Abigail Marshall
Abigail Marshall is the Webmaster and Information Services Director for Davis Dyslexia Association International, and has been with DDAI since its founding in 1995. She is the author of several books about dyslexia, including The Everything Parent’s Guide to Children with Dyslexia (2nd Edition), and When your child has …. dyslexia. She is also the co-author, with Ron Davis, of Autism and the Seeds of Change.
Articles on this site
Brain Scans Show Dyslexics Read Better with Alternative Strategies
Scientists studying the brain have found that dyslexic adults who become capable readers use different neural pathways than nondyslexics. This research shows that there are at least two independent systems for reading: one that is typical for the majority of […]
Davis Dyslexia Program: A Brief Explanation
The Basic Davis Methods: Ronald Davis theorizes that dyslexic individuals are picture thinkers who experience perceptual disorientations in the senses of time, vision, hearing, and/or balance and coordination. Davis® Mastery for Dyslexia provides a solution based on two key elements: A […]
Davis Program Average Reading Gains
Statistics from Rocky Point Academy Davis Facilitators Lawrence and Stacey Smith have assembled data showing reading level gains for more than 360 clients who completed the Davis Dyslexia Correction® program at their center, Rocky Point Academy, in Calgary, Canada.
Davis Reading Exercises: Spell Reading & Sweep-Sweep-Spell
Building Skills for Visual Word Recognition Davis Spell-Reading and Sweep-Sweep-Spell are important because they build a vital center for reading in the brain. Beginning readers often rely exclusively on phonetic decoding strategies for all words, a process usually centered in […]
South African Researchers Report Reading Success with Davis Methods
Researchers at University of the Free State in Bloemfontein, South Africa, compared the progress of 18 dyslexic students who were given instruction using Davis Dyslexia Correction techniques with a control group of students from the same school. Over a period of nine months, the Davis students performed significantly better on tests of word recognition skills and spelling.
The Evidence Base of Davis methods
The Davis Dyslexia Correction program was developed through extensive clinical research in the early 1980’s, under the direction of Ronald Davis and with participation and input of educators, psychologists, and neurologists. The program is now offered in multiple languages in […]
The Theory Behind Davis Dyslexia Correction Methods
Ron Davis, himself a severely dyslexic adult, figured out how to ‘correct’ his own dyslexia before he ever came up with any theories about how to help others. Until the age of 38, he had always accepted the official pronouncements of the experts who had diagnosed him as mentally retarded.
The Undiagnosed Teenager with Dyslexia
Often, very bright children are able to compensate for their dyslexia in the early school years, but cannot cope with the greater intellectual demands of secondary level schooling. Some common signs that your teenager may have dyslexia are: Your child […]
When Dyslexics Become Good Readers
What Brain Science Tells us About Dyslexia and the Reading Brain. Reading well requires reliance on different mental strengths.
When Phonics Doesn’t Work
Traditional tutoring for dyslexia relies on intensive instruction in phonemic awareness and the phonetic code. But such teaching is an arduous process for many students. Often progress is slow, relying heavily on repetition and “overlearning.” While basic decoding skills may […]
Articles in The Dyslexic Reader:
- A Dozen Frequently Asked Questions about Assessment (Issue 52)
- A Look at BrightStar Learning (Issue 39)
- ADHD? or Sleep Deprivation? Reference: Diagnosing the Wrong Deficit. (New York Times) (Issue 63)
- An Elegant Reply Proud to be dyslexic (Issue 66)
- Book Review: Picture It! Teaching Visual-Spatial Learners (by Betty Maxwell & Crystal Punch) (Issue 63)
- Book Review: Why Tyrannosaurus But Not If (Issue 75)
- Brain Function, Spell-Reading and Sweep-Sweep-Spell The importance of visual word form recognition (Issue 39)
- Brain Scans Show Dyslexics Read Better with Alternative Strategies (Issue 33)
- Building Self-Advocacy Skills Reprinted from The Everything Parent's Guide to Children with Dyslexia (Issue 37)
- Do the Davis Methods Address Spelling? (Issue 40)
- Dyslexia the Gift Blog now hosting The Codpast (Issue 68)
- Gehirnuntersuchungen zeigen: Legastheniker lesen besser mit alternativen Strategien German translation of article, Brain Scans Show Dyslexics Read Better with Alternative Strategies (Issue 34)
- Good Spelling Days and Bad Spelling Days (Issue 40)
- How is Davis different from tutoring? (Issue 71)
- Implications of Self-Regulation Abilities for Academic Achievement (Issue 47)
- Is your child a “nonresponder”? Research Summary (Issue 64)
- Learning to pay attention early leads to long-term academic success Research Summary (Issue 64)
- New Research Confirms that Dyslexics Read Better with Right Brain Strategies (Issue 75)
- New Research: Dyslexics have better picture-memory (Researchers puzzled by results) (Issue 64)
- New Research: Small Screen E-readers And Dyslexia E-Readers Are More Effective than Paper for Some with Dyslexia (Issue 66)
- Phonics vs. Whole Language Reprinted from The Everything Parent's Guide to Children with Dyslexia (Issue 38)
- Phonological Dyslexia? Not So Much…. New research casts doubt on role of phonological processing in dyslexia (Issue 69)
- Q&A: Dyslexic Imaginative Abilities (Issue 29)
- Q&A: Is dyslexia hereditary? (Issue 33)
- Q&A: No Pushing! (Signs of Dyslexia in Preschooler) Also: Hitting the Phonics Wall; Stealth Dyslexia; Rewiring the Brain; Practice, Practice, Practice? (The Arrowsmith program); What’s Real To A Child; Disoriented Driver; Book Buddy (Issue 63)
- Q&A: Orientation Counseling when unsure of dyslexia Also: Statistics concerning twice-exceptional (gifted and dyslexic) children (Issue 31)
- Q&A: Professional Training Assignments Also: Process for modeling abstract words; Hebrew trigger words; Decoding and part-to-whole learning (Issue 35)
- Q&A: Toddler Pronounces Words Backwards Also: Brain dominance; Help for kindergartner; (Issue 39)
- Q&A: Wait and See (Will children inherit dyslexia?) Also: Teaching that Fits How Each Child Learns; Diagnosing Dyslexia; (Issue 67)
- Q&A: What is hyperlexia (Issue 30)
- Q&A: ADHD and Dyslexia Also: Good at algebra, but struggles with basic math; Which clay; Low cost classroom implementation of Davis tools; Working alone; Location of Orientation Point (Issue 58)
- Q&A: Autism: a kind of ‘super dyslexia?’ Also: Globally Developmentally Delayed (Issue 48)
- Q&A: Can dyslexia be prevented? Also: Creation through Disorientation; Dyslexic brain wiring and learning; Davis methods in Schools; Optimum orientation for different activities; Building reading fluency (Issue 56)
- Q&A: Can Dyslexics Excel in School? (Issue 73)
- Q&A: Can Dyslexics Learn Foreign Languages? (Issue 73)
- Q&A: Can Symbol Mastery be done in two languages simultaneously? (Issue 74)
- Q&A: Computing how many ways a dyslexic can see a word Also: Davis Learning Strategies and kids on medication; Role of environment in developing dyslexia; (Issue 60)
- Q&A: Contraction Distraction (Issue 68)
- Q&A: Convinced that son is dyslexic despite negative test results Also: Post-Program Support; Who decides on program, parent or child (Issue 43)
- Q&A: Could it be dyslexia? (Issue 75)
- Q&A: Definitions of Dyslexia Also: Will I lose my "gift"? (Issue 37)
- Q&A: Do all dyslexics have unique gifts? (Issue 74)
- Q&A: Dyslexia and Math Also: Forgetfulness; Establishing Order; Davis compared with Learning Breakthrough program (Issue 52)
- Q&A: Dyslexia Font? (Issue 72)
- Q&A: Dyslexic “wanna-be” Also: Right-Brainer; Davis and Writing; Dyslexic Super Speller (Issue 44)
- Q&A: Education of Dyslexic Students (Issue 75)
- Q&A: Electronic versus Experiential Learning (Issue 71)
- Q&A: Focus and Alignment Also: Nonverbal Learning Disorder or Dyslexia?; Hand-on Science Teaching; IQ Improvement (Issue 66)
- Q&A: Fragile X Also: New Vocabulary Words; Dyseidetic Dyslexia (Issue 41)
- Q&A: Habla Dislexia – Dyslexia in one language only Also: Orientation in a Noisy Place; (Issue 65)
- Q&A: How many definitions? When doing Symbol Mastery for trigger words, do you have to do all of the definitions? (Issue 71)
- Q&A: Internet Resources for Reading Assessment Also: Colored lenses and dyslexia; Are all picture-thinkers dyslexic? (Issue 26)
- Q&A: Is Davis compatible with phonics programs? (Issue 74)
- Q&A: Learning disabilities and early childhood trauma Also: Dyssemia; Font choice; Dyslexia and a Military Career (Issue 40)
- Q&A: Let child discover own mistakes Also: Difficulty creating mental pictures; Disorientation sometimes valuable; Unsure if daughters are dyslexic (Issue 49)
- Q&A: Mathlexia Floating Numbers | Clay Words: 3D Modeling vs. Inscribing (Issue 69)
- Q&A: Medications & Dyslexia Also: Best time for summer dyslexia program; Trouble with little words; Davis program for adults; Post-program follow through (Issue 46)
- Q&A: Mental Pictures vs. Clay Model Also: Can a speed reader be dyslexic? - Old solution or natural strategy (Issue 42)
- Q&A: Mirrored Writing Also: Will my baby be dyslexic?, Pipe Cleaners vs. Clay; Dyslexia without Disability; (Issue 64)
- Q&A: Mixed Dominance? Also: Whether to continue with phonics; Order of introducing Davis tools; Developing awareness of disoriention (Issue 57)
- Q&A: More Time for Tests? (Issue 75)
- Q&A: Next Steps Orientation Counseling & Beyond | Early Signs of Dyslexia (Issue 70)
- Q&A: Outgrown or overcome? Also: Dyslexia statistics; A child who refuses to try the Davis program; Helping a sibling with ADHD (Issue 47)
- Q&A: Phoneme Awareness; Picture-at-Punctuation (Issue 27)
- Q&A: Phonics Instruction and the Davis program Also: Davis tools with younger children (age 4); Importance of trigger word modeling (Issue 32)
- Q&A: Phonics teaching after a Davis Program Also: Picture at Punctuation; Difficulty with Long Division; Davis Reading Program for Young Learners (Issue 55)
- Q&A: Phun with Clay vs. Fonix Also: Why dyslexics spell phonetically; Scientific validity of dyslexia diagnosis (Issue 51)
- Q&A: Research on Dyslexic Talents Also: Is dyslexia an old-fashioned term? (Issue 28)
- Q&A: Should a Student Be Able to Remember Symbol Mastery Models? (Issue 75)
- Q&A: Speech-to-Text for Spelling? Also: Schedulling Issues; Difficulty learning English; Specifics Improvement expected with Davis Program (Issue 61)
- Q&A: Swiveling Camera Eye Also: Disoriented Daydreamer; Backwards Out Come Sentences; Letters in the Wrong Order; Teaching English in Italy; Over-stimulated or Predisposed? (Issue 54)
- Q&A: Television and Visual Media Also: Unlisted trigger words; Helping a Sibling; Drawbacks of Flash Cards (Issue 45)
- Q&A: Thinking Nonverbally with Trigger Words Also: Orthography and Dyslexia; Verbal Mix-ups (Issue 53)
- Q&A: Trying to Super Glue the Mind’s Eye Also: Adapting to multiple approaches; Alternative paths to a Davis program (Issue 50)
- Q&A: What is Dyslexia Questions from a 6th Grade Student (Issue 72)
- Q&A: What Is Happening When My Son Reads? (Issue 73)
- Q&A: What is the Davis Reading Program for Young Learners? (Issue 73)
- Q&A: When child cannot move mind’s eye during assessment Also: Auditory processing; left-handedness; Dysnemkineidesia; special ed; planning home program (Issue 38)
- Q&A: Whole word learning Also: Reading skills addressed by Davis; Tools for Spelling; Taking Breaks; A new way to focus; No need to rush (Issue 59)
- Q&A: Working Memory Also: Alphabet Mastery; Davis Program in Spanish & English; Numbers or Words; Spelling Aloud vs. Spelling on Paper; Research on Orton-Gillingham or Wilson; Visual-Spatial Talents in a Preschooler; Preparing a Recipe Book (Issue 62)
- Questions Teacher Ask about Dyslexia and Davis Dyslexia Correction (Issue 54)
- Remembering Tim On the death of dyslexia researcher T.R. Miles (Issue 52)
- Schools that Teach Failure (Issue 6)
- Significant Implications for Davis Methods in New Dyslexia Research (Issue 35)
- Strategies for Spelling Reprinted from The Everything Parent's Guide to Children with Dyslexia (Issue 40)
- Study supports Davis Symbol Mastery A published case study of a 4th grade student (Issue 66)
- Symbol Mastery Q&A (Issue 27)
- The Dyslexic Brain Wired for Whole Brain Thinking (Issue 60)
- The Myth of Early Intervention (Issue 47)
- The Neural Signature of Creativity Brain Scan Explains Connection between Disorientation and the Creative Process (Issue 63)
- The Shifting Sands of Dyslexia Science (Issue 23)
- The Undiagnosed Teenager with Dyslexia (Issue 49)
- Three Parts to a Word – an Explanation from Brain Research Profililng research findings of Uta Frith (Issue 62)
- University of Arizona Study Shows Davis Symbol Mastery Effective for Foreign Language Learning (Issue 35)
- What Happens Next Exploring school accommodations after a Davis program (Issue 23)
- What would Dr. Orton Think Today? (Issue 36)
- Word meaning and processing speed Research Findings shed light on difficulty with small words (Issue 66)