I could only respond in the affirmative, there is still no doubt that Ed did make ‘our children’ his priority. I was pleased therefore to bump into him this week at the launch of Ken Follett’s wonderful new novel, ‘Fall of Giants’. Over drinks and canapés in one of London’s glitziest hotels Ed told me th... ]]>Sun, 06 May 2012 23:26:57 GMTThere is much uncertainty pervading the voluntary sector at the moment and I suspect that the announcement s of the comprehensive spending review on October 20th will take a while to percolate through the system. The result will be at least 6 months of anxiety for everyone. At the moment I am literally ‘up in the air... ]]>Sat, 05 May 2012 11:41:12 GMTChristine Grainger tells the BBC about her experiences of getting the right support for her son.Christine is one of the parents whose son comes to Dyslexia Action's Centre in Egham for two lessons per week - one for literacy and one for numeracy. In an interview with the BBC, which is currently being featured as part of their lead story on Ofsted's SEN Report published today (Tuesday 14th September), Christine talks about what she has been through to get the right help and support for her son.
                    
                    The Ofsted report is headline news across most press and media today, including the lead story for the BBC.
                    
                    
                    The release today of Ofsted's report on Special Educational Needs and Disability, aptly entitled ‘A statement is not enough’, made me reflect on how many times we have read about the same concerns over the last couple of years. Just how much evidence does the Government need to make the changes needed? If we were in another kind of sector would we have seen action rather than another review? I am not sure that there is an adequate an... ]]>Mon, 14 May 2012 10:21:56 GMTHow many more reviews are needed before the Government takes action? Dyslexia Action welcomes the latest review of Special Educational Needs (SEN) published by Ofsted today (Tuesday 14th September, 2010).
                    
                    Shirley Cramer, Chief Executive Officer of Dyslexia Action, comments: “We are pleased that the inspectorate has been reviewing the efficiency and effectiveness of the current SEN system. Ofsted’s review provides further evidence for the urgent need to take action to ensure that all children are able to access an education. We support the recommendations issued by Ofsted but it does raise concerns as to why we continue to have numerous reviews but little concerted action.”
                    Sat, 19 May 2012 19:26:42 GMT
                    
                    Dyslexia Action has people, our beneficiaries, at its heart. By making a donation you can help us to take action and change more lives.
                    
                    With your support we will be able to reach more people with dyslexia and given them the support they need through our voluntary funded services in communities across the UK.
                    
                    These services include the It's ME! Learning Fund (formerly the Bursary Fund), which provides subsidised tuition, and Partnership for Literacy, our intervention in schools programme.
                    
                    

                    The difference your money can make:

                    £10 - could enable us to provide ‘Testing for a Tenner’ sessions to help identify people with signs of dyslexia.
                    
                    £25<... ]]>Sat, 19 May 2012 20:49:37 GMTWith A level results due out this week and with the controversial new A * exam, I expect that we will see pages of comment and a lot of broken hearted young people who haven’t quite ‘made the grade’. But what does this really mean? Why do we have to define success so narrowly? Actor, Imogen Stubbs wrote a fascinating article in the Sunday Times News Review this week highlighting the stultifying nature of the English A level exam, where any creative ideas or new thoughts on the particular exam question were ignored and only ‘standard’ answers got the appropriate marks. It does make you think when her husband, Director, Trevor Nunn got a B grade on the Hamlet paper! This doesn’t encourage young people to read around the subject or dig deeper into an issue if they kno... ]]>Tue, 08 May 2012 19:27:47 GMT
                    Click here to download:
                    
                    Dyslexia_Actions_Dyslexia_Checklist.pdf
                    ]]>Fri, 18 May 2012 17:45:16 GMTHere we are in the dog days of August, in one of the best summers that I can remember and with the advantage of being able to speed around the M25. Not that I am admitting to breaking the law you understand, but it is very exciting to be able to hit 70 mph with light traffic wondering where all the commuters have gone for their holidays. Where ever it is I hope they are having fun.

                    There is a down side to this time of the year however and this was pointed out brilliantly by Phil Beadle in yesterday’s Education Guardian. The TDA (Training and Development Agency) has announced a really savage cut, which ... ]]>Sun, 20 May 2012 13:22:53 GMTlocal Dyslexia Action Centre and ask, based on your individual circumstance, how we can help you.
                    
                    
                    ]]>Sun, 20 May 2012 00:03:39 GMT
                    In particular, young children’s development can change relatively rapidly and therefore their current strengths and weaknesses need to be appraised to ensure that support being given is relevant.
                    
                    ]]>Sun, 20 May 2012 14:23:27 GMT &lt;!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:&quot;&quot;; margin:0cm; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;; mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Times New Roman&quot;;}@page Section1 {size:612.0pt 792.0pt; margin:72.0pt 90.0pt 72.0pt 90.0pt; mso-header-margin:36.0pt; mso-footer-margin:36.0pt; mso-paper-source:0;}div.Section1 {page:Section1;}--&gt;