WELCOME TO THE DEB
We are the place where you start.
Our aim is to provide information and support to help your dyslexic child learn to read, write and spell. We have lived this journey and understand how it feels to be at the beginning and not know where to start. Take a breath and know this – you have found your community and you have found your ‘how’.
The Dyslexia New Zealand Evidence Based Support Group (the deb) was established in 2019 by Sharon Scurr with the aim of providing evidence-based support and information for people with dyslexia and their families. The deb is unique in that it recognises and supports the evidence-based research of Structured Literacy. Structured Literacy is important because it teaches children how to read in a way that ALL brains learn to read. It is beneficial for all learners, but essential for neurodiverse and dyslexic children.
Structured Literacy teaches children how to read and it aligns with the Science of Reading. The Science of Reading is a term used that encompasses over 40 years of research incorporating insights and research from disciplines including developmental psychology, educational psychology, cognitive science, and cognitive neuroscience into how we learn to read.
We are a group dedicated to removing the need to reinvent the wheel. We know what our dyslexic children need and we know how it should be delivered. Our hope is that the information and resources found here will allow your child to thrive in every sense of the word. And we know you will find a community here willing to support your journey to achieve this.
We would like to publicly acknowledge and thank Merle Cooney and the late Laurence Cooney. Through the generosity of the LK Cooney Family Trust we have been able to develop this website and create a resource of hope for many families.
Welcome.