Mom Guilt and Missed Signs

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I don’t know how I missed the signs.  I was a teacher, after all!  I had taught plenty of kids to read.  I thought I knew exactly what to do.

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However, my plans were derailed by my son.  My precious, smart, amazing son.  He was the light of my life.  My first-born!  He was perfect (at least I thought so!).

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What I didn’t realize was that the fact he couldn’t rhyme (or remember the correct names for common things or name the letters or remember letter sounds) was a problem.  I didn't realize that my own struggle learning to read could be related to his.  He was super smart!  Of course teaching him to read would be easy!

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If I only knew that those little details were important, that they were actually early signs of dyslexia, our path would have been much easier.

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Once I started teaching him to read (we homeschooled from preschool to 8th grade), I was surprised that my little guy wasn’t picking things up.  Certainly he had the ability!  But reading even short vowel words was a challenge.

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No problem, I thought!  There are lots of resources out there to teach reading.  Let me tell you, I tried them all!  Nothing worked.  I felt frustrated, helpless, and like a failure.

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After trying and failing for so long, he was finally diagnosed with dyslexia.  Suddenly everything made sense.

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I became a research machine.  I learned everything about dyslexia and how to remediate it. 

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I learned about the Orton-Gillingham method.  I learned how to teach him systematically and explicitly based on how dyslexic brains work.  I taught him every day using that knowledge.

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It was life-changing! 

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My son went from hating to read, to devouring Harry Potter and Eragon.

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I only wish I had known sooner that his brain was wired differently. 

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I am proud to say that today he is a college graduate (with two degrees!) and loves to read, research, and learn.  He lives an amazing life and is successful and happy.

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He is the reason that I became a Wilson Dyslexia Practitioner. 

He is the reason that The Successful Reader was created. 

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There are countless stories like his out there.  The IDA (International Dyslexia Association) estimates that as many as 15-20% of the population has symptoms of dyslexia!

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​Children are struggling to read, and are not getting taught the way their brain learns.  Sadly, 35% of 4th graders read below the basic level.  64% of 8th graders read below grade level. Those numbers are from BEFORE the pandemic!  Imagine what they are now.  Kids don't just "magically" get better at reading.  Instead, the gap grows larger every year.

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Schools are completely overwhelmed.  They don’t always have the knowledge of how to specifically teach dyslexic students.  Even if they know how to help, they don’t have the resources to provide one-on-one tutoring for every struggling reader. 

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The Successful Reader was born out of a desire to help as many children as I can overcome their reading challenges and become the person they were meant to be. My mission is to change the lives of the students I serve.  My goal is to use my experience, expertise, and training to transform struggles into successes.

 

I know what it's like to be the parent of a struggling student. 

 

I know how it feels to see your smart and wonderful child fail.  I also know how to help!

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​If you feel helpless and at a loss, I know what you're going through.

 

If you just don't know what to do, I've been there. 

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If you want to get your child on the path to a lifelong love of reading, let's talk. 

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Set up a free reading assessment for your child.

 

Your child doesn't have to keep struggling! 

 

We can change their life, starting today!