Reading is a portal to new worlds and new ideas, and there’s complex circuitry in the brain that allows us to access it. When any element of that circuit gets disrupted, the symptoms of dyslexia emerge, with implications far beyond the ability to enjoy a good story.
Author and entrepreneur Dr. Shawn Anthony Robinson describes to host Anita Rao how he learned to read at age 18 and how his struggles with literacy affected his mental health and sense of worth growing up. Shawn is the co-author of the graphic novel series, “Doctor Dyslexia Dude!,” which he and his wife wrote to show dyslexic Black boys their potential to do great things.
Anita also talks with Dr. Maryanne Wolf, a human development and psychology scholar and the Director of the Center for Dyslexia, Diverse Learners and Social Justice at UCLA, about how our brains actually learn to read and the interventions currently available to help dyslexic readers of all ages. She describes the concept of “deep reading,” which connects to our ability to think critically and have empathy, and why helping dyslexic learners access deep reading is important for the health of our communities.
A special thank you to Eso Romero for contributing her insights as a teacher of dyslexic students to this episode!
