Right Start Reading

Does your child have dyslexia AND another learning difference?

As part of my advanced training as an Orton-Gillingham Fellow-in-Training, I am seeking one student with a complex literacy profile and cognitive testing to work with during my supervised practicum.

Students with dyslexia plus ADHD, dysgraphia, developmental language disorder, or other language-based learning challenges are especially appropriate.

The student must have had a psycho educational evaluation or some sort of cognitive and achievement testing.
If you know a family who may benefit, please send me a message or share this post.

Sarah
Right Start Reading

Automaticity is not the same as rate.

A student can read quickly without true automaticity—often by guessing, skipping, or relying on context instead of instantly recognizing words through stored orthographic patterns.

Automaticity develops when decoding becomes effortless. It’s the result of hundreds of accurate, connected experiences with print: blending, reading, writing, and revisiting familiar patterns until the brain no longer has to “think through” each word.

When automaticity builds, rate follows naturally.
We don’t teach fluency by asking students to read faster—we teach it by helping their brains recognize words automatically so cognitive energy can shift to comprehension and meaning.

This is the heart of fluent reading—and the bridge between accuracy and understanding.

🧠 Supported by research from Ehri (2014), Dehaene (2009), and LaBerge & Samuels (1974).

⏰ It’s time to reframe dyslexia.

✨ It’s not a flaw in intelligence—it’s a difference in wiring. When we only measure success by reading speed or spelling accuracy, we miss out on the creativity, logic, and perspective that dyslexic thinkers bring to the world!

🧠💪🧠💪

October is Dyslexia Awareness Month! 💙

Dyslexia affects millions of children and adults worldwide, yet it is often misunderstood. Dyslexia is a lifelong difference in how the brain processes written and spoken language—not a measure of intelligence.

When we raise awareness, we create classrooms, workplaces, and communities that celebrate strengths, offer the right supports, and help individuals with dyslexia thrive.

Together, we can replace stigma with understanding and empower every learner. 🌍💡

Children with dyslexia need a lot of rehearsal. Practice makes permanent.