SO WHO EXACTLY IS A GOOD WRITER?...HERE IS AN OPINION BY ALEXKELLYOC

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Good writer definition

I have been accused many times for not being a huge fan of books. I
won’t lie that I really don’t read much. Especially when I was younger,
the teachers would give me a list of books I gotta read during the
summer and since it was summer, who would bother reading?

I’ve always found the school books that were required to be boring.
Except maybe for the Greek myths and legends I had to read when I was in
5th grade. I preferred reading comics to be honest-I like the colored
heroes that had dialogues, usually about what friendship was. I was
never into manga stuff (although, a good friend of mine made me read
some stuff and were not bad at all).

Now things have changed in someway. Of course, I would still not read
completely the books required for school and when I’d forget about it
after the exam on it and in the most positive case, I’d remember the
basic of it. I don’t like reading fiction, nor documentary based
material. I like  authors like Maxim Matkin and Chad Kultgen. Those two
have made me re-read their books so many times and I consider them good
writers since they both made me read their stuff more than one time, but
also because of the way they write. It’s true that both authors write
about sex in both reality and fiction but even when fiction, it’s like i
can almost experience it you know. I bet all of you have such authors
that have that influence on you.

For me, it’s the way those 2 write their stuff. Simple, yet
complicated, real but also with fiction elements. Brutal honest but
needed. They words they choose, especially Kultgen-I like how he’s not
afraid to use sentences like “And he popped her cherry and made her cry”
(taken from “Men, Women & Children” book written by him). I like
how real it sounds despite for some of you it may be gross but there’re
different types of genres for each taste. Some of you prefer those soap
opera based books, others like reading fiction, thirds enjoy reading
about cowboys and so on..

But despite the so many existing genres, I believe that a good writer
has to be able to capture the reader’s attention that much so when the
reader is forced to leave the book for some time, to hurry back and see
how’s the whole situation going to end. He should be careful with his
words, he should be honest more or less (according to the genre) and
should think about what the people would like to read, because let’s be
honest, many people happen to buy books because they’re fooled by the
cover.

I also happen to think that a true writer can also be a blogger. Like
Maxim Matkin (it’s a pseudonym) started like that and as far as I know,
he’s still publishing and when he writes another book, I will buy it no
matter where I would be. He writes about his life, sex, family,
problems, love and everything in between and it’s very much a cycle from
which you cannot escape but each time there’s something new happening
and makes you want to read more and more

I love it when I come across writers on here that really do have the
potential of turning big. My advice would be-keep writing even if this
ends up just as a hobby of yours and who knows, one day your fame will
be earned

BY ALEXKELLYOC

ADDITIONAL WORKING NOTES FOR NIGERIAN SECONDARY SCHOOLS ON DYSLEXIA (PART 4)

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CONTINUED FROM PART 3

DYSLEXIA (READING & WRITING PROBLEMS)
Dyslexia is a condition or learning disability which causes difficulty with reading and writing. Its standard definition is a difficulty in reading and writing in spite of normal development of intelligence, cognitive and sensory abilities. Dyslexia is not limited to reversing the order of letters in reading or writing. Nor is it a visual perception deficit that involves reading letters or words backwards or upside down, as is often implied in popular culture.


 Researchers have claimed that it is a brain-based condition with biochemical and genetic markers. Current scientific theories focus on the hypothesis that dyslexia stems from a deficit in phonological awareness. This hypothesis suggests that affected individuals have difficulty analyzing the words they hear into discrete segments (such as phonemes), which in turn leads to difficulty learning spelling-sound correspondences.
Others have questioned whether dyslexia is no more than a mythological construct and argue that researchers that rely on the concept fail to recognize neurodiversity. Its diagnostic status remains highly debated in both medicine and the social sciences.

Characteristics of Dyslexia


Dyslexia’s main manifestation is a difficulty in developing reading skills in elementary school children. Those difficulties result from reduced ability to associate visual symbols with verbal sounds. While motivational factors must also be reviewed in assessing poor performance, dyslexia is considered to be present from birth. Most scientific criteria for dyslexia exclude cases that can be explained as arising from environmental factors such as lack of education or sensory deficits.
Children with dyslexia usually appear bright, intelligent, and articulate but are unable to read, write, or spell at an age-appropriate level. They will generally have average or above average intelligence, yet may have poor academic achievement. They may have good oral language abilities but will perform much more poorly on similar written-language tests. They might be labeled lazy, dumb, careless, immature, “not trying hard enough,” or as having a “behavior problem.”
Because dyslexia primarily affects reading while sparing other intellectual abilities, affected individuals might be categorized as not “behind enough” or “bad enough” to receive additional help in a school setting.
Children may try to hide their reading weaknesses with ingenious compensatory “strategies”, and might learn best through hands-on experience, demonstrations, experimentation, observation, and visual aids. They can show talents in other areas such as art, drama, music, sports, mechanics, story-telling, sales, business, designing, building, or engineering.
Have related problems with inattention in a school setting; for instance they might seem to “zone out” or daydream often; get lost easily or lose track of time; and have difficulty sustaining attention. Although they are different conditions, dyslexia co-occurs with attention deficit disorders (ADD or ADHD) at a rate of 30-50%.

Treatment of Dyslexia

Dyslexia can be substantially compensated for with proper therapy, training, and equipment. Only traditional educational remedial techniques have any record of improving the reading ability of those identified with dyslexia. Remedial efforts focusing on phonological awareness training (often involving breaking words into their basic sounds and rearranging these sounds to produce different words) can improve reading skills. The earlier the phonological regimen is taken on, the better the overall result. There is evidence that colored lenses, any visual training, or similar proposed treatments may be of use. It will depend on the phonological and visual components of the particular patient’s problem.
Causes of Dyslexia

Researchers studying the brains of dyslexics have found that during reading tasks, dyslexics show reduced activity in the left inferior parietal cortex. In 1979, anatomical differences in the brain of a young dyslexic were documented. Albert Galaburda of Harvard Medical School noticed that the language center in a dyslexic brain showed microscopic flaws known as ectopias and microgyria. Another study regarding genetic regions on chromosomes 1 and 6 have been found that might be linked to dyslexia. Dyslexia is likely to be a conglomeration of conditions that all affect similar and associated areas of the cortex.

 from www.autism-help.org

LIVING WITH A LEARNING DISABILITY

Six –year-old David’s favorite part of the day is story time. He loves it when Mom reads to him, and he has no trouble remembering what he hears. But David has a problem. He cannot read for himself. In fact, any task that requires visual skill frustrates him.

Sarah is in her third year of school, yet her writing is unusually sloppy. Her letters are poorly formed, and some of them are written backward. Adding to her parents concern is the fact that Sarah has trouble with writing her own name.

Josh, a young teen, does well in every subject except math. The concept of numerical values completely baffles him. Just looking at numbers makes Josh angry, and when he sits down to do his math homework, his disposition rapidly deteriorates.

What is wrong with David, Sarah, and Josh? Are they simply lazy, stubborn, and perhaps slow-witted? Not at all. Each of these children is of normal to above-average intelligence. Yet, each one is also hampered by a learning disability. David suffers from dyslexia a term that is applied to a number of reading problems. Sarah’s extreme difficulty with writing is called dysgraphia. And Josh’s inability to grasp the basic concepts of math is known as dyscalculia. These are just three learning disabilities. There are many more, and some experts estimates that altogether they affect at least 10 percent of the children in the United States.

Defining Learning Disabilities

Granted, at times most youths find learning to be a challenge. Usually, though, this does not indicate a learning disability. Instead, it simply demonstrates that all children have learning strengths and weaknesses. Some have strong hearing skills; they can absorb information quite well by listening. Others are more visually oriented; they learn better by reading. In school, however, students are clustered into the classroom and all are expected to learn regardless of the teaching method used. Hence, it is inevitable that some will have learning problems.
According to some authorities, however, there is a difference between simple learning problems and learning disabilities. It is explained that learning problems can be overcome with patience and effort. In contrast, learning disabilities are said to be more deep-rooted. “The learning disabled child’s brain seems to perceive, process, or remember certain kinds of mental tasks in a faulty manner,” write Drs. Paul and Esther Wender.*
Still, a learning disability does not necessarily mean that a child is mentally handicapped.To explain this, the Wenders draw an analogy with tone-deaf people, who cannot distinguish differences in musical pitch. “ Tone deaf people are not brain-damaged and there is nothing wrong with their hearing” Wender said, “ Nobody would suggest that tone deafness is due to laziness, poor teaching, or poor motivation.” It is the same, they say, with those who are learning disabled. Often, the difficulty focuses on one particular aspect of learning. This explains why many children with learning disabilities have average to above average intelligence; indeed, some are extremely bright. It is this paradox that often alerts doctors the possible presence of a learning disability. The book Why is My Child Having Trouble at School? explains: A child with a learning disability is functioning two or more years below the expected level for his age and his assessed IQ.” In other words, the problem is not simply that the child has trouble keeping up with his peers. Rather, his performance is not on par with his own potential.

Providing Needed Help

The emotional effects of a learning disability often compound the problem. When children who are learning disabled do poorly in school, they may be seen as failures by their teachers and peers, perhaps even by their own family. Sadly, many such children develop a negative self-image that can persist as they grow.

This is a valid concern, since learning disabilities generally do not go away.* “Learning disabilities are life disabilities,” Dr. Larry B. Silver. “The same disabilities that interfere with reading, writing, and arithmetic also will interfere with sports and other activities, family life, and getting along with friends.”

It is essential, therefore, that children with learning disabilities receive parental support. “Children who know that their parents are strong advocates for them have a basis for developing a sense of competency and self- esteem,” says the book "Parenting a Child with a Learning Disability". But to be advocates, parents must first examine their feelings, some parents feel guilty, as if they were somehow to blame for their child’s condition. Others panic, feeling overwhelmed by the challenges set before them. Both of these reactions are unhelpful. They keep the parents immobilized and prevent the child from getting the help he needs.

So if a skilled specialist determines that your child has a learning disability, do not despair. Remember that children with learning disabilities just need extra support in a specific learning skill. Take the time to become familiar with any programs that may be available in your area for children who are learning disabled. Many schools are better equipped to deal with such situations than they were years ago.
Experts emphasize that you should praise your child for any accomplishments, no matter how small. Be generous with commendation.

 At the same time, do not neglect discipline.Children need structure, and this is all the more true of those who are learning disabled. Let your child know what you expect, and hold to the standards you set.

Finally, learn to view your situation realistically; the book Parenting a Child With a Learning Disability illustrates it this way:

“Imagine going to your favorite restaurant and ordering veal scaloppini. When the waiter puts the plate in front of you, you discover a rack of lamb.They’re both delicious dishes, but you were prepared for the veal. Many parents need to make a mental shift in their thinking. You might not have been prepared for the lamb, but you find its wonderful. So it is when you raise children with special needs.”

FROM AWAKE MAGAZINE

IF DYSLEXIA AND AUTISM ARE NOT EXACTLY THE SAME WHAT THEN IS AUTISM?

 

HOW CAN THOSE WITH DYSLEXIA BE HELPED?... AUTISM STORIES (PART 2)

CONTINUED FROM PART 1

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Help From Parents

Some who are parents of a dyslexic child feel guilt and blame themselves for their offspring's plight. If you feel this way, dispel the gloomy recognizing that none of us are perfect and we are all different. Start by recognizing that just as a color-blind needs help to live with his defect, so does your dyslexic child. You as a parent have a definite role to play in the education of your child.
Although dyslexia cannot presently be prevented or cured, it can be alleviated. How? Professor T.R.Miles, author of Understanding Dyslexia, advises parents to discover first of all exactly what the dyslexic child finds difficult.
How to Recognize Dyslexia in Children
If you answer yes to three or four of the questions below for each age group, it is possible that the children concerned are dyslexic to some extent.

Children ages 8 or less:

Were they late in learning to speak?
Do they still have particular difficulty with reading or spelling? Does this surprise you?
Do you have the impression that in matters not connected with reading and spelling, they are alert and bright?
Do they write letters and figures the wrong way arround?
When doing calculations, have they needed the help of bocks, fingers, or marks on paper for longer than others of their age? Do they have unusual difficulty remembering multiplication table?
Do they have difficulty in telling left from right?
Are they usually clumsy? (Not all dyslexic children are clumsy.)

Children 8 to 12 or More

Do they make unusual spelling errors? Do they sometimes omit letters from words or put them in the wrong order?
Do they make apparently careless mistakes in reading?
Does reading comprehension sees slower than expected for children of their age?
Do they have difficulty copying from the blackboard at school?
When reading aloud, do they leave out words or a line altogether, or do they read the same line twice? Do they dislike reading aloud?
Do they still find multiplication tables difficult to remember?
Do they have a poor sense of direction, confusing left and right?
Do they lack self-confidence and have low self-respect?

Thereafter their work deteriorates. “Regular but limited amounts of study each day are likely to be more beneficial than occasional days of intense effort,” notes Dyslexia at College.“The child should be asked to do as well as he is able,” advises Reading and the Dyslexic Child, “but not better than that.” By being sympathetic and encouraging, and in particular by arranging for suitable teaching, parents can minimize the effects of dyslexia and, at the same time, lessen the strain the dyslexic child feels. Then they will be able to make a realistic appraisal of their child’s limitations and what can be expected..

Help From Teachers

Remember, dyslexia is a learning difficulty. So teachers need to spend time with dyslexic children in their classes and make an effort to help them. Limit the children's frustration by being realistic in what you expect of them. After all, a dyslexic child may well grow into an adult who still finds reading out loud a problem.
Do not become a defeatist. Instead, commend the children for any progress they make—and certainly for all their effort. Then, too, avoid indiscriminate praise. Professor Miles recommends that when teachers note some progress, they say to a dyslexic pupil: “Yes, I agree you have made some mistakes. But I still say you have done well: it is an improvement on last week and in view of your disability, it is a satisfactory result.” But when there is no improvement. He advises saying: “Yes, such-and-such still seem to be causing you difficulty; let us see if we can explore some different way of helping you.”
Beware of making disparaging remarks about the dyslexic child’s reading. Strive to make books and reading enjoyable for him. How? Both parents and teachers can suggest that the child hold a marker, perhaps a small ruler, under the line he is reading, as a very slow reader often allows his attention to slip.

If the problem surfaces in reading the letters of the word in the wrong order, kindly ask, “Which is the first letter?”
Imagine how discouraging it is for the dyslexic child to be frequently told by his math teacher that his answers are wrong. How much better to give him slightly easier problems so that the frustration failure brings is replaced by the satisfaction of solving them correctly.
“The key for dyslexics is,” according to one specialist teacher “learning through all the senses.” Combine sight, hearing, and touch to help the child read and spell words correctly. “The pupil needs to look carefully, to listen carefully, to pay attention to his hand movements as he writes, and to pay attention to his mouth movements as he speaks,” Professor Miles explains. By doing this, the dyslexic child will equate the written form of a letter with both its sound and the hand movements he makes to write it. To help the child distinguish between letters that confuse him, teach him to begin writing each of the letters at a different point on the letter. “Ideally,” recommends Reading and the Dyslexic Child,” each child ought to have an hour a day of tutoring on a one-teacher-to-one-pupil basis.” Sadly, circumstances rarely permit this. Nevertheless, dyslexics can help themselves

Self – Help

If you are dyslexic, aim to do the bulk of your reading when you are at your freshest. Researchers have noticed that dyslexic students achieve good results if they continue reading for about an hour and a half.

If after reading these these questions you believe you are dyslexic, do not hide the problem. Accept it. And take account of it. For example you may be preparing for a job interview. Like many people, you may find that the pressure of the situation makes it difficult to express yourself clearly and concisely. Why not try some practice interview beforehand?

True, it is going to take you longer to read and spell well.But persevere. Persevere in trying to read, write, and spell properly. Doing so will help you to overcome the frustration of dyslexia.
Make use of a portable typewriter or, better still, a word processor with a program that helps you check the spelling of what you enter. Couple this with learning how to organize and manipulate information.

The difficulties dyslexia causes are not easily remedied. But the brain, being the marvelous organ it is, compensates for the problem. Permanent unhappiness is therefore unlikely. Julie, Vanessa, and David have all worked hard at overcoming their frustration. You can do the same. Recognize that your specific difficulty need not stop you from learning

Enjoy books by listening to those recorded in available media. Indeed, this magazine and its companion.The Watchtower, now appear regularly on different media in many languages, as does the whole Bible

BY AWAKE! CORRESPONDENT IN BRITAIN(1996)

But there are matters arising from the last two posts.For instance is dyslexia part of autism or not? To answer this an other related questions please go to part three of this write-up.

Thank you.

ARE WE REALLY SERIOUS ABOUT THE WORLD BOOK DAY IN NIGERIA?...PLEASE READ THIS NARRATION!

World Book Day: The parent-child battles over a costume

Every year thousands of parents have to help with a costume for their child for World Book Day. It isn't easy, writes father-of-two Dominic Casciani.

There was a time when reading a book meant just that. In your head, out loud, to yourself or to a crowd. Whichever way, it was reading.

But not any more. It’s about dressing up. Or at least it’s about dressing up if you happen to be of school age and your teachers have been sucked into the literary-industrial complex of World Book Day.

So a few weeks ago when the slip appeared in my son’s book bag (don’t get me started on pointless bits of paper that could be emailed) announcing yet another opportunity to blow a small fortune on dressing up for one day only, my heart sank.

Before my wife and I had been able to have a grown-up discussion about what to do (as recommended in those middle-class angst parenting books that we seem to have collected but never read) it all happened very quickly.

“DAD! DAD! DAD! DAD! DAD! DAD! DAD! DAD!”

“What?”

“DAD! DAD! DAD! DAD! DAD! I KNOW WHAT I’M GOING TO BE FOR WORLD BOOK DAY!”

“Can you stop shouting and tell me in a normal voice.”

“Sorry. I want to go as a…" (dramatic pause for effect as he assumes the position) "NINJA!”

“You what?”

“A LEGO NINJAGO NINJA!!!!"

“But that’s Lego. That’s not a character from a book.”

“NO IT’S A BOOK I’VE GOT THE BOOK THE LEGEND OF ZANE! SEE! SEE! LOOK! LOOK! LOOK!”

Some parents make more of an effort than others...

“Please stop shouting. Isn’t that a catalogue?”

For the uninitiated, Lego have a range of "character encyclopaedias" which perform the same function for children as the Boden catalogue does for middle class adults.

“Remember, we got it when we went to that rubbish restaurant and I spat out all the food and was sad because I was hungry and you wouldn’t let me play Angry Birds.”

“Oh. Yeah.”

“CAN I TAKE MY SWORDS TO SCHOOL? NINJAAAAA!”

At that point, he leaps on and off the sofa and makes like Jackie Chan. I go to see Mrs C to discuss.

“Start Quote

WBD has become an excuse to dress up as characters with the most tenuous links to any literary form - it's slowly ceasing to be about reading”

“Well that’s done,” she says.

“Eh?”

She’s already been online and ordered a ninja face mask.

“Hang on. It’s World Book Day, not kung fu fighting.”

Wife looks at me sceptically and moves on to the next problem.

Now here’s the point - World Book Day is a marvellous thing. Reading liberates minds. Every page turned expands the horizons of our children’s ambitions.

But in many schools up and down the land WBD has become an excuse to dress up as characters with the most tenuous links to any literary form. It’s slowly ceasing to be about reading.

Now, I’m not against dressing up – I love seeing the little ones in infants loving the fantasy of it all.

But let’s think through what’s increasingly going on here – particularly with the boys. They see WBD as an opportunity to be Battle Force Earth Defenders or something or other.

You’ve seen the cartoon, you’ve bought the book, NOW YOU CAN BE COMMANDER TUCK “EARTHQUAKE” McCRAW.

You get the idea: it’s just another way for us to be sold a load of plastic and polyester tat. And the upshot is that every pound spent on a dress-up is a quid less on books.

Orwell was quite good at dystopian visions of the future. Would he today be predicting a new form of bookshop? One where you can choose between Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple and a rack of sensible tweeds?

World Book Day

That of course will never happen. It’s as unlikely as a world where books are pinged over the internet to a handheld device, removing the need to have the bothersome things cluttering your home where they can be picked up and read by your children.

To my great relief, my daughter’s school is having none of it. They’ve told parents to cough up for a reading activity day with an author. That’s money well spent because (wait for it) IT’S ABOUT READING.

But other schools plough on, despite every parent I can think of being rather tired of the whole dressing-up thing.

So one parent I know has a 16-year-old who is turning out as a banana.

“Is that because she wanted to be the lead character in Defence-related Enzymes Induced by Elicitors of Fusarium in Banana? (£35 online).”

“No,” says mum. “We ran out of other ideas and costumes. So she decided to go as a banana.”

Banana mum’s experience is echoed in unanswered calls for help by other parents up and down the land.

Bellatrix Lestrange and the Mad Hatter

So if you want to be like Winston Smith in 1984, I propose the following mass act of rebellion for next year’s WBD dressing up.

Option one: Put a saucepan on your kid’s head and say they are a tin man or robot or something from no end of books. If your child is subsequently barred for boisterous wielding of said saucepan, you can spend it together tucked up on the sofa reading some actual books. Time well spent, and a day off work too.

Option two: Copy one hard-pressed and exasperated mum I know who is sending her son as Danny the Champion of the World. This is an utterly ingenious act of passive resistance because she is dressing him in the oldest and scruffiest clothes in the house.

Not only has she resisted yielding to the marketing machinations of toy manufacturers, she has paid tribute to one of the greatest works of modern English literature.

Of course, there is a possibility that a teacher will suspect you of spending the family budget on cheap cider rather than children’s clothes.