We first realised that Sophie was really struggling with reading and spelling when she was seven. Since then she has been assessed by psychologists, occupational therapist, developmental optometrist and specialist dyslexia tutor and completed weekly programs with these specialists. Over this time I have come to realise that once a week programs are very expensive and for us were not a very effective use of anyone’s time. Sophie was not motivated by any of these programs and getting her to participate was always a battle. I came across Easyread on one of my regular Googles on Dyslexia and was immediately impressed by what I read on the website in particular short lessons everyday.
Sophie and I then looked at the information together and completed the trial lesson. She loved the way David was explaining things to her and she said “He really seems to understand.” She was very excited at the thought that there may be a way that she would be able to read and spell like her friends.
So far Sophie has really enjoyed the program and is very motivated by the codewords and prizes. She has always been rewarded by us in different ways for the work we do at home but it is much more exciting to send off a codeword and then receive a package in the mail. She also really enjoys the way that the program feels so personal. It actually feels like David is there in the room with us. It seems like someone cares and really wants to help.
Sophie has had no difficulty in completing the lessons so far and taking out the letters in the stories so she has to decode rather than sight read the words has really helped her understand this process. She is also guessing less but as this has been her major strategy for so long she is finding this habit harder to break. We always reread each page after she has decoded the words and she has no difficulty with this.
As you say it is too early to see any improvement in Sophies’s normal reading but we are now aware of and watching out for guessing (which she has developed the ability to do very accurately over the years) and we are doing a lot more decoding together. The time we spend reading is definately a lot more enjoyable and a lot less frustrating for us both.
The first six weeks of Easyread have been fun and rewarding and Sophie and I are looking forward to seeeing what the next six weeks brings.
Best wishes
R