Learning to Read Again: Our Story of Dyslexia

An example of Lena’s creativity.

We weren’t completely wrong – she does need a lot of reinforcement and she does learn to read in a different way from others. As her eleventh birthday came and went, we began to realize that though she was smart, something we were not equipped to deal with was hindering her ability to learn to read. Something time, patience and practice was not correcting. Dyslexia. Never before have I been more thankful for the research ability the internet provides. My research led me to a fairly long lecture by Susan Barton on dyslexia. She gave a list of symptoms of which my daughter had almost all. I’ll list them here:

• Are slow readers – hard to read technical stuff – reading out loud is terrifying.
• Terrible spellers.
• Can’t prove their intelligence on paper.
• Trouble learning a foreign language.
• Still have trouble with left and right.
• Still confuse b and d, especially under some sort of stress or when tired or sick.

Drawings by Lena of a dyslexic brain vs. non-dyslexic.

My darling and I are just beginning the journey of relearning to read in a way in which she can be successful. I will conclude with a few things I think are important for parents with dyslexic children to understand.

• There is no quick fix or cure for dyslexia.
• 3 parts of the brain are used to read. A “decoding” area and 2 memory storage areas. Brain scans have shown that people with dyslexia only use the “decoding” area when reading. It takes a long time and a lot of work to forge a path to the memory areas and store the words for quick recall and smooth reading.
• Their “decoding” area of the brain is larger, so they are more creative and good problem solvers. Help them find something they are good at so on days when reading is hard, they can be proud of other accomplishments.
• When looking for a tutor, make sure they are using a program based on the Orton-Gillingham Approach.

My name is Carie, wife to mighty, adventurous Sam and mom to five off-the-chart third culture kids. We serve the Lord in Oaxaca, Mexico, home to numerous people groups, many still under reached. Sometimes people knowck on my gate and I give them a tour of my garden, sometimes we sit with them and drink coffee and sometimes I follow them to their home for a prenatal exam. I love that my skills as a midwife are beginning to open ministry doors. My favorite things are time with my Savior, walking this journey beside my husband and being a mom (in that order). Read about our adventures over at my blog, Means 2 Harvest.

Sharing with Cornerstone Confessions, The Modest Mom, A Proverbs 31 Wife, Raising Mighty Arrows and Graced Simplicity.