This is Dyslexia By Kate Griggs Review

Reviewed by Liz Squires

To be an educator is a great honour and an immense responsibility, it is my job to ensure young minds are moulded to the best of their ability. Notice how I didn’t say to the best of my ability? It is my responsibility to nurture those young minds and help them to develop their own interests, personalities and knowledge. Moreover, it is my responsibility to recognise children who have barriers to learning and help them to break down those barriers.

One barrier in particular is Dyslexia. There are as many as 1 in 5 of the entire worlds population who are Dyslexic, I am proud to say, I am a person with Dyslexia. I struggle with my comprehension; it takes me a considerable amount longer to read something than my neurotypical counterparts. I am educated to Post Graduate level and I have had to find many coping strategies to help me bypass my learning barriers. Having Dyslexia puts me at a distinct advantage to many other teachers, because I can sympathise with the children. I can understand why they might struggle with a learning concept and I can share the strategies I used to help those children move forward.

“This is Dyslexia” by Kate Griggs is a Dyslexia friendly book that explains the neurological pathways of people with Dyslexia. It explores how their brains work differently to other people and how beneficial to society and business people with Dyslexia are and will continue to be. This book is on cream coloured paper with diagrams, pictures, charts and changeable text to help people like me read through it, retain it and recall the information within it.

This beautifully articulated book debunks the misconceptions of Dyslexia and helps the reader to better understand how people with Dyslexia think. Placing a positive spin on this unique “superpower”. I think the main charmer of this book is that it is written by someone who is clearly Dyslexic and has made this book accessible to everyone by writing it in a way that is understandable to a Dyslexic reader as well as someone who is not. After all ‘catering for Dyslexic people can only benefit everyone’.

The book is encouraging and informative and helps readers use techniques within the book to help them if they are Dyslexic or know someone who is Dyslexic, including parents. The book uses familiarity and short bursts of information aid the reading experience. It explains that there is a great need for people who have a unique thinking pattern within the workplace because of their problem-solving ability, creativity and innovative ways of thinking. We can see solutions and problems that other people cannot see. The list of Dyslexic inventors and entrepreneurs include; Thomas Edison – the inventor of the telephone, Steve Jobs inventor of the IPhone and the Wright brothers who invented the aeroplane.

Using heart-warming recognition and obvious determination, it is clear that there is a level of empowerment in this book that comes from a place of education and personal experience, Kate unquestionably wants to drive home the importance of recognising the diversity and creativity that Dyslexic people possess. There are a number of QR codes within the book that takes the reader to interviews with celebrities with Dyslexia and there’s resources at the back of the book, including for children, parents and training for teachers.

I highly recommend everyone read this book because one way or another it will be beneficial to you.

#madebydyslexia

Rating: 5/5

RRP: is £11.99

To purchase the book or for more information go to: https://www.madebydyslexia.org/