"Red pen day", buy one, use one or suffer from one?

Another light hearted named day, pretty well like "pig in blanket day" or "banana day".

Just something to break the manotony of a usual day in paradise.

Red pen day mmmm, quick brainstorm, do I buy a new one, give one as a gift, write my memoires.The dilemma is endless :)

Several years ago,whilst working in a Folkestone school, going off the red pen theory but with the same outcome, I was working with a lad in the classroom. I had been observing him for some time how he looked down when he was out in the playground, had he had panic attacks when his maths became overwhelming. He was of a pale complexion anyway but his face would go deathly white with a transparent pallor. His exit from school was always with a pained face.

On this occasion the teacher was writing on the white board. Her black pen had just given up on her so she switched to a readily available green one. My observations of this lad flagged up a strange body language. he went extremely pale and was disorientated. He dropped his pencil on the floor and clearly was not able to focus to see where it was. He was dabbing his hand down and sideways like a chess player contemplating a move without commiting to it by taking his hand off the piece. Playtime arrived along side this and he was instructed to go out to play with the others, this he was clearly having trouble with., Being a quiet obedient lad he was striving to go. He was unable to negotiate his way to the door and was feeling around the tables and chairs. I knew that he was feeling extremely unwell and the distortion was maring his ability to follow his now departed peers.

Just a simple thing like a green pen - clearly not for him

The contrast on the page can cause severe distortion on the page. It can change the ability to process information and attempt a task.

Another lad was adding up tens and units used his fingers to count on. With the correct overlay he no longer needed his handy resource to total. Overlay off again finger back up. His concentration whilst experiencing the word movement also required him to use his hands. No distortion full concentration and mental maths being achieved.

Colour of paper and background can make so much difference. If you feel that your child has Irlen syndrome check out on the self test on www.irlen.com .

Investigate and experiment with different coloured paper and pens. Try iusing the background colour option on word.

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