The Chronicle

Susie here to help the battlers

Helping children with learning difficulti­es learn to read is her passion

- Peter Hardwick peter.hardwick@thechronic­le.com.au

A DESIRE to help children with learning difficulti­es prompted Susie Ussher to join the Learnersau­rus Intensive Literacy Program.

An estimated 15 to 20% of Australian­s have dyslexia and children who go undiagnose­d get left behind in their school studies.

“I’ve always wanted to help children as so many get left behind at school,” Mrs Ussher said.

“So I did the teacher-aid course and I found this is exactly what I wanted to do.”

Dyslexia makes reading and other language-based tasks extremely difficult but can also affect a child’s social and emotional behaviour.

Mrs Ussher said she wanted to make a difference for children struggling to read and write by providing hope and practical support for both the child and parents.

“There is a solution available and dyslexics and slow learners can correct their reading problem when provided with the correct teaching method,” Mrs Ussher said.

“The Learnersau­rus Intensive Literacy Program has been developed to provide an alternativ­e approach to literacy learning for students who have not responded to classroom teaching and other interventi­ons.”

Mrs Ussher has been trained and accredited to use the therapy-style program for dyslexic learners created by leading Australian dyslexia expert Leslie Keast-Patch.

“Learning to read is a complex process which must become automatic in order for the learner to make meaning of the text,” she said.

“It is often assumed that by Year 3 or 4 this has been establishe­d when in fact many children need much more repetition and time to master the reading process.”

More informatio­n on the program is available at www.learnersau­rus.com or Mrs Ussher can be contacted at 0413 135 548.

❝ So I did the teacher aid course and I found this is exactly what I wanted to do.

 ?? PHOTO: AMY LYNE ?? LET’S READ: Learnersau­rus program participan­t Susie Ussher with the Learnersau­rus kit which helps children with dyslexia learn to read. We live here ‘cos we love it!
PHOTO: AMY LYNE LET’S READ: Learnersau­rus program participan­t Susie Ussher with the Learnersau­rus kit which helps children with dyslexia learn to read. We live here ‘cos we love it!
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