True to what its title might suggest, this book was dyslexia-friendly. Just what does “dyslexia-friendly” mean? It means that reading it was a breeze because it conveyed information in bulleted lists, featured eye-catching illustrations and showcased quotes by dyslexic students. As I am enrolled in the Orton-Gillington course, I borrowed this book with the lens of a curious teacher wanting to help his students with reading and writing. This book made me realise how myopic my lens was because I ought to focus on the fundamental problem many dyslexic people face - poor working memory. Also, while the OG course prides itself on adopting a multi-sensory approach, it doesn’t take into account other modes of learning such as finger spelling, touch typing and even drawing the shapes of words. This book was more exhaustive in detailing the various methods parents can use with their dyslexic children, so I think it’s reassuring for people who are not trained in phonics since there is still a buffet of options from which they can choose.

What I might suggest to improve its layout is to place the final chapter on boosting self-confidence as the first chapter. Because all these innovative methods would come to nought if we don’t address children’s inferiority complex. The concept of growth mindset has been rehashed to death in the educational scene these days, but this is something parents might not know. So explaining how students’ entrenched self-beliefs of stupidity leads to them having a fixed mindset should be the first thing concerned parents should be made aware of. Unclog their baggage, unlock their hearts, so to speak.

Nonetheless, this book changed the way I think about dyslexia. It also changed the way I teach in the classroom. I have since adopted writing on the whiteboard with different coloured markers. Like I hope to draw attention to salient points in bold red ink. I don’t know if my students will notice and remember my efforts but I dare say that my self-efficacy as an educator has been enhanced, which leads to more job satisfaction. Adopting its methods has also expanded my love of English, now that I realise the many pathways to mastering it.