Product reviews for The Little Book of Dyslexia

I read the foreword by Ian Gilbert. I have read books and reports by him and have been lucky enough to hear him speak. I thought he captured the political will at the moment well in his forward.

When I continued to read what Joe had gone through in his education to get to this point, it showed me how hard he had had to work in all areas of his life to be able to write this book at all. It gave me a real sense of what someone with dyslexia struggles with everyday just to function, let alone work in an area like education which is not really dyslexia friendly either for pupil or teacher.

Highlighting his differing needs at different ages was very interesting as it showed me how they change at different levels of formal education. It was salutary to understand that he had a huge amount of support from his parents from a very young age. Not all children have parents who are this aware or supportive. The emphasis on using up physical energy and enjoying activities that practice many types of motor skills was interesting. I recently recommended this book to a friend who has a dyslexic six year old , as a guide of what to expect at different stages in education. The practical tips at the end of each chapter were very useful. Some were obvious( a reminder of the obvious is always good) and others were enlightening .

I have had practical experience of using dragon and can vouch that it is a powerful tool in the arsenal of a teacher working with dyslexic children.

The use of technology and how Joe has embraced it to help him organise and work through his day was great to read. Many young people have access to this type of technology so using it to help them with their dyslexia seems natural. It is something that will evolve as IT evolves.

I felt very sad reading this book as it is an ideal of how pupils with dyslexia could and should be treated in education.