“Reading is harder and slower for dyslexic students. Consequently, they typically read less. If they are to keep up with their peers academically, then it is imperative to find additional ways to expose them to as many words and ideas as possible.
This is a challenge. Dyslexics often encounter a gap between their reading level and their intellectual level. This can turn them off of reading altogether.” -Kyle Redford, Education Editor for Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity
Planet Word, Inspiring the Love of Language
Planet Word, a Washington, D.C., museum dedicated to inspiring a love of language, opened in the midst of the pandemic, in October 2020. It’s time to check it out! This museum is for EVERYONE.“Most of the exhibits at Planet Word are visual, touchable and highly interactive. That, too, is intentional. They are geared toward inspiring those who are not necessarily interested in reading words off a page to learn language arts in a fun, alternative and — most important — engaging way.
“If you’re not fond of reading, let’s think of something else you can do, whether it’s poetry or being a stand-up comedian or running for student government and giving a speech,” Ms. Friedman said about her educational philosophy. “I wanted to show that there are so many ways that people can work with words, whether you like to read a book or not.”
Encouraging a love of language is important to Ms. Friedman, a former language-arts teacher who now runs the museum full time with Ms. Sabee. It’s not just about being able to pass an exam.”
Fun Fact from the website: “Planet Word’s home is in the Franklin School in our nation’s capital… In 1880, inventor Alexander Graham Bell made his first successful transmission of a “photophone” message from the rooftop of the Franklin School to his lab on L Street. The photophone was a vital precursor to today’s wireless and fiber-optic communications, and Bell considered it his most important invention.”
Learn more about this amazing museum:
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/29/crosswords/language-planetword-museum.html
https://planetwordmuseum.org/franklin-school/
Stay tuned for more ways to unlock language!
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