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1. This website faithfully follows the original Fernald method for teaching dyslexic individuals to read using a multi-sensory process that became known as VAKT (Visual, Auditory, Kinesthetic and Tactile). Dr. Grace Fernald developed this approach at the University of Los Angeles, California, in the 1920’s and 30’s as an alternative method of teaching reading to pupils unable to learn by the traditional method of learning sight words combined with a course of phonics. She subsequently published her findings in the book, “Remedial Techniques in Basic School Subjects”, published by the McGraw-Hill Book Company in 1943. Her method became the standard by which dyslexics all over the world were taught to read. Its effectiveness is well documented in a large body of work by literacy experts over the ensuing decades since the publication of Fernald’s book. While the process has been documented as valid and effective in every case with pupils of normal intelligence, there is no guaranty of success for every pupil, only the assurance that if followed diligently, Fernald’s method will help the majority of pupils with dyslexia learn to read.
2. This “Free for Life” offer is made to parents, tutors and teachers who register for the trial on or before May 31st, 2020 and is for use with a maximum of 5 pupils per registrant.
3. Any personal information, including your email address, will never be shared with any third party.
4. In accordance with the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA), the Dyslexia Helper application refers to pupils by their first name and last name initial only.
5. Each pupil’s age is collected as a means to gauge a pupil’s reading age.
6. Your pupil’s personal information and activities will not be shared with any third party.
7. The purpose of this trial is to collect contemporaneous statistical evidence of the Fernald method’s efficacy. No individual pupil’s statistics will be shared with any third party. The only evidence that may be shared is aggregated statistics of all participating pupils; thus, each individual’s statistics and progress will be anonymized.
8. Continued participation in the “Free for Life” trial depends upon you adhering to the process as guided by the application and recording your pupil’s activities. The Dyslexia Helper application provides convenient means to record these activities. Specifically, you agree to record:
   1. The number of times a word is traced by the pupil before it is written correctly.
   2. The number of attempts by the pupil to write a word completely and correctly after tracing.
   3. The number of attempts by the pupil to read the pupil’s printed story.
   4. The number of attempts by the pupil to correctly read each word on the initial revision screen.
   5. The number of attempts by the pupil to correctly read each word on the next day and 30-day revision screen.
9. You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Web Data Corporation, its officers and assigns against any action, legal or otherwise.

By checking the box below, you declare that you understand and agree to the aforementioned.

Web Data Corporation is a software development company focusing on business applications for the Internet. Its principal, Brian Mallon, has been developing software for 35 years. His mother, Molly Mallon, was a remedial reading specialist in the UK for much of her 38-year career. She lectured at the University of Reading (pronounced Redding) in Berkshire, England, where she taught teachers her very successful curriculum for teaching reading using a combination of “Look, Say and Remember” (sentences comprising sight words) and a comprehensive phonics program.

When Molly retired, she wrote her curriculum as a book for parents to teach their children to read. Her book, which will be published on this site later as an interactive reading curriculum for parents, tutors and teachers, was a huge success but unfortunately is now out of print. It included a section on the very first method of teaching dyslexics to read, developed by Dr. Grace Fernald in the 1920s and 30s at the University of California Los Angeles.

The Fernald method is an alternative way for dyslexic children to learn to read. It comprises tracing words with the finger, writing those words, using those words in stories, and daily as well as periodic revision of reading the words to ensure retention. Gradually, dyslexic children no longer need to trace words before they can recognize and write them and use them in their stories, and eventually they can recognize unknown words by their similarity to known words. In every case, dyslexic children have learned to read this way. It just takes time and patience. In her 1943 publication “Remedial Techniques in Basic School Subjects” by McGraw-Hill, Fernald provided documented evidence of her successful method.

Similarly, Molly Mallon’s comprehensive phonics course has evidence documenting its success with older remedial students as well as beginning readers. Essentially, Molly proved that anyone can learn to read. In both cases, Molly’s and the Fernald method, you do not need to be an education specialist of any kind in order to successfully guide your child through either program.

Development of this website has been a long time coming, because other necessary work has always taken precedence, but Brian is determined that these two successful methods of teaching reading should not be lost to the world, and has invested heavily in developing the dyslexia module. He continues work towards providing his mother’s “Look, Say and Remember” method, together with the comprehensive phonics course as an online tool for parents to teach their own children to read, and for tutors and teachers who are determined to provide reading success for their students.

This site will collect data from the trial participants to gather contemporaneous statistics on both reading methods as proof to the education establishment that these well-documented and successful ways of teaching are valid in today’s world; just as they have been for many decades in the past.

Your participation in this free trial will go a long way to helping other parents facing similar difficulties with their children. All data collected will be anonymized and aggregated, so no personal information will be disseminated in any way whatsoever.

To help with the cost of running the servers and providing the service, there will ultimately be a small, per-pupil charge for using the site. Parents who experience success with their children are encouraged to inform and help other parents, or become tutors to help other children learn to read.

1. Any personal information, including your email address, will never be shared with any third party.
2. In accordance with the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA), the Dyslexia Helper application refers to pupils by their first name and last name initial only.
3. Each pupil’s age is collected as a means to gauge a pupil’s reading age.
4. Your pupil’s personal information and activities will not be shared with any third party.