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Down Syndrome Family Alliance of Greenville hosts reading workshop

Submitted by: Kim Banks on Mar 19, 2008 at 2:17 pm Tagged with: Center for Developmental Services, Down Syndrome Family Alliance Source: Down Syndrome Family Alliance

The Down Syndrome Family Alliance (DSFA) of Greenville will host an “Out of the Box Reading” program on Saturday, March 29, from 9 a.m. to noon. The free workshop is based on a whole word approach to reading that uses flash cards and will be held at the Center for Developmental Services, located at 29 N. Academy St.

Under the direction of Denise MacDonald and Karen Evershed, founders of the “Out of the Box Reading” program, attendees learn the basic building blocks of teaching children – from six months of age to the teenage years – to read.

The workshop stresses the importance of teaching children to read early, especially if they have Down syndrome, autism, dyslexia or other learning disabilities.

According to MacDonald and Evershed, studies have shown that most children with Down syndrome are visual learners and read words as pictures. Recent studies also confirm that children who learn to read early using visual methods achieve higher levels of literacy and verbal communication than is normally as expected in children with Down syndrome.

“It takes love, education, patience and support from family and friends for a child with special needs to flourish,” said Marcy Freeman, president of DSFA of Greenville. “The ‘Out of the Box Reading’ workshop can provide parents the tools they need to help children in our community increase literacy skills and reach their full potential.”

Individuals can register online at www.outoftheboxreading.com or by calling 866-922-0055.

To learn more about DSFA, visit www.dsfagreenville.org.

About Down Syndrome Family Alliance of Greenville
The Down Syndrome Family Alliance (DSFA) of Greenville is an affiliate of the National Down Syndrome Congress and the National Down Syndrome Society. Composed of friends, family and professionals of children and adults with Down Syndrome, DSFA’s mission is to enrich the lives of individuals living with Down syndrome by providing family support and information relating to Down syndrome and promoting public awareness. Visit www.dsfagreenville.org for more information.

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