instruction, literacy & inclusion
Solving the Reading and Writing Problems caused by Dyslexia Summary: In this eye-opening article, Mike Matvy describes his 18-year struggle to learn to read and write. He shares how he solved his problems with sounding out and spelling words and teaches students with dyslexia to do the same. This article sheds light on the misinformation and institutional rigidity that keep students from taking advantage of life-changing technologies and talks about the digital wave that makes our classrooms and world more inclusive.
DYSLEXIA AND THE FUTURE OF READING AND WRITING In the near future, students’ problems with reading and writing will melt away, not because the nature of their dyslexia has changed, but because the environment will have changed. These changes are happening before our eyes. When we pop out our phone and dictate a text message instead of typing it, we’re writing by speaking. When we listen to an email or read an audible book instead of reading the print version, we’re reading by listening. Although students can learn to use this technology in a few hours, the traditional classroom environment clings to the idea that students with dyslexia can become fluent readers,
and expects everyone to use print the same way, the old fashioned way. These changes are going to revolutionize the way students with dyslexia read and write. In time, reading by listening and writing by speaking will gain widespread acceptance for anyone in the classroom who wants to use it. Then, we won’t even notice that some of our students use it almost all the time and are not disadvantaged by situations that require them to slowly sound out and spell words. They will not need special instruction for reading, writing, learning because they will read, write, and learn like everyone else. They will become part of a changed classroom, a classroom that will have removed
MIKE MATVY is a former School Psychologist, who helps parents, teachers, and schools empower students with dyslexia to excel academically. After 18 years of trying to learn to read like his peers and flunking out of college, Mike created an innovative strategy for reading and writing using technology. He quickly started reading at 300+ words per minute, went from making F’s in classes that require reading to making A’s, and became a School Psychologist. With over 25 years of experience, he is a recognized expert on reading by listening and writing by speaking. Mike has written for “Closing The Gap,” “Inland Empire Branch of the International Dyslexia Association,” and “Exceptional Parent Magazine.” He was written about in “ADVANCE for Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists,” Mike is a frequent presenter at confer- ences such as California State University, Northridge, Closing The Gap, International Dyslexia Association, Learning Disability Association, Tennessee Association for Assistive Technology, etc. Mike has sat on many professional boards and currently serves on the board of the International Dyslexia Association Tennessee Branch and the Knox County Dyslexia Advisory Council. He also became an app developer and created a one-of-a-kind app for read-aloud testing called Audio Exam, used by thousands of teachers and students. Mike can be reached by email at MikeMatvy@gmail.com or through his website, DyslexiaTech.com.
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February / March, 2023 | www.closingthegap.com/membership Closing The Gap © 2023 Closing The Gap, Inc. All rights reserved.
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