Davis® Gift of Dyslexia Workshop
Understanding Dyslexia from the inside
And what to do about it.
Are you an educator or therapist facing the challenge of a student eager to learn but struggling with conventional methods? Perhaps you’re feeling helpless as those tried-and-tested techniques fail to resonate with that pupil.
Or are you a parent or grandparent navigating the complexities of dyslexia, seeking solutions amidst general recommendations and partial successes? Despite efforts from teachers and personal research, do genuine solutions seem elusive, leaving you feeling worried?
Or perhaps you’re considering a career change towards dyslexia empowerment, aiming to leave a lasting impact on the lives of struggling learners. Picture the future where your contributions lead to countless individuals leading successful lives, and recognize the significant difference you made.
If any of these are you, read on.
What is the Davis® Gift of Dyslexia Workshop?
The Davis Gift of Dyslexia Workshop takes you on a hands-on journey through the Davis methods for Dyslexia, as described in the book The Gift of Dyslexia.
Join us online to gain deep insights and practical skills. This workshop will help you understand the root causes and master effective strategies to support your loved ones with their reading difficulties.
"Dyslexia is not a complexity. It is a compound of simple factors, which can be dealth with step-by-step. At dyslexia's root is a natural ability, a talent. The gift of dyslexia is the gift of mastery"
Ronald D. Davis
The Davis Mastery for Dyslexia Programme was developed by Ronald Davis to overcome his own learning difficulties. Davis sees dyslexia as a talent. It is the ability to think multi-dimensionally, to shift or alter mental and physical perceptions. This explains why so many dyslexics are creative, offer unusual solutions to problems, are very intuitive or have vivid imaginations.
The Davis Mastery for Dyslexia Programme helps the individual to discover his innate gift, and to apply it to the learning difficulty. In this way, the blockages to effective learning are removed. Clients are shown how to clear up confusions regarding letters, numbers, words and language symbols and are aided in the process by the use of clay.
The Gift of Dyslexia Workshop is a comprehensive introduction to the Davis Dyslexia techniques for parents and/or professionals.
Here’s a chance to see the inside of a Davis Gift of Dyslexia workshop. Educator Subiratha Sivakumaran video-blogged her experiences as she attended her first Davis workshop at Malvern College in England. (December 2017)
What you will gain
By the end of the workshop, while not yet an expert, you’ll possess the understanding and tools to guide those you support through the Davis® Mastery for Dyslexia programme, enabling them to understand and overcome their reading challenges.
Insights, strategies and support
This intensive five-day workshop will enable you to:
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Learn about the extraordinary way the Davis methods were developed.
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Uncover the connection between gifts and challenges in Dyslexia.
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Gain understanding of the unique thinking and learning style of dyslexic individuals.
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Learn why traditional approaches often fall short or worsen the situation.
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Discover the speed and effectiveness of Davis methods compared to traditional approaches.
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Master techniques to harness natural talents and improve reading, comprehension, writing, spelling, motor coordination, and attention focus.
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Learn how to eliminate confusions and mistakes in recognizing basic language symbols.
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Understand why Davis methods swiftly restore self-esteem.
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Connect with a supportive community of individuals who, like you, once struggled with challenges alone but now find comfort and understanding among others sharing similar experiences.
The Gift of Dyslexia Workshop – Online, Fast-track Version
5 days beginning March 3rd
This group will be led by Richard Whitehead of Davis® UK & Ireland, Davis® facilitator and workshop presenter.
WHEN
The classes will run daily from 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Greenwich Mean Time (UTC+0) for 5 days. Starting Monday 3rd March to Friday 7th March, 2025
WHERE
The classes will take place online on zoom. Training is done with a combination of lectures, demonstrations, group practice, and question and answer sessions. Attendance is limited to ensure the highest quality of training. sessions.
WHAT
The Programme includes
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Focusing Tools including Orientation and coordination exercises
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Davis Symbol Mastery exercises. These involve the use of clay to model the alphabet, punctuation marks and the meaning of trigger words to clear up any confusion
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Davis Reading Exercises
WHO
Parents, Home educators, Teachers, SENCOs, Special Needs Support Staff, Tutors, Psychologists, Counsellors, Speech therapists, Occupational Therapists, Trainers, Researchers, Career Guidance Counsellors,
anyone interested in helping others correct their dyslexia.
Session Presenter
Richard Whitehead, Director, Davis Dyslexia Workshop Presenter and Supervisor,
Davis Learning Strategies Workshop Presenter,
Davis Autism Approach Workshop Presenter
Richard has been a Davis Mastery for Dyslexia Programme Facilitator since 2002. Having been a classroom teacher for several years, he originally discovered the Davis methods when looking for a solution for the son of some friends.
His extensive background in education includes time spent teaching in both the adult and mainstream secondary educational sectors. Richard has a keen interest in holistic approaches to health and learning; alongside his dyslexia work, he has run workshops on effective parent/child communication based on the work of Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish.
Richard has lectured and presented on the Davis learning methods in countries and cultures as diverse as the UK, Ireland, Iceland, Estonia, Poland, Portugal, Italy, New Zealand and the United States.
Richard's original university education was as a linguist, and he speaks several European languages. Alongside Richard's work with the Davis methods, he is also a Patoss-accredited Specialist Teacher Assessor, specialising in multilingual SpLD assessments for non-native speakers of English in the UK.
Richard is author of the book Why Tyrannosaurus But Not If ?, together with an accompanying free 'A Taste of Davis Discovery Series' fifteen-part e-mentoring course for teachers and parents of struggling learners, the six-week practical Davis Parent Power — Dyslexia course and a practical workshop for teachers. He has written articles on the dyslexic learning style for publications as diverse as Literacy Today, Green Parent Magazine and Personnel Today magazine and has recorded video presentations on dyslexia for the Dystalk project.
Richard is also a Davis Autism Approach Facilitator and Coach and a Davis Concepts for Life Workshop Presenter.
Face-To-Face, Online. We employ a host of creative innovations to ensure the same dynamic, convivial, hands-on experience that you would expect from any Davis methods workshop. Features of the online workshop experience include:
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"camera-on, mic-on"
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interactive instruction
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short video demonstrations of key procedures in a face-to-face setting
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animated walk-throughs of our main procedures
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adapted pairwork practice in "breakout rooms"
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content review and Q&A sessions to reinforce your learning as you go along
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in-session use of plasticine clay, so you can experience Davis Symbol Mastery hands-on.
We strongly recommend connecting to the sessions from a computer or large tablet. During the clay modelling sessions, a second device (such as a smartphone) will be needed so that the Presenter and fellow-participants can see your face and your clay models at the same time.
