Right-Brained Dyslexia and Right-Brained Programs

"We are a left-brained school, with a lot of right-brained students, and Mira and Mark are here to bridge the gap".  That is the way a Headmaster started an in-service with his staff.

As parents, we did not realize our daughter was right-brained till almost 11th grade.  When we first saw a list of three common traits of right-brained learners -- we said, "that's her".

I realized that Dyslexia and Dyslexia Symptoms and Dyslexia Programs tend to focus on the left-brained learner, and my daughter has Right-Brained Dyslexia, Right-Brained Assessments and Right-Brained Programs.

The list that led me to believe my child was a right-brained learner includes:
  • Does your child remember places visited, even from years ago?
  • Does your child learn best when they see and experience information?
  • Can your child hyper-focus on that which interests them, but have difficulty paying attention to that which is boring or frustrating?

As an educator and right-brained learner myself, I could relate to her challenges.  What my research indicated was that:
  • The sight words caused her a great deal of problems with both comprehension and math word problems-- that is the words like what, why, if, but, however, etc.
  • Pattern recognition was a challenge with words -- she could know a song from the first few beats. She could remember incredible details from places she had been and movies she had seen, but on numerous occasions, she would not remember a word she had "learned" more than once.
  • She could hyper-focus on that which interested her but her attention span was very short for that which was boring or frustrating.

Given a right-brained program -- that focused on sight-word vocabulary, pattern recognition and holding her attention, our daughter's reading comprehension increased 4.2 grade levels in 7 months and she was on her way to both a Masters Degree from the University of Florida and becoming a Nationally Board Certified Teacher.

After working with over 1200 students, I know realize that there are at least seven factors that make a program work for many right-brained learners including:
  • Using hands-on teaching that engages their interest and with techniques they can master
  • Sight word vocabulary
  • Pattern recognition
  • Identification and addressing tracking issues that impact almost 3 out of 4 right-brained learners I have had
  • Identifying and addressing attention issues that impact many right-brained learners -- too often parents shy away from the ADHD label -- because ADHD Medications have side effects and have now been shown to have little long term benefits. The good news is there are now natural and effective ways to address ADHD with Diet, Structure, the Interactive Metronome (R), Brain Gym (R), Biofeedback, exercise, etc.
  • Empowering the student to be the self-advocate they need to be
  • Involving the parents and teachers with an integrated effort that focuses on goals, structure, flexibility, support and positive and effective communications.

If you suspect your child is a right-brained learner, we strongly suggest you consider a right-brained assessment, right-brained programs and working with professionals who specialize in right-brained learners and work with both your child and you.

Mira Halpert, M.Ed., is a parent and professional who is also a right-brained learner herself.  With her husband Mark, Mira is working to create a Parent Revolution for Our Right-Brained Learners, to help them to be all they can be.

For more information go to Parents Make The Difference and call Mira and Mark at 561-361-7495