What if it’s more than just Reluctant Reading? A mom shares about her daughter’s dyslexia

We read four to five times a week.  We have a schedule.  We find interesting subjects to her somewhere on her level.  Gone are the days when I will accept her reading Go Dog Go!  with a straight face.  She memorized that book years ago when I had dreams that she would be reading War and Peace and The United States Tax Code by the fourth grade.  I’ve learned to let those dreams go because she is her own person, not my little mini-me. 

Some days are better than others.  Some days, when the moon and stars line up, I have just a reluctant reader.  She still hopes that I forget that it’s reading time.  But she will attempt to read with a good attitude and usually does fairly well.  I ask her to read to me so that I get to know what’s going on in the book.  I act interested to get her invested in the characters.   I have taken the advice of a trusted friend to ask her to read a page and I will read a page.  Then I read something completely different to her for her listening enjoyment.  We are big fans of Judy Blume’s Fudge series and other books I read as a child.  Rarely, she will read to the dogs.   Their favorite books always have dogs as the protagonist.  Those are our good days… 

Other days, my reader sets her jaw, digs her heals in, and the fun begins.  Our reading time is reduced to sniffs and snuffles between tears.  However, sometimes I just have to laugh at her reasons for not wanting to read.  Some of her top reasons are: I’ll never use this when I grow up, I will just wait for the movie, and reading is stupid!!!  I have to take a step back and let her cool off.  On these days, I pray for the patience to just get through the passage.  We always finish but sometimes leave tear stains on the book.  However, books are pretty tough and dry out nicely. 

I just try to look at the big picture and think about where we started and how far we have come.  We are so blessed that her biggest problem is dyslexia!  This child has been given to us by God and I think at times he somehow has overestimated us.  Although when I prayed for a little girl, the only parameters I gave God was blond headed and blue eyed.  Wow, The Great I Am certainly has a wicked sense of humor!!  


Helping Children with Dyslexia in the Classroom
Kidshealth: Understanding Dyslexia