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.”
═════════►
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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