What Kaliko Wants To Learn

Here it is Jan 10 and I'm still reading"The Dyslexic Advantage" by Brock and Fernette Eide, and amazing book.  I don't make time to read, like I should, so this is taking awhile.  Part of what i read during K's basketball practice last night, was that dyslexics learn better when they are interested in something.  That is something public schools don't care about, they care about the basics.....so I asked K what she would like to learn about if she could pick any subject in the world to learn about. Her answer was not what I expected.  She said, "I want to know why the kids in my class laugh at me when I mess up a word reading." Wow!  That hit me like a rock!  I told her it's because they don't understand about her dyslexia.  She asked, "How can I make them understand?" So I asked her if she wanted to learn more about dyslexia and she said YES!  Alrighty then.  Now to make this happen for her.

First thing this morning I got on Amazon, my favorite place to buy books, and found books for children to understand dyslexia, 3 of them and another one for me. I'm very proud of her for wanting to understand about how her brain works but also find it heartbreaking.  She tries so very hard to do as well as her classmates and just can't keep up with them.  We do all we can to point out her strengths and victories, but i wonder if we do enough.  Pushing the testing thru was huge for her. Getting her IEP is a giant step in the right direction, even though it doesn't cover reading......if the school district would acknowledge dyslexia it would be extremely helpful.  If they had special clubs for kids with this gift so she wouldn't feel so alone.....they have clubs for the 'gifted' students and they get special field trips, etc.  Why not children like K that need special help too?  The usual "LD" kids get extra help and programs and kids like my Kaliko get left behind.  Is this something I can do?  I know there are other kids there that are dyslexic and they probably feel the same way......time to do more research.

I know there are a few private programs that cost more than most families in the area can afford, I know it's more than we can afford.  Private tutors that are trained in the Orrlingham technique or the Davis technique, but what about us with fewer resources??? Hmmmmmmm.......

K gets to be "Star of the Week" at the end of the month.  We've already started working on her board.  The first thing she asked to put on the board was a picture I showed her, a MRI showing the difference in activity in a dyslexic brain vs. a non-dyslexic brain.  She also wants a picture of Albert Einstein-lol!  I wish she didn't feel so defined by this, but her accepting it and wanting to be educated about it is something to be proud of.  Once she learns more she'll gain more confidence and that, in itself, is a huge victory!  I am so proud of my girl!!!