At the end of most tutoring sessions, my daughter’s tutor leaves a little time to play a game with her. It is especially fun to observe my little girl’s confidence soar as she wins a game! When a new concept she has just learned is part of the game, she lights up when she recognizes it. There are several games available to reinforce the reading and spelling work a child is doing in tutoring and at school. Whether or not a…
Since June, I have sat in on most of my daughter’s tutoring sessions. To think back to her first few sessions and how she struggled still breaks my heart. But observing her has increased my compassion for how truly difficult reading is for her, as if I can feel her pain now more than ever. It also has taught me how I can support her. As I reflect back, I also see the progress she has made. To witness her breakthroughs and pure successes, I am so very proud…
When my 11-year-old daughter was struggling with reading in second grade, her teacher invited her to be part of a reading club two days after school. Mrs. Vance was trained in Orton-Gillingham, and she utilized these multi-sensory methods during the after-school program. By the end of her second-grade year, my daughter was reading proficiently. It is possible that she just needed this effective method to get her “unstuck” and on her way to becoming a little bookworm. When my younger…
“I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us then who are mature be of the same mind; and if you think differently about anything, this too God will reveal to you. Only let us hold fast to what we have attained.” (Philippians 3:14-16) In many challenging circumstances, this verse from Philippians provides strength and encouragement. The challenge of Dyslexia is no different. There have been many times on this…
As a Catholic mom, I am grateful for the belief in the communion of saints, the great cloud of witnesses who have gone before us marked with the sign of faith. On earth, they strived to live holy lives, following God’s will, practicing virtue, and overcoming sin. Now, they are in Heaven, and God has generously given them the opportunity to pray for us on earth, who are still striving for our Eternal Home. I often teach my children about particular…
Every Friday this month, I will share a quote that hopefully will inspire, encourage, and strengthen us, as we journey with our loved one who is living with Dyslexia. Feel free to share it on social media or on a Pinterest board. TGIF! For a complete list of topics and links, visit the landing page for 31 Days: One Mom’s Journey With Dyslexia or click the square image below.
When my daughter was first diagnosed with Dyslexia, the more I learned, the more I understood her. Until then, I had no idea why reading was difficult. I didn’t understand why she couldn’t retain how to spell a certain word or why she couldn’t rhyme words. It was frustrating for me because I couldn’t help her, and I’m sure it was frustrating for her, too, because she couldn’t explain what was going on. Learning what Dyslexia is—and is not—is helping me understand…
For as long as I can remember, I have enjoyed reading a good book. I am part of a book club for moms, and I am even blessed to be a contributing writer to a mom’s prayer companion. Not wanting to read or not liking it is something I cannot completely relate to, but I have had to learn to understand and find alternative ways to incorporate reading into my daughter’s life. What I have found is that often what…
Looking back on her preschool years, I now recognize the early warning signs. They were there, but I didn’t know. Things such as difficulty hearing rhyming words, like cat, hat, and mat. My daughter couldn’t rhyme, and I didn’t understand why. As my daughter progressed through Kindergarten, I saw her struggling, but I wasn’t worried. I thought she would eventually catch up, and things would smooth themselves out. But then, I started receiving notes from her teacher that she falling…
As a parent of a Dyslexic child, I have suddenly been immersed in a topic I never thought I would know about. Like many things, if it does not affect us personally, often times we don’t have much knowledge of it. But when my daughter was diagnosed with Dyslexia, I wanted to know what she was going through. I wanted to grow in empathy, so I could help her, encourage her, and support her in this journey. I wanted her…