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April 19, 2013 by Karen Jensen, MLS

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

April 19, 2013 by Karen Jensen, MLS   Leave a Comment

This week we are talking about reluctant readers and today my friend has been kind enough to share her struggles about raising not only a reluctant reader, but a child with dyslexia.

I have a Reluctant Reader to say the least.  I would push it a bit further and admit I have a Kicking and Screaming reluctant dyslexic reader. (Now, say that 5 times in a row)   She’s nine years old and in the third grade but already has the mood swings of a teenager.  Her talents lean toward the social aspects of life.  She’s really a perfectionist, which makes reading more difficult.  She is easily frustrated.   She doesn’t want to try because she’s afraid to fail.


[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iVcTPRShBA]
Bella Thorne discusses her struggles with dyslexia


When I was growing up, reading was fun!   I would devour a book in a day that would take my friends days or weeks to read.  Reading was my escape.  School was fun and easy.  But this is not about me.  I wish I could say the same is true for my kid, but that’s just not in her personality.

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

Filed under: Dyslexia, Reluctant Readers, Teen Issues

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About Karen Jensen, MLS

Karen Jensen has been a Teen Services Librarian for almost 30 years. She created TLT in 2011 and is the co-editor of The Whole Library Handbook: Teen Services with Heather Booth (ALA Editions, 2014).

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