Thomas’ Story

1. What was reading practice and spelling like for Thomas before Easyread?

Reading practice was slow, hard work for both of us and often fraught. Thomas hated reading and would make many excuses not to do it.

2. Did any of the patterns you saw fit the causes of reading difficulty we describe on the site (Optilexia, eye tracking weakness, auditory processing weakness, stress spirals, auditory memory weakness, contrast sensitivity, fluency block and attention deficit)?

I thought there might be a more significant problem with Thomas’ reading, more than just laziness but it was only after an educational psychology assessment, visual testing and a diagnosis of dyslexia that it became clear that some of the difficulties he was experiencing were auditory processing weakness, contrast sensitivity and visual stress.

3. What types of reading and spelling support had been tried with him before Easyread?

Thomas had learning support for reading when he was 6yrs old for one school year but after that year he was felt to have improved and there was no further funding or resource at the school to continue the support. At home we just persevered with reading together.

4. How was the day to day experience of working through the Easyread process like for you both? (the highs… and the lows!)

The Easyread lessons are fun and importantly short. Thomas engaged with them well at the start as it did not seem like reading and was fun. He particularly liked the games at the end of the lesson. This was a much easier way to read with Thomas. There were periods when he would lose interest and resist doing the lessons but this was often during school holidays when he felt he should not be working. The CODE words and surprises throughout the course were a great incentive for Thomas.

5. What have been the outcomes so far for Thomas, including any remaining frustrations?

Thomas’ reading has improved so much that he has been moved up to the 2nd top reading group at school. He certainly enjoys reading more than he did and most importantly his confidence has improved. I am confident to say that we would not be at this stage if it were not for Easyread.