adoptedwriter | LJ Idol, Week 3: Tsundoku

A belief among educators is that first you learn to read. Then you read to learn.

When my younger daughter, Fuzzy1, was in early elementary school, I suspected that she had some sort of learning struggle beyond just “math sucks, reading is boring”, etc. I knew better than to compare her to her older sister who was a “keen, lean, reading machine” by mid kindergarten. The intelligence was clearly there in my Fuzzy1; it was the wiring between her eyes and her brain that was not standard issue. Her speech was advanced. Her memory and observation skills were in some ways better than mine. She was a smart, spirited little girl, and it broke my heart when she felt misunderstood and frustrated while struggling to work out sounds, blends and digraphs in even simple words. It was heart breaking because I loved reading books, and I wanted the same for my girl.

Books were my escape as a kid. Books were like a socially acceptable TV in my head when I was grounded from regular TV or needed a brain break while struggling with my own school work or unpleasant kids at school. Books were heaven.

I feared my youngest daughter would never have the beloved sanity-saving outlet from which I benefited and self-soothed. I grieved how we might not ever share a love for reading together. One of her teachers described her as “at risk” which both frightened and angered me.

My kid was not like that.

We invested in the “Hooked on Phonics” System to the tune of almost $400 including shipping and handling. We received hundreds of cute paper back, short stories with lovely, bright illustrations and easy to read vocabulary. Fuzzy1 wanted nothing to do with the overwhelming pile of more books she could not read. She used them as target practice, flinging them at the wall.

We began the process of having her tested for special services at school. As I suspected, the testing showed her to be dyslexic. To what extent couldn’t be determined because she was so little, but the school admins recognized her skills at socializing, art, and using her visual, auditory, and tactile memory effectively. She recognized symbols and logos for cars, clothing and restaurants, so literacy at some level was there. She had so much potential.

It took time, but we spent as many opportunities as we could reading together. I wanted her to love literature. We purchased and checked out audio books when possible, and this saved time and reduced her anxiety and frustration. We took shopping trips to the local Barnes and Noble and libraries. Bringing home books was never something I said no to. I wanted both my kids to always know that reading was a positive thing.

The LRC teachers and aides at school worked their magic, and as a fellow professional, I knew how to work WITH them and trust them instead of being “that mom” at every conference and on report card day. I’m trained to teach kids Spanish. Mrs. H. was trained to teach kids reading and how to manage organization, time and stress management as it pertains to learning. (I learned a few teaching tips myself from dear Mrs. H. which I’ve passed on to my tutoring kids. )

Fuzzy1 did learn to love story books in time. She grew up as educational software became more available for in-home purchase, and my husband researched what was best to buy and which games and activities our kids could enjoy together. One of their favorites was about taking a tour of the Titanic. They also explored math blaster and Mario typing. However, diskettes and DVDs never have outnumbered all the physical books at various reading levels which gradually filled our house.

Between the dedicated educators she had from second grade through her senior year of high school, combined with non stop family support and enrichment, Fuzzy1 indeed learned how to read and appreciate anything she set her mind to. Due to time constraints, more of her reading has been for school and professional needs, and she can do it accurately and in a timely way. Dyslexia can’t be “cured”, but it can be managed. It did not stop her from realizing her dream of becoming a nurse. If anything it’s made her a better advocate for people of need. She’s one of the most dedicated and compassionate people you’ll ever meet.

Two weeks ago we had a baby shower for Fuzzy1 and her own baby, who is due in November. Fuzzy1 isn’t much into baby trends or assigning themes, but when you get a bunch of teachers and librarians together for a shindig, the main idea for the party before the blessed event was obvious: Bring A Book!

How 20 people managed to bring 20 different pieces of written work, (no duplicate purchases), is amazing. MX’s grandma gave them the collection of MX’s dad’s Little Golden Books she’d saved for 55 years and she signed each book for her future granddaughter.

I have a bookcase vacuum-packed with my girls’ books too; everything from Maggie Simpson’s Counting Book to Everybody Poops, the Curious George and Madeline tales plus good ole Dr. Seuss. My new favorite kid books are the Pete The Cat series by Eric Litwin, illustrated by James Dean. Will we ever have time to read them all? You bet your Wonky Donkey we will! This kid is going to have a lot of reading material. One way or another, this grandchild, and hopefully a few others, will never lack literary luxuries.

There’s no such thing as having too many books!

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bsgsix

One can never have too many books, you're right! And I love your final paragraph. It made me smile. The future looks bright (and well-read) from over here. :)

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LJ Idol, Week 3: Tsundoku

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