Doctor Dyslexia Dude Blog

For years, I played the game: Write the manuscript. Submit to the journal. Wait months for reviewers to decide if my ideas were “rigorous enough.” And when the paper finally got published — it disappeared.  Hidden behind a paywall that families, educators, and students could never access. That’s when it hit me:  👊 What’s the point of knowledge if the people who need it most can’t touch it? AI-generated illustration via ChatGPT, 2025. 🎓 The Academic Return: Prestige Without Reach Peer review has its place. It gives structure, credibility, and validation. But outside of the academy, the ROI is almost zero. You don’t get paid. You don’t get reach. You get another citation in a system that feeds itself. It’s a game that ends with tenure, not transformation. 🎨 The Real Return: Turning Research Into Stories So I made a different choice.  Instead of fighting for visibility in journals, I decided to  translate  my research into something  families could feel — g...

In the world of education, true impact isn’t always immediate—it often ripples through generations. The story of The Reading Center and the individuals it shaped offers a powerful example of how mentorship, innovation, and recognition form a circle that comes back around in the most meaningful way. A Legacy Begins In 1951,  The Reading Center was founded in Rochester, Minnesota by Paula Dozier Rome, who brought with her the groundbreaking insights of her uncle, Dr. Paul Dozier, and his colleague, Dr. Samuel Orton. Both were neuropsychiatrists with a deep commitment to helping individuals with reading difficulties. Together with master educator Anna Gillingham, they helped shape what is now known as the Orton-Gillingham approach—a structured, multi-sensory method that remains a cornerstone in dyslexia education. The Mentorship of Rome and Osman Paula Rome was soon joined by Jean Smith Osman in 1956. Together, they trained thousands of educators and helped over 10,000 students....

The stack of dictionaries on my desk—Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate, Intermediate, and Elementary editions—represents far more than just books.  They symbolize the power of language to transform lives. Each one, tailored for different stages of learning, has been a companion on my journey of growth and self-empowerment since 1996.  Dictionaries are not just for looking up words; they are tools of liberation.  They unlock access to knowledge, give us the power to articulate our thoughts, and allow us to understand the world.  Historically, literacy has been a form of resistance, a way for marginalized communities to claim their freedom and voice.  Even today, having the right words can be the difference between being silenced and being heard. For me, these books are reminders of the potential that comes with literacy.  Whether teaching pronunciation symbols to students or discovering the nuances of a word myself, I see these dictionaries as gateways to empower...

The Merriam-Webster dictionary is more than just a reference tool—it’s a powerful resource for teaching and learning, especially for students with diverse literacy needs.  Merriam-Webster Whether you follow a structured literacy or balanced literacy approach, incorporating dictionary skills can strengthen foundational reading and writing abilities. Here’s how How the Dictionary Supports Both Approaches Key Literacy Component Structured Literacy Balanced Literacy Phonics and Decoding Provides pronunciation symbols for explicit teaching of sound-letter relationships. Supports decoding of unfamiliar words during guided or independent reading. Syllable Division Reinforces systematic instruction in breaking words into syllables for decoding and spelling.  Helps students identify syllable patterns during shared or independent reading to improve fluency. Morphology Highlights prefixes, roots, and suffixes for explicit word structure instruction. Encourag...

The dictionary remains one of the most effective yet underutilized tools for literacy and language learning.  Image generated by OpenAI's DALL·E tool. Its evidence-based design supports essential skills like decoding, pronunciation, and vocabulary acquisition, aligning with proven literacy practices. Features such as pronunciation symbols, syllable breakdowns, and word origins empower learners to decode words independently and deepen their language understanding. High ROI with Low Impact The dictionary is a low-cost resource with significant benefits. It requires minimal infrastructure, making it an accessible tool for classrooms, libraries, and homes.  Students gain the skills to approach unfamiliar words confidently, reinforcing self-reliance and comprehension without the need for expensive programs or ongoing costs. Scaling Across Schools and Districts Scaling the use of dictionaries in literacy instruction is straightforward and impactful: Professional Development : Train ...

The dictionary may not be the flashiest tool in education, but it’s undeniably one of the most practical. Unlike packaged curriculums that cost thousands of dollars, the dictionary offers a simple and affordable way to teach literacy skills when used correctly. At the 2024 OK Adult Education & Literacy Conference, my session, "Crack the Code: Dictionary Pronunciation," focused on this very idea. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with participants praising how this straightforward method could teach students so much.  One attendee noted, “Such an easy idea that I've never heard of to teach a student so many things,” while another declared, “I’ll never look at a dictionary the same again.” What makes this approach so powerful is its simplicity. The dictionary provides everything needed to teach foundational skills like phonemic awareness and phonics, along with deeper concepts like word meaning, parts of speech, and morphology.  By focusing on pronunciation symb...