Steve Wilkins' Top Five Books

Recently a parent asked me for the "top five books" that she should read about dyslexia, our philosophies, and children who see the world differently. This was an interesting challenge, because there are so many excellent authors in the field of language-based learning difficulties. Nonetheless, the task was to identify five books, and they are:

1. Overcoming Dyslexia, Shaywitz and Shaywitz (2003)

2. Reading in the Brain, Dehaene (2009)

3. Proust and the Squid, Wolf (2007)

4. Driven to Distraction, Hallowell and Ratey (1995)

5. A Whole New Mind, Pink (2006)

1. Overcoming Dyslexia, Shaywitz and Shaywitz (2003)
This is the most comprehensive overview of the issue of language-based learning disabilities. It is the "must read" for anyone with a child struggling with reading, and it is the first training book that we use with new teachers to the field. Although I dislike the title (how about Embracing Dyslexia), it is a wonderful and readable compilation of the 2003 state of the art in our field.
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2. Reading in the Brain, Dehaene (2009)
As sort of a follow-up to Overcoming Dyslexia, this is the 2009 state of the art view of how our brains have learned to become reading machines. It is fairly heavy with research, but it is written for the general public. The chapters on dyslexia and the dreams for the future are particularly interesting.
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3. Proust and the Squid, Wolf (2007)
Maryanne Wolf has been a Carroll School heroine for years. She brings poetry and wonder to the science implicit in our pursuits of ways to help children learn to be good readers and good students. She sees the strengths within the dyslexic profile and points to historic figures who shine because of their learning differences.
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4. Driven to Distraction, Hallowell and Ratey (1995)
Moving away from the dyslexia component of our children, Driven to Distraction focuses on the attentional and executive function issues that so often accompany the language-based learning disabilities profile. This is the seminal work in the field of attention deficit in children (sort of the cousin of Overcoming Dyslexia). This, too, is a highly readable book intended to parents and beginning educators.
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5. A Whole New Mind, Pink (2006)
This is not a book about learning difficulties. Yet anyone who thinks about children with learning differences will read this popular book with an eye to the strengths within the dyslexic profile. Dan Pink offers the perspective that a different set of skills is going to define the next generation of leaders, thinkers, and creators. Our children may well possess the types of problem solving skills and different world view that are necessary for the future of our species.
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