Thanks, dianavan, but I think you may have misunderstood me. I'm not searching for answers, because I think I've found them - and my daughter is now advancing in leaps and bounds, which is a great relief to both of us. In the process of finding these answers, I did a lot of research, so I'm pretty well versed in the various approaches that were mentioned below, some of which are highly flawed, at best.

If you're trying to help somebody with dyslexia, you cannot do better than to read Overcoming Dyslexia, by Sally Shaywitz, and follow the advice she gives. When you're dealing with dyslexia, you need a proven, evidence-based, science-based approach, not rose-colored glasses and juggling while standing on one leg. You need, at the very least, to understand what Mark Cohen was trying to get across in his post, about what dyslexia is and isn't, and about phonemes.

I appreciate the words of encouragement, though. I am fortunate to be able to homeschool my own kids - I'm sure that it must be doubly frustrating for parents and kids who rely on overworked underpaid schoolteachers to diagnose and deal with the problem.