JOSEPH, Ore., May 3, 2021  /PRNewswire/ -- Millions of children around the world cope with reading and writing problems. For some the problem is dyslexia. For others, it is a condition called Irlen Syndrome - the inability of the brain to process certain light waves or colors. The syndrome falls on a spectrum from mild to severe with symptoms that can include headaches, stomachaches, dizziness, sensitivity to light, inability to focus, clumsiness, poor sports performance, and difficulty reading music.

The Word Gobblers - a handbook for parents working with children who struggle to read, by Catherine Matthias, addresses these problems and offers simple and immediate modifications to ease or overcome them. The book contains a questionnaire to alert readers to behaviors to watch for, and uses interactive exercises on a variety of colored papers to help a parent, or teacher, discover if a child might have this condition.

Children who are poor readers or poor in sports are often teased, resulting in feelings of shame or low self-worth. The Word Gobblers explains the medically based reason why children, and even adults, struggle to read and write, and includes questions to help children express their feelings about issues like bullying.

Beautifully illustrated by Joan Gilbert, The Word Gobblers shows children, through the use of images of mischievous Gobblers who munch, crunch, and scrunch letters, words, and entire sentences, that they are not at fault. It compares the inability of the body to digest certain foods such as strawberries or peanuts with the inability of the brain to interpret certain wavelengths of light. The illustrations also help children see they are not alone. Using images of smiley faces in green and orange, it shows that 1 in 6, 10 in 60, and 100 in 600 have this same condition.

In the Forward, Founder and Director of the Irlen Institute, Helen L. Irlen, explains the history of the discovery of Irlen Syndrome. The Irlen Method for treating this condition has received national and international media attention.

The Library Journal review concludes: "VERDICT: A helpful volume for parents, caregivers, and teachers of children who struggle with reading."

Author Catherine Matthias is a Certified Irlen Syndrome Screener and published author of six early reader picture books.

Published by Square One Publishers, 115 Herricks Road, Garden City Park, New York 11040. ISBN 978-0-7570-0502-2. $15.95.

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SOURCE Catherine Matthias, Author