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BrightStar tackles dyslexia
10:40am Friday 29th July 2005
AN East Anglia education centre has turned to an innovative teaching technology to meet the demands of frustrated parents of dyslexic children.
The centre, based in Bishop's Stortford, has been inundated with requests from parents for dyslexic teaching classes.
Centre head Simon Barnes, who also runs the local Kip McGrath education centre, decided to franchise a teaching programme, BrightStar, to help meet demand.
BrightStar is a technology that uses a series of scientifically-designed light sequences in combination with a hand-eye co-ordination game' to stimulate specific areas of the brain.
Independently verified by a Nottingham Univers-ity study, the technology has already proved effective. A six-week course improves a child's reading age by 11 months on average, for example.
Mr Barnes said: "Schools are doing the best they can to tackle the problem but dyslexic kids need specialist help.
"We are trying to shift the goalposts to give kids with dyslexia a better chance of improving their literacy skills.
"At the moment learning with dyslexia is like running a race with your legs tied together. By embracing new teaching methods such as BrightStar and working with schools we hope to remove the shackles and enable these kids to learn more freely."
The BrightStar Dyslexic Centre, at Ducketts Wharf, was opened by former Olympic swimmer Duncan Goodhew, himself dyslexic.
He has been through the BrightStar programme, describing it as "like a fog lifting."
BrightStar Learning chief executive Paul Ayres said: "The growth in after-school tutoring shows that more parents are taking it into their own hands to help their children's education.
"Dyslexia is a massive inhibitor to learning so it is vital that it is tackled head on."
He added: "Local education authorities traditionally suffer from a lack of funding to cope with the large numbers of dyslexics in schools. With an average of three dyslexics to a class of 30, it's no surprise that parents and teachers are frustrated with the support they get.
"Looking to after-school tutoring with the BrightStar centre is a logical next step and provides some light at the end of this frustrating tunnel."
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BrightStar Learning chief executive Paul Ayres (left) and Duncan Goodhew cutting the ribbon, with Simon and Manda Barnes, directors of Kip McGrath Education Centres
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