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Small School, Big Impact: How Waihao Downs Keeps the Davis Magic Alive

When I last visited Waihao Downs School in 2018, Jane Severinsen’s sabbatical report highlighted something remarkable:  the Davis Learning Strategies® had become a natural part of the school’s culture. The results were clear: calmer classrooms, confident learners, and reading progress that exceeded expectations.👉 Read Jane’s 2018 sabbatical research here.Seven years later, I returned to see whether those results had stood the test of time. What I found was deeply encouraging....

Geoffrey’s Humanity Flourishing Award Finalist Certificate: A Moment of Pride

In the heart of Western Kenya, in Kakamega County, a rainforest region known for its rich wildlife and raw beauty, a quiet but powerful change is happening for children who learn differently. At the centre of it all is Geoffrey Ashiono, a dedicated educator and Director of a maths centre with three tutoring branches across the county.For many children in this region, dyslexia is misunderstood. By the time they are nine or ten, most have left school, labelled as “lazy,” and often punishe...

Geoffrey’s Journey to the Nairobi Conference

The Kakamega Project team was delighted that Geoffrey attended the Dyslexia Rising Africa Conference 2025 in Nairobi. He traveled safely to and from the city, and his stay was comfortable. But the stories, experiences, and connections he made left the deepest impression....

Support Your Dyslexic Child with Confidence at Home

For parents of children with dyslexia, the journey can often feel like a maze filled with confusing advice, trial-and-error programs, and constant worry over how to help at home. With so many options and so few clear answers, it’s easy to feel lost.But what if, instead of stress and uncertainty, you could start building real understanding, practical tools, and visible progress?That’s exactly what the Davis® Parent Power – Dyslexia Support Course is designed to offer....

This Was the Missing Puzzle Piece: Scaling Davis Learning Strategies

When I attended the Davis Methods symposium hosted in 2018 at Malvern College, UK, I was still a fairly new facilitator—but already seeing incredible success with my 1-to-1 clients. I’d watched children light up as they began to grasp reading and learning in ways that finally made sense to them. The Davis methods clearly worked. I knew they changed lives.But I couldn’t stop wondering:How do we get this to more children?Could Davis Methods go beyond individual sessions?Could it be...

It’s Never Too Late to Learn: John’s* Journey at 65

There’s a common belief that if someone has made it through most of life without learning to read, then it’s probably too late.However, through my work, I’ve come to learn—and to witness again and again—that it’s never too late.Each time someone walks through my door with doubt in their eyes, I remember stories like this...

Dyslexic Mechanic Learns to Write Confidently in 4 Days

Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of sitting with countless adults—many of them men, often tradesmen, mechanics, and engineers—who don’t struggle with intelligence, but with a system that doesn’t speak their language....

This Proven Strategy Is the Missing Puzzle Piece for Reading Success

I recently completed a Davis Programme with a young girl who made progress. She worked hard, focused, calm, and proud of herself by the end of the day.After our session, her mother invited me to visit their school. When I met the principal and heard the transformation, she said something that stayed with me:“I’d like to train ALL our teachers in this method.”It reminded me of Edgecumbe School, where I’d recently been involved in a Davis Learning Strategies (DLS) whole-staff training. Mor...

Proven Ways to Help Your Child Overcome Reading Anxiety

Every so often, a learner arrives who reminds me exactly why I do this work.When this young person first came through the door, they brought more than just a school bag. They carried with them three thick folders filled with academic reports that clearly didn’t match his high intelligence, and records from two behaviour management programmes. All of it pointed to one recurring issue: frequent yelling in the classroom.At first glance, it may have appeared to be a simple behavioural concern. How...

The Inspiring True Story of One Man’s Powerful Dyslexia Breakthrough

A Story That Reminds Me Why This Work MattersEvery once in a while, a story comes along that reminds me exactly why I do this work.When Heavy Industry first invited me to support one of their employees through a one-to-one Davis programme, I knew it would be a meaningful step. At the time, it was the first initiative of its kind by the organisation to support someone with dyslexia. What happened next was a powerful transformation—not just for the individual, but for th...

A New Way of Seeing: How One Boy Overcame Double Vision and Reclaimed His Confidence

When I first met this young boy, he was just eight years old—but already carrying the weight of immense frustration.His mum had reached out after months of unanswered questions. Doctor visits had become routine, and each specialist ran tests. However, every test came back with the same result: no issues with his eyes, vision, or brain. Consequently, no explanation followed. The only advice she received was that it would “likely resolve over time.”Unfortunately, time wasn’t something her ...

Healed by Hope: Kakamega’s Christmas Miracle That Transformed Dyslexia Into a Gift

I’ll never forget the moment Geoffrey joined his first Davis Methods webinar. It was 25 November 2021. At the time, we had no idea that one simple event would plant the seed for something so big. Today, that seed has grown into a vibrant dyslexia education project in Kakamega, Western Kenya.Although Geoffrey didn’t have a phone or data, he had determination. Thankfully, his community stepped in to help....

Helping Dyslexic Kids Thrive in Kakamega, Kenya

Some of the most meaningful change happens quietly - far from headlines, in rural communities where trust, dedication, and resilience quietly power progress.In Kakamega County, Western Kenya, Geoffrey Ashiono is making that kind of change. As Director of E-Zee Maths Tutoring Centre, he’s transforming the lives of children with dyslexia—one learner at a time....

What Happens When a School Truly Listens: A Story of Change, Heart & Collaboration

Last weekend, I was honoured to attend a workshop at Edgecumbe School, led by the amazing Rochelle Booth from Dyslexia Unlocked, with support from Alma Holden who travelled all the way from Timaru.This workshop focused on Davis Learning Strategies — an empowering, inclusive approach that supports every learner by preventing learning difficulties before they start. Unlike many traditional methods, it focuses on how we teach, not just what we teach.The room was fill...

Embracing Dyslexia

She is best known for her research on reading interventions and her book Proust and the Squid on the science of the reading brain....

Waihao Downs School Uses Davis Learning Strategies to Support Reading and Dyslexia

Waihao Downs School uses Davis Learning Strategies which support reading and help those with dyslexia – watch this awesome short video documentary below...

James Ross TED Talk

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The Gift of Dyslexia

People with dyslexia are able to see, hear, feel and sense what they imagine as real. The dyslexic thinking style enables the individual to view ideas and concepts in different ways capturing the whole picture rather than working through a process in sequential steps.When they are confused or intrigued by an object or situation, they will mentally move around and explore it from different viewpoints or angles.This ability to perceive thought as reality is what Ron Davis calls ‘disorientation�...