Last Fall, I decided to try something a little different. Instead of just working to secure dyslexia awareness proclamations and harassing our state legislators to introduce dyslexia legislation, I decided to start making changes where it matters the most, with our dyslexic children. I signed up to train as an Augustine Literacy Project Tutor for ReadWS in Winston-Salem. The project’s mission is to improve the reading, writing and spelling abilities of low-income children and teens who struggle with literacy skills. Let me tell you, it was tough, the training itself wasn’t as tough as the fact that I’ve been out of school for a long time and my brain was a little rusty. It’s a big commitment and I’m so glad I decided to do it.
The training was sixty hours of Orton-Gillingham Training over two weeks and part of that was practicum where you went into schools to work with students while another seasoned tutor mentored you through your first lessons with your student. The first day that you meet with your student, you evaluate them to see where their strengths and weaknesses are, I can’t diagnose anyone with anything as I’m not a doctor of any kind, but I can tell you that my student’s writing looked very much like my son’s did at that age and he is dyslexic and dysgraphic. What also stood out about my student was their gift of gab just like my son.
On the very first day of training, we were told that they were adding something new to their training, it was a dyslexia simulation from The International Dyslexia Association. It was an eye-opening, heart-wrenching experience for me because before then I hadn’t really had the foggiest idea of what my son went through in school. I mean, I knew what he told me he went through, but this simulation gave me a peephole view into what he had been going through during his entire time in school and it was not pretty. The part of the simulation I found most difficult was when you had a few minutes to look at a symbol sheet, had to turn it over and then had read a page full of symbols based on what you had just memorized. When it was my turn, my heart dropped and I couldn’t remember one symbol that I had looked at on the other page. I was being pushed to read by this station’s “teacher” and I was hopelessly stuck as my face burned red hot with embarrassment. When I was a student, I always loved to read aloud in class because I’m not dyslexic and now I’ve had just a tiny snippet into what it must be like for my son and other dyslexic students like him. If you ever have a chance to participate in a dyslexia simulation, try it, it’s a huge eye-opener.
Tomorrow, I’ll be starting my second year as an Augustine Literacy Project Tutor and I can’t wait to see and work with my student again this year. My student was very nervous last year at the end of the school year and afraid that we wouldn’t be able to work together this year, I told her not to worry, we’ll get it figured out. I was in touch with her teacher last week and we figured out days and times that worked best for all, she was very willing to fit tutoring into the schedule and I’m very thankful for that because our student wins when we work together. The motto of the organization is, “Tutor One Child, Change Two Lives” and that nails it on the head. I’m so happy that I decided to take the leap and make the commitment.
By the way, my plan is also to continue securing dyslexia awareness month proclamations and to harass our legislators into introducing dyslexia that will help our dyslexic students in public schools.
Don't forget...October is Dyslexia Awareness Month in North Carolina
*Below are some of the notes and cards that my student gave to me throughout the last school year and I cherish them.
The training was sixty hours of Orton-Gillingham Training over two weeks and part of that was practicum where you went into schools to work with students while another seasoned tutor mentored you through your first lessons with your student. The first day that you meet with your student, you evaluate them to see where their strengths and weaknesses are, I can’t diagnose anyone with anything as I’m not a doctor of any kind, but I can tell you that my student’s writing looked very much like my son’s did at that age and he is dyslexic and dysgraphic. What also stood out about my student was their gift of gab just like my son.
On the very first day of training, we were told that they were adding something new to their training, it was a dyslexia simulation from The International Dyslexia Association. It was an eye-opening, heart-wrenching experience for me because before then I hadn’t really had the foggiest idea of what my son went through in school. I mean, I knew what he told me he went through, but this simulation gave me a peephole view into what he had been going through during his entire time in school and it was not pretty. The part of the simulation I found most difficult was when you had a few minutes to look at a symbol sheet, had to turn it over and then had read a page full of symbols based on what you had just memorized. When it was my turn, my heart dropped and I couldn’t remember one symbol that I had looked at on the other page. I was being pushed to read by this station’s “teacher” and I was hopelessly stuck as my face burned red hot with embarrassment. When I was a student, I always loved to read aloud in class because I’m not dyslexic and now I’ve had just a tiny snippet into what it must be like for my son and other dyslexic students like him. If you ever have a chance to participate in a dyslexia simulation, try it, it’s a huge eye-opener.
Tomorrow, I’ll be starting my second year as an Augustine Literacy Project Tutor and I can’t wait to see and work with my student again this year. My student was very nervous last year at the end of the school year and afraid that we wouldn’t be able to work together this year, I told her not to worry, we’ll get it figured out. I was in touch with her teacher last week and we figured out days and times that worked best for all, she was very willing to fit tutoring into the schedule and I’m very thankful for that because our student wins when we work together. The motto of the organization is, “Tutor One Child, Change Two Lives” and that nails it on the head. I’m so happy that I decided to take the leap and make the commitment.
By the way, my plan is also to continue securing dyslexia awareness month proclamations and to harass our legislators into introducing dyslexia that will help our dyslexic students in public schools.
Don't forget...October is Dyslexia Awareness Month in North Carolina
*Below are some of the notes and cards that my student gave to me throughout the last school year and I cherish them.