Windward was specifically named in Chapter 23, “Finding the School for Your Dyslexic Child,” as one of the highly recommended schools for students who are dyslexic. The book states that schools like Windward are so special because they “ensure that educational need serves as the central focus of the school’s instructional program rather than being incidental or peripheral to it.” Furthermore, Dr. Shaywitz addresses how specialized schools serve dyslexic children’s social and emotional needs as well. She writes, “Without the pressures often found at other schools, children at these schools have the opportunity to grow and to discover who they are. They develop an awareness of the full range of their skills, their strengths as well as their weaknesses. For example, at The Windward School in White Plains, New York, and in New York City, students attend a course that helps them develop insights into their own characteristics as learners.”  

In Chapter 24, “A Closer Look at Some of the Finest Specialized Schools,” the section opens with a detailed interview with Dr. John J. Russell, executive director of The Windward Institute. Dr. Shaywitz interviewed him regarding his experience as the previous Head of The Windward School (from 2006-2019) to provide readers with insight into “the people and principles driving the success of these schools.” In this interview, Dr. Russell shared what his three major goals were when he first arrived at Windward: emphasizing that Windward students are smart, requiring teacher preparation of all Windward teachers, and instituting a more rigorous reliance on data and data analysis. Dr. Shaywitz commented, “Everything that happens at Windward is intentional. This was formalized by John Russell, and I believe it is one of the major reasons Windward is so successful.”  

The second edition of Overcoming Dyslexia provides the most comprehensive findings from one of the world’s preeminent experts on reading and dyslexia, revised to reflect the latest research and evidence-based approaches from the past 15 years. This new edition offers a new cutting-edge neural theory of reading and also includes the most up-to-date studies of brain connectivity in dyslexic children and adults. 

Overcoming Dyslexia: Second Edition is available on Amazon for order, and there is a complete audio version of the new edition read by Dr. Sally Shaywitz.