I am often asked by parents fo dyslexic kids, "what can we do help them?

Hi blog readers

Like all kids play is an important so let them play is my response, let them be creative if they are creative, let them be sporty if they are sporty. Explore your child's interests and encourage them in their exploration. But the most important thing to remember is let them play.

I think we have to remember that school can be a very stressful and difficult environment for dyslexic kids. School can be a place of purgatory for many dyslexic kids. It can negatively impact on their self confidence, self esteem and even their mental and physical health.

Here are a few tips for all parents of dyslexic kids:

Find activities that will enable your children to develop as a child and their self esteem and self confidence

Here is a tip for all those teachers out their with dyslexic kids in their classroom:

If children in your classroom are not learning from the way you teach then you must start to teach in the way the children can learn.



Anyway thanks for taking the time to read my blog.

PS......

Come and visit our Unique Dyslexic Facebook page and group page here:

https://www.facebook.com/stephen.mccue.5

and here:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Unique-Dyslexic-Get-Creative/1431413910440768

If you like what you see join us and give us a like.

Graduation day

 

Hi blog readers hope you are all well and that life is treating you well. My regular blog readers will know that I have been attending a totally free business incubator course for the last 20 weeks at Acorn Enterprise.

I have had to give up two days a week of work and income to go on the course and so its been tough financially for myself and my wife Anne. However, I have looked at this course as an investment for the future of Dyslexia Pathways CIC and Unique Dyslexic.

Well today is the last day of this course. I am happy to say that I have, or at least will be, graduating today and will be moving on from being an acorn to a sapling. One the one hand I am looking forward to graduating but on the other I am sad because I shall miss everyone of my fellow students on the course. I have learned and lot from them and enjoyed support from all of them also.

Have to say I have enjoyed the course immensely and learned a lot over about business and being a social entrepreneur over the last twenty weeks. Not only from all those running the course such as Kallum with a K, Dane and Trevor, all those business specialists who gave up their time to give us specialist seminars and to everyone else on the course with me. 

I would wholeheartedly endorse Acorn Enterprise and the work they do for small business owners, entrepreneurs and potential small business owners and entrepreneurs here in Fife. If you get the opportunity apply for one of their courses.

I will be posting photos from my graduation in a later blog.

One more thing before I sign off. Many thanks to my wife for working on my tax return this month she is a star. I have all the financial acumen of a dead badger and would really be struggling if it were not for her support with the financial side of Dyslexia Pathways CIC and Unique Dyslexic.

Many thanks for taking the time to read my blog everyone

PS: I will be launching the Unique Dyslexic crowd funding appeal in the next few days please keep a look out for this and share it with your contacts and in your blogs etc.

We will be actively seeking sponsors for Dyslexia Pathways CIC as well over the next few weeks so that we can develop new ideas and support even more dyslexics in the future.

Dyslexia Pathways CIC and Unique Dyslexic support and promote the social model of dyslexia.

Embracing Diversity and Celebrating Difference

 

LINKS OF INTEREST:

 http://www.uniquedyslexic.com/

http://www.dyslexiapathways.com/

https://twitter.com/SteveMcCue1

we need to grasp the nettle and make positive change for ourselves and all other dyslexics every where

Way way back in 2005 I did a little research on dyslexia and teachers and discovered that very few teachers told anyone about their own dyslexia. Many through concerns that being dyslexic would adversly affect career and job prospects. Many, if not all, believed dyslexia to be a disability that had no real positives attached to it.

As a result of this research I put together a funding bid for a new project, "Breaking the Barriers of Dyslexia". The basic premise of the project was to provide dyslexia screening, assessment, and training in dyslexia friendly work strategies for members of staff working at a college I was employed with at the time. I was lucky enough to secure £50,000 from the Learning and Skills Council for the 12 week project.   

With the funding I found a fantastic dyslexia specialist to co ordinate the project Elizabeth Gentlecore. My apologies if I have not spelled her name correctly. She was totally brilliant and the projects success owes a lot to her work. We managed to provide 200 or so screenings, provided 23 members of staff with a full dyslexia assessment. We also provided training to all with dyslexia friendly work strategies and supported those who wanted it. support with Access to Work applications. 

Around 2010 I was talking with a degree student who I have been providing dyslexia support over the last semester. A very bright student as well but struggling with his studies and his self confidence etc. He was expressing an interest in becoming a teacher but felt that it was not possible for him to become a teacher because of his dyslexia. He was expressing his concerns about telling any prospective employers about his dyslexia. That if he did it would adversly affect his job and career prospects. Have to say the last time I spoke with him her was doing his PHD. But it dismayed me to think he thought of dyslexia in such negative terms.

In November / December 2014 a did a little research of dyslexia again to get an idea on dyslexics thoughts on dyslexia and how they saw and felt about dyslexia. One think that came out of this research was a seed change in the way dyslexics themselves saw dyslexia. The vast majority said they felt being dyslexic was very positive. This was a great thing for me to see things, are a changing for the positive.

On the other hand most respondents felt that society still has very negative perceptions and ideas about dyslexia . So we still have a few battles to win before we make positive change for all dyslexics today and in the future.

There is far to much focus on dyslexia as a negative condition that adversly impacts on our abilities to succeed academically and in the work place. Lets face it what employer wants to take on a dyslexic who can't spell, has poor memory, a brain that does not work properly, who can't read well etc. This is what the average person in the street believes dyslexia to be. Very few mention any of the positives of dyslexia at all. So it is not suprising many dyslexics keep it a secret, including teachers.

This has to change and the only people who can effect this change is dyslexics them selves. We also have to challenge the negative stereotypical medical model of dyslexia that has very little positive to say to dyslexics and dyslexia. We have to focus of dyslexia as a difference that represents the diversity inherent within humanity. To do this we have to move away from the old medical model of dyslexia to a much more positive social model.

For every positive single article on dyslexia out there there and 20 or more negative ones.If we are ever to change people's attitudes and perceptions about dyslexia we need dyslexic teachers in classroom who are positive about being dyslexic and can act as role models and mentors to dyslexic children. We need to free dyslexic teachers from the shackles of the old medical model of dyslexia and enable them to mentor dyslexic kids in school which will enable dyslexic kids to succeed.

anyways ta for reading my blog

regards

Steve

Had a busy time of it the last few days

Hi blog readers hope you are all well.

First my condolences to all those killed and injured in Paris today. I cannot comprehend why the people who perpetrated this crime can justify trying to prove people out of existence.

A sad day indeed in my view.

Have been busy over the last few days. On Friday I had a seminar on non salesy sales at Acorn Enterprise. A blimmin good seminar it was too. Many thanks to Lyn from 3As Business Coaching for this.

Certainly made me look at sales in a new light. Only another 3 weeks to go before I graduate. Have to say its been a brilliant course. I have enjoyed working with everyone else on the course and the tutors and specialists tremendously. 

Here is a link to her web site:

http://3a-coaching.co.uk/

My idea of sales is a pushy used car salesman. Yes I know not all car salesman are pushy but that's what comes into my head. Its all about helping, serving and caring well in my business anyway. As a community interest company limited by guarantee we can earn our own income but must have social aims. Hence Unique Dyslexic which was all about meeting our social aims.

In about 10 days I will be launching our Unique Dyslexic Crowd funding appeal through VC Bloom. We are looking for £3000 to launch our range of merchandise in the form of tee shirts and hoodies that enables people to promote and advocate for a more positive social model of dyslexia. You never know it might be the start of a positive dyslexia social movement. I nearly have all the designs ready and will have them completed in a couple of weeks.

I just received confirmation of my application for funding from the Self Management Impact fund. Its for funding for my new dyslexia phone app. A bit of a long shot but hey if you don't ask you don't get lol. I should hear about this in February.

I completed two application for the Creative Change fund. One around dyslexia mentoring and creativity and the other for my dyslexia phone app idea. Again a long shot I think but we will see.

I have nearly completed work on the report for Unique Dyslexic Get Creative which I will be publishing soon. Before the end of this month I hope. Just one more paragraph to go and links to sections on our Unique website and social media. I will be sending it of to all my contacts and Nicola Strugeon as well. I will also be sending her my proposal for my dyslexia mentoring scheme.

Here is a link to a page from my Dyslexia Pathways CIC site with the dyslexia support services. We were the first dyslexia focussed social enterprise to be constituted in Scotland in 2009. I am a qualified dyslexic dyslexia and inclusion specialist with 19 years experience of working with dyslexia and dyslexic students. We promote dyslexia as a difference that reflects the diversity inherent within humanity

Finally I have been considering applying for a Diploma in Advanced Facilitation and Change Agent Skills. This will depend on costs and being accepted on the course should I apply for it.

The two years of study blend residential workshops, master classes with visiting experts, peer and on-line support, dedicated interactive learning platform and work based projects relevant to your role.

• learn powerful facilitation skills
• introduce change programs in a positive way even when they are controversial
• strongly promote a more diverse, inclusive and environmentally sustainable business culture
• become expert in facilitating the most challenging of workplace situations
• work to develop your own area of specialism during the course
• develop a deeper sense of personal presence

anyways

many thanks for taking the time to read my blog

Stay well out there

The start of a new year comes again

Good day to all blog readers out there. Hope you all enjoyed seeing in the new year last night. I had a very quite new year at my parent's in law with my good lady.

Just before the bells for the new year tolled my wife and I went out of the house and did a little first footing.

Here is a little bit about first footing:

"Only one nation in the world can celebrate the New Year or Hogmanay with such revelry and passion – the Scots! But what are the actual origins of Hogmanay, and why should a tall dark stranger be a welcome visitor after midnight?

It is believed that many of the traditional Hogmanay celebrations were originally brought to Scotland by the invading Vikings in the early 8th and 9th centuries.

These Norsemen, or men from an even more northerly latitude than Scotland, paid particular attention to the arrival of the Winter Solstice or the shortest day, and fully intended to celebrate its passing with some serious partying.

In Shetland, where the Viking influence remains strongest, New Year is still called Yules, deriving from the Scandinavian word for the midwinter festival of Yule.

It may surprise many people to note that Christmas was not celebrated as a festival and virtually banned in Scotland for around 400 years, from the end of the 17th century to the 1950s. The reason for this dates back to the years of Protestant Reformation, when the straight-laced Kirk proclaimed Christmas as a Popish or Catholic feast, and as such needed banning.

And so it was, right up until the 1950s that many Scots worked over Christmas and celebrated their winter solstice holiday at New Year when family and friends would gather for a party and to exchange presents which came to be known as hogmanays.

There are several traditions and superstitions that should be taken care of before midnight on the 31st December: these include cleaning the house and taking out the ashes from the fire, there is also the requirement to clear all your debts before "the bells" sound midnight, the underlying message being to clear out the remains of the old year, have a clean break and welcome in a young, New Year on a happy note.

Immediately after midnight it is traditional to sing Robert Burns' "Auld Lang Syne". Burns published his version of this popular little ditty in 1788, although the tune was in print over 80 years before this.

 

"Should auld acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot and auld lang syne
For auld lang syne, my dear, for auld lang syne,
We'll take a cup o kindness yet, for auld lang syne."

 

An integral part of the Hogmanay party, which is continued with equal enthusiasm today, is to welcome friends and strangers with warm hospitality and of course lots of enforced kissing for all.

"First footing" (or the "first foot" in the house after midnight) is still common across Scotland. To ensure good luck for the house the first foot should be a dark male, and he should bring with him symbolic pieces of coal, shortbread, salt, black bun and a wee dram of whisky.

The dark male bit is believed to be a throwback to the Viking days, when a big blonde stranger arriving on your door step with a big axe meant big trouble, and probably not a very happy New Year!

The firework displays and torchlight processions now enjoyed throughout many cities in Scotland are reminders of the ancient pagan parties from those Viking days of long ago.

 

The traditional New Year ceremony would involve people dressing up in the hides of cattle and running around the village whilst being hit by sticks. The festivities would also include the lighting of bonfires and tossing torches. Animal hide wrapped around sticks and ignited produced a smoke that was believed to be very effective in warding off evil spirits: this smoking stick was also known as a Hogmanay.

Many of these customs continue today, especially in the older communities of the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. On the Isle of Lewis, in the Outer Hebrides, the young men and boys form themselves into opposing bands; the leader of each wears a sheep skin, while another member carries a sack. The bands move through the village from house to house reciting a Gaelic rhyme. The boys are given bannocks (fruit buns) for their sack before moving on to the next house.


One of the most spectacular fire ceremonies takes place in Stonehaven, south of Aberdeen on the north east coast. Giant fireballs are swung around on long metal poles each requiring many men to carry them as they are paraded up and down the High Street. Again the origin is believed to be linked to the Winter Solstice with the swinging fireballs signifying the power of the sun, purifying the world by consuming evil spirits."

Today we will be having a traditional steak pie dinner with the family to celebrate new years day.

Anyway that's enough from me and this new years day blog.

 

thanks for taking the time to read my blog


regards


Steve