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A man changes his outlook by peeling away a storm gray sky to reveal a blue sky behind it. He is taking control of his outlook on his reality, as is recommended by Byron Katie in the book Loving What Is.

How Many Legs Does a Dog Have?

By: Don M. Winn May 7, 2019May 20, 2019 dyslexia, parentingacceptance, Byron Katie, happiness, how to be happy, how to reach acceptance, Loving What Is book review, modeling happiness for kids

Abraham Lincoln once jokingly asked, “How many legs does a dog have if you call the tail a leg?” His answer? “Four. Calling the tail a leg doesn’t make it a leg.” Lincoln’s quote does a great job of humorously highlighting the human tendency to argue with our own reality. As a human being with…

A man in a suit grabs his hair as many small people are perched on his arms, shoulders, and head, shouting at him through megaphones. This symbolizes the feeling of an overloaded brain that all of us, but especially dyslexics often feel. This blog offers some suggestions for brain management to help with that feeling.

Adolescent and Adult Dyslexia Diagnosis Survival Tips

By: Don M. Winn April 10, 2019 dyslexia, learning differences, parentingadult dyslexia, allostatic load, brain management, David Rock, dyslexia, reappraisal, strategies, techniques, Your Brain at Work

Normally around here I tend to focus my energies and strategies by writing about helping children at as young an age as possible to understand and manage their learning differences. But countless thousands of individuals with dyslexia were never diagnosed or accommodated in their younger years. That includes middle schoolers, high schoolers, college age students…

A father and son carrying luggage head down a long road toward the horizon. At their feet is the word "start." Working with dyslexia is a long road, and it takes true perseverance to keep going.

Dyslexia and Grit: What You Need to Know Now

By: Don M. Winn March 26, 2019 dyslexia, education, parentingAngela Duckworth, Don M. Winn, dyslexia, Grit, how to help kids with dyslexia, how to teach kids to have grit

Those of us with dyslexia know (as do parents and teachers of dyslexics) that one of the frequent hallmarks of dyslexia is that accomplishing anything requires sustained levels of intensive effort with slower-than-usual-appearing results. As I’ve discussed before (see my archived blogs on dyslexia) some of the greatest frustrations with this condition revolve around the…

A photograph of a hand-drawn sketch of the aerial view of Fort McKavett in 1876, depicting the layout of the buildings of the fort, including the barracks, stables, laundry, bakery, hospital, officer's quarters, and more.

A Trip in Time: Exploring the Great Frontier, Fort McKavett

By: Don M. Winn February 19, 2019February 19, 2019 history, Texasa trip in time, American Frontier History, Don M. Winn, Edwards chert, Edwards Plateau, Fort McKavett, forts, frontier, life as a western soldier, westward expansion

In January of 1977, I remember watching a docudrama mini-series with my dad called “Ten Who Dared.” Produced by BBC in association with Time-Life films and narrated by Anthony Quinn, it re-enacted 10 of the most challenging explorations of recorded history. The first episode recreated the voyage of Christopher Columbus, while three others included Captain…

Photo of the exhibit at the African Burial Ground National Monument depicting five mourners gathered around two coffins.

A Trip in Time: African Burial Ground National Monument

By: Don M. Winn February 5, 2019February 19, 2019 education, historyAfrican National Burial Ground Monument, author, Don M. Winn, museum visit, Trip in Time

Last October, my wife and I were profoundly moved and sobered by a day at the African Burial Ground National Monument in lower Manhattan. I offer this report to my readers, not to politicize or create polarity, but in the spirit of remembering an important (and often unrecognized) part of this nation’s history, and to…

The Electronic Babysitter: A Trojan Horse?

By: Don M. Winn January 16, 2019February 19, 2019 child development, childrens education, parentingelectronic devices, how to be balanced, kids, recommended, screen time, side effects

A mere two thousand years ago, Virgil wrote the Aeneid. Many of its concepts have meaning for us thousands of years later, but my focus today is the cautionary tale of the Trojan Horse. Briefly, the Greeks had been unsuccessfully striving to take the city of Troy for 10 long years. They devised a trick…

Unraveling the Mysteries of the Creative Mind

By: Don M. Winn October 2, 2018February 19, 2019 parentingbook review, Carolyn Gregoire, creativity, how to be more creative, Scott Barry Kaufman, teach kids to be creative, Wired to Create1 Comment

Poet Dorothy Parker once said, “Creativity is a wild mind and a disciplined eye.” Imagination and creativity are two topics that we discuss frequently here. Indeed, they are two of the greatest strengths of human nature and increase both our productivity and sense of fulfillment in life. But what if the slog of our daily…

Screen Time Vs. Creativity: Finding the Balance for Growing Children

By: Don M. Winn September 18, 2018November 9, 2018 parentingcell phones, creativity, iPads, iPhone, is it bad for little kids to use phones, kids, nurturing creativity, screen time

It’s hard to believe, but the iPad has only been part of our world for 8 years. And the iPhone has been around just a little longer—a mere 11 years. During that tiny slice of human history, people everywhere have become lit up by glowing screens. I’m no exception, and certainly no Luddite: I have…

Dyslexia Articles

Click here to read some of my archived blogs and other published articles on dyslexia.

Chapter Books

The Sir Kaye the Boy Knight series by Don M. Winn is an award-winning four-book series for middle readers about the adventures of a twelve-year-old knight.

Picture Books

Don M. Winn is the author of 12 picture books designed to help parents instill great literacy habits in their children. Click here to learn more!

Constructive Living with Dyslexia

By: Don M. Winn June 18, 2019

dyslexiaaccepting reality, artists of living, constructive living, coping with dyslexia, David K. Reynolds, managing strong emotions, managing strong feelingsLeave a Comment

Way back in 1984, before many of my readers were even born, David K. Reynolds published a short book. This 120-page gem goes by the title, Constructive Living: Outgrow Shyness, Depression, Fear, Stress, Grief, Chronic Pain. Achieve the Goal of Constructive Living—to Do Everything Well. The title is a bit of a mouthful, but it…