
“Individuals with dyslexia can have weak working memory skills and there are many ‘brain training’ programs, with slick marketing behind them, that purport to improve or even cure dyslexia by having the student complete exercises that target working memory and brain training. The research literature is clear that these techniques do not generalize to reading, spelling, or comprehension (math).”
Pam Cook, M.Ed. presented this warning at the LDA conference in 2014.
Pam Cook is correct. Partially. Improving cognitive skills like working memory will not cure dyslexia. However, even the best reading program will not yield long-lasting results if the child’s cognitive skills are poor. It’s like being caught between a rock and a hard place.
Cognitive deficits linked to dyslexia

Except for auditory working memory, cognitive psychology has now linked many brain-based skills to dyslexia: verbal fluency; attention and executive functions; phonological and phonemic awareness, visuo-spatial abilities; processing speed and rapid naming; short-term memory; visual short-term memory and visual long-term memory for details. Improving these cognitive skills through cognitive training are obviously key to turning dyslexia around.
Unfortunately, cognitive training, popularly known as brain-training, has fallen into disfavor among LD practitioners. In one study, that without a doubt contributed to the distrust of brain-training, viewers of the BBC science program Bang Goes the Theory were recruited to practice a series of online tasks for a minimum of ten minutes a day, three times a week, for six weeks. In one group, the tasks focused on reasoning, planning and problem-solving abilities — skills correlated with general intelligence. A second group was trained on mental functions targeted by commercial brain-training programs — short-term memory, attention, visuo-spatial abilities and math. A third group, the control subjects, simply used the Internet to find answers to obscure questions. A total of 11,430 volunteers aged from 18 to 60 completed the study, and although they improved on the tasks, “no evidence was found for transfer effects to untrained tasks, even when those tasks were cognitively closely related” (Owen et al., 2010).
One reason why the experiment yielded no transfer effects is simply because the training time was too short. Subjects completed an average of 24 sessions — at ten minutes a session, that’s only four hours of training. According to fitness authority Bobby Maximus (2018) getting physically fit requires at least 130 hours. The brain is no different; even twenty hours would have yielded meagre results.
A combination of long-term brain-training and excellent reading tutoring is key

Research shows that a network of brain regions is involved in learning to read, one specifically in sounding out words, and another in seeing words as pictures. The picture area is the visual word form area or visual dictionary, and allows for fast and efficient word recognition.
Both brain areas must be trained in the teaching of reading, and Edublox’s Live Tutoring program aims at doing just that. Our program is based on the well-known Orton Gillingham approach, which develops the sounding out area, but simultaneously aims at developing the brain’s “visual word form area”.
In addition, Edublox intervention aims at developing the cognitive skills — or brain-based skills — required in reading and learning.
Turning dyslexia around
Below are the i-Ready test results of a third grade student who was diagnosed with dyseidetic dyslexia. He is currently doing Edublox’s Development Tutor at home to improve his cognitive skills, and has so far received 25 hours of Live Online Tutoring over a period of six months. Most areas are now on par and another 25 hours of Live Tutoring are planned to ensure that he catches up completely and doesn’t fall behind again.
.

Below are the test results of a student who was diagnosed with severe dyslexia (1st percentile), and who received intensive Edublox intervention starting in February. By August she tested on the 5th percentile (PR), according to the Star Reading Test, and by May the following year on the 55th percentile. (NOTE: The 1st percentile is the lowest and 99th the highest.)
.

.

.
© Edublox
Turning dyslexia around –
“We can see her world getting bigger, and we are so happy!”
The whole Edublox system has helped Amy so much with reading and math, but it was hard for us to tell if it was helping her with this hidden, agonizing challenge. It certainly is! Continue Reading
Sandy, mom of Amy, US November 23, 2020
“Carsten is reading 6 and 7 letter words and the most amazing part is he is spelling them as well!”
Now, after working with Susan and the Edublox program for the last 5 months, Carsten is reading 6 and 7 letter words and the most amazing part is he is spelling them as well! AMAZING! I never would have thought he would be spelling words that large so quickly. I asked his school teacher about what she has seen and she told me she’s seen a big difference... Continue Reading
Lisel Nielsen, Utah, US March 12, 2020
Video gallery: Parents and children share their stories on overcoming learning barriers
Watch videos and listen to interviews, covering Edublox clients of all age groups and from all over the world, at various stages of implementation and for various needs: from overcoming reading difficulties to severe dyslexia, dyscalculia, low IQ, et cetera. Continue Reading
Video gallery December 22, 2019
Life-changing: A child with severe dyslexia improves from the 1st to the 55th percentile in reading!
Meet Maddie, a 10-year-old who had been diagnosed with severe dyslexia, moderate dyscalculia, ADHD and low IQ (low 80s). People who had evaluated her said that they had never seen dyslexia as severe as this before. Her parents had been told by more than one professional that Maddie would probably never read... Continue Reading
Kimberly, US May 23, 2019
A dyslexia success story: “I would not have thought it possible four years ago”
As for my daughter, I thought you would like to know that she is in her first year of high school and is in honors English and geometry and AP History. Her elective reading for English was Hemingway and now Homer's Iliad. She got a very good report card this term too. Continue Reading
Beth in Fullerton, US November 13, 2017
“Handwriting is no longer an issue” – Jennifer Gilliland
After thirty hours, I can honestly say his handwriting is no longer an issue. It has become automatic for him to write neatly and legibly, whereas before, his writing varied depending on the day and the amount of effort he was willing to put in to be neat. This has also positively affected his ability to compose a written paragraph... Continue Reading
Jennifer Gilliland, US February 26, 2017
“Now he reads with ease and confidence” – Sheri Browning
As a matter of fact, he enjoys reading so much that it isn’t unusual to see him reading for pleasure now. The first time I heard him say he was “going to bed a little early so he could read before going to sleep” was music to my ears!! Continue Reading
Sheri Browning, US December 19, 2016
“I feel as if part of my daughter’s mind was trapped, and Edublox set her free” – The Adams household
She is now almost an intuitive speller. Really, it's a miracle. Six months ago, her spelling tested at a Kindergarten level, and is now at a 6th grade level. This is just still so amazing to all of us who have struggled with her. Continue Reading
The Adams household in New Mexico December 15, 2016
“In the first 9 weeks of school they have increased over 2 1/2 years” — Nita Brist
Phonics just did not work. Last year they did not improve in their reading level all year. We started Edublox in June and already in the first 9 weeks of school they have increased over 2 1/2 years.... Their spelling has greatly improved and learning new words has become a game, not the dreaded chore it once was. Continue Reading
Nita Brist, Washington State, US December 11, 2016
“His reading age went up by 2 years in less than 6 months” — Jenny, UK
His spelling age improved as well and he also did really well in the end of year exams with his best results in most subjects. Continue Reading
Jenny & Greg, UK December 6, 2016
.
References:
Maximus, B. (2018, October 2). The 130 hour rule. Retrieved from https://www.bobbymaximus.com/the-130-hour-rule/
Owen, A.M., Hampshire, A., Grahn, J.A., Stenton, R., Dajani, S., Burns, A.S., Howard, R.J., & Ballard, C.G. (2010). Putting brain training to the test. Nature, Retrieved from www.nature.com/doifinder/10.1038/nature09042.