This article begins with an historical overview of the neurological aspects of dyslexia, which was originally seen as a member of the family of aphasias. That overview is followed by a brief review of familial and genetic factors in developmental dyslexia. The article then presents psycholinguistic models of dyslexia as they relate to the neurological concepts. Finally, the author reviews briefly the evolution of methods that have been successful in the remediation of dyslexia.
Dr. Maria Montessori was a perceptive observer of the learning processes of children, and nowhere is this revealed more clearly than in her approach to language. She viewed reading as the ultimate abstraction of language rather than a specific skill to be taught. Decoding is the skill to be taught. The concept of indirect and direct preparation for learning is of major importance in the rich heritage she gave us. She saw the existence of an epigenesis of intellectual functioning, which implies that the experiential roots of a given schema, or learned behavior, will lie in antecedent activities that may be quite different in structure from the schema to be learned. She used this principle effectively.
This article discusses how Montessori's method and materials address the indirect and direct preparation for learning written language~Maria Montessori was the first woman to receive a degree in medicine from the University of Rome. Since January 6, 1907, when the first Casa dei Bambini (Children's House) opened its doors in Rome, Montessori has had an enormous influence on the education of young children. Yet, she is rarely cited as the author and advocate of the ideas and practices characteristic of her teaching, many of which are now standard fixtures in early childhood education in America.
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