Importancia de la logística

published literature that focus entirely on the subjects of the teaching of performance and dyslexia, other than my own, (Whitfield 2009). In this review I have included their publication titles as they are so distinct.

Drama lecturer Deborah Leveroy’s publication, Enabling performance: dyslexia, (dis) ability and ‘reasonable adjustment’ (2013), takes a robust stance in questioning the pedagogical attitude towards dyslexia in current actor training institutions, and, in many cases, their failure to provide reasonable adjustment to enable those students who have dyslexia. Leveroy alludes to Mortimore’s description of the ‘glass wall’ which separates dyslexia support from the core teaching in HE, (Mortimore 2008 in Leveroy 2013: 91). She describes the lack of interaction between departments as ‘peculiar’, emphasising how much effort, time and money goes into the DSA student support, and yet this support is not carried over into the content of actor training classes. Leveroy is highly critical of teacher contributions, stating, ‘[t]he teaching staff appear either unable or unwilling to connect [student] Amy’s dyslexia with her sight reading problems or offer solutions’, (ibid.: 91).

It is significant that Leveroy’s motivation for researching the areas of dyslexia and actor training originates from her own training as an actress and teacher with dyslexia (personal communication 29.9.2011). Leveroy’s arguments reinforce my own assertions, in highlighting that the current teaching practices in actor training can often disable those with dyslexia, and very little effort or thought is made to change teaching practice to break down the barriers facing those with dyslexia.

Leveroy singles out that dyslexia support appears to attempt to enable those with dyslexia to ‘fit in’ to the current practices, rather than the whole educational team incorporating changes in their teaching methods to include differing learning preferences. Describing dyslexia as a ‘hidden disability’ Leveroy recognises that some lecturers might not realise that their student is dyslexic, if they have not disclosed the fact, possibly because the individual is afraid to reveal their disability. The article then proceeds to describe observations of

good practice to support dyslexia used by some, such as the use of chunking, embodied practice, importance of the context being given about the text, with top down and bottom up approaches, and multi-sensory teaching.

Leveroy’s recommendations fit absolutely with my own work explored throughout this study. Like me, Leveroy, through her current PhD investigation, continues to develop ideas of practice to support actors with dyslexia.

Leveroy’s second article is valuable in placing a focus on the difficulties for reading for actors with dyslexia. However, in my view, it offers less original thought. Dyslexia and sight reading for actors, is included in the book Music, other Performing Arts and Dyslexia’ (Daunt 2012).

Although offering solid sight-reading techniques and textual management ideas for reading aloud for the actor, Leveroy advances little information that is not already utilised in training techniques for those who teach reading skills. In a short article, Leveroy appears to rely disproportionally on initiatives taken

directly from acting teacher Nina Finburgh’s book Sight reading for actors at

audition (Finburgh 1992), quoting and referencing Finburgh’s techniques thirteen times (Leveroy in Daunt 2012: 93, 99, 101, 102, 103). As Finburgh is an established teacher of sight- reading, and her book on the subject is widely available, those hoping to find additional specialised assistance for dyslexia and reading, based on new reasoning, will be disappointed. Alongside tips for reading, Leveroy also includes methods of searching for clues to get an idea of what the text is about; the process of looking at titles, headings, pictures, textual structure, and punctuation and so on. This is a recommended reading comprehension approach and is common ground for those who study and teach reading. Education lecturer Janice Almasi (2003:106) names this as ‘text anticipation strategies’, while psychologists Jane Oakhill and Alan Garnham

identify the process as ‘comprehension aids in the text’ (1988:151) and

dyslexia researcher Tilly Mortimore (2008:136), designates as ‘reading for

information’.

I have taught sight - reading to acting students for some years, and routinely draw from Finburgh's exercises. Finburgh offers techniques for those who aspire to a professional standard of expertise. She gives guidance for

overcoming negative effects of nerves, and methods in how to ‘see-connect- relate’ to the words, thus animating the interpretation of the text (Finburgh 1992: 53). However, in my experience of teaching those with dyslexic difficulties, Finburgh’s techniques (although helpful to a certain degree), cannot adequately overcome the problems of dyslexia, when individuals are not able to read fluently, ‘take-in’, or ‘see’ the words.

There is one item, in Leveroy's article, that connects immediately with my work explored in this study. When including one of Finburgh’s tips wherein she states that the reader should connect to the words in both thought and image before speaking them aloud, Leveroy has included a small diagram showing associative pictures connected with the words; e.g. ‘it was a sunny day’ – and Leveroy has put a picture of the sun, next to the words (ibid. 101). Unlike my work, she does not offer this placing of pictures with the words as a potential exercise to support dyslexia and reading.

Helen Eadon’s Dyslexia and Drama (2005), appears to be aimed at teachers in secondary school. Although the title implies that this is a book that might offer theoretical links between the areas of drama and dyslexia, and give advice on how to teach drama to those with dyslexia, it treats the two areas quite separately, with little connections made.

The book is broken up into distinct chapters: the first provides an overview of dyslexia, its characteristics, and effects, the second gives a description of the GCSE drama exam, its content and assessment, including brief details of the provision set by the Special Educational Needs and Disability in Education Act (SENDA 2001) and the third chapter offers ideas for drama exercises. Curiously, Eadon provides a long list of drama exercises and some of their procedures, but provides no explanation of whether or how any of these exercises might play a role in supporting those with dyslexia. In the fourth chapter Eadon presents some transcripts from interviews with children relating their feelings about having dyslexia, which include some brief phrases which mention that they find drama ‘has brought me out of my shell’ (ibid. 39) or ‘drama gives me more confidence and helps with my social skills’ (ibid. 41).

This book might offer some contextual knowledge about dyslexia and resource material for school teachers, and through some interviews with children, expand teachers’ understanding of the experience of those with dyslexia. It is, however, notably lacking in providing any assistance on the subject because Eadon does not identify areas of difficulty in teaching drama for those with dyslexia, or offer remedial pedagogical practice of any kind.

2.5 Instruction On Acting Shakespeare And The Possible Effect On