The First Edition was Great; This One is Even Better!
I first reviewed this powerhouse of information back in 2017. So why did I buy the 2023 Revised and Updated edition? Because A LOT has happened in dyslexia research in the past few years, and the Eide’s are in the thick of it. This book is, without doubt, one of the most important books on dyslexia in existence. The new edition is well worth the (very reasonable) price, even if the old one is on your shelf.
The Dyslexic Advantage (Revised and Updated): Unlocking the Hidden Potential of the Dyslexic Brain delivers top-quality information for parents and teachers of dyslexic students. The authors, Brock and Fernette Eide, are both M.D.s. They combine intellectual power with passion for their subject. They also authored The Mislabeled Child.
Dyslexia is a Sea of Strengths
I personally owe a great debt of gratitude to the Eide’s for this outstanding work. The research they gathered, and the masterful way in which they presented it, informed my own work as a dyslexia tutor. I used their ideas to develop techniques that I perfected with students. I then collected these into Dyslexia Tool Kit Expanded Edition: What to do when phonics isn’t enough. The Eide’s focused their research on an important, and overlooked, aspect of dyslexia — it is only a disability in a particular educational setting. Dyslexia presents a “sea of strengths” across a wide field of human endeavor. The Eide’s changed the perspective on dyslexia from “despite being dyslexic…” to “because I am dyslexic I can…”
Making Neuro-Science Readable
If you’ve ever wished you could really get a handle on how a dyslexic brain differs from an average brain, read chapter two! This book presents enough data to be clear and sweeps away just enough detail so the reader doesn’t get lost. I’ve studied hundreds — probably thousands — of books and research studies on dyslexia. I’ve never found a clearer explanation of the neural aspects of dyslexia. It’s so good, I’ve purchased numerous copies because I keep giving them away to other teachers.
Mind Strengths
The bulk of The Dyslexic Advantage centers on the strengths of mind that accompany dyslexic brain structure. The Eide’s used a clever mnemonic to make it easier to remember and teach to these strengths. The “MIND” strengths of dyslexia relate to reasoning: Material reasoning, Interconnected reasoning, Narrative reasoning, and Dynamic reasoning. The Eide’s unpack these, using plenty of real-life case studies that are delightful to read.
I applied the MIND strengths to my work with dyslexic students, with satisfying success. Everything works better when we teach to the gift, rather than focusing on the weakness. The Eide’s turned dyslexia education around and sent it in the right direction by changing the focus from disability accommodation to taking advantage of the gifts.
Avoiding Dyslexic Despair
Sadly, many dyslexia educators focus on how hard it is for dyslexic students to learn to read. I’ve seen students give up in despair after two or three years of phonics instruction with no significant increase in reading ability. These students are smart. They observe how easy reading is for others. They know the depths of their own struggle. If they are told to “try harder,” they may just quit.
Since most reading instruction depends on phonemic awareness, and lack of phonemic awareness is a signature trait of dyslexia, this is a huge problem! The Eide’s don’t ignore this. They offer a practical list of accommodations and methods. Chapter 32, Educating Dyslexic MINDS, is worth the price of the book all by itself. Chapter 33, Dyslexic Minds at Work, discusses how employers and workers can use dyslexic strengths to everyone’s advantage. I love that the Eide’s acknowledge how audiobooks and speech-to-text technology assist dyslexic learners. I’ve expanded on their research in my article on audiobooks used in tandem with printed books to enhance reading.
Give Dyslexic Students Wings to Soar
To avoid dyslexic pity and begin teaching to the power of the dyslexic mind, read The Dyslexic Advantage. The Eide’s occasionally tweet: @dyslexicadv. Their website and newsletter are a great way to keep up with the unfolding research in the field; find it at dyslexicadvantage.org. This is a much more reliable source than a publishing company trying to sell a curriculum! Thank you, Fernette and Brock Eide! Your work makes mine a joy as I watch students soar!
Reviewed by
Yvonna Graham, M.Ed.
DYSLEXIA TOOL KIT
www.dyslexiakit.net
@GrahamYvonna
yvonnagraham@gmail.com
youtube.com/@yvonnagraham