When I was younger, I would look at words and they’d start moving. Sometimes they’d be upside down or sometimes they’d be backwards. I could never understand how people could figure it out so easily.
In 2nd grade I had two teachers, Mr. Souls and Ms. Eriksen. They both loved reading to us. To this day, I still remember my anticipation for the end of the day because Mr. Souls would read us a book. But as that year ended and everyone starting putting words together, I was sitting there having a hard time figuring out how the word “pencil” made sense. Every time I looked at it, I saw “Pansil” or some of the letters would be upside down.
Towards the winter, around Christmas of that year, I was sitting on the ground in my aunts house with my family playing the game Catch Phrase. You basically see a word, then describe it to everyone without using the word and they have to try and guess. Back then I thought I was big enough and smart enough to play, so they added me in. When it came my turn, I got the word ‘pencil’. I couldn’t read it! In front of my entire family I had to ask my uncle for help and when he saw the word he looked at me and said “How can you not read that? Lina (my little cousin) can read that.” I was mortified. I wanted to ball up and cry all because of a word I couldn’t read. From that day on, I was determined to be the best reader in my entire family. And I’m basically there, but it was hard getting to this point.
Every year from the 3rd grade till 6th grade I had to get extra help from my teachers with reading and writing. I had to stay after school and they would read through a book with me and help me memorize how certain words were spelled. Every year I got better and better and every where I went I read everything I could possibly read. I’d go to a restaurant with my family and sit and read the menu. In 4th grade we had a family reunion in Colorado and I tried my hardest to stay awake the entire car ride there just so I could all of the signs and places we passed. I got really good. Better than my older sister. But then in 5th grade, something more difficult came along, and it;s name is Math.
Before then, math was a piece of cake! I could count and add and take away numbers, though it always took me longer than the other kids. But when my 5th grade teacher came along and wanted to do fractions and how to add them, I started to fall behind. I didn’t understand how you could flip a fraction when dividing it and the answer would come out accurate. And when we started the flipping and switching and long division, the numbers started to move and flip and switch. I would get head aches just looking at math sheets. Luckily for me, my sister and brother were smart. Really really smart. Though I hated asking for help because it made me feel dumb, whenever I did ask, they would help without hesitation. Not only them, but my friends as well helped out a lot as well. I had my friend Clara help me with fractions while Lillie helped me with long division. It was a pattern I had grown accustomed to that year.
By the time 6th grade came and we had an understanding and patient teacher, I was getting the hang of things. My reading was two levels above the average 6th grader and my math where it needed to be. And from my first day of 6th grade to my last day of 8th grade, I had to work extra hard to keep up in math. And I still have to now, as a Freshman. But knowing that I came across a challenge that hits kids hard every day, and over came it, I’m proud to say that I work hard. Dyslexia is hard and tough at times, and it never goes away. But it’s worth while when you learn how to coup with it.
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