Good Reads

The Dyslexic Advantage by Brock and Fernette Eide should be a required read for all parents and educators of dyslexic students as well as high school and college students who have been diagnosed with dyslexia. It points to the many successful architects, lawyers, engineers—even bestselling novelists—who had difficulty learning how to read. Eide and Eide emphasize the different learning styles of the dyslexic: Material Reasoning (used by architects and engineers); Interconnected Reasoning (scientists and designers); Narrative Reasoning (storytellers and lawyers) and Dynamic Reasoning (economists and entrepreneurs). Strategies for teaching reading, spelling, and writing to dyslexic individuals —from elementary to college—are also included as well as strategies students can use independently.

How Children Succeed by Paul Tough emphasizes the importance of good character to be successful. The need for an individual to exhibit perseverance, curiosity, conscientiousness, optimism, and self-control is just as important, if not more important than intelligence when success is measured. Tough explains that playing the game Simon (remember the electronic game in which you copied the patterns of green, blue, red and yellow lights?) is an asset for any of us, especially younger children, as it necessitates the skill of working memory, a critical skill for academic success.