The Gift of Dyslexia: Why Some of the Smartest People Can't Read...and How They Can Learn, Revised and Expanded Edition

Ron Davis explains both the difficulties faced by people living with dyslexia in a world and school system dominated by English readers and the special gifts that many of them have. Since reading this, I've spoken with several dyslexics who were entirely unaware of their gifts. Well, actually, they were unaware that the rest of us don't have such gifts. These include a musician who learns entire choral scores, including all of the individual parts, while learning the one assigned, several individuals with incredible 3 dimensional spatial understanding, and others who seem to be able to leap to big-picture understandings of concepts while the rest of us are struggling to cope with the details. One day I mentioned Ron Davis's notion of seeing the letter shapes from multiple dimensions to one of these individuals. It sounded crazy to me, but I learned that this person had figured out how to freeze his perspective while reading, as a high school student, without understanding why no teacher had ever suggested that approach. He had no idea that all of us don't see objects from multiple dimensions in just the way Ron Davis described. If a parent or teacher had been aware of this mental behavior 10 years earlier, he'd have been spared a great deal of struggle and self-doubt. Kids with dyslexia in our school systems often learn to see themselves as stupid because reading English is such a challenge. In the schools where I work, I often see kids being called stupid by their peers for this reason. Thanks to this book and a few others, I can make a reasonably persuasive case that they are not stupid at all. Many of them are clearly very intelligent and need help discovering the talents they have, and currently but wrongly assume everyone else also has. From this book and my other reading I've become convinced that dyslexia is not a handicap in the same sense as blindness, deafness, or physical challenges. It is just a different variation in brain circuitry. Humans live in groups. Any group benefits from a diverse array of talents and dyslexia provides a different mix of talents than the more common trait. In ancient communities, people with dyslexia probably were the groups' best leaders, musicians, inventors, and artists. In modern society a dis-proportionally large percentage of the top scientists, musicians, artists, entrepreneurs, and geniuses have dyslexia. Ron Davis's methods may not be the magic bullet that enables every person with dyslexia to learn to read. Overcoming Dyslexia by Sally Shaywitz and The Dyslexic Advantage by Brock & Fernette Eide share other strategies. But this book offers valuable insight into the special gifts that often coincide with this pattern of brain development and insight into at least one way these valuable people may see the world. That alone is good reason for it to be read and re-read by every person with dyslexia and every person who cares about them. Hopefully, there is an audio-book version of it for those who haven't yet beaten the reading challenge.

As a teacher, I suspected my 9 year old of being dyslexic when she was in 1st grade. I teach language learners and noticed my monolingual child was having some of the same language concerns that my students were. At any rate, once I finally got a formal diagnosis of dyslexia for her, I started looking for resources to help me to better help her. I LOVE this book! As someone who has dyslexia, Ron Davis' experience serves this book very well. Like most people, I've always thought if someone had dyslexia or another reading disorder it was going to make their life hard and they would always struggle. Ron Davis has definitely changed my view on that. He provides so many reasons for why dyslexia is a GIFT and not a disability. YES people who are dyslexic will have some learning trouble but it can be corrected and the child's intelligence can really shine through. If you are wondering if you have a child or other person in your life who may be dyslexic, this book is a tremendous resource. The activities included in the Davis Correction System will benefit anyone struggling with words and letters regardless of whether or not they have dyslexia. Well worth the money!

Mr. Davis writes about his personal experience of dyslexia, which is not the only way it manifests. However, many elements of the problem are common. The main thing that any person concerned about the problem can draw from this book is to begin to look at dyslexia as an advantage, not a disadvantage. A great many people of international fame in the fields of art and science had/have dyslexia, including Thomas Edison, Albert Einstein and Leonardo da Vinci. The altered perceptions inherent in the condition are the very things that allowed them to make the intellectual leaps that led to their amazing accomplishments. Mr. Davis' descriptions of how he perceives things is very helpful to us linear percievers. At the end of the book Mr. Davis carefully gives a very detailed description of how to help the person with dyslexia learn to control their perception so they can percieve in a linear manner, which is necessary for reading. This part of the book even gives lesson plans and dialogue for the "trainer". I believe we will soon identify a very close relationship between what we now call "dyslexia" and much of what is currently diagnosed as "autism spectrum".

Very clear and concise on what can be an emotional and confusing subject. Not only does the auther (who is dyslexic) explain the symptoms fo dyslexia but many of the reasons behind those symptoms and the compensating behaviors that dyslexics will adopt in order to "survive" in school. The book then finishes with a series of drills to allieviate some of the more troublesome aspects of dyslexia. Reading and writing are always going to be difficlt for our daughter, but with this book I have gained some insight into how she thinks and how she grapples with the chore that is reading and writing. Just understanding some of the compensating mechanisms that she has adopted to cope with her reading/writing issues has helped us to help her tremendously. Finally, the auther stresses to not suppress or "harm" the tremendous benefits that a dyslexic mind can bring to a host of problem-solving and creative endeavors. The list of dyslexic super-achievers is long and illustrious and it is stems in part from their unique way they view the world and problems. The author stresses that becoming functional in reading and writing is certrainly attainable while retaining the gifts of creativitiy and outside-the-box problem-solving that many dyslexics excell out. Well worth the money and a quick and easy read.

A fantastic book. Easy to read. Has fantastic passages that I read to our son so he realises it’s not a problem. Now to get my mother to read it as to her ‘dyslexia’ is a derogatory word and she wishes I didn’t use it in the same sentence as her daughter (me!!) and grandson.

As a teacher I was very happy to learn more about dyslexia and strategies to help my students!! I strongly recommend it

Before reading this book my life was full of frustration and limitations, but not any more. I will forever be thankful for Ron Davis and his amazing Davis methods. For giving me understanding, control and compassion for myself and others. I now understand my abilities and all the amazing GIFTS I naturally have and how I can use them. Thank you, A fellow dyslexic, Nadine Schumont

This book is truly amazing. I f you don't understand your dyslexic child, here is a start. They are unique people with brains that work in a way that never stops to amaze me....a gift, a must read ! Ce livre est extraordinaire, si vous avez du mal à comprendre le fonctionnement de votre enfant, commencez par ce livre. Il vous éclairera sur le fait que ce sont des individus uniques qui ne cesseront de vous impressionner...un vrai don!

Das Buch ist ganz interessant, die praktischen Übungen sind allerdings nur bedingt zum Nachmachen geeignet. Bei Dyslexie hilft weiterhin wohl nur üben, üben und üben...