The Problem
When Charlotte started school, mum Jenny assumed she would learn to read just like everyone else; however very soon it became apparent that she was finding it harder than most. Charlotte was one of the youngest of her ten children, so Jenny felt well-versed in the reading journey by now. Having had good experiences with the older ones her hope was that, like them, after some initial hiccups it would suddenly just click for her youngest. But by the time she turned 8 years old they realised that there was no hint of it clicking at all. Far from it in fact; if anything Charlotte was spiralling.
The school cottoned on to the fact that something wasn’t right when Charlotte was 6 years old, and so for the past 2 years she had been placed in a special reading group and also received one-to-one help from a specialist teacher. And still nothing had changed. What had started as being the occasional mistake had turned into chronic guessing, even with the small common words.
It wasn’t just Charlotte’s school work that was being impacted either, as her self-esteem was sorely suffering too. So much so that by this time she was in Year 3 she had labelled herself “stupid” and “dumb” and Jenny had a terrible feeling that this was just the beginning. Even family life was dominated by the ghoulish guessing habit that refused to subside. Reading together at home was dominated by Charlotte’s frantic attempts to make stabbing guesses at all but the most basic of words, and as such resulted in deep frustration for both mother and daughter. Everyone was out of their depth.
The Solution
Funnily enough, it was a frustrating comment made by a friend that led Jenny to come across Easyread. The friend in question had suggested that a child’s inability to learn to read was linked to their adult teeth coming late. After years and countless hours of effort, thoughtful parenting and a positive mental attitude, Jenny was unwilling to accept that something as trivial as this was to blame for her daughter’s struggles. She was also appalled at the idea that their situation was set in stone and refused to accept that this was her daughter’s fate. And so in an effort to prove just how nonsensical the claim had been Jenny undertook some internet research. In the process of this research (and after having firmly established the dental health claim to be absolute hogwash!) she discovered Easyread.
As soon as she clicked through to the Easyread website and read through the information, Jenny felt an instant wave of relief, and genuine hope. The symptoms described perfectly matched her daughter for one thing, and for another it was the first time she had heard anyone speak of Charlotte’s inability to read as being rectifiable. They confirmed that she was not stupid or dumb – in fact probably quite the opposite. The fact that they then also had a thorough, well-designed and scientifically proven program available for children like Charlotte to neurologically change the way they read, seemed almost too good to be true! And yet Jenny trusted in what she was reading. This wasn’t just conjecture; these people knew what they were talking about. So she signed up.
Something Jenny liked from the outset was the consistency of Easyread. From the very first time they logged in to their online lesson and during the subsequent months that followed, the content was thorough, entertaining and repetitive in a way that allowed Charlotte to build on her basic decoding strategies day by day.
As for Charlotte – if Jenny were to identify the process as being associated with one emotion for her daughter it would be sheer happiness! It seemed like every day she was learning something new which in turn increased her self-worth, and so the positive cycle went on. Crucially, when it came to Easyread she could cope with every part of her 15 minute lesson, and this in itself was cause for celebration. Her self-awareness also increased dramatically. One afternoon, whilst reading together (something which Charlotte was happier about within a matter of weeks on the program) she remarked to Jenny “I can’t guess any more, can I mum”, and so together they proceeded to sound out and decode the words. To see her feeling so in control of how she was reading was wonderful. It was a very special moment for Jenny.
The Result
When Jenny thinks back to way things were before Charlotte began Easyread and compares it to where she is now, the difference is nothing short of astounding. She has essentially gone from being a non-reader to a reader in just six months! What’s more, she NEVER labels herself has being stupid anymore. Both her confidence in reading and her ability to decode – even challenging words – is overwhelming. And an added bonus that Jenny hadn’t even hoped for is that Charlotte’s spelling has improved dramatically as well.
“We are absolutely delighted with what Easyread has done for Charlotte. It has changed her life. Thank you all very much.”