Don’t Blame Teachers - It isn’t their fault!

Despite Governments' promises of, “Education, education, education” or, in the USA, “No child left behind”, far too many parents are faced with the problem of their child being let down badly. The temptation is to blame the teacher, they represent education policy to the parents. Of course it isn’t their fault, although it is often difficult to remember this when speaking to them.

In my experience teachers are desperate to help children all they can, they will spend as much time as they can possibly spare, and use all the initiative they can muster. They do feel guilty that they know it is woefully inadequate to get the child to where they need to be in the education process.

So if you are a frustrated parent, please try and remember this when you are talking to the teacher - the current Government policy isn't their fault! They know what is needed and would love to have the time and the resources to spend on your child.

A Positive Look Into 2008

Well, 2007 was really a mixed bag! On the positive side some very influential researchers made it clear that they were looking very hard at the possibilities of using Cerebellar Development to transform children’s lives. On the negative side those with vested interests seemed to dig their heels in even harder.

So, what does that mean for 2008? My hope and expectation is that the research results and thousands of wonderful case studies will spread the word to the millions who are currently unaware that you don’t have to live with problems such as; poor reading, poor concentration, poor physical co-ordination and low self-esteem – something can be done to help!

Let’s hope that the Government policy makers hear about it and act on it in 2008. It should be painfully obvious to them that their actions in recent years has had very little impact on the lives of children and families affected by learning issues, and that it is time to try something that really works.

The Government's Pledge To Do More For Dyslexics

Well, let’s celebrate the good news - the British Government are spending more to help dyslexia. But, now for the bad news - they are doing even more of what has already proven to be a huge disappointment.

Research has shown that extra phonics teaching is of negligible benefit - children are already given plenty of effective phonics teaching. The problem with reading is nothing to do with the amount of teaching that is given on phonics, it is very often down to the fact children don't have ability to use that skill. The process of reading involves working memory, visual processing and other functions, which are all linked to the cerebellum.

When the right parts of the cerebellum are developed we frequently discover that children already have all the phonics teaching they need to be able to read and comprehend far better than before.

We have recently been told that the Government have spent an extra half a billion on programmes to help children, yet they have been completely ineffective. So why, oh why are they now doing more of the same?

If dyslexia wasn’t so serious it would be laughable, but even the American Government makes exactly the same mistakes. The graph below shows how the American Government have dramatically increased spend on literacy programmes without having any effect on reading ability.

When will they realise that they are getting the wrong advice? When will they realise there is a highly effective solution to the root cause of not just reading but for so many of the other symptoms that are linked to learning difficulties?

ADHD - Panorama, 12 November 2007

Well, this programme has certainly put the cat amongst the pigeons, as if parents with children suffering with ADHD hadn’t got enough to worry about! Yet this is another extremely good reason (as if there weren’t enough already) for benchmarking all interventions for learning issues.

Every type of programme whether it is prescription drugs, reading programmes (phonics or otherwise), coloured lenses, fish oils or exercise programmes (like Dore) must be subjected to full scrutiny. Such benchmarking should include the symptoms that will benefit (or not), possible side effects, the degree of which the results are lasting, etc.

Our Government seems to manage to come up with benchmarking for so many things that are far less important than our children’s education yet somehow there is an industry out there that has succeeded in stopping it happening up to now.

At Dore we have been lobbying for this for some time and make a point of going public about all our research. It is seriously negligent of other organisations that are in this field to have a different attitude.

“Entrepreneurs are more likely to be Dyslexic”

This isn’t a surprise at all!

Very often the brighter people are the more likely it is a condition like Dyslexia or ADHD is going to hamper their ability to learn in the traditional way.

Whilst most regard Dyslexia as a problem we regard it as a mask to a great deal of hidden intellect. Many entrepreneurs failed rather poorly at school, which certainly wasn’t their teacher’s fault or their own - it was the fact that they can’t learn in the traditional way.

The wonderful thing is we are getting better these days at removing the “negative symptoms” and enabling that hidden talent and creativity to be harnessed to an even greater extent.

“The Solution to Dyslexia”

A few people have mentioned this headline to me and asked whether it is a cure…

Well, it will probably significantly help with reading - it has to with that level of one to one tuition. Will it help with other symptoms? Very unlikely, but of course it is better than doing nothing.

The scheme is called “Springboard for children” which has been used in a few State schools across the country. It requires, amongst other things, one to one teaching for two hours a day for, typically, two years. It focuses of course on the process of reading - which is only one of the many symptoms that someone with reading issues normally has. This scheme is a hugely expensive resource which very few education authorities will be able to afford.

The educational world still needs to learn that there are three key elements to the process of learning. One of these is teaching. Another is “practice”. The third is “the ability to acquire, retain and recall a skill”. If that third ability (the one that Dore transforms) is not fully developed then it makes both “teaching” and “practice” much, more difficult.

When individuals have benefited from the Dore Programme “teaching” becomes much easier, the amount of “practice” dramatically decreases and “learning” becomes an altogether easier process.

The “Springboard for children” project is dealing with the symptom end of the problem whereas Dore deals with the “root cause” of the problems. By tackling the root cause the programme significantly helps with the development of so many of the other skills which are a problem for children with learning issues.

I hope this helps people understand the scheme and that it will only really significantly help reading and not all the symptoms associated with Dyslexia.

57% Think ADHD is Just an Excuse ……

You can bet your bottom dollar that very few of that 57% will have children with very poor attention, poor behaviour, etc.

Anybody who has had a child that does struggles with concentration will understand that it isn't a choice they are making, just like they do not choose to be disorganised and they don't choose to have poor short term memory. The physiological differences between these children and children that do not suffer from such symptoms are easy to measure.

So, if you're one of the 57% who thinks ADHD is just an excuse please look at the research on the development of the cerebellum, you will become far more understanding and tolerant with those who have been labeled with ADHD.