The IDA Georgia Branch would like to thank all those who attended this year's Dimensions of Dyslexia Conference February 25, 2012. Special thanks to our keynote speakers, David Boulton, author of "Children of the Code" who spoke on "Mind Shame and the Health of Learning," and to Barbara A. Wilson, founder of the Wilson Training Program, whose afternoon keynote was entitled "Reading for All: How Multi-tiered Instruction Can Help Rescue Students with Dyslexia." IDA Georgia would also like to thank each of our fabulous breakout session presenters, our enthusiastic exhibitors, the gracious Cobb Galleria staff and our tireless volunteers. Congratulations to Willie Thomas who won the 2011 Outstanding Service Award and to Joan Gerken and Sharon Sand who were each awarded the 2011 Leadership in Literacy Award. Please be sure to mark your calendar for February 2013 (date TBA) for the 23rd Annual Dimensions of Dyslexia Conference.

Suwanee, GA

Gathering will begin at 6:00. Showing of film will begin at 6:30 sharp. The viewing will be followed by discussion with Patrick Whaley, an entrepreneur and recent graduate of Georgia Institute of Technology, psychologist Leslie Stuart, and family therapist Debra Foster McElhaney.

This event is free and open to the public. Click here for more information and to reserve your seat.

Decatur Library, Decatur, GA

Attendees may start checking in at 12:30. Program begins at 1:00 p.m. sharp. Presenters will demonstrate for the group features of products and programs. Attendees will then visit tables where they can watch additional demonstrations, ask questions, and experiment with the technology. Attendees are encouraged to share products and apps they have discovered are helpful to an individual with dyslexia. Attendees are welcome to bring personal devices.

This event is free and open to the public. Click here for more information and to let us know you will be coming. Your RSVP will assist us as we plan for this event.

The Howard School, Atlanta, GA

Viewing of I Can't Do This, But I Can Do That. Discussion with IDA-GA Board Panel following the film. Please click HERE to reserve your seat.

Crown Plaza Atlanta Perimeter at Ravinia, 9:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Just Words is a highly explicit, multisensory decoding and spelling program for students in grades 4–12 and adults who have mild to moderate gaps in their decoding and spelling proficiency but do not require intensive intervention. The Just Words curriculum provides a sophisticated study of word structure appropriate for students beyond the elementary grades. It provides direct and explicit teaching of “how English works” for both decoding and spelling automaticity.

For more information, click HERE.

To print out a registration form to mail in or fax, click HERE.

The Schenck School, Sandy Springs, GA



Did you experience many "aha" moments after taking your classes on the structure of the English language? Do you find yourself looking at words and sentences in a whole new way? Once you learned how LOGICAL our language really is, it became addictive, didn’t it? The most exciting part is that you know you now have the tools to teach ANYONE how to read and become a more logical speller, and how exciting it is to know you can turn on the light bulb for those students struggle the most!

Logophiles, let’s cast a SPELL together! Come join us for a festive evening with other multisensory structured language tutors/teachers. On this night, you can meet others who share your same passions. You'll get a chance to share – and receive – great tutoring tips while enjoying munchies, camaraderie, and games. Match your wits and your skills against young contestants in the national Spelling Bee for great prizes and great fun.

Click here for more information and to let us know if you can come.

We had over 700 runners/walkers in 2011. Click here to view the photos of this event taken by photographer Mike Nicholas. Be on the lookout for the 2012 Dash details.

Parents Educating Parents and Professionals, Inc. (PEPP) is a nonprofit organization that focuses on issues of education, disability, and/or youth, primarily in Douglas County. PEPP received a grant to fund the training of several tutors in the Wilson Reading System. The training will be provided by Ava White, a certified Wilson trainer, and all tutors will volunteer to work with a practicum student for free. To qualify for free tutoring, the person must be an economically disadvantaged resident of Douglas County between the ages of 14 and 24 in need of reading instruction. All interested people would have their eligibility verified by a PEPP Inc. case worker. The tutoring will occur at the PEPP offices, located at 8355 Cherokee Boulevard in Douglasville, Georgia. Scheduling would be determined on a case-by-case basis by the tutor and student. Please contact Lincoln Turner at

IDA-GA provides referrals to individuals who are seeking multi-sensory structured language (MSL) tutors for themselves or their child.

IDA-GA has recently received calls from teachers who have completed an intensive Wilson or Orton-Gillingham training course and are now seeking students for their practicum. These courses require the teachers to complete a supervised practicum in order to become certified. These teachers are willing to tutor children for a reduced fee while working on their practicum. If you are a parent of a child who has been diagnosed with dyslexia and you can commit to twice a week tutoring for at least as long as is needed for the tutor to complete his/her practicum, then contact IDA-GA for a referral: info@idaga.org or 404-256-1232. (Note: Phone messages are generally retrieved once a week, whereas email messages are retrieved within 24 hours.)

Email info@idaga.org or
call (404) 256-1232.

This year the IDA-GA Board of Directors has begun to use the term IDA-GA Action Group to refer to passionate individuals throughout the state of Georgia who want to be actively involved in enhancing and building upon IDA-GA’s current outreach activities. With the help of the IDA-GA Action Group volunteers, the Board of Directors believes IDA-GA will be able to do more and do it better than ever! Together we can demystify reading difficulties, spread knowledge, and encourage change.

Click here to download an IDA-GA Action Group Flyer

The Sword of Darrow is a middle grade fantasy novel that was co-authored by Hal Malchow and his son, Alex, beginning in 2002. At that time, Alex was just eight years old and struggling with undiagnosed learning differences. Although Alex couldn't read at all at the time, he and his father would discuss the characters and plot and his father would write the narrative. The end result nearly eight years later is a wildly entertaining novel with a powerful message that encourages the children who read it to be fearless, aspire for great things, and believe in themselves.

Alex's own struggle with dyslexia and his perseverance to learn to read and excel in school is something that can be an inspiration to both young people and their parents. It goes to show that with the right instruction and intervention, students with dyslexia can go on to succeed both in and out of the classroom. The Malchow family has faced the challenges we see and hear the families we deal with discuss every day. As a result, they have made an impressive commitment to our cause. The authors have generously agreed to contribute all royalties to IDA and the publisher is donating half of his profits to LD organizations as well.


On Tuesday, 6/28/2011, at 1 p.m., a book signing for The Sword of Darrow will be held at Barnes & Noble, The Avenue West Cobb, Marietta, GA, 30064. Hal Malchow will be at the event and look forward to meeting you.

The Sword of Darrow has been read and reviewed by more than 2000 children aged 7 to 17 all across the country. In describing this book, these children used words like "masterpiece," "classic" and a "work of art." More than half of these readers rated the book "completely awesome," and many said it was the best book that they had ever read. For more reviews and information on the book visit The Sword of Darrow Website.

We believe that this book can be an inspirational and effective tool for helping all struggling readers.

Sincerely,

GA Branch, International Dyslexia Association
www.idaga.org
info@idaga.org
404-256-1232