Reading Is Not a Chore Anymore

Cayden-John enrolled at Edublox because he couldn’t read or spell at the acceptable level for his age when he was in Grade 2. He struggled with memory and containing the information that he had read or learned. He was diagnosed at seven years with dyslexia and ADD.

Going from an OT to a play therapist to an educational therapist, with the school telling him that he is slow, made my anxiety levels peak. We eventually took him to the neurologist and was given the blow that his brain was four years older than he was, yet his maturity age was two years behind his actual age. His brain was so confused he couldn’t concentrate.

People thought I was telling lies when I said he was dyslexic, as he had a big vocabulary for his age — but couldn’t read the basic 3-letter or spell the basic 2-letter words at the age of seven.

We then took him for his eyes to be tested, as I was told that could be the problem. I was told he has 20/20 vision. Then we took him for his hearing, as he did have hearing problems as a toddler, but that was fixed and he had no recent signs of hearing loss.

After a year of struggling at a mainstream school, I decided that homeschooling was the right path for my little man. I Googled to see who could help with reading and most importantly, help with his dyslexia — and found Edublox Krugersdorp. I made an appointment, sent him for his evaluation and enrolled him there and then.

It was the best decision I have ever made for Cayden, and the improvement in his reading has been the best. They have patience and understand the struggles these children go through. It is easier for Cayden to read and it is not in front of the whole class, like they do when they are in school — and he has fun.

Cayden can now spell words on his own and with effort — he might not get them right but he is trying more and more to spell. Reading is not a chore anymore, and he wants to read more and more books. Playing games is easier for him, as he can now read the basic instructions on his own, and his memory has improved drastically when learning to spell new words. I have seen so much improvement in him. Instead of practising the same spelling words for a month, and still getting them wrong, he now spells them and learns them in a shorter time.

During Level 5 of lockdown, we carried on with reading and spelling, as we didn’t want him to fall behind. It was important that we keep his Edublox going, so he logged in to the online portal and did all the online classes and kept up with his computer work.

We noticed that his memory on the computer was improving, and that his reading was improving drastically. He was able to sit for a full 90 minutes and do what he needed to do; and he concentrated very well, considering his ADD.

When classes resumed, he was as happy as he could be with having his friends around again and to be back in his old routine.

The road ahead

Spelling harder words still remain a struggle for Cayden, which we know needs a lot more practice, and reading harder books for his age is still a struggle. We have noticed that Cayden prefers verbal examinations, as he doesn’t understand the questions when he reads them.

English will always be a hurdle that Cayden will need to overcome, and spelling and reading will be his biggest challenge for years to come. He understands that practice and more practice is how he will achieve his goal.

Amanda Greaves-Walker