Hi! I’m a dyslexic mama of 4 amazing kids! We live in the mountains of Colorado and spend our time appreciating the elk passing through our front yard, scheming up new ways to guard against the gofers and other critters, and most importantly making the most out of every day.
While I do homeschool my kids, I don’t consider this to be a homeschool blog and you won’t find any debates about the best homeschool curriculums here! For me, this is a place where those of us who care deeply about a dyslexic child can work together to find peace with our children’s struggles while also making progress toward their bright futures.
Out of respect for my children’s privacy, I am going to keep things anonymous but here is a bit about who we are.
My oldest son is 14 and the only one of us who is not dyslexic. He seemingly learned to read through osmosis. When he was in 1st grade, tragedy hit our family and we took several months off of school to recover. When we returned to homeschooling, my son was reading and I had done almost nothing to teach him. Today, he is stronger and taller than me and is a survivalist at heart!
My 13-year-old daughter was a different story. Nothing seemed to click when it came to the alphabet or early literacy skills. After trying multiple methods and tutors, she was finally diagnosed with severe dyslexia. The evaluator told me that my daughter may never read or write well. Today she is a passionate young lady who loves climbing and looks forward to a future in engineering. Oh, and she is reading and writing, albeit still slowly.
For my 10-year-old son, reading was the least of my concerns. He didn’t start speaking until 4 and there were many other concerns as well. He has a coordination disorder called dyspraxia, speech apraxia, expressive receptive disorder, ADHD, dysgraphia, and moderate dyslexia. Today I can understand everything he says except when he is talking about Minecraft! Speaking, understanding others, handwriting and many of life’s other basic skills remain a struggle. He is, however, reading and making steady progress in other areas as well!
Last, but certainly not least, is my little pecan. My 5-year-old daughter will start Kindergarten in the fall. She was diagnosed early with severe dyslexia. We knew the signs well and recognized dyslexia when she wasn’t learning her colors several years ago. Of course, she is blessed with youth, and none of this matters to her right now. She spends her days having “great ideas”, which we roughly translate to mean “great big messes”.
And me? Well, my favorite childhood game was school. I loved being the teacher and clearly, I should have been one! Today I own and run two small businesses that support my family and I teach my own children. I dream of one day teaching other dyslexic children but for now, the kids must eat so I am pursuing my passion at home and right here on this blog!