Newsletter July 2025

Summer is here, holidays are here…we all wish you the very best fun time for relaxing and re-energising!

Lots of very exciting news on our front, but before that we have to share this photo of a local barred owl surveying a chicken coup … they hunt in the daylight ! Luckily with no success this time. We mentioned that Del Coburn is bound for Massey Hall at the University of Toronto… the dining hall and all the traditions are replicas of Oxford University… oak panelling, long tables, formal dining, cloaks to be worn… so owls and wands were discussed in length at the last Board Meeting… and Sue is looking forward to channelling her inner Professor McGonnagal for her talk!

For many years, Sue has had a connection with the Industry Trades Association. She gave a Pro D session to some of the staff and when the BC Govt gave them funding to encourage women to stay in the trades, they sent some apprentices to her who were struggling with their Red Seal exams.  She saw two electricians, a carpenter, a plumber and a cabinet maker… all of them took a program and she discovered they all totally knew their trade, and she felt it was the format of the exam that caused more disorientation than anything else. 

Michelle Anderlini was the main contact and only a few months ago she phoned Sue. She is now the Project Manager for the Coast Capital Road to Red Seal and Pathway to Apprenticeship Completion in the Trades. She has a team of Learning Strategists who work with the apprentices and it was so exciting to have the opportunity to deliver a Pro D to them in June. Knowing that Michelle resonates with the work that we do, and knowing that this is the start of a brand new connection is very encouraging for those in the trades! Hopefully one day they will change the ‘bubble’ format for the exam questions!!!

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The story of WHO KNEW continues… we thought you might like to see how we even attracted the funding.  We had to submit an application with a Pitch reel. I provided the words and Laura did a brilliant job of finding visuals and meshing the two together.  https://youtu.be/2rDexZI0hBc?si=IqXRZfiz8fcOLzX_.  Who indeed knew that it would culminate in this trailer going out to Film Festivals in Canada, the USA and the UK. Following Paddy and Nadine’s lead, Sharon Roberts, Maureen O’Sullivan and Colleen Malone are planning their private viewings in Ontario in October… which is Dyslexia Awareness month! Telus aim to release WHO KNEW on December 2 on TELUS TV, Channel 9, Stream+ and STORYHIVE's YouTube channel.

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Jamie Oliver’s documentary, The Dyslexia Revolution, is airing on BBC Channel 4 for those of you who can watch British TV. He is a very good campaigner, and it is obviously very well made… but without the answers we have… we anticipate the screening, testing and more of what cause the problem in the first place. We are doing our best to reach him and share our answers, but no luck just yet.

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Laura is continually researching opportunities for us to receive funding and the Donate a Car Canada opportunity has been on our website for a while. Last month she donated her truck that was no longer road-worthy. It was an seamless easy process and The WDS received $200.00 and she received a tax receipt. Donate a Car Canada will take a vehicle in a variety of conditions (even if it’s not running). They accept not only cars, but also trucks, boats, trailers, RV’s, motorcycles. Including your precious classics & collectors that has some value, they will auction the vehicle and donate the proceeds to your favourite charity. Visit our information page HERE or jump straight over to our donation page HERE. Or contact Laura at info@thewds.org.

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This month we are happy to announce that Emily Zwart (a previous student of Sharon Roberts)  is now our official WDS Public Relations Volunteer, and we could not be more grateful to her. She has a plan for us, she has media connections and has already sent out a newsjacking letter (which means we are riding on Jamie Oliver’s coat tails to attract attention). We look forward to becoming ‘Thought Leaders’.

Shelley Tice has been a volunteer for almost a year; she is the mother of one of Sue’s students. Those of you who came to the WHO KNEW Premiere will know she organised the fundraising Auction! She has been attending 100 Women Who Care meetings in Victoria.  She has been able to deliver her pitch twice, but no luck with the voting as yet. She has transferred to the North Saanich Branch and Sue joined her in June. It was extremely interesting to discover they have 219 Women Who Care so were able to deliver $21,900.00 to the successful bidder. More efforts will most definitely be going in that direction in September!

To read more about these wonderful volunteers visit our page HERE.

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Our Come to the Dyslexic Table: Chasing Ideal Education Live Chats which turn into podcasts, have resulted in a WDS resource webpage which gives a great description of home schooling/distributed learning/home learning/hybrid programs/ full time, part time, plus the best of public schools in other countries and private schools here in Canada, such as Montessori… we have listed what we consider would make an ideal education system… now we just have to get it implemented 😊.

Come to the Dyslexic Table Live Chat

We are on a short Summer Break

Join our newsletter to stay tuned for our next episode HERE.

Visit our new resource page Chasing Ideal Education HERE.

Visit our previous episodes and live chat schedule HERE.

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Grants: 

Sadly we were not successful with our bid to the Victoria Community Foundation for operational costs … never the easiest funding to procure, so please, if you know of a corporation that might sponsor us, or you bump into a wealthy philanthropist, let us know! We are applying to the Loyal Protestants for program sponsorship funds and we received this letter from the .ORG Impact Awards. We know its generic, but it felt so good to read it, we wanted you to feel good too!

Thank you for entering the 2025 .ORG Impact Awards!  
We are truly blown away by the incredible passion, dedication, and impact shown by changemakers like you. Your work is a powerful reminder of the heart and soul of the

.ORG Community; it lifts others up, drives change, and is truly making the world a better place.
 
From all of us at Public Interest Registry, thank you for the hope you bring and the lives you touch. It’s an honor to celebrate your efforts, and we’re so grateful to have

you as part of this inspiring, global community. 
 
  Finalists will be announced on Tuesday, August 12th

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Calendar:

July 14-18: Gift of Dyslexia Workshop - Online Pacific time. Read more HERE.

August 11-15: Gift of Dyslexia Workshop - tbc

October 8:  Sue has been invited to be a Keynote Speaker (her first Keynote!) at the Family Literacy Conference in Edmonton. 

October 23:  Sue and Julie will be at a Panel Discussion at the Child Care Resource & Referral Consultant – West Shore Sooke Family Resource Society 

November 27:  Sue is invited to deliver an Accessibility Bites Session for BC Campus on Adults who are Dyslexic… 12 noon to 12.30 so will have to talk fast!

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So while Laura and I work all through the summer, 🎻 we hope you enjoy your chilling, camping, travelling and regenerating… seriously, have a wonderful summer !

info@thewds.org

Newsletter June 2025

This month as our summer arrives, our news takes an international flavour… but first some exciting home news!

Huge congratulations go to our Board Director in Calgary, Del Coburn, who has been accepted for a Junior Fellowship at Massey College, University of Toronto! In his interview he spoke about how he would love to have Sue go to Massey to give a talk on inclusive education. He wondered if we had heard of CBC Massey lectures, or Massey Dialogues… now we have! This is another example of WHO KNOWs where we will be going, but it is definitely upward and onward. Thank you Del, we wish you the huge success for which you are destined !

AND … WHO KNEW Dyslexia is a Way of Thinking, the 30 minute short is now entered for these Film Festivals:

Victoria,
Vancouver,
Toronto,
Whistler,
Whitehorse,
St John’s,
New York,
Los Angeles,
Atlanta,
Sedona and
Edinburgh Scotland!

Our Director is now looking for a good fit in England.

This feels so surreal, and so exciting… indeed, who knew?!? To read more & support our Documentary visit our page HERE.

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Rachel Barwell (Davis Facilitator, New Zealand) was delighted to share the following poster presentation "At Play in the World of Dyslexia Education: Risking it All."  She created it for this year's Conference for Global Transformation, and it chronicles various developments around the world in dyslexia education spaces.  Thanks especially to Francisca Adagbon Cisca Ebony-Queen Adagbon for amazing video editing, and to Claire Ashmore without whose enduring partnership in dyslexia education - she couldn't have created this poster!

She hopes you enjoy watching it! You can follow Rachel for more at: https://www.facebook.com/MasterDyslexia

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In May, Sue was invited to take part in a Davis UK Webinar Series. Two speakers, Cathie Geraci (Davis Facilitator, Italy) and Tessa Halliwell (Davis Facilitator, UK) gave the most interesting insights into Autism: how to reach a non-verbal autist; how to view an autist and how they view a typical learner. As the rate of autism continues to rise, it is very likely we all know someone on the spectrum.. we will be posting the talks shortly!

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Some heartwarming news from Jan Stead (Davis Facilitator, Australia)

I just wanted to share a couple of photos I took of a gorgeous young 9 yr old boy I finished a program with today.  
He was so excited when I gave him his Gifted with Dyslexia pin and immediately put it on his soccer jersey and went home wearing it with pride, a huge grin across his face!!  You’ve made one young lad on the other side of the world very happy indeed!!! 

Fancy being up there with Manchester City !!!

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Lovely to see that our message is confirmed by Dr Maryanne Wolfe, UCLA !

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Home News

May 13 – Paddy Carson (Davis Facilitator, Alberta) hosted a successful private viewing of WHO KNEW Dyslexia is a Way of Thinking in Edmonton and on

May 24 – Nadine Schumont (Davis Facilitator, Ontario) also hosted WHO KNEW at her fabulous Spectrum Acres event near Stratford, Ontario.

Thank you to Paddy and Nadine for piloting our documentary expansion and your feedback.  We are now ready to extend the hosting invitation further afield.  We are still eagerly awaiting its general release…! If you are interested in hosting a private screening please contact Sue Blyth Hall at info@thewds.org.

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Come to the Dyslexic Table Live Chat

July 1st, 2025 - 4:30PM Pacific

Join us for a look into Chasing Ideal Education: Series 7 -

Episode #6 - Sharon Roberts will be looking at Montessori Education, very ably assisted by Julie Brewer, our very own Montessori Early Childhood Educator.

Join us! To RSVP visit our page HERE

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Summer Reading: 

Visual Thinking: The Hidden Gifts of People Who Think in Pictures, Patterns, and Abstractions by Temple Grandin

This could not be a better summary, found on Facebook:

1. There Are No "Bad" Thinkers—Just Different Kinds

I’d spent years apologizing for "I need to draw this to understand." Grandin’s research revealed: "Verbal thinkers aren’t superior—just louder." Now when colleagues ask for reports, I send infographics. Surprisingly, they prefer them.

2. Your Doodles Are Actually Deep Work

My notebooks were filled with arrows, flowcharts, and weird symbols that looked like chaos. Then I learned: "Spatial thinkers solve problems through sketching." That "doodle" during lectures? My brain’s way of crystallizing ideas.

3. Words Are a Second Language for Some of Us (especially love this one)

Struggling to explain my "mind movies" made me feel stupid until Grandin explained: "Visual thinkers often translate images into words in real-time—it’s exhausting." Now I prep for meetings by drawing first, then finding words later.

4. Traditional Education Fails Visual Brains

I nearly failed geometry until I started building models instead of memorizing formulas. Grandin’s insight: "Schools privilege verbal abstraction over spatial reasoning." My DIY clay mitochondria got an A+ in biology. Take that, standardized tests.

5. "Out of Sight, Out of Mind" Is Neurological

My cluttered desk wasn’t laziness—it was necessity. The book taught me: "For object visualizers, visibility equals accessibility." Now I use clear bins and wall-mounted organizers. My keys haven’t gone missing in months.

6. Visual Thinkers Are the World’s Unseen Problem-Solvers

From the mechanic who sees engine issues to the teacher who maps lesson plans, Grandin shows: "Pattern thinkers spot solutions linear minds miss." My "random" shower insights now get the respect they deserve.

7. Embrace Your Brain’s Native Language

Forcing myself to think verbally was like writing with my non-dominant hand. The liberation came when I:

Replaced to-do lists with color-coded mind maps

Explained complex ideas using napkin sketches

Stopped apologizing for "Let me show you" instead of telling

The Ripple Effect

This book didn’t just change how I work—it changed how I see myself. That "disorganized creative" label? Now I call it "spatial genius." The colleague who rolled her eyes at my storyboards? She now asks for them.

If You Think in Pictures:

Carry a sketchbook—not for art, for thinking

When stuck, ask: "What would this look like as an image?"

Remember: Da Vinci didn’t take notes—he drew revelations

"The world needs all kinds of minds to solve its problems—not just the ones that test well." — Temple Grandin

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It is also grant writing time.. please keep your fingers and toes crossed for our success… and send any millionaires our way.. please !!!

Enjoy this fabulous weather and the school holidays!

Sue

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Calendar:

June 25: Construction Foundation of BC: Coast Capital Road to Red Seal and Pathway to Completion of Apprenticeship in the Trades… Sue is presenting to the Learning Support Catalysts who work one-on-one with apprentices to support them in building confidence and developing strategies in areas like studying, note-taking, memory, exam preparation, and managing anxiety.

June 26: Sue is presenting to Pathfinder Youth Centre Society… sharing information about learning challenges to students preparing for employment.

July 14-18: Gift of Dyslexia Workshop - Online Pacific time. Read more HERE.

August 11-15: Gift of Dyslexia Workshop - tbc

October 8:  Sue has been invited to be a Keynote Speaker (her first Keynote!) at the Family Literacy Conference in Edmonton. 

October 23:  Sue and Julie will be at a Panel Discussion at the Child Care Resource & Referral Consultant – West Shore Sooke Family Resource Society 

November 27:  Sue is invited to deliver an Accessibility Bites Session for BC Campus on Adults who are Dyslexic… 12 noon to 12.30 so will have to talk fast!

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Have a wonderful month! Sue, Laura, Maureen, Julie, Paddy, Sharon, Nadine, Tristan, Del, Gisa

Visit our page HERE to order your pin today!

info@thewds.org