Difficulty Learning to Read

Both my boys lacked the school gene. The younger one more so than the older one. School was difficult for our family. We did not have children who loved doing homework. We did not have children who got As and Bs. Our motto was Cs get a degree. Projects were often done the night before. “Mom, this project is due tomorrow.” That meant going to the store when you’re tired after working all day to get the supplies and then making the project. Like I said, school was difficult for us. And I was a teacher!

The older one was/is dyslexic but was pliable. He did his homework, but it was messy. For Social Studies he would read a paragraph then I would read one. Back and forth we went.

When the younger one was four, I introduced the ABCs to him in what I thought was a fun way but he was not interested.

They both did love to hear stories. So, every night before bed the three of us sat on my older son’s bed and I read to them. When they were young, they loved the Bill Peet books. I read to them until my older one was in seventh grade and the younger in fifth grade. I believe the last book I read to them was Hatchet.

Both boys are adults now and doing well. But it was a struggle especially the teen years. All the workbooks I’ve written have been with my boys in mind. The literacy workbooks use the Orton Gillingham approach which is recommended by the International Dyslexia Association for teaching reading and spelling. The other workbooks are easy to use with the students in mind who lack the school gene. I’d like to think they look at the workbooks and say, “I can do that.”

Visit our website at fisher-hill.com to view all of our easy to use workbooks. Click on each book then click the blue box that says Sample Pages to view sample lessons. Most of our books are for Spanish speakers to learn English but if you scroll down on the home page you will see four workbooks that are English only.