WHAT WAS I THINKING?

Ron Davis has a list called the 37 Common Characteristics of Dyslexia. These 37 common traits are like a strong bridge that begin a safe journey across a mighty, rushing river. Sounds a bit dramatic, I know, but in truth, that's what they really are.  

Many people don't even know this 'bridge' exists; they only know about the dangerous waters that fill their life. They feel lost, and maybe even feel like they're drowning.  Still sound too dramatic? 

Okay, think back to a time when you had to do something, but had no idea how to even get started. Think about learning a new skill, stopping an old habit, or making a change in your life and you have no idea where to even begin.  You may not even know a problem exists but you have a feeling something has to change.

Ron's 37 Common Characteristic begins with: 

Appears bright, highly intelligent, and articulate but unable to read, write, or spell at grade level.

"I get it", you might be thinking, "it's about someone who's struggling to read...something along those lines."

You might think that, of course, "it's rather easy to spot a reading problem because, well, they can't read!"  Yes, it is about someone who may appear to be struggling but let me tell you a little story. 

Over 30 years ago, long before I was an educator, I was a young mother.  It was in the fall and our church was recruiting for new teachers. The Sunday School Superintendent, Cindy McKee, asked me to consider being a teacher for a 1st Grade Sunday School class.  

"I'm a horticulture major," I replied, "I can't teach Sunday School!"  
Was she crazy? Asking me to teach a class! 

What Cindy knew was she needed a teacher, for one hour on Sunday, for first graders.  But it felt like she was asking me "Can you swim across the mighty Mississippi without a boat, or a life-jacket, in the middle of a driving storm, in a matter of minutes?"
Utterly impossible, I thought! 

What I eventually agreed to do was to be the 'helper' each and every Sunday while a team of women took turns teaching the class. I would be there to give support each Sunday. Easy, all I had to do was show up! I can do that. 

And show up I did.  In fact I was there every single Sunday, sitting at the little table helping the students and the teachers.  At first I sat back and watched.  Soon I realized that with a series of people coming in to lead the class each week, I was the only one who really knew the kids, at least as well as one could get to know them over one hour a week. What I began to noticed was that one little girl was different from the rest.  

Did she dress differently? No. 

Did she speak a different language? No. 

She was different because she never wanted to read. Every time the teachers asked the class to take turns reading the lesson she would not read.  At first I tried to help her and she seemed to be trying.  Quickly, though, I realized that she simply couldn't read and the more the teachers asked her to read, the harder it became.  

One morning as I sat with the students, and I knew the little girl's turn would soon come up to read, I had a fleeting thought:  there really shouldn't be a problem here. She's too cute to have a problem, I told myself.   

Hard to believe that thought floated through my brain, but I did.  I remember my thoughts, about that little, cute, adorable child, because now I realize I'm not alone.  In my ignorance, I had equated not being able to read to not being cute, to not being smart.

I began to feel that it was best to let her choose whether or not she wanted to read.  She always declined.  I decided to advocate for her, asking the teachers to give her the choice to read or not to read.  I could only ask them because, after all, I had thought this teaching thing was entirely in uncharted waters, too difficult to dive into, therefore I really couldn't ask too much of them! 

Well, 30 years later I've crossed many bridges in my life and teaching has been one of them. 

Now I know that appears bright, highly intelligent, and articulate but unable to read, write, or spell at grade level, happens all the time in public schools, private schools, in the home-church-work place-campus-office-store-community....and now I do know what to do for those who appear smart but struggle in reading...

Thank you, Cindy McKee, for asking me to be a teacher.  Even though I did a whale of a job protesting that I was not a "teacher" it gave me the start of a lifetime to swim where I could never have expected to go! 

Read more: http://www.dyslexia.com/library/symptoms.htm#ixzz23cs9r0Bb