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WHAT WE CAN LEARN
FROM
DYSLEXIA
In This Issue:
One Successful Dyslexic's Inspirational Tale
Study Tip: The Power of Auditory Learning
Coach of the Month: Cassandra Chase
Quick Links

 
Academic Success Partner 
of the Month

This month we introduce you to another brand new Success Partner doing great work in our community, Hayden Lee. Hayden is a certified Academic Life Coach for teens and young adults in middle school, high school and college. As a former SAT tutor, he realized the core issue that lay at the heart of most students' academic struggles was lack of confidence and motivation. Hayden now uses a 10-session program to help students link a sense of purpose to their work, thus establishing systems to generate and sustain that crucial motivation and confidence. Hayden empowers students with the tools to make academic and personal success easier and less stressful by helping them to learn how their thoughts have a huge impact on their actions.

Hayden is also a TEDxTalk speaker for youth and a consultant for LA's Incubator School. He is a cum laude graduate from UC San Diego with degrees in Psychology, Theatre, and a minor in European Studies, spending his third year of college studying in Paris at the Sorbonne. "I like to focus 

on the 'why' of education", Hayden says, "which means

helping students identify their passions and 'why' they should put in the work and effort to achieve their goals. When they can readily answer their 'why', putting in the effort becomes a lot easier!"

Visit Hayden's website at www.haydenleealc.com , email him at hayden@haydenleealc.com, or call him at 310-575-9279.

Looking For A Student 
Community Service Opportunity?
Meet Rickey Smith, social entrepreneur and owner of the sustainable food business Urban Green. He's started a community education venture called the Urban Green Kids Row program, creating opportunities for kids from diverse backgrounds to participate in many activities related to food sustainability, from planting seeds  to learning about how organic food is grown and harvested. For more info on a terrific
community service and volunteering opportunity for kids, email Rickey, 

or call (800) 200 3320.

Check out Our  YouTube Video!
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Academic Success is very proud of the two-minute video we recently produced to give you a feel for who we are, our philosophy and the way we approach our work
How Academic Success Can Support You
At Academic Success we take great pride in finding the right coach to support the unique needs of each student we help.  Please check out the areas where we work on our  web site and let us know how we can support you.

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Looking for a College Counselor or Ed Therapist?
We work and partner with excellent Educational Therapists and College Counselors throughout the L.A. area.  Give us a call and we can recommend the right fit for your child.

310-823-4398
Are There Advantages
To Being "Disadvantaged"?
 
That question, especially in relation to Dyslexia, appears to be... Yes! 
For generations, people with dyslexia have had to struggle through their academic life and beyond without any light at the end of the tunnel. These people had what experts termed Dysfunctional Disadvantage and were frequently misdiagnosed as having learning deficiencies.
However, thanks to incredible research and the proliferation of hugely successful dyslexics willing to talk about their challenges, we are coming to a new understanding: Given suitable resources, dyslexics may in fact bring remarkable learning skills to the table that may be of great benefit to non-dyslexic learners.
One of those inspirational people is John Corcoran, a dyslexic who managed to graduate from high school and college and build a real estate empire- without knowing how to read! His latest book, Bridge To Literacy, is a rally cry to ensure no child has to overcome illiteracy on the path to success.
In this month's issue, we'll do our part in helping to transform old perceptions of dyslexia and those who live with it. We'll explore the fascinating ways in which dyslexics thrive. We'll also offer ideas by experts that could make life much easier for young dyslexic children entering our education system.
At Academic Success, we believe that every single child has something remarkable to contribute to our academic landscape and community.
 
Please call with any questions at (310) 823 4398 or

 

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All the best,

 

The Academic Success Team

 

"I had to train myself to focus my attention. I became very visual and learned how to create mental images in order to comprehend what I read."

                                                              -Tom Cruise

Education News 

One Successful Dyslexic's Inspirational Tale

 

As we learn more about how dyslexics function, educators are beginning to understand that particular learners need a more task-oriented curriculum in order to thrive. This inspirational piece, written by an internet millionaire who struggled in school, serves up shining examples of what he terms the "dysfunctionally advantaged".

  

Dyslexic Musicians May Hold The Key

 

One intriguing area of study into dyslexia is music. This fascinating article details research showing dyslexics may have an advantage in auditory comprehension (processing and understanding information one hears) over non-dyslexics. This may be hugely significant in how educators design curricula for the next generation of dyslexics in our schools. 

 
A Global Effort To Support Dyslexics

   

Next month, educational stakeholders from around the world will convene in San Diego for the International Dyslexia Assocation's Literacy Conference. On top of the agenda: gaining a greater understanding of dyslexia in order to give dyslexics the appropriate academic environment in which to thrive. This informative piece, featuring interviews with conference organizers, has a simple message: Dyslexics can succeed in school.

A Teacher-turned-Filmmaker's 
Call To Action
 
College and high school educator Kyle Redford was so passionate about the plight of dyslexics she made a movie on the subject. Her superbly written op-ed  in the Huffington Post offers some insightful and heartfelt advice to education officials that could transform the experience and academic achievement of students struggling with dyslexia.

Dyslexics Becoming Espionage Stars!

Yes, the headline is correct! One of the first great dyslexic intelligence officers was Alan Turing, a mathematician-turned- codebreaker who helped break a major Nazi code in the Second World War (and subject of an upcoming film starring Benedict Cumberbatch). This enlightening, feel-good piece from the dyslexic editor of the prestigious British newspaper The Independent shines a light on the amazing intellectual advantages dyslexics are bringing to the world of data analysis. 

Study Tips 

Becoming An Auditory Learner

Based on a mass of scientific studies and research, we now know that most dyslexics are Auditory Learners: those who process information far more effectively when hearing and studying it orally in discussion with peers and teachers. 
Yet there's a growing awareness that auditory learning may also be effective for non-dyslexics as well, when used in combination with more traditional reading-based study practice.
The good news is that thanks to the digital age, we now have a whole host of auditory learning strategies available to everyone. 
Making simple Power Point presentations  with voice narration (yours or someone else's) is a fantastic way to strengthen your knowledge of a subject (Rosetta Stone is a world-famous example of this). Students can enlist friends and family to help put it together. Used in repetition, it is a powerful yet effortless learning tool.
Voice recognition software like Dragon is another phenomenally effective way for auditory learners to write essays and process material. Students can make copious notes by simply exploring information verbally and having the software dictate it right onto the page. 
As mentioned, these strategies are incredibly effective, not just to dyslexics but for all learners. Information becomes powerful when our minds have the capacity to consistently process and, just as importantly, 
retain it.

Coach Profile 

 
Meet Cassandra Chase,
  Coach Profile of The Month  

This month we are delighted to present one of our newest coaches, Cassandra Chase. Born in nearby San Diego, Cassie attended California State University, graduating with honors and a BA in Visual and Performing Arts. Having enjoyed various artistic mediums since childhood, from musical instruments to theatre, Cassie then decided to relocate to Los Angeles to further pursue acting and comedy. Cassie also worked in banking during and after college and although she has since discovered a much more personally rewarding vocation in tutoring, she loves to translate the organizational and executive functioning skills she learnt during that time to her students. Cassie loves to help her students achieve a healthy balance between school and family life. She also utilizes her vast knowledge of communication skills learnt in acting school to make her coaching even more effective, fostering a sense of individual connection with each student in order to facilitate growth and instill effective study habits. In her spare time, Cassie loves attending comedy shows, traveling, and exploring Los Angeles.  She is positively thrilled to be a member of the Academic Success team. 

 :   
We consider it a privilege and an honor to support students and their families throughout the Los Angeles area.  Please call us at any time; we welcome your thoughts and input.  We are available at 310-823-4398.

Sincerely,
 
Jamie Altshule
Academic Success, Inc.