In my previous two blogs, “What is Preliteracy, and When Can Parents Begin to Build It,” and “Shared Reading and Parental Vocabulary as Preliteracy Tools,” I shared how recent scientific findings can be used to increase awareness of just how early a child’s brain begins to learn and how shared reading and parental vocabulary impact a young child’s ability to read later in life.
These articles were just a preview of two of the topics discussed in depth in my new nonfiction book for parents and educators called Raising a Child with Dyslexia: What Every Parent Needs to Know. I’m pleased to announce that the book is now available for purchase in softcover, hardcover, and as an eBook, and will soon be available as an audiobook.
Raising a Child with Dyslexia is a user-friendly guide providing detailed assistance to parents and educators who want to help children with dyslexia achieve their best lives. Keyed to current, cutting edge research, topics include signs of dyslexia parents can watch for at various ages, symptoms that warrant diagnosis by a professional, what to expect during the testing process, tips on working with your child’s school to create an optimal learning environment, creating a safe, encouraging space where children can learn to manage the emotional fallout of the dyslexic struggle, and how to help children with dyslexia develop vital personal qualities and coping strategies that will enable them to approach life with courage, determination, perseverance, and joy.
What early readers are saying about my new guidebook for parenting a dyslexic child:
A very accessible and in depth look at dyslexia. Perfect for parents who want to know what’s what and what steps to take. Highly recommended.
—Wishing Shelf
It is essential that we help dyslexic children understand their strengths and challenges in order to have a balanced view of themselves. A realistic understanding of what comes easy and what does not leads to resilience and perseverance in the face of adversity—among the most necessary of life’s skills. Parents have the unique and important responsibility and opportunity to not only help their children survive school, but ultimately thrive in life. With this book in hand, you will be empowered by the knowledge of how dyslexia impacts your child and how to raise a healthy human being with dyslexia.
—Dan Peters, PhD, Licensed Psychologist and author of Make Your Worrier a Warrior, From Worrier to Warrior, and The Warrior Workbook
A comprehensive yet nurturing, caring, and compassionate book about this condition. Don has done a superlative job reviewing the main concerns relevant to dyslexia. There are so many issues—social, behavioral, cognitive, reading, and coping, but Don tries to address all of these in a kind, caring fashion. An important and much-needed text.
—Michael F. Shaughnessy, PhD, Professor of Special Education Eastern New Mexico University
Raising a Child with Dyslexia: What Every Parent Needs to Know is a must-have book for every parent with a dyslexic child and every educator. The information provided can help all children, not just dyslexics to thrive and reach their full potential. The scientifically proven techniques described in this book can help struggling readers overcome their challenges so as to enrich the learning environment for all students.
Also not to be missed is the invaluable companion book by reading specialist Faith Borkowsky, Failing Students or Failing Schools? A Parent’s Guide to Reading Instruction and Intervention. Borkowsky’s book helps you understand the various causes of reading difficulties, explains why so many children struggle to read (not just those with dyslexia), and details what all parents need to know to help their child.
Your child or student may already be struggling, and you may observe that he or she is dealing with the emotions and stresses of that struggle. Perhaps you suspect dyslexia, or maybe your child has already been diagnosed with it. You might be scrambling to understand what options your child’s school offers and need a guidebook to help you understand the accommodations and the academic jargon schools use. Your child may have succumbed to substance abuse as a way of escaping from their dyslexia. Or perhaps you just want to be prepared to offer the best preliteracy and literacy support possible. Wherever you and your family are in your dyslexia experience, don’t miss Raising a Child With Dyslexia: What Every Parent Needs to Know, by Don M. Winn, and Failing Students or Failing Schools? A Parent’s Guide to Reading Instruction and Intervention, by reading specialist Faith Borkowsky.
Cardboard Box Adventures Picture Books are great for shared reading and can help parents establish a strong pre-literacy foundation for their children. Check out the new CBA Catalog for a full list of award-winning picture books, chapter books, and resources for parents and educators.
