So how do you like it?
Why a new format?
Almost four years ago I decided to start a blog that would share information and inspiration to the supporters of dyslexic learners. Those supporters could be parents, teachers, specialist teachers, tutors and the list goes on.
The aim of each blog article was to in some way provide a benefit to that supporter as they read each article. The benefit could be in sharing information on what helps a dyslexic learner to be successful, or it could be an inspirational piece about someone who has got through education and has demonstrated success in some way. Some of the articles simply helped to clarify what different topics and terminology meant. As the time went on I added an events page and a resources page and more recently a page about suppliers of assistive technology which is something that I will always be passionate about.
A new way to access all the information.
I realised after a while that I had a tonne of information which was not easy to navigate through for the reader. The blog didn’t really have a well thought out 'design’ and as I found more information, it became more and more difficult to find information. The blog needed a simpler approach.
So now the blog will focus on three topics or categories and each blog article will be colour coded according to the icons below:
Mental Wellbeing
As someone who is a parenting and neurodiversity coach and is about to become a qualified therapeutic counsellor, I am very aware of how dyslexia affects one’s self-esteem and confidence. on my Parenting Dyslexia Facebook Group, I frequently see comments about this area of need for children and adults alike who live with dyslexia. If we can help a dyslexic learner to overcome some of the emotional challenges of having dyslexia then we are able to help them to be more motivated to engage with education so that the actual ‘dyslexia bit’ isn’t so much of a challenge to overcome. I believe that this is really important and so I will be writing many articles around this topic and I hope to have some guest writers too.
Education
This topic goes without saying, doesn’t it?
Many of the challenges that a dyslexic learner faces will be during their time in education.
I will be sharing content that I find which I believe could be useful but equally I will be drawing upon the expertise of trusted collaborators who are specialists in assessing and tutoring learners with dyslexia.
Guest blog articles are welcome, so please do get in touch if you would like to share some of your expertise in the service of dyslexic learners out there.
Tech For Studying
I could have written ‘Assistive Technology’, but the reality is that assistive technology helps users to study better and I believe that in the main most people, dyslexic or not, would benefit from using this technology. So rather than make it out to be some ‘special needs software’ lets just call it what it is, ‘Tech For Studying’, a piece of software is only useful if it meets the needs of the user and given that all dyslexic learners have differing sets of needs, there isn’t going to be a ‘silver bullet’ that address everyone’s challenges in one hit.
So it is my aim to showcase technology that can help with studying whether they are specialist technologies that have been specifically designed to support dyslexic learning or simply tech that just makes a difference that you may or may not have heard about. Some of the tech will cost money and some will be free. I hope that you will gain an objective view from myself and contributors that will help you to understand what to expect.
This Article Is Brought To You By…
You will notice that some of the articles will mention a sponsor. Bringing the Studying With Dyslexia Blog to you requires a lot of time and resources on my part. I am grateful to a number of companies who support dyslexic learners with their products who have agreed to support the blog by way of sponsorship.
To date those companies are St David’s College, Sonocent, Widgit Software, Oaka Books, Scanning Pens and SprintPlus.
Each sponsorship partner understands that the Studying With Dyslexia Blog is not going to share articles that are intent on giving you, the reader, a sales pitch. Each article is strictly adhering to the motto of sharing information and inspiration to you about supporting dyslexic learners. What is great about having sponsoring companies on board is that they have resources to share that can benefit you and they are glad to share them. You will never get a sales message on this blog, but you may get an invitation to get to know those companies better. It’s your choice. Just know that when you read an article there is always value for you whether you click through to a sponsor or not. This will always be the case and I am grateful that the sponsors who are working with me effectively give me the time to write more and more in support of you.
My thanks goes to Krishna Solanki who has worked tirelessly to get my website and brand designed and ready for you to use. Find out more about her here.