Thursday, June 21, 2018

Ventura Co Library :: County Libraries Seek to Help Adults, Kids Struggling with Reading, Writing


County libraries seek to help adults, kids struggling with reading, writing
VC Reporter: 6.20.2018 by Alicia Doyle

Letters and words hold the code for almost everything in life — road signs for driving, aisle signs at the grocery store, price boards at the coffee house, pharmacy instructions for prescriptions, and emails and letters from loved ones.

“Almost every aspect of life is impacted by the need to decode and interpret print,” said Kelly Behle, director of the Simi Valley Public Library.

In its efforts to promote literacy, the Simi Valley Public Library is among others countywide that offer programs to help individuals, including those with dyslexia, a learning challenge that makes it difficult for a person to read quickly and automatically.

“Dyslexia does not impact intelligence or creativity,” said Behle of Camarillo.

Perhaps the biggest myth surrounding people with dyslexia is that they are less intelligent than someone who isn’t dealing with that challenge, Behle said.

“We don’t tend to think of hurdles such as poor eyesight or hearing loss as impacting intelligence, so it really is an additional burden for kids and adults who have to deal with dyslexia,” she noted.

And because reading is foundational for other learning, “the inability to read fluently, unfortunately, can have a devastatingly negative impact on school success.”

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What is dyslexia?
Dyslexia is a general term for neurological disorders that involve difficulty in learning to read, spell and pronounce words, letters and other symbols, said Carol Chapman, Program Manager for the Ventura County Library’s READ Adult Literacy Program.

These disorders do not affect general intelligence, emphasized Chapman, of Ventura.

“In fact, most people with dyslexia are very intelligent and talented,” she said. “Many successful and well-known actors, scientists, inventors and artists have dyslexia.  READ MORE >>

Simi Valley Library Literacy
Teri Smyres, Site Supervisor
Tues & Wed 4:30 - 7pm
(805) 256-5122

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