Reading Abstract Stumble Words & Dyslexic Abstract Word-Blindness

1. Skilled in conversational language
2. Stumble abstract words
3. Abstract word-blindness example
4. Brain dis-integration
5. Rebalance posture and the brain
   
   

Skilled in the Conversational Use of Language

Both the dyslexic and the not-dyslexic can be very skilled in conversational use of language.  However, the dyslexic, because he is a predominately multi-sensory thinker, is handicapped when it comes to using written abstract characters.

 

The dyslexic, as he develops, continues to perceive the wholeness of his perceptions, and does not tend to separate and sequentially analyze the parts of his sensory input. He relies on the composite input of all of his senses to identify an object. His ability to think “outside of the box” – to perceive a situation in many ways beyond the conventional view – is the gift of dyslexia. His multi-sensory thinking style (Gestalt function) is only limited by his imagination. This gift may become the dyslexic’s handicap when he begins to work with 2-dimensional written characters and written words for which there are no sensory meanings.
 

Abstract Stumble Words

The core difficulty in learning to read and write arises from the fact that our English language is filled with words that have no visual or other sensory associations – these words are called Stumble or Abstract Words.

A few of these stumble words are: who, what, where, a, and, is, it, at, the, same, every.  You can imagine how difficult it is to read and understand text that contains a series of stumble words – such as those listed above – that provide no sensory experiences and therefore no information about their meaning.  It would be like looking at a page of print and having all the words that have no visual associations disappear.  Suddenly, you would see a page with lots of blank spaces and a few meaningful words scattered on it.  How could you derive context and meaning from this presentation?

Abstract Word-Blindness Example

Look at the following poem by Jean Vanier. The non-visual words are underlined in the text. In the second version of the poem, the underlined words have been erased.

Version One:                                                     Version Two:                      

To Love is not to give of your riches       Love          give            riches

but to reveal to others their riches             reveal                     riches 

their gifts, their value;                          gifts            value                

and to trust them and their                            trust                          

capacity to grow.                                     capacity     grow             

So it is important to approach people        important    approach people 

in their brokenness and littleness           brokenness        littleness       

 so gently,      gently                            gently gently                       

not forcing yourself on them,                 forcing  yourself                   

but accepting them as they are,             accepting                           

with humility and respect.                      humility            respect       

     (by Jean Vanier)                                                                   

The dyslexic’s ability to think conceptually is impaired by reading or hearing words that lack visual or other forms of sensory associations.  The discomfort created by the dyslexic’s confusion of the senses interrupts brain integration and blocks his ability to learn. The dyslexic's confusion increases the more he pushes himself to understand the stumble words. 

 

He now finds himself in brain dis-integration due to his sensory confusion. As he encounters more written characters that lack visual or sensory associations, he encounters more "blanks" and comprehension becomes increasingly more difficult.

As long as his brain dis-integration continues, his discomfort will grow and his ability to focus on the task will diminish. 

If he becomes frustrated enough to resort to daydreaming as a coping solution, he will dissociate from the task and lose all relationship to it.  If he is told to concentrate more, he will again use his already ineffective process. 

 

The result is that his emotional fuse grows shorter and he approaches the explosive level of his frustration. 

It is essential that he take time out from his learning and performing of this stressful task so that he can re-connect and re-align mind and body in order to promote whole brain integration.

Rebalance Posture and Integrate the Brain

A solution to learning successfully is to align mind and body so that they stay interconnected and can work together to maintain brain integration.   When you sit or move with a balanced position that supports your whole body, your breath and energy can flow through you unimpeded. Then, you can connect your stabilized body with your Mind’s Eye in order to stabilize your perceptions. 

 

Often a student has to be in motion in order to learn (he needs the kinesthetic input), and the need to know how to stabilize his mind's eye, and therefore his perceptions and thinking, is essential so that he can focus on the task at hand. 

 

 

The tools for aligning mind and body are found in the MELT™ article: “Integration and Posture.”