Hodge Podge
Reading time
Dyslexia doesn’t so much as run in our family, it gallops. But that’s ok with us.
We’ve always tried to teach our children it’s ok to be different. Indeed, I’ve read many articles and reports about dyslexia and it looks like nobody really knows for sure why some people have it and some people don’t. You learn to cope, you make your own shortcuts and reminders, from your own cryptic shorthand to visual reminders, go with what works I say.
One of our daughters was practically written off by her school at a very young age, they told us “she’ll never read”, “she’s just not trying”,” she’s lazy”, I’m sure someone out there has heard that before when it’s just not true. To see your child, pick up a book, look at the pictures then make up a story to go with them because they can’t read the words.
Watching them try so very hard to “get it” heartbreaking. I heard her crying one night in her little bed because everyone made fun of her because she was “so stupid.”
She wasn’t stupid, she just saw the world differently, she didn’t see numbers and words, she saw colours and shapes. She was wired differently and working with different textures and mediums, broke the spell. I sat and thought about what made her happy, what motivated her, what she liked, her favourite colours, animals.
I cut out pictures from magazines and used cereal cartons, I glued pictures on the cards and invented games for her to play. We matched the picture to the word, like “woman”, “dog” “cat”, simple things like that and repetition of playing endlessly started to work.
I bought a scrap book and wrote in it with a very large black pen the alphabet she found lower case to be the most difficult to read it was like another language, so I stuck to capitals. I drew separate letters and got her to match the letter to letter. Because it was a series of games she wanted to do it. Back then drawing supplies weren’t so easy to get so I used a lot of photocopy paper an old puzzle box to keep them in with stuck on pictures on the lid. The last thing I did, the thing that really boosted her confidence was buying a packet of large labels and writing everyday words on then like “table”, “chair”, “door”, “phone” and actually sticking them on the named item. True if anyone who didn’t know us when they came around it looked very odd to see stickers all over the house, but you know what, my husband supported me in what I was doing, and he didn’t mind. It made a few people laugh and then they told me it was a brilliant idea and they would do it too. It worked, she started to see the words, still as shapes, but those shapes said “door” or “fridge” she’d cracked it. I was so proud of her for not giving up and not letting convention beat her. We all see things in our own way.
None of us are exactly the same and diversity can be a good thing.
She’s a grown woman now, with a family of her own. Two lovely little children one is learning to read and when you get a visit for a chat and a cup of tea and she thanks you for trying so hard it makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. I tried everything I could think of to help her and hurray it worked. There is always a way. We kept at it, she’s a beautiful soul and so talented and creative.
All our children are different and I’m really glad, so many different perspectives in one room that’s how we used to see it, which is marvellous. One things for sure though they all think out of the box and are gifted survivors, bless them.
So, if you’re struggling with the system like we did, listen to your child, work on what makes them tick, use what motivates them to learn, make time, make games, sing songs, make up your own. Think out of the box not from inside of it. Don’t be pigeon holed, fly free. I learned a lot during those times, I felt I learned as much as her and I’m grateful.
Don’t let anyone write you off, you can do it even if it takes you longer than most, it doesn’t matter you have a lifetime to learn, keep practising you’ll get there, we did.