So words are “it” for me. I love them. I love their connectivity, the limitless possibilities. How they shape our world, our ideas, and our vision. I mean that there are words for everything and more that you never knew. :-)
Consider the following (my nod to Bill Nye, the science guy)- What is a book? To me it is words reaching their potential, which is were we all want to be. A book is where they record ideas, thoughts, and stories. They record how, why, and who of life. It can go on and on forever, which is why I part of the reason I love history. It is just stories of people, places, and events that long ago happened.
Words make up a large part of our life. They are all around us. On billboards, books, signs, TV guide, school, ect. Words are being recorded, pondered, discussed, and even changed all around us on a daily bases. To me this is what makes us humans and shows our history. These little non-existent, abstract ideas that impact, rule, and change our life on a daily bases.
When I was in forth grade I discovered this secret world that I wanted to understand so bad. Everyone around me just got it. It was magic. They understood this secret world with so ease, and I was on the outside looking for that door to lead me into that magical place. It was a great mystery world that I could see in others eyes. I wanted it, and I could not get to it. There was a huge wall in my way.
Words called to me through stories that my teacher read, and yes, even the dreaded word problems in math (not that may me any better at them). I would see little glimpses just once and a while, but they were enough to get me hooked. I wanted to know, to understand, and to be able to use words the way they are meant to be used everyday. So day-by-day I worked little by little to my self-proclaimed promise land.
My forth grade teacher so used that desire to help me to get as close to that land as she could, but in the end I was the one doing all the hard work. And it was really really hard. I would have good and bad days of reading and comprehension, so I worked and worked, and worked, and worked. At first I worked on small words and got those down, then I moved on to bigger words. When I had confidence to start reading more things I started to challenge the wall, and then one day it all click.
I know that people say that, but for me it really was that way. My brain just got it after a lot of hard work. After that I started reading whatever I could get my hands on. That mysterious world was opened to me, and it was great. It is still great. I love to read, and there are great books out there.
And to be really honest part of the reason that I read all the time is that I am terrified that if I stop reading that I will lose the ability to read. I know that it is not a logical phobia, but it is there also lurking in the back of my brain. I never want to lose the magic of words. So I read and read, and in doing so I have discovered new ideas, new worlds, and ignited my imagination to a bigger reality.
Tool #5 This one is for the parents of dyslexic kids- read with your kids. They need to see you enjoying reading, and have a wonderful memory to fall back on when reading becomes frustrating. And it will become frustrating. I know that in this world that there seems to not be time or really important, but it is. Your kids need you to understand their brain, their world, and to help make connections. Reading together will not only helps you encourage your kid, it also helps your kid to keep the knowledge and understanding that they have gained. Reading is important especially in this day and age. Everything that you do to encourage your child is helpful, and your child will remember it. Lead by example especially in front of your kids.
