Teaching a Struggling Reader: One Mom's Experience with Dyslexia: DOG ON A LOG Parent and Teacher Guides, #1

Introduction

Like so many successful people, my child just learns differently. It's how her brain is hard-wired. There are a lot of children who struggle with reading. Some people estimate up to 10%-20% of the population have dyslexia. This booklet lists some of the information I wish I’d had when I did not know how to teach a child whose brain is wired like Steve Jobs or Thomas Edison.

This booklet is not a complete discussion about struggling readers. I am not knowledgeable enough on the subject to do that. This is written from the perspective of a parent who is working with a specialist to teach a child with dyslexia.

It’s been a year since I first released this booklet. I’m adding a few more things I’ve learned during that time. I won’t be adding too much because then it could take too long to read. I want this to be a fast read so that normal, busy people can easily read it. They will get enough information to get a sense of what dyslexia is, what questions they need to ask professionals, and what path their child will need and then they can go make dinner or, if they’re lucky, get to bed a little earlier than normal. However, there are a few things that I think will make a big difference so I am adding those.

Dyslexia is simply a wiring difference that can be seen in people of all levels of intelligence. It makes it hard for people to learn to read. Here is a list of symptoms from the Mayo Clinic. Here is a pdf checklist for dyslexia symptoms. This is a particularly useful Dyslexia Screener for children of different ages. (By wiring I mean a neurobiological difference, but that’s a challenging word for me to try and define, so I think wiring gets the point across.)

Sometimes I use the term dyslexic learning style. There isn’t just one dyslexic learning style. Just as each typically learning child learns in their own unique way, every child with dyslexia learns in their own unique way. I use the term dyslexic learning style to get across the point that dyslexia simply means a child learns differently from how we expect they should learn.

In addition to needing a different way to learn to read, some learners with dyslexia will also have trouble with writing and possibly learning math. They may have trouble with language-related skills including speech. Some do not understand how to rhyme words. Some might have fine motor and other physical difficulties. I will give a bit of information on how we are addressing math in my Final Thoughts, but I won't discuss any of the other issues here. However, if you are wondering why your child seems to do various tasks differently than other kids, it could all be related to a different wiring of the brain. Henry Winkler, The Fonz was known to be a motorcycle rider. However, due to his dyslexia, he could not ride a motorcycle. Dyslexia impacts different people in such different ways. In this article on Dyslexia and Genetics, they discuss how motor dexterity relates to dyslexia.

Under federal law, dyslexia is categorized as a Learning Disability. This allows for accommodations in educational and, possibly, other environments. Accommodations include additional testing time, audio equipment, and more. However, many people don’t like to call it a disability. They simply see it as another way to learn. There are many lists of famous people and