Why Helping A Child, Just In Time, Matters

Sam was a boy whose talents and aptitudes just weren’t being seen or recognized at school. His abilities and light were being hidden beneath the perception of him as a ‘slow reader’ and ‘struggling student.’ Sam began dreading each school day and coming up with every possible reason to stay home. He just couldn’t face another day of printed words that he could not seem to decipher. He had begun to feel like an outsider - even on the playground. He felt everyone was looking at him as ‘less’ because he couldn’t read. Sam’s mother, Sarah, was beside herself trying to find a solution. Online phonics programs and games hadn’t worked. She was beginning to wonder if her son needed special education. Maybe he had dyslexia?

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Then one afternoon, Sarah got a call from Sam’s teacher. She too, was very concerned about his lack of progress in reading, even with the extra reading intervention he was receiving in the classroom.. She told Sarah she knew a retired teacher and certified Dyslexia Reading practitioner who she was certain could help Sam learn to read.

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Over the phone that night, Sam’s mother told me a great deal more about Sam's difficulties reading, and we scheduled a free reading assessment. In the conversation that followed, I shared the results that showed what concepts Sam had already learned and what he would need to learn to get his reading to grade level. The decision to enroll Sam in one-on-one tutoring was an easy one. 

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In less than two months, Sam was gaining confidence reading words and sentences. His belief in himself had grown so much that he wanted to try out for a part in the school play. But when he saw the script, his heart sank because many of the words were still beyond what he had learned in such a short time. A week later, after hard work and encouragement, Sam was able not only to read the script fluently, but he did so with incredible expression and style. Sam got the lead part. His talent for acting could now shine - no longer hindered by a reading challenge. He was truly a star in every way. By the following year, Sam was reading on grade level and had joined a local acting club where all of his talents were appreciated.