The white board and the blue felt tip pen

The white board and the blue felt tip pen

I have spent the last 30 years of my life trying to understand why one of my students, a Math and Biology student in 1983, came from his math into my Biology lesson almost in tears.

Why was he so upset? Apparently because his Math teacher had just got a white board and was using a blue felt tip pen!

My response was to ask him why it mattered.  He told me that he had always had difficulty keeping up but this just tipped him over the edge, he was totally stressed out, ambitious the first in his family to have the opportunity to go to university, but he could see his opportunity slipping away.

We stopped the biology course and tried to work out what to do.

We were not supposed to even use the word ‘dyslexic’ in the school and actually I don’t think I had any idea what it might really mean. I do not know if my student would have been diagnosed dyslexic. If he had been, I doubt if he would have been given any relevant assistance.

I did have a boy in my class who was diagnosed as ‘Dyspraxic’, but that was a ‘medical condition’ nothing to do with his work in school, there was no assistance given to him, I don’t think he would have wanted it. I don’t think anyone would have known how to help him anyway.

When we started to discuss with the class, how he was finding it difficult with a blue pen on white, others got involved with their experiences. One guy had on his own been using orange transparent toffee papers to help him. His mother had found them in a drawer in his room at home when she was cleaning and thrown them out, telling him off for saving such stupid things.

For the first time we started to really discuss how easy or difficult each person found reading and writing.  The idea of using colour was experimented with and some basic experiments done with colour filters.

The only thing that mattered was that each student did everything they could to increase their chances of achieving their dreams.

So back to 2013.

 Across the UK, the USA, Australia indeed across the world there is a universal use of ‘colour’ to assist people who find reading ‘hard work’. Reading and writing on a white background is ‘normal’. We do not yet know why ‘not being white’ is easier for so many people. What is exciting to me as a biologist is that there is agreement amongst most people working in this field, that each person that ‘each person is different’.  To me this sounds like a genetic origin!  But genetics interacts with the environment, even more variation and confusion, so even more like real biology!

In April, in Oxford there will be a symposium attended by many of the leading researchers from across the world.  This is an opportunity for real discussion and analysis, hopefully a time for moving forward.

By moving forward, what really matters is that more understanding will lead to enabling more people to read more effectively; more strategies; more effective strategies.

I want to really understand why so many people who are leaders in the world of enabling dyslexic adults who I have worked with and have benefitted so much from my work, rarely talk about what has assisted them. I want to understand how what I did with them worked so well.

At the ‘coalface’ of Dyslexia Action, in the UK, coloured filters are sold for their ‘clients’ but nowhere on their website do they refer to the use of colour. Why?  

Perhaps I should just keep quiet and pretend that the emperor’s clothes are beautiful.

At a basic level, it is as if a hospital working with people with walking problems, do not talk about the benefits of using a walking stick or the use of crutches.

In the USA, the ‘International Dyslexia Association’ avoids even considering any visual aspect to the difficulties almost as if the ‘religion does not allow it’. There is a feeling that you can get excommunicated if you question the creed.  I am getting that ‘emperor’s clothes’ feeling again. Hans Christian Anderson was making an important point there. A great Dane!

So let’s get back to visual attention span again. If it is as important and as relevant as Valdois and others have demonstrated then anything which increases visual attention span will be very relevant and enabling to millions. I wonder if the creed will change.

Perhaps back in 1983, I should have just told him, not to be so stupid and stop making excuses.

Le tableau blanc et le bleu feutre

Le tableau blanc et le bleu feutre

J'ai passé les 30 dernières années de ma vie à essayer de comprendre pourquoi un de mes étudiants, un étudiant en biologie et en mathématiques en 1983, est venue de son maths dans ma leçon de biologie presque en larmes.

Pourquoi était-il si en colère? Apparemment parce que son professeur de mathématiques a juste obtenu un tableau blanc et bleu a été l'aide d'un stylo feutre!

Ma réponse a été de lui demander pourquoi il importait. Il m'a dit qu'il avait toujours eu du mal à suivre mais cela vient de lui pencher sur le bord, il a été complètement stressée, ambitieux le premier de sa famille à avoir la possibilité d'aller à l'université, mais il ne pouvait voir son opportunité échappe.

Nous nous sommes arrêtés au cours de biologie et essayé de travailler sur ce qu'il faut faire.

Nous n'étions pas censés même utiliser le mot «dyslexique» à l'école et en fait je ne pense pas que je n'avais aucune idée de ce que cela peut vouloir dire. Je ne sais pas si mon élève aurait été diagnostiqué dyslexique. S'il l'avait été, je doute qu'il aurait été donné toute assistance utile.

J'ai eu un garçon dans ma classe qui a été diagnostiqué comme «dyspraxiques», mais ce n'était rien d'un «état de santé» de faire son travail à l'école, il n'y avait aucune assistance donnée à lui, je ne pense pas qu'il aurait voulu elle. Je ne pense pas que quiconque aurait su comment l'aider de toute façon.

Lorsque nous avons commencé à discuter avec la classe, comment il a du mal avec un stylo bleu sur fond blanc, d'autres se sont impliqués avec leurs expériences. Un gars avait de lui-même eu recours à des documents d'orange caramel transparente pour l'aider. Sa mère les avait trouvés dans un tiroir de sa chambre à la maison quand elle faisait le ménage et les jeter, en lui disant hors de sauver ces choses stupides.

Pour la première fois nous avons commencé à discuter de la façon vraiment facile ou difficile chaque personne a trouvé la lecture et de l'écriture. L'idée d'utiliser la couleur a été expérimenté et quelques expériences de base fait avec des filtres de couleur.

La seule chose qui importait était que chaque élève a fait tout ce qu'ils pouvaient pour augmenter leurs chances de réaliser leurs rêves.

Mais revenons à 2013.

 Dans l'ensemble du Royaume-Uni, aux Etats-Unis, l'Australie fait partout dans le monde il ya une utilisation universelle de la «couleur» pour aider les personnes qui trouvent «travail acharné» de lecture. Lecture et écriture sur un fond blanc est «normal». Nous ne savons pas encore pourquoi «ne pas être blanc» est plus facile pour beaucoup de gens. Ce qui est passionnant pour moi en tant que biologiste, c'est qu'il ya accord entre la plupart des gens qui travaillent dans ce domaine, que chaque personne que «chaque personne est différente. Pour moi, cela ressemble à une origine génétique! Mais la génétique interagit avec l'environnement, la variation encore plus et de confusion, de façon encore plus comme la biologie réel!

En Avril, à Oxford, il y aura un colloque auquel ont participé de nombreux chercheurs de renom du monde entier. Il s'agit d'une occasion de discussion et d'analyse réelle, nous l'espérons un temps pour aller de l'avant.

En déplaçant vers l'avant, ce qui importe vraiment, c'est que plus de compréhension mènera à permettre plus de gens à lire plus efficacement des stratégies plus, des stratégies plus efficaces.

Je veux vraiment comprendre pourquoi tant de gens qui sont des leaders dans le monde des adultes dyslexiques qui permet avec qui j'ai travaillé et ont bénéficié tellement de mon travail, rarement parler de ce qui les a aidés. Je veux comprendre comment ce que j'ai fait avec eux si bien fonctionné.

Lors de la «front de taille» de Dyslexia Action, au Royaume-Uni, les filtres colorés sont vendus pour leurs «clients» mais nulle part sur leur site web font-ils référence à l'utilisation de la couleur. Pourquoi?

Peut-être que je devrais me taire et faire semblant que les vêtements de l'empereur sont belles.

Au niveau de base, c'est comme si un hôpital travaille avec des personnes ayant des problèmes de marche, ne pas parler des avantages de l'utilisation d'une canne ou l'utilisation de béquilles.

Aux Etats-Unis, le «International Dyslexia Association évite même en considérant tous les aspects visuels des difficultés presque comme si la« religion ne lui permet pas ». Il ya un sentiment que vous pouvez obtenir si vous excommunié en question la croyance. Je reçois ce sentiment »des vêtements de l'empereur» à nouveau. Hans Christian Anderson a été un point important là-bas. Un grand Danois!

Donc, revenons à la durée d'attention visuelle à nouveau. Si c'est aussi important et aussi pertinent que Valdois et d'autres ont démontré alors tout ce qui augmente la durée d'attention visuelle sera très pertinente et permettre à des millions. Je me demande si la croyance va changer.

Peut-être en 1983, je viens de le dire, de ne pas être si stupide et cesser de faire des excuses.

Il bordo bianco e l'azzurro pennarello

Il bordo bianco e l'azzurro pennarello

Ho passato gli ultimi 30 anni della mia vita a cercare di capire perché uno dei miei studenti, uno studente di matematica e biologia nel 1983, veniva dalla sua matematica nella mia lezione di biologia quasi in lacrime.

Perché era così arrabbiato? A quanto pare perché il suo insegnante di matematica aveva appena ricevuto un bordo bianco e stava usando un pennarello blu!

La mia risposta era quello di chiedergli perché fosse importante. Mi disse che aveva sempre avuto difficoltà a tenere il passo, ma questo solo lui mancia oltre il bordo, era totalmente stressato, ambizioso il primo della sua famiglia ad avere la possibilità di andare all'università, ma poteva vedere la sua opportunità scivolando via.

Ci siamo fermati al corso di biologia e ho cercato di capire cosa fare.

Non avrebbero dovuto usare anche la parola 'dislessico' nella scuola e in realtà non credo che ho avuto idea di cosa potrebbe realmente significare. Non so se il mio studente sarebbe stato diagnosticato dislessico. Se fosse stato, dubito che sarebbe stata data alcuna assistenza pertinente.

Ho avuto un ragazzo nella mia classe che è stato diagnosticato come 'disprassico', ma non era una 'condizione medica' a che fare con il suo lavoro a scuola, non c'era l'assistenza data a lui, non credo che avrebbe voluto esso. Io non credo che nessuno avrebbe saputo come aiutarlo comunque.

Quando abbiamo iniziato a discutere con la classe, come è stato trovando difficoltà con una penna blu su bianco, gli altri sono stati coinvolti con le loro esperienze. Un tizio aveva in proprio usato arancione carte mou trasparenti per aiutarlo. La madre li aveva trovati in un cassetto nella sua stanza a casa quando lei era la pulizia e buttato fuori, dicendogli off per il salvataggio cose così stupide.

Per la prima volta abbiamo iniziato a discutere veramente quanto sia facile o difficile, ogni persona pensa che leggere e scrivere. L'idea di utilizzare il colore è stato sperimentato e alcuni esperimenti di base fatto con filtri colorati.

L'unica cosa che importava era che ogni studente ha fatto tutto il possibile per aumentare le loro possibilità di raggiungere i propri sogni.

Ma torniamo al 2013.

 In tutto il Regno Unito, Stati Uniti, Australia infatti in tutto il mondo vi è un uso universale di 'colore' per aiutare le persone che trovano 'duro lavoro' lettura. Lettura e scrittura su uno sfondo bianco è 'normale'. Noi non sappiamo ancora perche 'non essere bianco' è più facile per tante persone. Che cosa è eccitante per me come un biologo è che vi sia un accordo tra la maggior parte delle persone che lavorano in questo settore, che ogni persona che 'ogni persona è diversa'. Per me questo suona come una origine genetica! Ma la genetica interagisce con l'ambiente, variazione ancora più confusione e, ancora di più come la biologia reale!

Nel mese di aprile, a Oxford ci sarà un simposio hanno partecipato molti dei principali ricercatori di tutto il mondo. Si tratta di un momento di confronto reale e l'analisi, si spera una volta per andare avanti.

Spostando in avanti, quello che conta è che più la comprensione porterà a permettere a più persone di leggere in modo più efficace, più strategie, strategie più efficaci.

Voglio capire davvero perché così tante persone che sono leader nel mondo di consentire adulti dislessici che ho lavorato con e hanno beneficiato così tanto dal mio lavoro, raramente parlare di ciò che li ha assistiti. Voglio capire come quello che ho fatto con loro ha funzionato così bene.

Al 'coalface' di Dyslexia Action, nel Regno Unito, filtri colorati sono venduti per i loro "clienti" ma da nessuna parte sul loro sito fanno riferimento al l'uso del colore. Perché?

Forse dovrei solo tacere e far finta che i vestiti dell'imperatore sono bellissime.

A livello di base, è come se un ospedale che lavora con persone con problemi di deambulazione, non parlare dei vantaggi derivanti dall'utilizzo di un bastone da passeggio o l'uso di stampelle.

Negli Stati Uniti, la 'International Dyslexia Association' evita anche tenendo conto di ogni aspetto visivo alle difficoltà quasi come se la 'religione non lasciarlo'. C'è una sensazione che si può ottenere se si mette in discussione scomunicato il credo. Ricevo che 'i vestiti dell'imperatore "sensazione di nuovo. Hans Christian Anderson stava facendo un punto importante lì. Un alano!

Quindi cerchiamo di tornare al livello di attenzione visiva di nuovo. Se è così importante e così rilevante come Valdois e altri hanno dimostrato quindi tutto ciò che aumenta la capacità di attenzione visiva sarà molto rilevante e che permette a milioni di persone. Mi chiedo se il credo cambierà.

Forse nel 1983, avrei dovuto appena detto, di non essere così stupido e smettere di fare scuse.

An effect on a student's eye movement management during reading of screen optimisation?

This is a short report on the effect of using an optimised computer screen on the reading performance of an FE student who has had major problems all the way through his education.

Can you spot what might have been the problem?

The first graph shows the student ‘s eye movements reading on a default computer screen.

To read the 83 words/493 characters his eyes had to stop 122 times. He was processing around 4 characters per fixation.

The second graph shows his eye movements when reading from an optimised computer screen.

To read 88 words/ 515 characters his eyes had to stop only 38 times. He was processing over 13 characters per fixation.

His eyes showed much greater symmetry of movement, not perfect, but we do not yet really know what is ‘perfect’.

His reading speed had gone from 178 words per minute to 447 words per minute.

We do not know for certain yet how this will affect his concentration, but his self confidence took a boost.

The question I ask is this.

Was his Phonological processing speed being controlled by the visual components of the task on the default background?

Or was the visual processing speed being controlled  by the phonological processing speed?

Optimum Settings
Red	Green	Blue
255	172	255

There was an improvement in  Oral Reading Fluency of 44%.  But the change in prosody, which cannot be quantified was absolutely immense.

There was no evidence of any focussing issues with his eyes.

I suppose this sort of anecdotal data can just be ignored. But what if robust psychophysical data is published?

第2轮。优化上一个诵读困难的学生的影响（阅读障碍专家）

第2轮。优化上一个诵读困难的学生的影响（阅读障碍专家）

这个学生最后发表的文章（实际上是阅读障碍专家）关注她的电脑屏幕上的优化。

很明显，，除了优化电脑屏幕，她的裸眼矫正视力/屈光问题。

这些可能是她需要大字体。任命是专业的验光师在工作遇到困难的人与文本。

的诊断证明，我们是正确的，在确定两只眼睛的散光问题。她的新眼镜纠正。另外一个三棱镜矫正已订明的两只眼睛。 A'光敏感性“是公认的一个”灰色“的色彩被放置在眼镜的建议。

眼镜（不带任何色彩），现在可以用了几个星期，连同她的覆盖和精确的电脑屏幕上设置。

接下来会发生什么呢？

我们会再次见面，并重新评估

她的最佳字体大小

她的最佳屏幕设置

她的视觉的注意力字符/每此验光配镜校正后，固定和眼球运动管理。

这种特殊的情况下，研究之后，将在这个博客。

如果你想确保你得到的'故事'的发展情况，以及其他类似的，相关的信息，那么请遵循的博客。 （顶说，加入这个博客的页面）

研究将报告以及对视觉的注意力，因为我们进入春天和夏天。

（道歉，我的许多美国读者重新“优化”在英国，我们使用的Z S而不是许多的话。语言很有趣！）

由彼得·艾恩斯00:29

Round 2. The effects of optimisation on a dyslexic student ( Dyslexia specialist)

Round 2. The effects of optimisation on a dyslexic student ( Dyslexia specialist)

The last post on this student (Dyslexia specialist actually) concerned the optimisation of her computer screen.

It was clear that in addition to optimising the computer screen that she had uncorrected but correctable visual/refractive issues. 

These may have been contributing to her need for a large font.  An appointment was made  with an optometrist who specialises in working with people experiencing difficulties with text.

A diagnosis shows that we were correct in identifying an astigmatism problem in both eyes. Her new glasses will correct for this. In addition a prism correction has been prescribed for both eyes. A ‘light sensitivity’ was recognised with the suggestion that a ‘grey’ tint be placed in the spectacles.

The glasses (without any tint) will now be used for a few weeks together with her overlays and precise computer screen settings.

What will happen next?

We will meet again and reassess

1. her optimal font size
2. Her optimal screen settings
3. Her visual attention span/ characters per fixation and eye movement management following this optometric correction.

This particular case study will be followed on this blog. 

If you want to make sure you get 'story' as it unfolds, and other similar, associated information then please sign up to follow the blog. ( top of the page where it says join this blog)

Research on Visual attention span will be reported here as well as we move into the spring and summer.

( apologies to my many American readers re.  'optimisation'... In the UK we use the S rather than the Z in many words..  Language is fun!)'

The real experience of the dyslexic student. Visual attention span?

I would not usually post the personal experience of a student I have worked with. But this blew me away.  The student sent me an unsolicited summary of his experience.  All I did was  to MEASURE the computer screen conditions needed to maximise his reading off a computer screen.

This was quite complex, not a question of ‘what do you like?’ or which do you prefer. It is a rigorous protocol.  The last two posts have had the details/ metrics of the response of his visual system to the use  of the identified settings.

Now this guy had been identified as dyslexic, with the implication that he had

• a working memory problem
• 
  
• A phonological processing problem

In any system, you need to identify if something is ‘a limiting factor’. If it is then changing it will increase or decrease performance. Changing anything else will either make it limiting, do   reduce performance or have no effect..

The evidence is amassing that for many people the Visual attention span can be the limiting factor on reading performance for many dyslexic people and many people not diagnosed as dyslexic.

For this sort of outcome the screen optimisation must have increased   the visual attention span of the person. 

The next step is to undertake an academic study to find out of this is so!  Watch this space.

James has given me permission to quote him.

 Enjoy the read.

……………………..                    ………………………………          

 HI Peter

Yesterday was fantastic, as soon as I got home I started modifying all my computers and equipment to use the new colours we found work best.


I also setup a program called F.Lux which is a program that changes the "colour temperature" of your screen based on the time of day.
Basically it reduces the brightness and I think saturation, which makes it far easier to continue working when in low light conditions and when tired.
If you're interested here is the link for f.lux:

http://stereopsis.com/flux/

When I combined both the RGB colour change and the screen "colour temperature" changes from f.lux i was able to work for 11 hours revising for my exam today.
I took breaks every 20 mins from reading, but I was able to recall information far easier, and unlike previously, none of the concepts in the material seemed beyond my comprehension.

I went into the exam today and answered 48/50 questions, and I didn’t even need the extra time allocated to me.
I think it’s safe to say the changes I made based upon the session we had work fantastically well, far better than I anticipated.

You can quote me, and the psychological consequences were evident before my exam. I was revising with friends taking it in turn to ask each other questions, and they were far more worried than I was, for once they were asking me the answer to things, when normally it is the other way round.

It’s going to take me a long time to go over things from last term using the new colours, but I think I can learn the things I didn't and use that to catch up.

James Parker   Huddersfield University

                       

large font use

The larger font used in the last post was that needed by the person the data was from. The most common size needed is 14.  At size 14 half of the potential readers will have difficulties .BUT they will assume that that is normal because they always have difficulties at default sizes.  They think it is a fault in them,


The same text at font   14

The larger font used in the last post was that needed by the person the data was from. The most common size needed is 14.  At size 14 half of the potential readers will have difficulties .BUT they will assume that that is normal because they always have difficulties at default sizes.  They think it is a fault in them.

The same text at font 20

The larger font used in the last post was that needed by the person the data was from. The most common size needed is 14.  At size 14 half of the potential readers will have difficulties .BUT they will assume that that is normal because they always have difficulties at default sizes.  They think it is a fault in them.

Crowding is reduced by increasing the font size and it can reduce the problems of  some uncorrected focussing problems.

Effects of text optimization on a dyslexic student

Initial analysis suggests the following.

Default  conditions

99 fixation   26.2 sec

83 words  ( MS word definition)

0.84 words per fixation   3.78 fixations per second  265 milliseconds per fixation

Optimum conditions

77 fixations    15 sec

88 words (MS word definition)

1.14 words per fixation   5.13 fixations per second    194 milliseconds per fixation

Change in words per fixation…   +34 %

Increase in speed of fixation  edge detection/ ‘decoding’  36%.

You can look at this data in terms of mean number of characters decoded per fixation ( Visual attention span)

Default

5 characters per fixation

Optimal

7  (6.68) characters per fixation

This suggests an increase in visual attention span of 36%.

Increase in speed of processing of individual characters..

Default   18.8 characters per second

Optimal  34.2 characters per second. An  82% increase in character recognition speed!

This should give rise to reduced demand on your central executive/working memory which should release RAM for thinking about the ideas AS you read.

Explicit Synthetic Phonics and Visual attention span

Explicit Synthetic Phonics and Visual attention span

The claims made for ESP (explicit synthetic phonics) that the use of this approach will give rise to a generation of better readers should have been evidenced by now.

The first children exposed to the approach in the UK, in Clackmannanshire have taken their level 4 examinations.  

• What were their results like? I was assuming that if the claims were valid that there should have been a step like improvement in the quality of the results.

Was there one?  I can find no reference to their outcomes.  If I had been involved in the research, it is where I would have gone straight away to validate my ideas….or refute them.

        If there was no gain........

        then the whole expensive ‘game’ may have been futile and very disruptive.

        If there was a positive step gain....... 

        then we should hear about it.  

I am very suspicious.

The main researcher is now a Professor and progressing well in her career. When I approached her on this topic, she told me that she had not looked and was not paid to do so!

 I would have looked whether I was paid or not!  Wouldn’t you?

I understand the primacy of the Phonological deficit ‘orthodoxy’ at present.  But the Valdois research really questions it’s ‘totality’.

The contribution of the visual attention span of a person to their reading speed, may well make all the difference in prosody and intonation in the ‘inner voice’.

    What really matters is...... 

•     The ability to modulate the reading speed to the task in hand, rather than just ‘barking at the text’.
•     Reduced demand on the central executive from the Visuo-spatial scratchpad.
•     Having sufficient working memory available to deal with the ideas within the text as it is read

These contribute to comprehension, the enjoyment of reading, ultimately the total amount of reading undertaken by an individual and the development of ‘automaticity’.

If the Visual Attention Span of an individual can be extended, then this should create a step change!