Star’s f ight to save son from being called ‘thick’ like he was
THE shame of being called ‘thick’ at school because undiagnosed dyslexia left him unable to read or write properly has stayed with him his whole life. So when Kenny Logan’s son Reuben started having trouble of his own, his father was delighted to find a special course that could help him.
Now the former Scotland rugby international is set to meet Education Secretary John Swinney in the hope that the same programme could raise attainment in schools across the country.
Logan believes the course, which recently helped his 11-year-old son, could help other youngsters in a similar situation.
The 44-year-old, who is married to TV sports presenter Gabby Logan, struggled with learning difficulties himself as a child. It wasn’t until he was in his 20s that he finally got the help he needed to master reading and writing.
Talking for the first time about his son’s struggle, he said: ‘Twoand-a half years ago, we were sitting down in tears saying we’ve got a real problem with Reuben. It gave me a flashback to my own struggles at school and I felt sick for him.
‘Every time you went to the school gates it was “Can I have a word?” He kicked someone today, he did this, he did that... Reuben’s a good boy but we became worried. He was disruptive and his concentration was poor in the classroom. We spent so much money going to see specialists, who all came back with different answers.’
After discovering Reuben had mild dyspraxia, which affected his mental and physical co-ordination, the family decided to enrol him in the ‘STEP’ course. Designed for children aged seven to 13, it requires students to work through hundreds of cognitive exercises.
Its aim is to stimulate the part of the brain which deals with automatic tasks, such as picking up a pencil or sitting still in class.
The idea is when these actions become automatic memories, after being repeated regularly, the child’s concentration is freed to focus on what is being taught in class.
‘Reuben is like a different child now,’ Logan said. ‘He did the STEP course when he was nine and within six months we started to see this change in him.
‘Tell him something now, he processes it. He’s a good little rugby player who got a sports scholarship at his school.
‘The teachers are saying there’s a big difference in him. Last term he got “most academically improved” pupil – that from a kid who a year ago was struggling is incredible, and makes me a very proud dad.’
Logan now wants other children have access to the course – which is backed by Microsoft and the Independent Association of Prep Schools.
He is hopeful he will be able to persuade Mr Swinney in talks later this month to carry out a trial involving 3,000 pupils starting from August this year.
The former rugby star was branded ‘thick’ during his time at Wallace High School in Stirling, but said: ‘Nobody’s thick.’ He added: ‘There’s a potential in every child and they’ve got to find it.’
STEP focuses on ‘physical literacy’, which it describes as ‘the mastering of the physical skills of balance, coordination and eyetracking through personalised exercise’.
The website states: ‘Children who confidently develop their physical literacy are proven to learn more effectively, socialise more easily and participate more positively both inside and outside the classroom.’
Now an ambassador for the STEP course, Logan said of the way it works: ‘For some children, their brains are using up all the available processing power concentrating on sitting still or paying attention. It’s the way they are wired. That’s the issue we need to resolve...
‘Doing PE is good, but we can do even better by offering tailor-made programmes. I know it can make a real difference. It did for my son.
‘Only a couple of ten-minute sessions each school day can transform how a child processes information.
‘A few simple, bespoke exercises can improve their learning skills and their self-esteem.’
‘Made a difference for my son’